《The Cabin》 Chapter 1 ughhh. Where am I? Jerking awake I quickly start to look around at my surroundings. It seems I''m in some type of house. The sun shining through the windows paints the picture of a completly barren room devoid of any furnishing. Finding the door I start to walk towards it. Halfway to the door I notice not only am I barefoot but I''m not wearing any clothes. Shrugging, I continue out the door. Opening the door to a forest felt wrong. There should be more. Why isn''t there more? Shaking away my weird feelings I walk out of the house onto a small porch with stairs leading to dirt. Jogging down the stairs and onto the dirt I look back to were I just came from. It appears to be a log cabin surrounded by a circle around it devoid of any trees. Spending a couple of minutes walking around the cabin and staring into the woods gets me no closer to finding out where I am. Going backing into the cabin and looking around again I start to ask myself questions. Who even am I, I don''t remember anything and the cabin has no hints to how I got here. Sitting down on the hard floor, I start to realize my situation. The only thing in the clearing was this house and taking another quick glance around I can''t find any food or water. Panic starts to bouble in my awarness. Fear of what''s happening starting to set in. I start to shake, trying to calm down I take deap breaths. In and out, focusing 100% on my breathing, In through the nose and out through the mouth. A plan, Yes! That''s it, I need a plan. Given as there''s no food or water and to my knowledge nothing here with which to find it with, that only leaves one option. I need to brave the forest, and sooner rather than latter. Right now my times ticking, Every minute spent here my body is going longer and longer without what it needs. Plan decided I get up from the floor and walk out the door. Walking towards the forest I start to realize something. One thing the plan didn''t inculde is which way I should go. I can''t see over the trees and looking back at the cabin there''s no way I could climb on top of it. I''m going to have to pick randomly, and given that I find myself in this situation I don''t think my luck has a good track record. With that in mind, I start to Walk around the edges looking for any signs of trails that don''t seem natural. After spending what felt like hours looking for signs and finding nothing I''m Back to sqaure one. With time wasting and consious of the time spent looking around, I pick a random spot and start my trek. Walking into the forest was like walking into another world. Sounds that I didn''t realize were missing in the clearing sounding like thunder to my ears. Sounds that weren''t in the clearing, but should be. Feeling my blood run cold and I frantically look behind me at the cabin. Instead of a clear view of what I should have saw. It was twisted and warped. Almost as if I was looking at it through distorted water. This shouldn''t be possible, it wasn''t natural. Scared, I slowly reach out my hand into the disturbance.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Touching it creates small ripples in the distortion causing me to snatch back my hand. Heart hammering in my chest I look as the ripple carries through the wall and curves around it. No, not a wall, a dome. Taking a closer look I realize the dome covers the entire clearing. Taking a step back while trying to calm down. I look away from the dome. Bring my sight back onto the forest. Green ferns covering the ground and giant trees sprouting from the ground make a beautiful sight. Focusing at the forrest makes me feel something entirely different from what I''ve been exposed to so far, wonder. I feel my face unconsciously form a smile, feeling good for the first time sense I have awoken. Looking at the forest sway with the wind and the birds sing puts me into a nice trance. Feeling the cool wind touch my naked form jerks me back to reality. Once I''ve calmed down my thoughts go back to the dome. The dome changes nothing, I still don''t know where I am, and as much as my brains tells me it''s wrong, I need to start moving. Taking one last look at the dome and pushing away the unease it gives me, I start my journey into the forest. Walking through the forest is easier said than done without anything covering my feet, and with all the underbrush and trees in the way it''s hard to keep in a straight line, not to mention my visibily doesn''t go that far out. That makes what I thought would be a easy stroll into a labor intesive hike. What feels like 30 mins into it the exertion starts getting to me and I feel sweet dripping down my back. Luckily the trees cast a shade over most of the forest so I don''t have to deal with the sun too. Deciding it would be better to take a quick rest, I find a log in the shade and chill until I feel fine to continue. Sitting down and listening to the forest is very calming, and I find it hard not to find reasons to stay longer. After hiking like this for what feels like too short, I start to notice the sun going down. I spent to much time puzzling over the dome and trying to find trails. Taking a breather on a fallen log I start to think about future actions. Contuining walking in the dark is a no go. Walking through the forest with light was hard enough and trying to do that in the dark while keeping my heading seams very unwise. Discerning that I''m going to have to bunk out the night, I start looking around for a place to sleep. Having no idea what goes into finding a safe space to sleep considerly increases my time to find a spot I''m comfortable with, By the time I finish my search the sun has arealdy lost most of its light. The spot I chose was a clearing devoid of any plants, and to my untrained eyes, it was the best of my options and only a couple feet away from my last point. The fact that it would allow to keep an idea of where I should walk as soon as the sun comes up being the main reason I picked it. Seeing the sun go down minute by minute as the darkness starts to set in really causes everything to sink in. The high I had been riding since the making of the plan comes crashing down with every second passed. I woke up in a cabin in the middle of knowhere with no way to survive, Some weird bubble surrounding said cabin that defies what my instincs say shouldn''t exist, and to top it all off. I have no idea how I got there and have no memories of who I am, hell, for all I know the way I''m walking in is the direct opposite of any help. Laying down on the hard ground as the sun fully sets I start thinking about my plans tommorrow. I''m going to have to start walking as soon as the sun comes out. The feeling of hunger is already