Chapter 2: Dawning Realisations
As I blankly stared into the sky and the sound of the rustling leaves invaded my ears, thousands of thoughts swirled inside my head.
What's going on? Where am I? Didn't I die? What is up with my new body? Did I get reincarnated into a different world or something? What was that BIG thing that flew right by me? How am I here? What do I do?
There are so many questions, and little to no answers. I just simply don't know what to do.
I have been like this for the past couple of hours.
Gurgle...
"..."
I'm hungry... All that thinking must have made me extremely hungry...
My stomach literally feels empty.
"*Sigh*... Let's put all those questions aside for now. I should go find some food before I starve to death."
Honestly, I'm not planning on experiencing death again...
Leaving behind that thought process, I stood up and gazed at my surroundings with great care.
"...What's there to eat...?"
With just a single look at my surroundings, I deduced that there is nothing for me to eat around here. All I can see is grass, trees, pebbles, rocks, and the finest of all, dirt.
"Ok, let's not give up so easily Lia. I haven't explored the forest at all after all. I might find something if I just explore for a little bit... That's right, let's put a bit more effort into this!"
Encouraging myself to move, I decided to explore the forest.
0×0
For how long have I been walking for?
Another question crossed my mind.
"Seriously, is there nothing for me to eat? I haven't seen a single mushroom, or berry, or anything else! Where's your food nature?!"
I shouted loudly in a desperate manner.
For the past couple of hours, I have been trying to search for any kind of food. And I have successfully failed in my quest. No matter where I looked, I just couldn't find a single thing that seemed eatable.
Honestly, I am feeling extremely stressed and hungry. Somewhere along the way, I also began to feel quite thirsty. I feel like a poor child that hasn't eaten or drank for a whopping two whole days and is about to fall unconscious.
Gurgle...
There it is once again, the demanding sound of my stomach.
"Ugh! I get it already, I'm hungry!"
The trees continued to rustle about as I slowly fell into a never ending spiral of madness.
I am positively going insane.
"Haha... I might actually die of starvation at this rate... Hahaha..."
I stood there looking all depressed, when suddenly an alarming sound invaded my ears.
*Rustle*
"...!"
The sound of a rustling bush echoed throughout the air.
What was that?
Feeling slightly anxious, I quickly turned towards the direction of the sound.
"... That's... A Snake...?!"
Right now, I am being stared at by two pairs of yellow eyes.
A double headed snake... Am I seeing this correctly...?
That's right, in front of me stood a green double headed snake with the same size as me.
By the way, from what I could tell, my size can be compared to that of a toddler's.
First of all, why does it have two heads? Second of all...
"This is not good at all... Not good at all..."
"Pssshhhhh..."
The two heads of the snake simply gazed at me without ever seeming the slightest bit afraid of me. On the other hand, I feel like pissing my pants right about now, even though I am not really wearing any.
"W-What should I do...?"
Um... Ah! I could try to slowly back away...
Thinking that would work, I began to do just that. Unfortunately for me, the snake isn't that dumb. As I slowly moved backwards, it slowly moved forwards.
"..."
"Psshhhh..." ×2
Well shoot...
Things are getting a little bit too uncomfortable for me.
Ok, maybe I could scar–
"Psshhhaaaaaa!" ×2
"Wah!"
Before I could even finish that sentence, the double headed snake launched towards me with its respective mouths wide open.
I quickly lifted up my arms in a desperate attempt to cover myself.
"Agh! My arm!"
My right arm received the attack.
The snake's fangs strongly pierced through my skin. Not only that, it also wrapped itself around my arm. Blood began to trickle down as a seething pain coursed through my limb. I could feel the snake's sharp fangs going deeper and deeper, easily tearing apart my flesh. I feel like small and yet sharp nails have punctured right through my flesh.
"Ghhh!"
It hurts! Damn, it hurts!
I ferociously shook my arm in hopes of it falling off.
"Ghhh!"
It won't let go!
But no matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn't release its grip. If anything, I think it just made my wounds bigger. And let me tell you, I am not the least bit pleased with that fact.
"Grrghhh!"
Damn, damn! It hurts more now!
As the pain intensified, so did my adrenaline.
I instinctively grabbed one of the snake's heads and then tried to pry it off forcefully.
At that moment, the head I held released its grip...
Ah! Goo–
"Pssshhhaaaaaa!!!"
And the next moment, it bit my neck.
My whole world froze for a second.
"Gah!"
Once my body managed to catch up with reality, a great amount of pain coursed through my neck.
"AAAHHH!!!"
My painful cries filled the air.
I quickly tried to pull it away, but it just wouldn't budge.
I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!
