Chapter I

Hot. There’s no other word to describe how that day felt like over my shoulders; it was repulsively warm with little humidity, perhaps as bold as to be substantial enough for being sliced as raw meat. Worst of it all: I was outside in the bare sun. You may ask yourself a simple question which would be “why?” and I shall explain what I can remember in short; however, due to the fact that the heat blocked my train of thoughts, I cannot recall too well how the later incident took place. “Incident?” you may inquire again and I’d answer you ‘yes’. I had been lying in the floor for quite a while, collapsed, and I just happened to have the bad luck of being in an area not very frequented by people.

Rolling a short spam back in time that very same day, a friend of mine had been visiting an acquaintance of hers and she decided to take me with her so there would be someone to talk to; however, her colleague happened to not be at home, so I preferred to stay outside, rather than to intrude in the privacy of a domicile without the owner being present. Not even being sure of why Lexa had gone in with her being absent, I walked off, deciding to take a stroll around the residential complex. I did dislike the heat of this particular zone, but being as stern over my principles as I was at the time, I would not intrude in the house. As I paced, the sweat drops glided down my chest, leaving a petite, icy cold sensation that lasted for mere fractions of seconds. A gap between the buildings revealed itself as I toured around and, after what particularly looked like a swamp, my sight could discern a very mysterious forest… or as mysterious as it could get in such urban environment. In an unconscious manner, it took me a few steps forward, a hop over the fence and… I stood silent, watching the ground before me; shaking my head from any doubts, I stepped forward and, with a sudden soggy sound, I started to sink slowly. Oh dear. I made haste toward the other edge, dampening my legs with the splattering dough. I fell on the grass of the other side, exhausted and awfully dirty. I reproached myself, questioning why I had even done that in the first place. “Idiot,” I mumbled.

Nonetheless, something dragged me closer; a warm sensation of fulfillment and a spark of adrenaline. I stood up after a while and started toward the forest. I noted that there was a fence behind the first sets of trees but, when scrutinizing it closely, I saw a narrow opening on it, and I decided to squish myself through it. After several arrays of trees and bushes, the space gradually became broader to my eyes and body. I stretched, now feeling relieved from the compact space I’d just crossed through and kept my pace. Soon after, the invisible trail opened into a relatively big clearing. The grass in this meadow was short, which meant that someone came in here at least once in a while. An abnormal sensation overcame me for a second, but I ignored it. I noticed a bench built in base of rocks and a plank, and I decided to approach it. Out from nowhere, the sun hit me directly in the eyes and I blacked out.