starting to set in and it''s only go to get worse. I should start and try to listen for any water, maybe find something to hold it in. With future plans in my mind I start to fade into sleep. Chapter 2 Waking up in pitch black darkness was not what I thought would happend when I went to sleep, and I definitely didn''t expect to wake up freezing cold, minor oversight. Sitting up and jogging in place to get warmer made me less aware of my surroundings. So unaware that I didn''t register the sound of a twig breaking and the sounds of rushed feet until a second after it happened. Hurridly turning around in panic what greets me is a small ugly green guy running at me full speed with some type of dagger in his hand, by the time I had read the situation, green guy was already on me. Feeling a sharp pain in my chest my brain kicks into gear and I westle green onto the ground. Realizing he was no longer hidden, with spit coming out of his mouth he started screaming with wild abandon. After struggling around on the ground with something that was only a little over half my height I finally grabbed it by the throat and pinned all my wieght onto my hand. Only for him to start stratching my arm. Screaming through the pain I squeeze my hand harder in fear until I feel something give and his screaming go silent. Breathing heavily from the short encounter, I get up after seeing feeling the body go still. Only to double over in unimaginable pain. Falling onto my knees and hands and rolling onto my back only causes me more pain. It feels like my stomachs on fire, the pain hurts so much. Trying to fight the black spots on the edge of my eyesight I look down at my stomach. It''s a dagger. There''s a dagger in my fucking stomach! Looking away from all the blood I try to fight away the the dots in my vision, failing to do so, the last thing I hear before passing out from the pain is the sound of another scream. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh", quickly jerking up and gasping for air I hurriedly look left and right. What?The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Is this the cabin? How? I was just in the woods. And... I was stabbed. looking down at my stomach instead of the dagger and blood I expect to see there is clear skin. Grabbing the skin I strech and pull at it, only for it to act like normal skin, Like it never happened. Getting up and crouching low to the ground I suspiciously look around the cabin. I don''t remember paying that much attention to the cabin the last time I left but it looks the same, Just as barren as before. Walking to the windows and peeking out the into the clearing, it also looks the same as before. I Cautiously edge open the door and walk onto the porch, after taking a quick glance around I step out onto the grass and start sweeping the clearing with my eyes, looks the same as it did last time. Standing taller with relief I go back and sit down on the porch. What happened? I was stabbed, I know that, the pain was real. The way the forest felt, the winds and sounds so clear there''s no way that was imagined. I have to believe that was real, to deny that is the path to madness. Only one thing could have happened, I died. I died and I was sent back to this cabin. Thats the only logical reason among a list of unlogicals, and even then it''s farfeched at best. I was out of it and overcome with pain but the knife was clearly in my stomach and the blood. I start shivering, there was so much blood. I feel myself start to spiral. The suprise of waking up in the cabin was enough to take my mind of the moment but know it''s impossible to ignore it, I died. It was painful, very painful. I don''t want to ever go through that again. I didn''t even realize I was going to die, it didn''t even cross my mind. I can''t die again, although I waked up this time there''s no telling if I will next time. Who knows, maybe my last lifes lack of memories are from already dying. No, I can''t start to question everything. In this situation it''s better to take everything at face value. I''ve died and came back to life in this cabin. Only one death and no knowledge of any downsides of dying, not to say there isn''t, and some small green guy that has shown he is not only capable but willing to kill me. Why is this happening to me? I put my face in my hands and for the first time feel anquish. closing my eyes I can feel the pain, the loss of conciousness as I faded. For the first time I cry. I don''t like anquish. Chapter 3 Spending the rest of the night planning will cause me to be more hungry when I go back into the forest but given that I will spend most of the night not exerting myself, I think I''ll be fine. So, I still need to get out of the forest, but I''m going to have to be careful of how I do it. My most pressing concern is no longer food or water but the green guy, no, goblin. What is a goblin? There are a couple of ways to get passed the, lets call him a golbin, for some reason it feals fitting. As I see it, I need to prepare myself for every situation. I remember the way I went into the forest and I could try to go in the opposite of last time. Which brings me to a more pressing concern, is there more? It seems like the safe bet to assume the worst and considering the loss of the bet is my life, I''m going to take every precation I can, meaning, until proven wrong every action in the future will be made with the belief that there is more than one. I think the best choice is to avoid goblins entirely altogether. I''m going to chose the path I''ve already taken, Stick with what I know. I died at night which implies he either found me in the night, or he heard me in the forrest and followed me without my knowledge to my resting spot and was smart enough to wait for me to sleep. Did he see me in the night because he heared me and saw my movments? Did I wake up because of him making noise and not the cold? I don''t know which one is more scary. Avoiding the pitfalls of Doing both won''t require that much more effort. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Worst case scenario comes and I end up having to fight him, as long as I''m not caught by suprise I should be able to overpower him. The only reason he got close enough to stab me was becuase I didn''t realize he was on me until he was right on me. That does bring up a pressing concern, Could I take him down without first getting cut by the dagger? If I want to get out of that situation untouched I''m going to need something as help. What could help me? I''m going to need reach on him, keep the dagger away. The idea of a staff comes to mind. It will give me reach, It will be as easy to fetch as finding a good branch on the ground, and would be able to create enough force to kill it if necessary. Kill, should I kill it? It feels wrong to casually plan the death of another being. I can''t worry about morality. It''s kill or be killed, Thats already been proven more than enough. Yes, I''ll kill it if it comes to it, and given that I have already concluded there is likely more than one, it may be better to do so before it can begin it''s ungodly screaching again, alerting more. Looking outside the cabin I notice the sun had been setting for awhile. Standing up and feeling my bones complain for sitting down for so long I start to head onto the grass, which looks alot more apealling than the hard wood, I lay down and start to think of whats going to happen tomorrow. If I want to live I''m going to have to keep my head on a swivel. Move as silently through the forrest as I can and be prepared for a fight at any moment. A benefit of sleeping in the clearing is that the weather seems really nice, no wind and nice temp. The ground was extemly uncomfortable though. Chapter 4 Waking up in a cold sweat I frantically look around me making sure I''m alone, noticing I''m alone I try to calm down. It was just a dream. Taking a deep breaths I get up and take a look up at the sky, looks like I woke up with the sun. Walking to the forest I try to shake of the soreness from sleeping on the ground. Getting closer to the forest I notice that the bubble was a couple feet in to the forest from the clearing and in my haste to get to out of the forest I must have missed it, Not surprissing considering it looks vastly different from inside the forest. Instead of the twisted and warped I expected to see, I was surprised when I saw a veil like substance that looked as if it would flutter away with a passing wind. Touching it causes the same ripples that happened from outside it. Deciding that it was time I started the hike while the sun was low, I gather my will and walked through. Last time I walked through I felt wonder. This time, I was wiser, I wasn''t going to get distracted by the beauty of it again. Focusing on my plan I start to slowly walk in the direction I did before, looking for any fallen branches that would work as a staff along the way. While doing this I keep my head on a swivel, listening for anything that doesn''t fit into what what I''ve experienced before. Walking silently is alot harder than it sounds and more often then not the ground that I stepped on caused alot of noise. I tried to not step on anything that would carry noise far like twigs, but it was hard. I found myself having to walk really slowly. It was going to take a long time to get to where I last died, and even though walking this slow was mentally draining I was in no rush. After walking like this for a while I found a decent branch, deciding to take a break from the mentally demanding mindset. Instead of sitting on a log and spending my time day dreaming like last time, I sat under a tree that had alot of ferns surrounding it, cutting down my profile and trying to listen to anything off to the best of my ability. Deciding that I''ve spent enough time resting I start my slow sneaking again. There is a possiblity that the goblin spotted me on the exact trail I''m heading in. It''s possible the goblin I fought before died, but that still doesn''t rule out the possiblity of more being here. After I''d rested 3 times like that, that''s when I heard it. I didn''t realize what I was listening to, it didn''t fit into the reqular sounds of the forest, but it was getting louder. After noticing it I immeditly stop moving trying to stay as still as possible. Bringing my staff into a ready position I slowly edged away from the sounds that where getting closer and closer. Starting to shake I try to edge back behind a tree. Only in my haste to step on a root, falling onto my butt. I start shaking even more, trying to slowly crawl behind the tree while still holding my staff. Once I get behind the tree and start listening again, I realize my haste and panic caused alot of noise. Enough to alert the source of the sound, and it''s coming closer. Knowing there was now no way to avoid detection, I slowly get up gripping my staff in a way that will allow me to swing it like a bat. The sound slowly gets closer and closer and I start to distinguish two different foot steps. There''s two, I''m going to have to take one by suprise and if I get lucky maybe the second one two.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Shaking, and well aware of what happened last time, I ready myself. Just before their about to walk around the tree I jump out behind it and swing the hardest I can at where the sounds are coming from. I don''t know who is more suprised, me, who swings a hair too high and completly missing the goblins and makes the staff bounce of the tree, or the goblins, one of which fell to the ground about half a second after the staff passed over him, or the other one holding a rusty knife like a cross trying to ward off evil. A second passes like this as both parties are seeminly stuck in time, Then it resumes. Looking towards the one with the knife I jump back as he jumps forward. Trying to bring my staff inbetween us and keeping it away. Seeing it''s trying to still rush at me and my staff is useless at such a short ranged I do a swift hop to the left, making it have to stop and waste movment I quickly bring the staff as far back as I dare and swing it, with all my weight, straight onto the goblins head. It drops to the ground, shortly going limp. Shouting directly to my left and the feeling of something makes me fall, more from shock than any physics, reminding me of the last goblin. Dropping my staff after I realize it won''t be helpful in this fight, I go to grab the goblin but not before I recieve a bite on my thigh and straches along my sides. Learning from my last death I go to grab its neck, this time with both hands and as hard as I can. It continues to scratch my sides but with significantly less strength. Feeling the pain they caused encourages me to squeeze long after the body has gone limp. Pushing the body off me I start to take deap breaths, ignoring the pain and fear I''m feeling. After I''ve spent a couple seconds gathering my thoughts I look at my injuries, overall not bad. With the scratches only causing a small amount of blood that immediatly clotts and the bite just causing bruising, I think I''m fine. I start laughing, I lived! Chuckling, I stand up and look the area. The goblin that I wacked on the head had a pool of blood sorrounding it and the other one wasn''t breathing. The deaths putting a slight bamper on the mood. looking away I start feeling better about my future prospects. Lifes looking up, It''s only a matter of time now before I get out of this forest. Finding my staff and going to pick it up I realize the fight caused alot of noise. Pickng up the staff, I move away from the scene, taking one last parting glance at the dead goblins I start walking away. I already came to the conclusion that killing was going to be , it didn''t make it any easier. Keeping in mind there can be more than just two I start to run in the direction I was walking in before the fight, Sneaking forgotten in favor of leaving the area fast as possible. Feeling I ran far enough I try to calm down, sitting down by a tree to rest like I did while sneaking. Thinking about my future actions while breathing heavily I start to feel better, more centered. Hopefully I''m heading away from the goblin territory, out of the forest, and into a place that offers food and water. Breathing calmed down, I start sneaking just like I did before finding the goblins. This time smarter about what to listen for, the mental strains from constant vigilance I felt before the fight less pronounced. This was doable, the fight proved that. I can live through this and I''m not going to die again. The pain on my stomach and thigh from the goblins also prove that I shouldn''t get overconfident. I pay more attention to my surroundings after that thought. Not long after I started the trek again I noticed the light going down. Deciding to give me more than enough time to look for a sutable spot before the sun goes down, mentally marking where I''m looking and standing, I start my search. Chapter 5 Clearings are a no go, they leave your profile too exposed, and even though the goblins may not have found me in the dark, it''s better to be safe than sorry. That means my best bet is going to be under a tree and sorrounded by as much overgrowth as I can find. The cold was a problem the last time I spent out here. I have no idea how to go about making a shelter that would keep it out, and given that by the time I would, the sun would have already set long ago, I''m going to have to rough it. Piling leaves over me will be better than nothing. Knowing now what to look for, I try to find spots that have what I need while also being close to where I stopped walking. Keeping track of where I''m walking is very important. If I wake up and start walking in the wrong way I could completly waste all the effort put into getting here. Using the remaining light I try to gather as much leaves near the tree as possible. Keeping the noise down while raking in leaves I quickly realize is a very hard endeavor. After I spent what felt like way to long doing that, I''m still left with quite a bit of light. I Decide to sit by the tree and stop moving to reduce the chances of anything seeing or hearing me. Waiting for the darkness to come is an enlightening situation. Since waking up in the cabin I haven''t had the time to just sit down and not worry about what''s happening. It''s been a constant what to do next, So sitting under the tree trying to stay as still as possible while waiting for the sun to go down was very relaxing. Until I realized that the sun is coming down, and the darkness coming out. The same darkness that I was killed in. Every second the darkness gets deeper and deeper, Feeling the memories of that night start to be relived I try to busy myself. Reaching into the pile of leaves next to me laying them over me like a protective sheet Only does so much. The relaxing moment I had just a minute ago being replaced with terror of the darkness. Knowing I''m going to have to do it all over again. Stay in pitch darkness and wait for the sun to come up. Last time I went to sleep out in the forest I thought I was safe and nothing could happen to me, worrying about getting out of it, not anything in it. I slept like a baby, and I paid dearly for it. The darkness finally covering everything. I start to notice the things I missed the first time. The sound of trees creaking from the wind and leaves being scattered, the feeling of not knowing whats out there. Being completly alone. Straining you ears for anything that doesn''t sound natural. I don''t even notice I''m trembling before the leaves around me start shaking, freaking me out even more. I open my eyes as wide as I can, looking for anything that could hear the sound. Only to see darkness, utter darkness. I start to panic, franticly jerking my head left and right, causing even more noise, looking for anything to calm my exceedingly terror stricken thoughts. Just as I feel I''m about to snap. I can see! It''s Just a faint outline of everything, but I can see. The underbrush and trees infront of me being the same I watched as the sun went down. Looking up I see the trees and their branches sway with the wind, the source of the creaking. I''m alone, there''s nothing near me. As I feel myself sink into the tree with relief, I start to calm down, I can see. I''m going to be fine. I''ll just stay awake to keep an eye on the sorroundings, make sure the goblins don''t come near me. Keeping your eyes and ears open straining at every little sound is very draining. Before I even register it my eyes are already closing and my mind is welcomeing the sweat release that is sleep. I wake up to the feeling of something tickling my face. Tiredly blicking my eyes while moving my hand to the source and brushing it off halfheartedly doesn''t wake me up until I feel the thing I was brushing away stick to my hand. Opening my eyes to a big centipede on my finger was not what I would call a nice awakening. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Jerking my hand away and jumping up in fright it takes me a second to realize what''s going on. I must have fell asleep while trying to keep a lookout. Taking a glance around I pick up my staff and look up to the sky. It''s not that high up, Good, with any luck I''ll be able to avoid any future goblins. I look around for the spot I mentally marked. Preparing myself for the future hike and trying to shake of the sleep and uncomfortable feeling in my bones I''ve learned to expect, I start to sneak. I hadn''t woken up with the sun but it still had a long ways to go before it set. That gives me more than enough time to contemplate what happened last night. I should never have been able to see. It was unnatural, just like the dome. Is the dome somehow connected to me seeing? Maybe it''s not the dome but the cabin. I did die and get sent back into the cabin. It just didn''t make any sense, why was I able to see. Along the same lines how was I sent back to the cabin after I died. Could it be me? I was in alot of distress, it''s not unreasonable to assume that I how somehow summoned a mysterious energy from inside me. I felt it was necessary to see for my continue survival and I''m given just that. Almost like magic, but that can''t be. Magic isn''t real. Then again, Neither is coming back from the dead, or some weird dome that defies reality. It''s magic, it has to be. That thought for some reason fills me with happiness. While I''m thinking about me having night vision and what it means, I''m not sacrificing my ability to walk quietly and pay attention. Sometimes I''m entirely stoping my train of thought to keep up my awarness. If I hadn''t been walking like I was now there''s no telling if I would have missed the sound of the goblins walking. Who knows, the one with the knife could have rushed me and killed me the same as it did last time. It could be argued percetion is my most useful trait towards my continued survival. Paying such attention to my surroundings has a certain side affect. I start to notice more and more particular things, namely plants. Every know and then the green wonderland of the forest will be inturupted by a bright flower or weird looking vine. After spotting a bright plant that looked as if it had something similar to a barry on it, I''m reminded of my hunger and thirst. I''ve been pushing it out of mind since I had awoken, holding on to what is likely vain hope for me to find some source of water or food. Even though I haven''t found any water yet it seems not all that hope was for nothing. Stopping to take a quick glance around me I start to slowly start sneaking toward the fruit. Every step closer to it making the hunger I had kept away from my mind more prevalent. Once I had reached the what, I now notice is a barry, my mind was consumed by hunger, the feeling of my stomach being a empty void overwhelming my toughts. Forgoing any silence I had worked for, I immediatly start feasting on these peices of absulote heaven. Stuffing my face for what feels like both to long and short, I come back to myself. With a belly full of barries I start to slowly get sleepy, my only complaint there was no water to wash them down with. Looking for a spot to let my body digest feels like it takes way to long. The sleepy feeling starting to become more apparent. Finding a spot that is hidden to rest at I start walking towards it, only to notice I''m no longer walking straight, my feet getting crossed and not going where I tell them to. My mind clashing with itself, the feeling of terror measly in the face of overwhelming drowsiness, Thoughts flowing way slower than they should be, I''m on the ground before I even realize it. Coming to slowly I get up from the hard ground. The sun shining through the window practically blinding, Wait. The windows, looking around me it takes a second for my brain to register what happened. I''m back in the cabin, I''ve died again. Chapter 6 I died again, this time however, there wasn''t any pain. One minute I was on top of the world, feeling like getting out of the forest wasn''t going to be as hard as the goblins would make it seem, and the next I was face planting straight into dirt. I just faded away. Is it even possible to get out of this forest? I''ve already died 2 times, how much more do I need to suffer before it ends. I angrily get up, trying to blink back the tears threatening to well up. No, I''ll get out of this forest and a poisinous plant and some weak little abomanations aren''t going to stop me. Rushing out of the cabin I look back to where I had started before, because of a plan. This is no longer a time for plans, if I want to get out of here I need force my way out. Taking one last look at the path I had taken last time my eyes face the oppisite direction. Letting my anger and fear take over, I walk out of the dome, and run as fast as I can. Doing this I realize quickly my constitution was not able to keep up with how I was punishing it, that''s fine. Just before I feel like falling over from exhaustion I rest for as short as needed. Running like this I quickly learn is not favorable with my current state,and there''s also the small problem of having nothing to protect my feet. It doesn''t matter though, I''m getting out of this forest. It won''t cause me any more pain. I feel my feet start to bleed, and after having a couple close calls with bumps and dips I start to slow down. Even though I slow down, my pace is still fast. After doing this until sweat is dripping of my body and my heart feals like it''s going to stop any minute. I start to hear it, the leaves rustling around me the only warning before a war cry starts sounding around me. My already exhausted body barely holding onto life somehow gets more power to run. The pain from my bare feet all but forgotten. Jerking my head behind me I see them, the goblins. There''s only two in my sight but if the war cries are any indication there''s more, alot more.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Though my feet are practically on their last legs, and I had already pushed my body to its limit, the goblins can''t run nearly as fast as me, even in my worsening condition. This can''t last forever, I can already feal my body start to shut down. The goblins not having the same problem. My heavy breathing and failing body almost drowning my thoughts away, sadly not enough. I was stupid, I''m going to die again. The war cries promising an assured and painful death, more goblins picking it up by the second. I take another glance back, there''s now four, and even though I should have a edge on them, I don''t. The only thing still pushing me is my fear and panic of what will happen when they get me, and they will. I can feel myself slowing down more and more. looking to where I was running toward doesn''t give me any reason to find hope. The same forest I''ve been in looking at for the past three days greats me, No way out. I feel my legs start to give out, barely being able to hold my own weight. This was a stupid thing to do. I let my fear and anger control me, and it''s going to get me killed. I move to look behind me, witnessing my impending doom come closer. The sounds of war cries and the increasingly loud rustling of brush chilling me to the bone. This was on me, I caused this. I''m going to die again. There''s nothing that I can do to change this, the sight of little ugly green men coming out of the foiliage makes that clear. Or is there? I gained the power to see in the night when I needed it. If I concentrate hard enough maybe it can help me gain power, the edge I need to get out of this situation. Focusing into myself for any mysterouis power just as I''m about to be killed is not ideal, but it''s my only chance. As the goblins get closer to me I try to will my magic to manifest in anyway imaginable. Paying