MEWBOOK.

"Fictional characters do not exist, the things that fictional characters say and do, do not actually happen, and all the things that are gleaned from this, like the profound truths about the human condition we supposedly learn from literature, are based on nothing real. For example, Antigone is not and never was a real person..." - ALLISON HEPOLA.

"Literature rules are created to make mediocre works." - Henry' Husband.

"If a dragon carries you to the top of a mountain you will arrive fast, but if you walk there on your own you will remember the path back." - Jiaming.

"I hit my toe on the edge of a table." - Henry Johnson, probably.

"logic is limited to the way a human mind has evolved to perceive reality, but humans often like to categorize things, jarring them. Hence why jarring is not recognized as canning things in jars." - Pantalemon. (Theory of paradox)

"You can go deeply in these regimes of classical chaos and still see energy levels, but they look a bit like spaghetti." - Daniel Kleppner.

"It's important to judge the lettuce before it becomes sentient" - Google Translator.

(No cat here)

"He stared into the abyss and the abyss was weird" - Leopardo DeVinci.

(Don’t let me put images in books.)

“A funny line to make you keep reading” - Jebediah from Valdaroth.

(Look what youve done)

"My stories are actually pretty boring. A lot of times I tried to fantasize about them in bed. I usually fell asleep within five minutes. At least i found a cure for insomnia." - Abraham Lincoln.(101 things i never said)

(This is all your fault)

"Do not search any of the names above, you will find nothing and feel embarrassed about yourself." - Andrew Hoaxname Junior.

"Turns out that creating original quotes is way easier than writing an actual book. Famous writers should really start from here." - Unknown.

"When I stared at the Abyss the Abyss stared back at me. It was a love at first sight. -

Chapter 1.

Flirting Star.

- And before that there was nothing.

Yes, this story really started with the word "and". Told you Jebediah from Valdaroth! Damn you and your entire bloodline all the way back to Adam and Eve you God-forsaken sentient groundhog! Curse all of your aunts, pets, and offspring until the end of time with amnesia. I told you this is not how that works, you can't enslave the feather with laws and you can't restrict magick with logic.

Stars. Who is that artist which talented hand has painted the night sky! Who is the poet that can dress in words its cold, distant beauty! Who is the polymath that can count the endless lights in the dark infinity beyond. And why would they want to do such thing??

Lost in the endlessness, somewhere high, high above, my gaze wandered like a homeless cat. There was not a single thought in my consciousness, it was too busy gripping onto what is most precious like a cat clinging to a salami. Oh, most precious piece of existence! Why I died escaped me, i only remembered that I did. And it didn't matter how, because that never really happened. There is no afterlife. Whoever I am now is not the person I "was", that person got annihilated during the passing, erased. You can't continue while still being a person, you can't walk through the all swallowing Abyss of nothingness. The habitat of persons is life, that is the environment which shaped them. And this is something beyond it.

- You shouldn't repeat "Person" that often in one sentence. It shows low literacy.

- Celestial bodies are not supposed to read thoughts.

- Celestial bodies are also not supposed to talk either.

A universe is one everything. Now, this was my world, this was my everything. So the reality where I used to live a life that never was, did not even exist here. It was a forgotten memory melted into mere fiction, a dream of some vaguely familiar place separated by the nothing. (If a nothingness can ever be a "the", or "a" for that matter.) Truths turned lies. A shooting star split the night sky for a moment before fading away to leave nothing behind. No fear, no pain, no beauty, no Love, nothing! Just the eternal emptiness of a void for all of eternity! Making you realize the full meaning of forever. The mortal mind cannot take this.

Sinking out from the nothingness, concepts and meanings returned to my mind. Gasping the cool night air in reality more intensely real than anything. Feeling my back against the cold ground brought me into existence. Laying next to the... the... fire. Yes, that's how it's called. A Campfire, casting soft light upon me. I looked to the side. Not a camp fire. It was a star. Hanging low above the ground by my side, waiting patiently. Maybe that same one which crossed the sky before my eyes a moment ago. But shooting stars are supposed to be... oh wait, that's a belief from before. Nevermind then. Behind it was the entrance of a dark cave. It was waiting patiently. Whatever life i had before arriving here, it was a dream compared to this. No, even less than a dream, it was nothing. I never had it to begin with... this was not an awakening, it was a birth. The very first time i experienced factual existence. Sitting up I took a better look around, on my right, a full moon was hanging in the sky, bathing a beautiful valley in enchanted moonlight, casting silver shine across the surface of some distant river meandering like some mythical serpent. I pushed myself up and stood on the cliff's edge, gazing down at this magnificent view before me.