My adrenaline is at its peak.
I am scared.
I am terrified.
I am frightened.
I can't think straight.
I can't make a sensible decision.
In this situation, one can only move for the sake of their own survival. And that move is very simple...
Attack... Back...!
"Ghhh!"
I gritted my teeth and endured the pain.
I grabbed the snake's body and brought it close to my face.
I'm not... Going to die...!
Blinded by my primal instincts, I dug my teeth DEEP into the snake's flesh.
"PSSSSSHHHAAAAAA!!!" ×2
It cried out in pain as it released itself from my arm. Simultaneously, its blood easily spilled out into my mouth.
"...!"
My eyes widened.
Unlike what I expected, the snake's blood has quite the striking taste. I literally froze for a moment because of the shock.
...Sweet...
Would be the right word to describe the taste. It is similar to milk chocolate.
Gurgle...
I'm hungry...
I thought to myself.
Gurgle...
My stomach rang once again.
I'm really hungry...
And my thoughts explained my need once more.
The next moment, everything became a blur.
0×0
"Mmph... H-Huh? What happened?"
I woke up lying on the ground and staring into the sky.
"Ugh... My head hurts..."
I slowly rose up and gazed at my surroundings in a confused manner.
"What happened?"
The forest rustled about and the winds blew lightly.
Did I seriously just randomly fall asleep on the ground...?
I said to myself, questioning my own situation.
But then I remembered...
No... Wait! That snake!
Once I remembered what had happened, I frantically began to scan my surroundings for that dangerous snake.
"H-Huh? W-Where...?"
Nothing, there is not a single thing in sight that indicated the snake's existence, absolutely nothing.
"What?"
Confused by my situation, I just stood there pondering to myself.
"Ugh..."
Was that a dream? No... The pain I felt was too real for it to be a dream...
"Huh? The pain?"
And then I realised.
Wait! What happened to my injuries?!
I quickly checked the condition of my right arm and neck.
"What in the...?"
My eyes widened as my fingers slid across the places where there should have been injuries.
That's right, there are no injuries to be found anywhere.
"Eh? But... I'm sure that I..."
My arm and neck are in tip top shape, as if nothing had even pierced them.
I got taken aback by my current state, especially my neck's condition. After all, any injury on the neck can be quite fatal.
But as I continued to caress my neck in complete disbelief, something sturdy and yet smooth would occasionally be felt under my fingers.
"What's this feeling...?"
My attention quickly shifted to the part of my skin that feels weird.
Touching that part more carefully, I managed to make out its shape and size.
It has a rough teardrop like shape and is as small as a finger nail. It also has a smooth surface and is somewhat sturdy.
It essentially feels like...
"A scale?"
It feels like the scales that fish or snakes have on their skin.
There's multiple of them... I don't remember having these before...
I kept on touching, curious to the new feeling on my skin.
Just... What is with this body of mine?
I thought to myself.
To be honest, I am somewhat freaked out by my new body.
It looked similar to that of a humans, but is very much different. It's unlike anything I had ever seen before.
"*Sigh*... There's no way I'm getting any kind of answer..."
I said aloud.
And I am not really wrong, there is literally no one around to tell me anything.
Knowing that fact, a certain feeling began to set in.
"..."
I gazed into the sky as I tried to ignore that feeling.
"Oh shoot..."
But instead I found out what time it is.
"Night is coming!"
I hadn't noticed the change in lighting at all.
The world has begun to dim and the stars have started to rise.
Seeing the change in lighting, my chest began to pound.
Night's coming...! Bad... BAD! He's going to...! No... Wait...! I'm fine... They are... Not... Here... I'm safe... Calm down Lia... Calm down...
I began doing breathing exercises to calm myself down, and that worked well. That is until another anxiety arised...
Wait... I'm not safe at all! There might be more of those double headed snakes. There might even be some other dangerous animals too... I need to find shelter!
Considering my experience with a certain double headed snake and the possibility of other animals that might act like it, it would probably be a good idea to find shelter.
Thus, I immediately began my search.
I walked through the forest, scanning my surroundings thoroughly.
Every step crumbled the grass and the leaves scattered about.
That only made me more anxious, because the sounds indicated the passing of a second.
I kept on walking, my anxiety increasing.
"Ugh! It's getting too dark..."
The world is becoming darker and the stars began to shine brightly.
As for me, my heart pounded like crazy.
"Where do I go...?"
I literally can't see anything...
With a dreadful look, I kept on walking through the forest, hoping to find something.
My surroundings are now covered by a layer of darkness, there is not a single light to be seen in sight.
Thanks to that fact, every now and again I would accidentally bump into a tree, or trip because of something.