attention to anything at this point is nearly impossible, pushing your body to its absolute limit does that to you. When they get to within a couple feet of me that''s when it really hits me, Nothing is going to save me, not magic, not anything. The only thing that could save me is me, and I have proved completly incompetent at doing so. The goblins rushing onto me barely registers, Falling over I try to lose myself in the fatique that ultimatly killed me, it doesn''t take away all the pain. Having my body ripped and clawed into creates an undascribable pain no one should have to go through. For the first time I welcome my death, and secretly, whether I knew it or not yet, wished it was my last. Chapter 7 I wasn''t suprised to wake up this time. Taking my time in getting up I start to rethink my approach to this situation. I can''t continue like this. I''m going to have to take a step back, look at it in a different light. My last life was the exact opposite of what I should be doing, not to say it wasn''t educational. The longest I ever got was when I ate the berries. In that life everything I did was planned and thought out. Letting my emotion rule my decisions is not the way to go, both mentally and physically. I need to learn from my failures and exceed my past self. Food and water is going to be a big problem, the berries proved that, and I haven''t heard flowing water in my entire time in the forest. The goblins are a possible food source but that is absolute last thing I would try, just thinking about it causes me to shudder, maybe my emotions should rule somethings. I should try to forage around and not eat every single little thing in sight, no matter how hungry I am. As I see it the cabin is the safest place in the forest, no reason not to use it. It may be time to think about it not as something to run away from, but to embrace. Maybe I can finally get something to comfortably sleep on. Finding food in the forest that isn''t poisonous shouldn''t be that hard. Eating only a very little and seeing if it affects me in any way should be safe, well... safer. As for water, it wouldn''t hurt to listen around the dome for it, staying close incase anything bad happens. Speaking of the dome, I never tested if I could walk into it just as I could out of it. I''m going to have to test that later, once I''ve already came up with a avenue of approach. Wouldn''t do any good to get stuck out there without being prepared. Fighting the goblins is definitely possible. The only reason I didn''t do it last time was because I was already practically dead on my feet. With the staff it didn''t take that much force to kill one of them and disregarding the failure that was the suprise attack, it wasn''t ever that close of a fight. If it comes down to it, with a staff I could hold my own. That brings me to my last and most pressing thought, magic, if it even is that. There''s no doubt being sent back to life after death and seeing in the dark is unatural. Whatever it is, it comes remarkedly close to magic, and in my book that makes it close enough. If I spent my time foraging around the cabin, try and find a water source, and somehow don''t get me killed in the prosess, I may be able to sustain myself. That would give me enough time to get a handle on this magic and learn enough about walking around the forest to go unseen, that would be my ticket out of this hellhole. It probally won''t go off without a hitch, but hopefully I can learn from my mistakes, and adapt. Feeling alot better about tomorrow, and done planning, there isn''t no time like now. That leaves me to decide what to do first. While magic is a very tempting prospect, it would waste to much time. I always wake up with a full stomach but that''s nothing in the grand sceme of things. I need to get started on being self suficeint and the sooner I do that the sooner I can start on magic. That leaves foraging and finding a water source.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Coming close to the veil like dome, I take a second to calm my raging thoughts. I''m going to take this easy, Look for what I need to live and then walk right back into dome again, if I even can. Taking the plung into the forest once again takes me by suprise, truly, it''s like a whole other world. Shaking off these distrating thoughts, I start looking for anything to use as substance. Instead of walking in a straight line I start by going around the dome, only going out a short amount. By the time I had come full circle it felt like only a couple minutes have passed, way shorter than it should. Forgoing foraging for a minute, I decide to puzzle over this mystery. mentally marking my current spot I walk around the dome keeping track of the distance I should have walked. My conclusion, it''s smaller than the inside. Walking around the dome from inside should have taken me 2 minutes, out here, barely even 40 seconds. Another question among a long list regarding magic. Mystery solved, I begin my search again. After doing this until the dome gets just out of my eye sight makes me question if there''s anything of worth near the dome. It did take me a long walk to get to the last barries I saw, they could possibly not be near it at all. Luckily, after only about 30 minutes after that thought, I find a plant that looks as if it has something to eat on it. Learning from my last failure, I take my time inspecting it. The plant looks alot different to the last one, not nearly as bright and although the berries look similar, their different. Taking only a few berries in my hand, I start walking to the dome. I have no idea how to keep food fresh, meaning that if I don''t want to waste anything, I''ll have to eat it as soon as I pick it. Coming to the twisted and warped look of the dome wasn''t any easier to handle this time. I had been trying limit my exposure to it, and now I''m going to walk through this potentially deathly magical thing. Deciding it''s better to get it over with I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping that I don''t come to in the cabin, and walk in. When all my body goes through the dome I feel myself twist and bend, something I never would have been able to understand before I had undergone it, transcending mortal means. After going through this for what feels like a couple seconds, but somehow I know only a very small moment has passed, I hesitently open my eyes. I''m back in the cabin, and before I start to freak out I notice I''m still standing. When dying I wake up laying down, not standing up. It worked, and if the weight in my hand is any indication the barries also crossed with me. Setting down the berries before I begin the test I study them, looking for anything obvious that would suggest I shouldn''t eat them, they look fine. That leaves the only step left. Picking up the smallest one in the group, I bring it up to my lips. Depending on the results this could be the difference between me having to brave the forest further out, or being able to live relatively worry free. Putting it into my mouth and chewing slowly I try to keep my expectations at bay. It doesn''t taste bad, and it definitly doesn''t taste like heaven, a win in my book. It''s probably better to spend the rest of the day waiting for any adverse side afects. The forest is dangoures enough, I don''t need possible poisin in my viens while in it . Putting my back into the cabin I start to settle myself in, and given that I''m not going to be moving anytime soon, it may be a good time to experiment with magic. Chapter 8 I need to start somewhere, and to me it seems reasonable the only way I''m going to be able to manipulate it is by sensing it. The applications of magic can be speculated and tested after I first understand it. I should start small, work my way up. All that leaves me to do is sense it, small problem, I have no ideal how. I have to start somewhere though, and focusing my breathing while becoming relaxed sounds like as good a start as any. Getting comfortable I start to breath, not worrying about magic just yet. I want to calm down, let my thoughts flow like water, focus on nothing. I revolve my whole world around my breathing, in and out. My body fading away from reality, no longer apart of anything. Once my body starts to dim, that''s when I look for it. Magic to me, is something that shouldn''t exist, what better way to look for something that shouldn''t exist then to forsake everything that does. If magic is out there, this is how I''m going to find it. First thing I try to sense is myself, looking for anything that feels off. Trusting my instinct I keep up my breathing and try to lose myself in a trance. I start from the bottom up, my feet ending with my head. Trying to percieve something that I shouldn''t be able to is a problem that may have warrented further thought outside my trance, as it stands, that''s not a possiblitlity now. What does magic feel like, that''s what I''m looking for here. Placing what felt like my whole being into my feet I start to feel for anything off. Nothing, after spending a couple of minutes focusing on my feet I move up, again nothing. If I''m going to find anything it''s going to be above the waist. By the time I get to my chest, my expectations are at an all time low, already speculating what I did wrong. That almost made me miss it, almost. It was faint, barely even perceivable. There was an energy, right on my center mass, the longer I mentally observed it the more it becomes observable. Now that knew it was there, it was no longer as elusive, always on the edge of my awarness. After that realizition it became apparent that the energy was flowing all throughout my whole body, like a river, the center of my body acting as if it''s fueling it. The only reason that I didn''t notice it in my feet is because the flow was alot more smaller and less distinguishable.Stolen story; please report. Amazed by this energy that is flowing through my body I start to study it more. Every minute my conscious is pointed at this energy the more it grows visible . After it, no the magic. After the magic in my body grows into an easily observable force, what I see shocks me into disbelief. In closer inspection I realize how complicated this energy really is. It has patterns, it twist and swirls, dips and jumps. You could spend a lifetime puzzling over the mysterys of this force, that''s very evident, even to my untrained eyes. It''s like an ecosystem, every single little thing down to the smallest particle and biggest cable working in harmany, a perfect flow. Abruply startled out of the trance I was in, I take a deep breath, amazed by the feeling it gave me, almost as if I was a part of a bigger picture, for a second, I truly mattered. Out of the trance I was distanced from the magic, no longer able to see the intricacies of it, but I still felt the flow, like it was always apart of me. The trance was amazing, but coming to I realized alot more time has passed out of it than in it. The sun had already set, and I paid absolutely no attention to the berry I ate.feeling tired, I sat up, my bones creaking and popping as if I woke from the dead. I never paid attention the last time I staid at the cabin overnight. Light had fallen what looked like along time ago if the moon was any indication. Looking on the small porch for the barries wasn''t that hard. Taking another one and putting it in my mouth I decide to dedicate my next hour towards finding out if it''s really safe. Walking off the porch I go to lay down on the grass, looking up at the stars and moon. This situation I have found myself in is full of wonders, pratically bursting at the seems with them. The magic, it was beautiful, I set out to sense it and if that''s not what I did then I don''t know what is. The trance seemed to give me the ability to see it extremely clearly, out of the trance I can still feel the force, the way it flows through my body, but the patterns and the complexities I saw in trance a world away, already fading away like a dream. I could probably begin to start figuring out the how my nightvision happened with my current capabilites, and maybe find ways to use it in different ways. If it''s to be believed that the dome was a result of magic, that means teleporting and space expansion are possible, makes you think what else could be done with it. I should do this after I''ve determind if the berries are safe, if they are, I can go and pick some off the bush and start to look for any water tomorrow. Waiting for what feels like a couple of hours and finding myself suitibly bored, I decide the berries are safe to eat. With such a small sample size it is possible that I just didn''t eat enough for its effects to come into play, but that''s a risk I''m going to have to live with. Coming to the conclusion that the barries are safe, I start to feel tired. Whilst I still want to experiment with magic, it doesn''t strike me as a good idea to mess with a mysterouis force when I''m not in tip top shape. Laying down while looking up to the stars, contemplating the uses of magic, hoping that the barries will be abundant, and that I''ll find a water source tomorrow, I slowly start to fall asleep. Chapter 9 I had woken up with the sun about a hour ago and decided to watch the dawns early light cover the clearing and shine apon the cabin, taking a break to prepare myself for the upcoming foray into the forest. I need priorities, the