Then the moon turned around and revealed its face.

It looked weird, but I guess any face put on a celestial body would.

- Hello traveler. I am the fool moon. - It spoke with the deep voice of a professional narrator.

- Question, are you going to pretend being my friend and guide me in the wrong direction to be revealed as the antagonist in the end?

- But I am your friend. You are a little, cute paranoid, aren't you? Otherwise, why would you even imagine that I would even do such a thing?

- Because I don't have friends.

- Maybe the one you once were did not. But in this world everything is different. I see that you have already met a friend down there. A shooting star from the constipation of Sirius.

- Constellation of Orion. - I corrected them.

- Siriusly? You are going to correct me, the moon? All I did my entire life is staring at the stars. Which is about a month now. Have you ever stared at the sky for an entire month? Or maybe, you are just talking to yourself. That would explain why I know you are not from this world. Oreo, Oregon, there is no difference, you get me, right?

- Barely.

- Whatever the case, it seems that you've got a new alley, a falling Star, and it seems like it's flirting. Anyway, the right way is that way by the way. Now, if you excise me I have been here reflecting sunlight for four billion years. Just a little bit longer and I will finally get that perfect tan. - With those words, the moon turned its white back at me. The star waited patiently.

- How can you tell that they are flirting?

The star was patiently waiting. I started to think that it was trying to telepathically suggest something. Eventually, its light slowly floated away towards the cave's entrance.

The moon turned its face back at me and stood like that in silence for awhile.

- Because it's clearly in love. Look how it's shining.

Me and the moon continuously stared at each other for a while. Then it slowly turned back around.

- Yeah I'm going the other way.

Taking a last look at the beautiful moonlight valley I turned on my heels and headed into the cave after my little flirting Star.

- An empty mind. An empty paper is the most valuable item in existence. It contains countless stories, endless characters. So much power trapped into... A nothingness....

A white page...

A-waiting...

"Luring" "his" "hand" to "write..."

So let's write.

This... is a good beginning?

It sounded really determinate in "His" "head."

But "write" "he" "couldn't."

Passed through, the star casted dreamy shining across the cold cave walls, leading me deeper and deeper. Step after step, further into the darkness. What sacred truths do you know, what secrets do you keep? My own Bethlehem star!

Its enchanted starlight filled my soul with joy, an exciting tension, a thirst for adventures. I listened to the quiet melody of water dropping into more water that echoed through the cave. Imperceptibly my mind drifted away into a magical trance. When I finally shook it off my legs had already wandered for awhile, but I had trust in my lucky star, and faith that it wouldn't lead me to a dead end. Thinking to myself that i must already be deep under those mountains, i wondered what was on the surface high above my head. Now I was led into a massive hall, and before my gaze a beautiful sight was revealed, from which my soul bloomed with a mystical sense of wonder. Similarly to a night sky, the dark cave ceiling was full of little lights shining with light blue glow. But those were not real stars, if my memories did not mislead me they were called the name glow-worms. I gazed up at them and said to myself: "Hm, Arachnocampa luminousa."

The star stopped for a moment as if looking at me, then it continued floating further, leading me into a dark tunnel. I thankfully followed behind its wise shine, knowing that the gods were with me. After awhile we reached a dead end and the star started floating backwards, taking another tunnel, followed by me. As we walked a beautiful luminescent river was streaming on my left side, glowing enchantingly with a dreamworldly, light blue shinning. We walked for some time before it changed direction once again, I did the same, leaving the stream behind. My star turned to the left, then went back and took the right turn with me behind it. But now it seemed as though my pace was too slow, because the shining became more and more distant and the cave around me darker and darker. In vain were my attempts to catch up to it, the faster I moved more distant my star appeared. Eventually I could see nothing, left alone in utter blackness. My hand reached out and I felt the touch of cold stone beneath my palm. Following the cave wall I realized how surprisingly even the ground below my feet was. Without its emotional support my thoughts wandered in a different direction. Deprived of sight, I wanted to stay quiet and listen for any sounds, but the silence was painful. I needed to hear my own voice in the cool air.

- Who knows what kind of beasts may be hiding in those caves. Bears? Wolves? Something in between? Like... Beavers?

