He walked for a few minutes among the tree trunks and thicket. It was dim, as the leaves blocked the sunlight, but there seemed to be no immediate danger. Then, he saw a great light at what appeared to be the exit of the forest. He hurried, running toward his destination. However, as he focused on the light, a tree trunk suddenly erupted from the ground in the middle of the path. John crashed into it and fell onto his back. The blow left him dizzy, his vision spinning.
After a few seconds, he began to recover. But as his consciousness returned, he realized he was sinking into the ground. He looked to his sides, his eyes wide with horror, realizing he was surrounded by moving roots. They were sucking his body down; he was already halfway submerged.
John reacted immediately. He furrowed his brow and pulled his arms up with all his might. He stood up and began to flee. Yet, the malevolent roots chased him through the soil until they managed to entwine one of his legs. They pulled him down, making him fall face-first. He screamed, reaching out as they dragged him back.
Then, he remembered a tool he carried. From his jeans, he pulled out a knife and tried to stab the root holding him. In his panic, he missed, hitting the ground. He tried again, but once more the blade sank into the dirt on the other side. On the third attempt, he struck true, slicing the root in two. Free at last, he sprinted away.
As he reached the edge of the forest, he saw a vast field of shrubs outside. However, as he drew closer, he felt a wave of heat rising. Despite the warning, he stepped out. The moment he touched the incandescent sun, he screamed. The burns on his skin were instantaneous; the sunlight in that field was deadly.
He rushed back into the shade of the forest, coughing and gasping for air. But as he looked back into the depths of the woods, he saw the fierce roots approaching. He had to do something. He looked back at the field and saw the forest continued on the other side, not too far away. He didn't think twice: he had to endure the pain.
John sprinted across the field. He was moving fast, but inside he felt as if he were in slow motion due to the agonizing heat. His skin turned bright red under the burning rays. He ran with teeth clenched and eyes strained. His skin was beginning to blister, but in less than ten seconds, he reached the other side.
He collapsed under the shade, his legs trembling and his skin boiling. Fortunately, once under the shadow of the trees, his skin began to return to normal. It seemed the sun's lethal effect only worked in the open air.
“I thought this was a normal forest. I don't know why this is happening,” he whispered to himself.
He looked back and saw the attacking roots. But the moment their tips touched the sunlight, they began to burn and smoke. They immediately retreated and vanished into the earth.
Once he stabilized, John looked at the path ahead. Inside this new part of the forest, everything was pitch black. Not a single ray of light reached the ground. He swallowed hard, sweat still on his forehead, and walked on by instinct.
As he left the light behind, he entered a darkness so deep it was as if he were blind. He tried to maintain a straight line to avoid getting lost. He walked for hours in complete silence, hearing only the thumping of his heart. He hoped that eventually, the light would return so he could find the old man’s house. But time passed, and everything remained the same. He felt trapped in a dead end.
Exhausted and traumatized by wandering without sight, he tried to reach for a tree trunk to steady himself, but he felt nothing. He stretched his arms to the left and right, but his hands met only empty air. He jumped to feel for branches, but there was nothing above him either.
“NO!” he screamed. “WHAT IS HAPPENING?”
He fell to his knees, weeping, pressing his face against the ground. In that moment, he noticed a tiny light near his forehead. He looked down and saw a white feather lying on the dirt. He lifted his head and, in the distance, saw a glowing exit. Beyond it stood a beautiful house.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario