The Dream Wood

I shot up straight and gasped for breath. I looked around and was more than a little confused by everything. I wasn't in my bed anymore, I'm in... A forest? I sat there and hoped this was a dream but once I felt the cool breeze I knew that would've been too good to be true.

I stood up and decided it would be a better to at least get a bearing on where I'm at. I looked up at the sky and quickly noticed there was no moon.

"New moon, maybe?" I thought to myself. "Possibly, but there aren't any stars either."

I looked around at the ground to maybe find out how I got here and finally, some luck. It seemed I was dragged here somehow. I inspected myself for any injuries and found exactly what I had hoped. Scratches, filthy, and a wicked knot on my forehead. At least I know I'm actually here.

"Hello! Is anyone here?" I called for anyone that may be nearby. Nothing. "Well this isn't freaky at all, but the only way out is forward."

I started along the path that I can only assume I made. It wasn't long before I began noticing those usual creepy forest noises. I wasn't too shaken, I used to go walking through the woods all the time.

My head snapped back to look behind me. I could've sworn I heard a second set of footsteps...

"Just a deer, Jack." I told myself, but I didn't believe that in the slightest.

These woods were growing more and more noisy the further I went in. The sounds of cracking limbs and leaves. The knocking on the trunks and scrapes. It all went silent a sound broke it all. A noise that I could actually see the source of.

I heard the prominent and unmistakable call of an owl. I looked up, but only saw it's piercing yellow eyes looking back at me.

"Well, at least I know it's there." I looked back up at it to make sure. It was still there. Whether that was a good or bad thing is yet to be seen. I continued along the path that I assume I made when dragged here before I heard it again.

I looked backed and it was there again. Two big yellow eyes just far enough away that I couldn't see that rest of the bird. I thought I was going crazy for a moment. It looked like nothing around it had changed. I looked at my own surroundings and almost broke down.

I hadn't gone anywhere. I was still at the very end of the trail where I had woke up. Now that I thought about it... Nothing had changed. The sky was still dark and I couldn't tell if any time had passed at all. I could myself getting overwhelmed before I heard that same owl call again. I looked to it again and it seemed a little further away.

"Do I trust it? No, I shouldn't. But why not? You've made no progress just walking in place here. Fine." I began walking in it's direction but it never seemed to get closer. I look behind me and see where I started about twenty feet behind me.

"Alright, owl. Let's see where you're taking me." The more I followed it, the more dense the forest seemed to get. Like it was trying to stop me; which was both promising and terrifying.

Every time I looked away the owl called again. What felt like a hour in to this march I had to almost climb the trees to get passed them. That's when I realized the change in the owls tone.

It sounded like something attempting to mimic an owl. I paid no attention to it for so long I had no idea when it changed. As these thoughts started surfacing I saw one, two, three more pairs of glaring yellow eyes watching me.

I could feel my heart sink and my thoughts race...

"W- Where am I? What is this place? What are you!" I began screaming to what ever it was that had me surrounded. The sounds of poorly mimicked owls surrounded me. Their calls beat against my sanity.

"I know this isn't real... You can't hurt me. None of you can!" I turned around tried escaping the way I came but it all looked the same. I couldn't tell which way was forward or back. All I knew is that I had to leave.

I scrambled with everything I had through the trees to get away but every time I looked back they were there. The sounds of the forest filled my ears once again. Except I knew it was them this time, I could feel them behind me.

I turned on my heels to face this invisible stalker. It was... Me? He looked just as scared as I felt.

"Wha- What are you? Are you... Me?" I heard him say to me.

"No, you're me. How did you- We, get here?" I tried asking him.

"Don't try your games on me! I know what you are!" He took off in the direction I just came from. I would've chased after him but I've spent enough time lost here.

"Okay, so maybe I- he- whatever, isn't actually here. Focus, Jack. We need to get out." It took everything I had to keep myself from slipping. I could feel this place gnawing at me, but I'm better than that.

I caught myself wandering away from where I was, I quickly got back to where I thought I was and started walking again. It didn't take long before something caught my ear. I looked off to my side and saw myself again... Having the exact same conversation I just had with myself.

As I looked at him something felt off about it. I took a step closer before his gaze snapped on to me and he those horrible yellow eyes. He tried calling to me but I never gave it a chance. I turned tail and ran as hard as I could.

The further I went the more of myself I saw; all staring at me with the same pair of eyes. I thought I'd never escape them until I saw what seemed to be me running away from them. Maybe HE was normal like I was.

I began chasing him down trying to call for him but struggling because I was running out of breath. Finally, he turned around and stared right at me. He looked determined... It was more than unsettling.

"Wha- What are you? Are... Me?" I asked him

No, you're me. How did you- We, get here?" He replied. No, he couldn't be real. He was another one of those THINGS!

"Don't try your games on me! I know what you are!" I screamed before running in the direction I jus came from.

I don't know how far I ran but I could feel my body wanting to give out. I could hear footsteps all around me and what sounded like my screams everywhere. The eyes were everywhere just staring me down.

"What do you want from me! Just get me already!" I screamed and swung aimlessly. I clenched my teeth and shut my eyes as I swung, waiting for whatever was out there to end this nightmare.

I heard a loud crack as I somehow hit something. I looked down and it was another me. I checked his eyes and to my horror they were perfectly normal. I couldn't let him just stay here so I tried moving him somewhere safe.

Getting him to safety overrode anything that was happening. I drug him for what felt like hours to a place I felt was safe. I checked his pulse, and unfortunately felt nothing. I looked up and saw that same pair of infernal eyes that's been plaguing me this entire time.

I've had enough and decided to get find whatever it was, even if it killed me.

Hours later he shot up and gasped for breath. He looked around and was more than little confused by everything...