- Nobody lives here. - A voice replied. - Because of the radiation.

Cold chills ran down my back, heart dumping hard inside the chest.

- And who are you? - I asked.

- I just told you, I am Nobody. I live here because of the radiation.

- No - I replied. - I am nobody.

- Are you nobody too?

- Yes, I just told you.

- Then that makes two of us! Rerererererere!

- Emily...? Emily Dickinson?

- No... I am Nobody. I just told you. Am I talking to myself?

- No, you are talking to nobody. We both are. We just went over that.

With the right hand I reached for my knife, feeling the handle and pulling it out of my scabbard. Was that a howl that I heard or did my mind diceave me? And this damned, haunting whisper of water dropping into more water. Or maybe it was blood?

Sometimes in life you are left in the dark just so you push through. And sometimes in life you get your eyes clawed out by a goblin. What if I met a troll and it ripped off both of my legs and both my arms?! What am I supposed to do then? Roll?

Why did the gods abandon me? What did I do?

No! This was just a test! I hurried down the cave and you can only imagine the relief freeing my soul when I saw it. A light in the end of the tunnel. Usually they say that this is a bad sign, but not in this particular situation. Knowing that my star awaited me I sped up towards the shining.

The light became brighter and brighter but this was not my star. Finally I reached it's source, an entrance through which bright sunlight shined into the cave.

Being temporary blinded never felt so relieving before. Once my eyes befriended the brightness and I began walking down the slope, it became clear that I was still completely and utterly lost in the middle of nowhere. Well, it wasn't The Literal Nowhere, there were more threes here. And less nothingness. In fact all I could see before my eyes from up here were wild mountain slopes overgrown with deep woods. And nothing screams "I'm lost" as much as me in a few hours. From up there I had noticed something shimmering in between the forest but once I went to check it turned out to be a snacks wrapper. An empty one. I was left with no other choice but to keep walking, either that or go back through the cave, or just sit here as charity for Jackals and worms until shapeshifting into a skeleton. I found some blueberries along the way and ate some before continuing further. Time passed by, the sun climbed up into the sky but the woods remained cool, under the ancient shadow of majestic mountains. In awhile I heard something behind me and stopped, spinning around to look behind. But the forest was silent like the conference room of the deaf-mute community. When I turned back to continue on my way there stood a wolf before me, staring into my soul with a timid gaze in its goldish yellow eyes. The beast took a few insecure steps in a fearful manner before standing still once again. It was about as big as a huge german shepherd, but this was clearly not a dog. Everything about it, from the timid behavior to the way its tail hung down, screamed wild. It had bigger jaws and a mask like pattern of darker fur around its face, a bigger head smoothly narrowing into a long snout, a longer neck with thick fur around it and a chest which was not deep and wide like in a dog but rather narrow and long. Its front legs looked slim but tough and their elbows faced inwards. Its rough fur had a brownish gray color with rusty shades here and there, it appeared darker on the back.

- Canis lupus lupus, Eurasian wolf.

- You are not the red riding hood. - It concluded.

- I shouldn't have eaten those blueberries. - I concluded.

- I am a Tinder wolf but Still... - It approached and sniffed the air.

- What big ears you have...

- Don't get weird.

- What big eyes you have, yellow in color but blue up to your eight week after birth. What big teeth you have, 42 in number and on average larger than those of a similiarly sized dog.

- I'm not eating this... - The wolf mumbled. - Educational mofo. Tho, I can tell you which way to go.

- No thank's, you magnificent creature. After what happened you're the last animal I would trust for directions.

- You lie once and now you are marked for life. The wolf who cried boy all over again.

- This is another fairytale. - I said and continues on my way.

The wolf stalked me for awhile but eventually It lost me between the trees never to be seen again, or so I thought. But I secretly hoped to meet it once more, since this encounter was too random and if I was to later write a story about my adventures in this world then it would play no important role for the plot whatsoever.

Here and there I could see butterflies the size if eagles flying through the air. After a long day of wandering I witnessed a beautiful sunset that burned the sky with shades of orange, yellow and red, painting the clouds in beautiful colors. But... I was still lost, and I was getting loster and loster with every next step. The terrain was uneven with gullies and slopes, making it hard to traverse those woods, i was getting cold and thirsty, so i started praying to the gods for water. Then it started raining.

- I meant some sort of a river! That would be helpful.

Civilizations are created around rivers. If only I could find a stream running down the mountains, then maybe I could follow it to the nearest town or village. It started getting too darker and darker. And then, i must have proven my faith to the heavens because a miracle happened and somehow I managed to catch up to my Bethlehem star. Night began to fall and eventually darkness embraced the mountains. Now there was someone to lead my way. This time I was determined not to lag behind. After that I fell down a slope, rolled through some bushes, hit my head in a three trunks and fell into a stream. All wet and cold i started following it down to civilization, but it turned out that walking in a little river is harder than it sounds, my feet slipping on stones and i ended up falling every five seconds or so. Soaked in freezing water my socks, shoes, pants and shirt were all wet. Nothing but darkness surrounded me, the night sky was all I could see. When you are lost in the mountains there is no way to know that you aren't walking in the wrong direction, further and further into the lost. Trying to crawl out of the gully proved impossible, the muddy slopes were too steep. My hand reached for something to grab and I felt the rough trunks of a three, pulling myself up and leaning my back against it before reaching out and searching blindly for something else to grab, but all my hands felt was dirt and leaf litter and... roots! I grabbed them, clinging with desperate fingers and struggling to drag my body up, hugging another three. I thought to myself that i could never make it up that slope. Then I heard something crushing sticks on the other side of the gully. After making it up the slope I managed to find a twig, which would be used as a walking stick, in case some three decided to run into me. Again. Then I head towards the place where the star and me got separated. One wrong step in the utter darkness could have costed me my life, if I fell down a cliff, If I attracted a dangerous beast. Fallen three trunks and dense undergrowth reached for my feet and i stumbled across the uneven ground. Getting up and continuing forwards just to fall back down in only a few steps. Maybe waiting here until tomorrow was a better idea? But it was freezing cold and I was completely wet. What if I got hypothermia and they had to amputate both my legs and arms? What am I supposed to do then? Live the rest of my life without limbs? Then, as a sign of hope in the ocean of black, I saw a green glow on the ground. It was a bioluminescent light similar to that of those worms in the cave, but instead of blue it emitted green. My hand reached in the dry leaves and tried to pick it up, but its glow stained my fingers, covering them in the luminescent substance. When i opened my palm a fat, creepy looking worm was found laying inside, its belly shining green. What were fat worms called...? Oh yeah, cat pillars. I laid the worm back on the wet dry leaves and slowly continued further. At least thanks to that little creature I could see where exactly my hands are in the utter darkness. Then, from behind me, came the noises of something walking through the woods. I had no idea what it was but it was something big. Now, somewhere in the distance, lost in this desert of blackness, I saw a little twinkling light and head towards it. My flirting star had come back for me, patiently awaiting, leading me in the right direction! My fear from that beast and the hope which this light had birthed in my soul merged in one, somehow I managed to find a three which branches were low enough for me to reach and began climbing! That way I hoped to stay safe from the jaws of whatever that thing happened to be and at the same time would get a better view of where my star was! Once making it up there I rested on a tree branch without realizing how quiet the forest had suddenly become.

Have you ever had the feeling that something is watching you?

I turned around to look in the direction where the shining had come from and froze as moonlight slowly creeped up my face. Staring straight at me, partly hidden so that only its bulging eyes were showing above the dark silhouettes of a slope, the fool moon swiftlessly emerged behind the mountains.

- Because "He" had run out of ideas. "He" "thought" for a "moment." Or "he" "would" have if he was a thinker. - The moon continued to speak with the voice of a narrator - And a thinker "he" "was." In fact "he" "was" all thinkers to ever think a thought. "He" was the one who "created" the official guild of thinkers who every fryday night would gather in their little club and think. Others called them people too lazy to do any actual job. They called themselves philosophers. But little did people know that after many many many years those lazy bunch of people would be all that's left, once nothingnes devours the ages and the cold fingers of forgetfulness wrap around their lives to wipe them away like mayfly in a storm. "He" had "created" the storm too...

- Hello? - I said.

Hi. As well as the mayfly and the maynotfly. "He" had also "created" the concept of "creating" as well as the concept of concepts.

It would seem that the moon will continue to narrate the story no matter what. I stood there all cold and wet for awhile, then a thought crossed my mind. Bears can climb.

- Hey Moony! - I raised my voice slightly to catch its attention - What kind of bears is it more likely to meet here? Black bears or brown bears?

- Wait, how did you call me? - The moon turned its eyes at me.

- Moonshine.

- There are no bears in those woods.

- Good.

- The werewolves ate them.

- Can they climb threes?

- Yes Mabel.

- What?

- I said, maybe.

- Which way is the nearest civilization?

- That way.

- ....

-....

Me and the moon stared at each other for awhile.

- I can't see in which direction you are pointing.

- Okay.

- Have you seen my Star recently?

- The creator?

- No, the one who leads me.

- Yes.

- Okay, stick your tongue out.

- Blaah

...The moon sticked its tongue out.

- Now point it in the direction where you last saw the star.

The fool's moon pointed down with its tongue. I narrowed my eyes at it.

- Why not just ask the wild lady? - It asked.

- What wild lady? - I asked.

- The one underneath your tree.

I looked down, below me a girl was dancing around the tree trunk. Bathing in enchanted moonlight she resembled a ghost, wearing white clothes so ethereal that they must have been sewn from shadows, and so transperent that through them i could see her graceful body below.

- At that point why even bother wearing clothes? - I asked.

The wild lady tilted her enchaningly handsome face to look up and smiled at me, she looked to be around the age at which girls start marrying. She giggled like some specter.

- Can you tell me where i can find civilization? - I asked.

She giggled again and gave me a sign with her hand to follow her. I decided to climb down the tree and continue my march of unfortune until there was moonshine to light the way. So that was exactly what I did. After jumping to the ground my eyes gazed at the weird three for one last time before turning my back at it and following the girl, wondering if my remains will ever be found.

- Just making sure, we are going to civilization, right? - I asked.

- I am Stalina. - She spoke in a gentle voice. - How about you?

- I am not. - I replied.

She giggled as moonlight descended through the tree branches above our heads and gently caressed her fair skin.

- What is your name then? - She asked.

- I don't remember. - I replied honestly.

She giggled agan, for awhile both of us staid quiet.

- Do you play any instruments? - She wished to know.

- I play them all. - I smiled at her. - Horribly.

- I would dance if you were to play for me. - She giggled again.

- You giggle a lot. - I said.

- If you think so you should see my littler sister. - The girl giggled. - She is not my real sister, we used to play together.

- What happened? - I asked.

- What do you mean?

- Why do you two no longer play together?

- I grew up, she did not.

- But i have a lot of sisters, and we all live in the forests.

Some time passed by and it would seem as though the woods around me became more and more... less dark. I witnessed a massive snail darting up a tree trunk, with a bioluminescent lollipop shell, leaving rainbow slime behind it. Whatever anomaly was producing those mutations I was getting closer and closer to the epicenter. At least i felt at ease as the night rolled away, replaced by a foggy morning. But that was nothing compared to the relief that filled my soul when finally, right before my eyes I saw a path.

- I must go now, as sunrise is close. - The girl said before turning around and running off.

Her giggles dissapeared between the trees, leaving me wondering if this is what hallucinating feels like. I was alone again, but now there was a path before me. Not some narrow game trail but a real path used by real people. Yes, this was nowhere near an actual road, but if I followed it in the right direction I would find civilization in no time. While wandering deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper into the wilderness, it became clear that I did not know these woods like the back of my palm. And once I looked down at my dirty, long nailed, scratched up hand it became clear that I didn't know the back of my palm either. Is that a cut scar? While busy gazing at my hand I didn't noticed when a figure had appeared on the path before me. Rather short, bent over, walking with a propulsive gait, carrying a wicker bucket on its back. That seemed to be an elderly woman. Finally a person who I could speak to! I was so sick of relying on celestial bodies for the direction. Since she stood in front of me only her back was visible, but I assumed she had a front too, so I tried speeding up my pace and catching up to her. The old lady was now walking a little bit faster, so I also accepted. Now she literally began power walking down the path and I hurried after. She turned around to cast a brief gaze at me, and upon seeing me began jogging. I tried running in a non creepy way. Suddenly she stopped and turned around to face me. She had two teeth, a long nose a wrinkled face, and graying white hair. A honest combination of creepy and cute.

- Are you a gallant, young, valorous, traveler who wishes to slay the evil monster that plagues our little village? No, seriously, are you? My eyes are not what they used to be.

- I am. A traveler.

- Then what do you want with me chasing after an old lady with that huge grin of yours? - She confronted me.

- To ask for the direction. By the way what are you doing alone in the woods so early in the morning?

- I was picking mushrooms.

- During the night?

- That is when you pick mushrooms.

The elderly lady had a headscarf around her head. Now I could see that on top of her floral dress she also wore a woolen vest, which seemed like it was put backwards.

- Do you like it? - She asked with a changed voice and a kind smile rose on her old face.

- Like what? - I replied without really realizing what her question was - Sorry, I hadn't slept for a few days.

- My vest, do you like my vest? I knitted it from cloud wool!

- I'm not sure if you didn't say what I'd say you did.

- You did?

- What?

- What?

- What?

- What?

- Who?

- I will tell him.

- Let's go then!

Both of us continued along the way.

- Hey granny, do you have any idea what causes those stra...

- Who are you calling a granny you millenial vagabond!? - The old lady raised her walking stick.

A little bit further down the path I saw a body laying in the mud, it was a man in a rusty mail armour, prostrated on its stomach. Next to him was laying a large two handed sword. I bend down and picked the weapon up from the ground, it was around four kilograms of weight and had no pointy tip, which I used to poke the body.

...Nothing followed...

I poked it again.

- Mmmh - The body moaned.

- Hm... - I hmed.

The body mumbled something that vaguely resembled words. After being poked a few more times without giving away any vital signs, he finally decided that this was enough harrassment for now and managed to push himself off the dirt, going on all four. The slim man struggled and got up, standing on shaky legs, his clothes stained with mud and puke. On his head he wore a mail hoob with no apperent patting underneath. With a gaze enlightened by insanity two blue eyes stared at me from his dirty, grinning face. White teeth shown in between the dark, middle length beard. The grimace stuck on his face was both crazy, foolish and inspired.

- I'm a sir Lance alot - Hiccup - from Came a lot!

- Who? - I asked.

- What? - Asked the old lady.

- No! - denied the man with breath stinking like alcohol, swinging his index finger aside.

- No to me or to her? - I asked.

His hand reached for the sword once twice thrice and managed to grab its handle from the third try.

- I will tell him. - Said the old lady.

- Legs go then!

All three of us continued down the path, embraced by shadows of majestic beech woods, surrounded by bird songs. Sunlight pierced through the treetops, vaporizing all worries and freeing place in my soul for adventure lust. The ground slowly heated up, luckily for me it seemed like it was going to be a warm day. I was all bruised and scratched up but at least now my clothes were going to dry out. Curiously enough, just like the old lady, the man also wore his clothes on backwards, maybe asking about it would be worth.

- Why are you wearing your clothes backwards? - I asked.

- I know that from my grandma. - The old woman started, before continuing in a more edifying tone - When you wander out in the woods you should always put your dress backwards. Then you need not fear the beast!

- The beast! - The man coughed - It makes people get lost, it does! Yea. In the woods! It tickles you to death, it does! And eats you, It does! We still await the hero who will slay the evil monster, we do! Maybe you will? There is a three in the forest, split in the middle, people call it the lightning tree because it was struck by lightnings Fifteen times. They leave goods in that tree to please it, or else the beast eats people. It does.

- It does? - I asked.

- It does! - He confirmed.

I thought for a moment before suddenly standing still. A few steps further my comrades noticed and turned around.

- I have to go.

With those words I turned around and rushed down the path. Running and running and running until exhaustion forced me to stop. Slaying anyone was not a part of my plan, I just wanted to see an evil beast. If memories did not deceive me then the lightning tree must have been that same which I climbed last night.

The forest was silent, everything was green, magical, in this place so deep in the woods where men never go. The slight sunlight was stretching through the branches of the trees, reaching for the undergrowth, touching the enchanted ground, spreading around the frozen air, sinking in the slight fog that was hiding the tall trunks of the century old trees. I heard the steps and lifted my sword, aiming at the direction of the sound. There was a clearing in between the trees, I could see something moving. A deer showed from the woods, it stopped and turned its head in my direction. This was not the beast. Then I heard a stick breaking right behind me, i turned around and saw that the bushes were shaking as if something fast had went through them. Without even thinking I ran after it, the sound of breaking sticks was moving away with incredible speed, I went through some bushes that tried to scratch my face, some roots tried to stumble my feet, but I didn't stop even for a moment, I knew this was what I was going after, i could feel it. Going right through some bushes, i slid down a steep mountain slope, dragging some dry leaves with me, crossed a little stream that was playfully running down the mountain, and kept chasing, jumped over a fallen tree that was standing in my way. It was close, it was running towards the cliffs. Then, suddenly I lost it's tracks. Stopping in the middle of the woods I listened closely for any sign of it's presance, a snapping of a stick, the warning calls of a deer, the sound of scared birds flying away... but there was nothing. Death silence. I turned around, pointing my blade at the creature. There stood a young kid with two little deer antlers sticking out of it's head. It was really skinny, you could see it's ribs. The tip of my knife hung down, since I thought that maybe It made me look hostile.

- You shouldn't be running with knifes... - It spoke with the voice of a child.

- Are you a boy or a girl? - I asked the first thing which came to my mind.

- Yes. - it answered.

Despite the fact that this little creature wore no clothes, i struggled to recognize it's gender, so I decided to ask for it's name.

- Okay. What's your name?

- Quatl.

- Well that helps a lot. - I said as I put the knife away.

I was going to call then "it." Then.

- What's your name? - Quatl asked.

I rose the blade to its head again.

- Hello... I'm He. - I said with a dramatic voice.

Both of us stood silent.

I was looking at the kid with the horns.

The kid with the horns was looking at me.

Then I broke the silence to ask a question which answer i already knew.

- what are you?

- I'm He. - the child said with my own voice.

- tell me what you are. - I said.

- no. - it answered with it's child voice.

- tell me what you are.

- no.

- tell me what you are.

- no.

- tell me what you are.

- A wendigo.

I felt chills running down my spine as the woods became silent.

- Are you causing all those weird creatures to appear around?

- N-no... But I'm still learning how to be a proper wendigo. Hey. Y-you are not a human, right? - Asked the little creature with an insecure voice.

- Nope. Why?

- Humans are weird. They carry their clothes on backwards and throw away food inside threes.

- I know.

- H-hey... I saw you yesterday! You are the one who likes rolling down slopes and bathing in the river.

- So It was You who I heard?

- N-no, I stood still the whole time. What you heard was a badger.

- Oh, what a relief.

- Soooo......what are you doing here? So deep in the woods?

- Bushcraft. You know... Wandering around, exploring wolves. Running away from wolves, sleeping under an open sky, feeding on honey.

Running away from bees. Following a...

I could not finish my sentence because there it was, passing by through the forest behind Quatl's back. My own guiding star which I had followed for the past few days! Finally, I must have passed the test and proved my faith to the gods!

- I have to do! - I shouted and rushed after my star, running through the woods like the wind.

Once catching up to it I no longer felt lost. In fact I felt the opposite of that. I felt found! I felt lostnt? It didn't matter how you say it! It didn't matter that the darkness was slowly returning to the world and twilight embraced us. We traveled together through the enchanted forest, under the vast night sky. None the less, I felt small, filled with awe from the embrace of those deep woods surrounding us. My way was lit by the beautiful glow of its ancient wisdom, shining across the tall tree trunks. Still, they appeared creepy, and so so so dark. Blackness ruled beyond the little piece of night that my star illuminated. Here and there you could see bioluminescent mushrooms growing from the ground, and fireflies flying in the air. Darkness and beauty intertwined. Where do you lead me, little star? To what holy lands of mystical beauty and knowledge? After walking for a few hours I noticed how the star suddenly floated rightwards. I followed it for awhile before it stopped and changed its direction, with me walking after. It turned leftwards and so did I.

- Ah mystical star! For how long have you casted your glow in the darkness, leading travelers and sealers so they won't lose the right way? What wonders have you witnessed and what enchanted secrets that you keep?

- Okay I'm done. - The star suddenly stopped - First of all, Mister, why the hell are you following me?! Second of all, I'm not a Star, I'm a ball lightning! Ugh! Stalkers I swear! - With those words the star flied off and disappeared into the night sky.

- ...They are real! - I shouted out.

