Chapter 20: (progress, guilt and deal)
The next day, everything felt distant—fuzzy, like trying to see through fogged glass.
For a long moment, I lay still, unmoving. The faint rustle of dry leaves beneath me reminded me of exactly where I was. A small, uneven pile gathered from the cave floor, my makeshift bed. Their brittle edges pressed through my clothes, digging into my back and hips. Not soft, not by any stretch, but after everything I'd been through yesterday, they were enough for now... I guess.
"First night's done," I muttered, voice rough from disuse. "Could've been worse." I tried to recall the night's hours, but memories were fogged and distant. "Didn't hear anything... apart from that drip."
A long exhausted breath escaped me, clouding faintly in the cold air.
The cave was cold and damp, somewhere deep inside the cave, I heard the same soft drip of water droplets. Each drop echoed through the cave, slow and steady, like an old clock ticking. The air smelled strongly of wet stone and damp earth, filling my nostrils with its earthy scent.
But one thing was certain as I lay motionless on the pile of leaves scattered across the cold stone floor my body hurt like hell. A sharp, deep ache throbbed in every inch of me. My arms, my back, my legs... even my fingers ached, as if I had been thrown down a hill and dragged back up. My muscles screamed in pain with every tiny movement, burning and tight like they'd been overworked far past their limit.
"Ugh..." I groaned softly, my voice scratchy and dry. Just lifting my eyelids felt like a chore.
I tried to move. My arms shook under my weight as I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position. My bones felt stiff, like iron rods hammered into place. My joints popped with every shift, as if they were waking up from a hundred-year nap.
I sat still for a moment, blinking groggily at the cave ceiling. My breaths came out slow and heavy. It was hard to believe I'd actually survived the first night.
I exhaled sharply, then drew in a long breath, willing myself to stretch. Bit by bit, I twisted my torso left, then right, chasing some relief.
*Crack! Crack!! Crack!!!~*
A series of deep, satisfying pops ran down my spine like fireworks. It stung a little, but the relief that followed made it worth it.
"Ahh~ That hits the spot," I muttered under my breath, rolling my shoulders slowly. It wasn't perfect, but I could move now.
My legs still felt like noodles. Weak and shaky. But I forced them to move anyway. With a small grunt, I pulled myself up to my feet, wobbling for a moment before catching my balance. My knees trembled, but they held.
I shuffled toward the door and lifted the wooden branches that acted as my only barrier from the outside. The wooden door creaked faintly as I pushed it open. And then—
*Wham!*
The golden morning sun hit me straight in the face.
"Guh—!"
I flinched, squinting and quickly raising a hand to shield my eyes. The light was bright. Way too bright. It stabbed into my half-asleep brain like a hot needle.
"Ahhh... too bright..." I grumbled, squinting hard, my eyelids twitching against the glow. "another day, another assault on my poor eyes."
But despite the sudden assault on my eyes, I stepped out fully. The sunlight was warm against my skin, wrapping around me like a blanket fresh out of the dryer. The cool morning breeze whispered through the trees, brushing against my cheeks and lifting my messy hair ever so gently.
I took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill my lungs. It smelled clean—like grass, morning dew, and distant wildflowers. The scent washed over me, clearing out some of the leftover fog in my head. Little by little, the heaviness in my chest began to fade.
"Morning already, huh..." I mumbled to myself, rubbing the back of my neck. I felt like a zombie/ghoul that had just crawled out of its grave.
The forest around me was quiet. Peaceful. The birds were just beginning their songs, chirping softly from the treetops. Sunlight trickled through the leaves in golden streams, dancing on the ground in soft patterns. It was the kind of morning that looked like it belonged in a painting.
I stood there for a moment, just breathing. Letting the silence soak into me.
But even in this peaceful moment, something tugged at the back of my mind. A strange feeling. Like I'd forgotten something important. Like something was *missing.*
I furrowed my brows, trying to remember. What *did* happen after i stepped out to pee last night?
Then suddenly, there were flashes—faint, disjointed images flickering at the edges of my memory.
"I... I remember standing," I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible in the stillness of the room. I pressed my fingers against my temples, trying to squeeze something more from the haze.
"Stars," I murmured. "There were stars—above me, around me? No... they were moving. No, *flying*."
The next image stabbed into my mind like a shard of broken glass.
"Tentacles," I said aloud, the word tasting strange on my tongue. My breath caught. "Not just one. Dozens... long, writhing things stretching across the sky. Or was it the ground. Behind the trees?"
I sat up slowly, heart starting to beat faster.
"There was something else. White. Blindingly white... a light? No... a shape. No, not light. Skin. White *skin*."
My hands were shaking now.
"A shadow," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Towering... enormous. It looked at me. No, it didn't have eyes. But I *felt* it looking."
I clenched my jaw. My mouth was dry. "What the hell happened after I stepped out to pee...?"
"What a mess..." I muttered, brushing some dust off my clothes.