The Meadow
The first thing I could remember was that it was warm. It felt like home, like I was wrapped in a thick set of blankets. Had I just laid down for a nap, or was it the middle of the night? The lines between the two were blurred in my mind. I tried to open my eyes, but it felt like a struggle, as if my body wasn’t ready yet. That’s when I felt something other than the warmth. There was a deep, throbbing ache in my head, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. Each throb grew stronger, faster, until it felt like my skull might burst, accompanied by a high-pitched ringing that began to fill my ears.
Then, through the noise, something else—no, someone else—cut through the storm.
“Wake up.”
Two simple words were spoken in a deep, resonating voice. And just like that, the throbbing stopped, and the ringing subsided. My mind finally quieted enough for me to open my eyes.
It was too bright—almost blinding. The sun… that was my only clear thought. The warmth, the light—it had to be the sun. I moved my arm sluggishly, lifting a hand to shield my face. My muscles felt heavy, uncooperative even, and it took several moments before I could force my eyes fully open.
The first thing I saw was the ground, the blades of grass stretching endlessly in front of me. My vision focused on something small—a tiny black bug crawling up one of the blades. The grass bent under its weight, and without thinking, I reached out, letting it crawl onto my finger. It tickled as it wandered over my skin, making its way onto my palm before disappearing into the sea of green beneath me.
I sat up slowly, taking in my surroundings—a meadow. I was in a meadow, surrounded by rolling grass and the scent of wildflowers. I turned my head and saw a dense forest with its treeline not far behind me. The world around me was bright and alive, and for a moment, I had an overwhelming urge to paint it—to capture the blues of the sky, the greens of the grass, the shadows of the trees. I could almost feel the brush in my hand, mentally mixing colors in my mind.
But then, I stopped. A thought came crashing through the calm that had settled over me. Where were my paints? My brushes? My home?
My heart skipped a beat, and I pushed myself to my feet, but my legs felt shaky beneath me. I turned in a slow circle while my eyes darted around frantically. Nothing here was familiar. Not the sounds, not the smells. Not the sky or the grass or the air itself. I took a few unsteady steps, but I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t even know which direction was home.
Home.
Where was it? What did it look like?
I couldn’t remember.
I couldn’t remember anything.
Panic seized me, and my chest tightened as I stood in the middle of the meadow, lost and utterly alone.
I don’t know how long I stood there, staring at the nothingness and everything all at once. Time seemed to stretch, blurring as the ache in my chest grew. By the time my thoughts began to make any sense again, the sky had shifted, the blue giving way to shades of deep purple and orange.
Great, I thought to myself. I was lost, without any idea of where I was or who I was, and now it was getting dark. If I had had any sense, any control over the rising panic that had gripped me earlier, I would’ve gone searching for water—a stream or, even better, a river. The dryness in my throat was hard to ignore now, scratching at my thoughts, demanding attention. But for now, that would have to wait. I needed shelter—somewhere to stay for the night. At least the air was still warm, enough that I wouldn’t freeze. Not tonight, at least.
I made my way toward the treeline, preferring the cover of the forest to the wide-open meadow. I hadn’t seen anyone or anything since waking up here, but instinct told me to stay hidden. Not until I understood where I was.
As I stepped into the woods, the last light of day filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the forest floor. Pretty quickly, I spotted a wide tree with jagged branches, low enough to climb. It looked sturdy, offering a better vantage point and a bit of safety. I carefully pulled myself up, wincing as the rough bark scraped against my bare feet. Each step upward took every bit of strength I had, and by the time I reached a large, solid branch, I was breathing heavily. I settled myself down, tucking my knees to my chest and pulling my dress over my legs. The material was thin, and as the cool breeze brushed against me, I felt a chill despite the lingering warmth in the air.
I rested my head on my knees, fixing my eyes on the horizon. There were still traces of light, and the sky was a mix of deep purples and fading golds, with just a few stars twinkling faintly in the distance. The view should’ve been comforting, beautiful even, but instead, it made me feel even smaller. Even more lost.
I let out a long breath, trying to calm the tightness in my chest. I needed a plan. Tomorrow, I’d search for water. That was the first priority. My stomach growled softly, and I added food to the list. If I followed the edge of the trees, I might come across some berries or something edible. Nuts, maybe. Though glancing around, I realized the tree I had chosen didn’t bear any fruit, no acorns or anything that might fill my empty stomach.