What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?
That question repeatedly popped up inside my head.
"This is bad... So bad..."
My tone cracked under the great stress, fear, and anxiety.
Things are not looking good for me, not at all.
Ghh... Damn it! If I hadn't wasted so my much time standing still after waking up into this new body...! Ugh! Also, what happened to me after encountering that snake?! Why was I asleep?!
My head kept spinning as my emotions became ferocious.
At that moment...
"Grrr..."
"...!"
A shiver crawled up my spine.
I immediately turned towards the sound and found a pair of red sharp eyes staring back at me.
Oh god... Oh god...
There, standing in the middle of the forest's darkness, I could make out the silhouette of a big wolf like animal.
And when I mean big, I mean BIG. It is at least 10 times more bigger than me, essentially as tall as the trees around.
"Grrrrrrrrr..."
It moved towards me.
Oh god... Oh god!
Feeling the incoming danger, I began to back away.
"S-Sta–"
"GRAAAH!"
The wolf roared loudly.
"Hiiiii!"
I immediately fell on my ass as the beast approached ever so closer.
"P-Please...! Please don't hurt me!"
I shouted loudly, but the beast did not seem to care. In fact, its eyes showed hints of excitement.
"P-P-Please!"
Before I even I knew it, I had already began to cry.
My hands trembled, my chest pounded, my voice cracked, and my eyes spilled my tears.
"Grrrr..."
The beast approached.
I quickly tried to stand up, but by the time I got on my knees, the beast had already reached my position.
"A-Ah..."
I stared in utter awe.
"Grrr..."
The wolf's blood coloured eyes and intimidating face are in point blank range. I could clearly see its face and the saliva falling off its mouth. Its bloodied teeth proudly shone as it smiled.
Seeing such a sight, my heart sunk.
"GRAAAAH!"
The beast opened its mouth dripping with saliva.
Its jaw approached my head.
To me, the world seemed completely slowed down.
I'm dead...
I thought to myself.
"PSSSSHHHRAAAAA!!!"
"Eh?"
"GRUGH!!!"
A small shockwave shook the surroundings as something huge crashed into the wolf's side.
Several seconds had passed before I finally realised what had happened.
What had crashed into the wolf's body was a huge snake like beast.
"Grr..."
The wolf quickly recovered from the hit and immediately backed away, its eyes showing great wariness towards its new foe.
On the other hand, the snake instantly went for its next move and wrapped itself around the wolf's body with little to no resistance.
"PSSSSSSHHHAAAAAA!!!"
"GRAGH!!!"
The snake continued to squeeze its prey's body. The wolf tried to resist, thrashing about with all its might.
Their struggle slightly shook the ground.
Witnessing such a scene, I could only stare in absolute awe.
Their struggle kept going, but before long, one of them made a decisive strike.
"PSSHAA!!!"
The snake quickly closed in on the wolf's neck and took a strong bite at it.
"GRAGH!"
The wolf screamed in pain as it desperately began to claw at the snake's body.
Blood began to drip and taint the ground.
At that moment, I managed to break away from my trance.
"...!"
W-What am I doing?! I-I need to get out of here!
I quickly stood up and turned tail, leaving behind a battle of struggle.
My heart kept racing as the wolf's pained cries could be heard in the distance, slowly fading away into the background.
My legs kept moving, never seeming to stop.
0×0
For how long have I been running for? I don't know and I don't care.
I stood on my knees as I desperately tried to gather air. Every step I took had made me all the more tired.
It was a hellish experience.
"Ah... I'm fine... Now... I think..."
In between my lines, a rough breath would come out.
I'm okay now... I'm safe... Yeah... Right? I'm safe right? Yeah... I'm safe... No... I shouldn't be so sure...!
My head is in complete disarray.
Thankfully though, after a bit of time, my head began to calm down and my breathing slowly stabilized.
"Ok... I'm safe, I think..."
I carefully scanned my surroundings, wary of any possible danger, but that ended up being futile.
Unfortunately, I am not an owl, I can't really see anything other than the endless abyss and the silhouettes of some trees.
Nothing else could be seen.
And that fact made me anxious.
Anything could jump at me at any moment... Anything could end my life with a single attack...!
Just as those thoughts crossed my mind, a small breeze caressed my skin.
Its touch is cold and yet caring.
...?
A nostalgic memory flashed inside my head.
A gentle and yet cold hand slowly slid across my hair, caressed my head kindly, and patted my back with care.
It is a familiar feeling, one that most kids experience.
M-Mom...?
That feeling is the warm and gentle care of a kind mother.
A feeling so strong and calming.
But at this moment, it only made me miss it.
"Why...?"