berries are as good as I can tell safe, that leaves me with a source of food, now I just need water. Get that, and the steps needed to sustain myself are progressed significantly. The sleep having long left my mind I start to stroll through the dome heading straight for the berries, taking only two and putting them in my mouth I decide to play it safe. I was pretty confident on the effects of the barries but you never know. Once I get done with looking for water enough time for the barries to show any side effects would have passed, then my increasingly hungry belly will be filled with as much of these berries as I can stuff in my mouth. Starting from the barry bush I start search again, looking for any other berry bushes and water sources, trying to keep my profile down and not cause alot of noise. Luck seems to be on my side, other berry bushes being found scattered along my search. I have gotten pretty far from the dome and my bad experinces usually happen the farther I get away from it. With this in mind I also start looking for a branch, if any goblins were to get close to me the my best option would to be hide, but that''s best case scenario, something I rarely have the pleasure of entertaining. Finding a branch that fits closely to the last staff I had doesn''t take that long. Seeing it in a clearing, something I had been avoiding, I pay close attention to my surroundings. Sneaking into the clearing I try to stay as quiet as I can while walking quickly to where it is. Picking it up I walk back to underbrush I just walked out of. I never really expected anything to happen, which made the shake of the bushes at the over end of the glade suprising. Before my mind can go to goblins, the thing that was rustling the bushes stepped onto the clearing. It''s some sort of dear that has straight antlers almost wrapping over its head,seeing this makes me drop my staff in disbelief making a noise,and causing the creature to spook and run away. I never even thought of the possibility of other creatures that were huntable. The fact that their was birds everywhere, and now that I think about it, bugs like the centapeed that woke me up, would suggest that I should have fiquered out this along time ago. Shaking my head at my own stupidity I go to recover my dropped staff, the fact that I missed something this important luckily didn''t interfere with my plans.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Hunting some creature for meat isn''t availible for me to consider, maybe once I get a better handle on magic it will be a possiblity, or learn to make some projectile. As it stands though, that''s a long way out. Thinking about this brings me back to the goblins and the morality of me eating them to survive. If I get to a point where that looks like an appealing option I may have no other choice, and if that happens, I''d prefer to have come to terms with it already. Shaking away these distracting thoughts and comiting to thinking over them later, I continue my search, sneaking in the same circle pattern. The sound of running water is heaven to my ears, this was the last thing I needed to assure myself that living in this forest was possible. My hopes high, I sneak towards the water. Though my emotions are running on overdrive I have the state of mind to realize that I''m likely not the only thing in this forest that needs water to survive. Using all of my experience in sneaking I walk slowly toward the sound of the rushing water. Inching my way towards it I bring my staff in a ready position. If there is going to be a fight anywhere in the current vicinity, it''s going to be here. Getting within eyesight of the water I take the time to make a game plan. Observing the water I''m surprised because of my luck. I can see the start of a creak about a goblins lengths in width, the best part, its flowing away from the start of it. I''m not going to have to worry about the water being contaminated water from upstream. Not having anything to carry any water in will force me to drink at the creak whenever I''m thirsty, maybe I should think about making something to hold it in, concept for another day. Patience is my best friend in the scenario, taking my time I wait to see if there is any trafic at the creak, I have time. While waiting I try to focus and feel for any side effects from the berries, nothing yet, I think their safe. I can already feel my mouth salvaite at the chance of a decent meal for the first time since I landed in this situation. Having felt that enough time has passed for me to be confident I won''t be interupted while getting a drink, I slowly sneak towards it, staying low to the ground. The closer I get, the clearer the trickle of water sounds. Coming within touching distance and quickly taking one last glance around, I crouch down to cup the water within my hands, staff forgotten on the ground. Who knew water could taste so good, I keeping drinking it until I can''t no more. Getting up from my crouch while picking up my staff I slowly start to sneak back towards the dome. Stopping by the berry bush to get as much food my hands can carry, I walk back towards the dome, spirits higher than they''ve ever been before. Stepping through the dome for my second time feels different, very different. I can barely explain it, the magic that had been at the edge of my awareness since the trace began to change. Twisting and bending in a physical sense had been disorienting, but comprehendable, with magic however, the complexity of it made me feel as if I was looking at an infinite ocean, spanning planets and reaching a depth so deep it''s extraordinary. Last time I walked through the dome it felt like seconds, this time, an eternity. Luckily this eternity was a small one, only about a second, then I was in the dome. Story update uggg, first thing I want to say is that I still plan on taking this book to atleast 200 pages. With my end of the year test coming however, I''m going to have to stop doing the daily upload I have done for a admitily small amount of time. I rushed myself to finish chapter 10 and while reading it over my mind was screaming. When I went into magic, the way I described it was horrible and I could barely stand to even read it. So with my current time tables I''m going to have to put this book on hold.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. That, like I said before doesn''t mean I''m going to stop writing, even though I''ve spent a short time in it I can already tell it''s going to be a fun hobby to get into. Currently, my time table doesn''t allow for me to spend the time I need to make this book up to my standards. Sorry. By the end of this month I''ll be back to hopefully posting daily.