I could climb higher in the morning and get a better view of the area. Maybe from up there, I’d see something—a path, a river, anything. Yeah… that’s what I’d do first. I repeated the plan in my mind, clinging to the small sense of direction it gave me. But for now, all I could do was wait for the morning, curled up in this tree, listening to the soft rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional distant cry of an animal.
I don’t know how or when, but at some point, I dozed off in the tree. I was jolted awake, my heart racing as the sudden sensation of falling coursed through me. My breath caught in my throat, and I gripped the tree limb tightly, gasping for air as I steadied myself. But when I finally looked around, I realized that I hadn’t fallen at all—I hadn’t even moved. I was still sitting on the branch, high in the tree, while my knuckles were white from gripping the bark so tightly.
I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling the wild rhythm of my heart slowly calm as I took deep, steady breaths. The cool morning air helped to settle my nerves, and I turned my gaze outward, scanning the meadow. A low fog clung to the ground, swirling in the faint light of dawn. It was early, much too dark to climb higher in the tree like I’d planned. I would need to wait until the sun rose higher and the world became clearer.
As I sat there, huddled against the trunk, something in the meadow caught my eye. A brown creature stood among the grass. It had four slender legs with large, dark eyes. And it wasn’t alone. A smaller one darted around it, with white spots sprinkled across its back like fallen snow. The little one jumped and ran in playful circles, full of energy, as the larger one, possibly the mother, calmly grazed.
A sense of warmth filled me as I watched them. Something about the sight was comforting, familiar. The creatures sparked a memory, one that danced just out of reach in my mind. I searched for the name of these animals, the word just on the tip of my tongue. Minutes passed as I stared, piecing together the fragments of recognition.
And then it clicked.
“Deer!” I whispered, the word escaping my lips before I could stop it. I quickly clamped my hands over my mouth, glancing down at the meadow, but the deer didn’t seem to hear me. The mother continued to graze, and the fawn frolicked nearby, unaware of my presence.
I exhaled in relief, silently scolding myself for nearly startling them. I watched them for the next several minutes, captivated by them. I even found myself coming up with names for the deer, as if they were friends instead of wild creatures. It seemed silly, but it soothed the aching loneliness that lingered in my chest. Was I really that desperate for company? I chuckled softly, shaking my head at the thought.
But then, the mother’s head snapped up from the grass, her body tensing as she stared into the distance. I followed her gaze, but the trees obscured my view. Suddenly, something shot through the air and struck the doe. She made an odd sound, stumbling as her legs buckled beneath her. I gasped, frozen as I watched her struggle, trying to run but failing. The fawn rushed to her side, nuzzling her desperately, but the mother couldn’t rise.
Panic surged through me. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how. Before I could move, I saw them—four men, emerging from the trees. They wore furs draped over their shoulders with crude weapons in their hands. Laughter filled the air as they approached the fallen doe, amused by her suffering. I gasped, overwhelmed by horror and disbelief as I watched them close in on the deer.
Tears stung my eyes as they reached the mother. One of the men pulled out a knife, slicing it across her neck. Blood pooled onto the grass, and the fawn, trembling and helpless, sank down beside her, as if to hide itself. My hands trembled, gripping the bark of the tree as I silently begged them to stop. But they didn’t. One of the men grabbed the fawn by the throat, ignoring its pitiful cries as he dragged it up, his blade following the same path across its neck.
I choked back a sob, unable to tear my eyes away. It was barbaric and disgusting. If I had eaten anything, I would have retched at the sight. But instead, I sat there, frozen, forced to witness the cruelty happen.
The men didn’t linger long. They laughed and dragged the lifeless bodies of the deer away, disappearing back into the woods as quickly as they had come. The meadow was now silent, and the only trace of what had happened was the dark stain on the grass.
As soon as they were gone, I scrambled down from the tree, my limbs shaky from the adrenaline. I forgot everything—my plans, my search for water and food. Nothing mattered except getting away from here, away from them. And I ran. My bare feet pounded against the ground as I fled in the opposite direction. Away from the men, away from the blood, and away from the horror of what I’d just seen.
A/N: To those who have read this chapter, I did rename it, so it isn't a different chapter or anything