The woods suddenly became way darker. Moonshine was nowhere to be found either, so I simply sat down by a tree and rested my back against its trunk. As the moments melted into hours and time passed by without me getting eaten, my thoughts started revolving around who I am now. Yes, obviously it was He, but He is not a person, he is just me. He could be anyone, anywhere. Or nobody. Nowhere. But who was he now? Was my body transported to this world from the my previous existence? Unlikely. Was it an astral or eternal body materialized by the laws of this reality? Did I """possess""" someone else? If so who was this person? A traveler? I guess this did not matter now. Who I am depends on me. Now the stream of my thoughts drifted to the future, and I felt like my river was about to flow into an uncharted, vast ocean. And I realized that I needed no stars to lead my way, no gods to agree with my deeds. Once the fool moon rose in the sky I stood up from my resting spot and continued in a random direction. Advancing further I noticed that the woods around me appeared darker and more green, the undergrowth denser. Fortunately I found an old road left here by an ancient civilization or somethinng, and decided to follow it through the forest. After walking for about a hour i started seeing unicorns, unideers and uniboars. Eventually reaching a small river, glowing in the darkness with all colors of the rainbow, which quiet lullaby sounded throughout the air. Moonlight pierced the treetops beaming down upon some little bridge which was built over the whispering water. Judging by the moss covering those it's old stones someone could argue that maybe this bridge was created in a time before those trees were even here. Without even slowing down I crossed above the rainbow river, knowing that I am close to epicenter. A frog sitting on a large stone was scared from my approach and jumped into the glowing water, one moment later a lifeless prince with wet clothes and a crown on his head emerged on the surface and slowly floated downstream.

I stood still and looked at him for awhile.

- Do you know in which direction the nearest civilization is? - I asked.

The prince swum away breaststroke.

I continued on my way, embraced by the enchanted beauty of a shadowy forest. That was what woods look like when they are left untouched. Wild. Full of life. Enchanted. Magic could be felt in the very air, in the green of threes bushes and grasses. A sensation that I had briefly felt just a few times, but which had shortly after escaped me, slipping away from in between my fingers, like a wet fish in a sauna. Despite my desperate attempts to clinge onto it like a hungry old man to his burger. Then I used to search for it. Not the burger, the feeling. But this time there was no need for me to reach out in the darkness of my mind, just to find the piece of wonder hidden deep within my soul. The deeper I walked more overwhelming this feeling became. And I was getting high on it. Watching the fairies swirl in mid air and the gnomes hiding in the ground. People use to take narcotics so they can visit another place, be it briefly. Well now I lived there, like it or not. But that was way different than any illusional realm they could delve in by taking drugs. This is a real and much deeper sensation. One which came from beyond your life, all the way from another. From this one.

In other words a place that made me really enjoyed existing, filling my soul with a sense of enchantment, with that lust, that enthusiasm luring me to take another step deeper into this "story". It is an indescribable feeling, not seeing it in a fantasy movie or hearing about it in a fairytale, but to know that you are surrounded by magic. In reality. In the middle of a magical world, an enchanted neverending forest. Forever. A real dream come true. Free from the life I used to live, free from the one I used to be. Just like those woods, untouched by fears and pretensions. No worries about life, no sense of my own mortality. Then I met a bear.

The end?

I was just wandering around this wonderful world, exploring the local nature in all its enchanted beauty. The wonderful flora, aka plants, and magnificent fauna, aka the animals. A few minutes later I was running away from an angry bear with eyes as big as saucers. Its eyes, not mine. I saw the dark, growling silhouette of the beast running straight at me. Now I could hear it behind my back, panting, coming closer and closer. Fear Is a surprisingly good cure for paranoia. Despite knowing that these may be the last moments of my life, my mind had no time to worry. But my body was filled with primal, instinctive fear. Drumming the song of danger inside my chest, freezing my lungs with cold air as I breathed darkness. Don't stumble! Don't stumble! Don't stumble! Roots of trees reached for my tired feet. Bushes clawed at my face with twisted branches as I passed through. All saving me from running into a tree was the moonlight. I reach a meadow in the woods and stopped, pulling my knife out, turning around to face the beast. I could hear it running closer and closer and closer, the bushes split to let through that monstrosity which ran straight towards me in the pale moon light. And then, inside its huge eyes, that were as big as saucers, I saw nothing but that same primal, instinctive fear. And I swear to God, the bear suddenly wore a pajamas and a sleeping mask appeared on its face as it stumbled down heavily, rolling across the ground. In the last moment my blade sliced through mid air, cutting into the fabric of reality and opening a portal in front of me, letting the bear slide in. The portal closed and I heard a horrible battle cry approaching me with concerning speed, then, right before my eyes, dressed in enchanted moonlight a pink unicorn darted out of the woods and on its back, shouting wildly, was riding some young girl. Then I fainted from exhaustion.

Falling backwards into the grass the night sky was the last thing i saw.