I said aloud, turning my attention towards the sky.
The only place where light could be seen.
Small sparks sprinkled upon a black canvas and a single round grey ball floating in the middle of it.
The night sky is the only thing I could clearly see.
"Just why is this happening...?"
I said aloud.
The quiet breeze caressed my skin once again, as if trying to comfort me.
"...Why...?"
But that only made me cry even more.
It only made me miss that feeling even more.
And it only reminded me of my situation even more.
Tears began to pour out as my vision became slightly blurry.
My heart raced and a thousand thoughts swirled inside my head.
I am scared.
I am so so so scared.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know where I am.
I don't even know what I am.
Things are just so sudden and out of no where.
Things are just moving too fast for me to understand.
I am left alone, no one is here to help me.
I am just so scared.
I just want to stay alive.
"Why..."
I spoke aloud once again, tears still spilling.
Consumed by my fear and anxiety, I curled up into a ball and held my knees close to my chest.
The darkness consumed my cries and wishes.
The darkness reminded me of my helplessness and loneliness.
The darkness made me realise my new reality.
A lonely and harsh reality.
"Just why is this happening...?"
With tears and snot, I repeated those words, hoping for someone to answer me.
The quiet night continued on just like that.
A second became a minute, a minute turned into an hour.
Things had not changed, and I knew that well.
The wind caressed my skin once again.
This situation reminded me of something. A memory, or more like, a conversation quickly resurfaced inside my head.
0×0
She caressed my head and hugged me gently.
"Mommy... *Hic* Mommy..."
"Oh sweetie... Everything will be ok, I'm here. You're not lost anymore, I'm right here sweetie."
"*Hic*... Mommy... I was so scared..."
"I know, I know... Hey... Sweetie, how about we take some deep breaths."
"Ok...*Hic*..."
"Good, let's breath in..."
"*Inhales*"
"1... 2... 3... Breath out..."
"*Exhales*"
"Again, Breath in..."
"*Inhales*"
"1... 2... 3... Breath out..."
"*Exhales*"
"There, do you feel better now?"
"Mm... Yes mommy..."
"You finally managed to calm down."
"Mm... I did..."
"Hehehe... You're amazing sweetie~. With this, you don't need me to be by your side all the time. If you ever get lost, remember these steps. They will help you calm down, and once that happens, you can easily find me. And I'll always be waiting for you however long it takes... Because you're my sweet little sunshine!"
0×0
"..."
The sound of the wind once again invaded my ears.
"...Pfff..."
I chuckled a little.
...Thanks mom...
Thanks to all of my swirling emotions, I had somehow forgotten this conversation and the thing I learned from it.
I have been using this tactic since the moment I woke up into this new body.
Remembering those familiar certain steps, my head slowly began to stabilise.
Thanks to that, I am able to organise my thoughts properly. Thus making me realise three different things.
First of all...
I'm not on earth...
At least not the one I know.
That big wolf and that double headed snake don't exist on the earth I know.
Thus, I have realised that this is another world.
Second of all...
I'm not human anymore... I have reincarnated into something else... Something I don't know...
I feel slightly complicated about that fact, but I accepted it as it is.
And third of all...
I... may not know where I am... Nor what I am... But I know that I don't want to die...! I know that I don't want to experience death again!
I already experienced death once, and I didn't like it one bit.
The pain I felt was immense.
The regret I felt stung greatly.
I died in such a way that left so many things to be desired.
And yet right now, I am somehow standing here alive.
I have somehow reincarnated into this new world.
For that single reason...
I have to survive! Because I want to live!
It is that simple.
It is the primal instinct of every living being, survival.
I will survive... I'll make sure of it...
In this way, I have fully realised my new reality.
A reality filled with harsh situations and painful decisions.
This is my new reality, and I accepted it.
Having renewed my spirit, I relaxed my body and gazed into the sky.
"...Beautiful..."
I said with a hushed tone.
I finally realised it. Due to all the emotional stress that swirled inside my head, I wasn't able to notice the beauty of the night sky.
But now, I finally realised how mesmerizing the starry night is.
The stars sparkled like gems and the moon shone beautifully in the dark sky. An eye-grabbing sight that makes you question how big the world really is.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sight.
My thoughts and emotions were at peace.
And before I even knew it, my consciousness slowly faded away as the accumulated stress and drowsiness had finally taken me into the world of dreams.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
TakiMel
TakiMel Hello to you reader! So, did the first chapter managed to intrigue you? Or at least tickled you a bit? Whatever the case, if you spot any grammatical errors, please don't hesitate to tell! I would greatly appreciate that! Now, until next time! ( • w •)_/ ~Byebye!~
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