Grijs — Roleplayer Guild

Menno

*pant pant pant pant*
Seriously, here I am running again!
Only difference is…
*pant pant*
… that this time I’m actually running for my life! Not the first time that has happened, I am sad to say.
’GRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOÓÓÓÓÓÓ!’’
A deathly roar sounds close behind me. Craaaaap! FASTE-FASTE-FASTUUUURRR!

Good thing that I’ve always liked practising athletics or I’d be in a lot of trouble right now. Back in the days of school gym there was no one that could outrun me. (…Except for some African guy, but that’s just unfair anyway. Kenyans always win at Olympic sprinting.)
The forest trees and all its weird colours flash past me as I dive through the bushes. I don’t dare look behind me. I must try anything to cut-off this beast… but clearly, bushes don’t seem to be working!

I..I think I need to climb in a tree or something, however… that will take too much time. That canine is just going to bite in my leg and force me down to the ground.. and then I’m done for! And in this world I won’t be surprised if wolves know how to climb anyway!
Huffing, puffing and panting I dash onward, while the muscles in my legs begin getting sore and tired. I may be a good runner, but I don’t know how long I will be able to keep this up.
I’m probably as good as dead… but it was only a matter of time in this world, really.

…I just HAD to help him, didn’t I? Always the same story. I could have left the scene to save myself but NOOO... I am a good guy! Always rushing to help, never thinking of consequences. Fuck me.
I can hear the beast’s breath dangerously close, I can practically feel it in my neck. When will that thing give up?! I can’t go on much longer… my legs… uughh.. I’m exhausted... I must have ran for like… 10 minutes straight now, and still I hear growling and breathing behind me.
It’s catching up to me.
Anxiety rises, I run into a forest clearing. Again with more trees and no sign of civilization. God, that I would ever miss civilization… strange times indeed. My eyes are getting blurry. The forest doesn’t end. Everywhere I see bright colours that don’t make sense. I’m starting to see antlers popping up from the bushes everywhere… And then I trip.

That’s it, I’m done for.
In the middle of the forest clearing I drop down and land with my knees in the dirt. I nervously close my eyes as I wait for the end. I probably deserve this.
…

For a brief moment nothing happens, when I hear a deafening sound rush past my ears. ‘WOOSH’.
…The wolf doesn’t strike. I feel no teeth piercing my neck. Instead, I hear a feral shriek. Then footsteps. I hear the bushes and trees around me rustle with the sound of many feet, dashing into the clearing.

I open my eyes and raise my head in bewilderment. Suddenly I am surrounded by a group of men that are dressed in pelts. A spear is sticking out the soil in front of the canine (It's what caused the 'woosh' sound). The beast startled. Armed with even more spears the mysterious men engage the beast and try to fend it off. The beast is furious and frenzies, knocking some of them down and slashing others with its claws. One of the men screams in an unfamiliar language. The men manoeuvre inhumanly deft and dodge almost every strike the beast throws at them.
Also; I didn’t notice it until now but there is something off about these guys -- which is really no big deal in this world – because these people have antlers on their heads. It’s probably safe to say they are no ordinary humans.
One of the men stabs the canine in its hind leg with his spear, and the beast lets out a terrifying roar. Amazingly, all of these guys remain unshaken.
The fact that the men refuse to actively fight and merely distract the beast only serves to enrage it even more. By now it began fully rampaging and stampeding while making the most dreadful of noises…
I’m scared.

Sitting here in the dirt, I’m just watching it all without having moved an inch this whole time. From the corner of my eye I notice one of these men is standing close next to me, appearing really focused in observing the spectacle in front of us.
What the hell is he doing? Is he their leader or something, that he doesn’t involve himself in the battle?
I can’t see any of their faces very clearly. The man next to me leaves my side and approaches the huge canine-monstrosity. He stretches out his arms and makes… ‘weird’ movements with his hands. (Weird being my best description.)

Oddly, the beast begins calming down and its attacks getting clumsier. Instead of struggling against the antlered-men, it suddenly looks like it’s struggling with itself. It twitches, rolls over, growls panicky and tries to fight to no avail. The men surrounding it simply all take a step back and watch the beast writhe against… whatever just happened to it. And stranger still, a few seconds later it ceases its movement all together and just lies there helpless.
Soon enough it swiftly crawls up and turns around, back into the woods as if nothing happened. Did it finally realise that its attempts to kill these weird people is futile? That doesn’t sound like something a normal wild animal would do.
In any case, I won’t question the logic of the situation. (Or that one of those antler-men apparently used magic or whatever.) I'm guessing that beast won’t be bothering anyone for a while.

With the beast gone, silence falls in the clearing.
The men are all standing there motionless and just stare at me.
‘’Ehhrr…’’
Geez, this is vaguely embarrassing. I stand up and back on my feet, then wipe the dirt from my trousers.
‘’Thanks.’’ Is all I can get out of my mouth.
Nonchalantly I straighten my raincoat while trying to avoid eye contact. It feels like I’ve become numb by everything that happened this past minute.

Again, a moment of silence.

One of the antlered men walks up to me. A smaller guy. He says something… in a language I can’t understand. By the tone of his voice it sounds as if he is concerned. Concerned about what? Me?
Then a second, much more burly man, appears behind him and taps the guy on the shoulder, beckoning him to leave. And as fast as they came the antlered-men all vanished back into the woods, as if the bushes swallowed them.

I shrug and figure I should probably get out of here as soon as possible.
I wonder what happened to that metrosexual looking hipster guy. Is he still alive? Hopefully another predator didn’t find him. Is there a haven of safety at all in this world? Is it all one endless wilderness? Where did that other guy come from anyway? Where did I come from for that matter? Did he and I enter this world at the same time? There are so many questions!

I walk through the forest – on an alternative route than that canine took, mind -- with my head in the clouds. I ponder.
… Everything that happened in the past 24 hours is all very fishy, stranding in another dimension (or whatever this place is supposed to be) and meeting abnormal wildlife. And how convenient is it that those antlered-men only decided to help me in the last second. As if they were watching me the entire time, waiting for me to surrender to my fate.
Then there is that guy I met earlier… he looked like a ‘normal’ human, so he must be stuck here too.

Far I can tell, there is one obvious deduction to be made: if that guy I met earlier was a human that somehow – like me -- ended up in this world… it means there are others as well. No doubt there are numerous humans like me and him here. Stuck in this crazy world. The problem remains to figure out exactly where they are… they must be in danger. In fact, maybe they’re already dead. How can someone possibly survive in this world? I don’t think those antlered-men are eager to save them like they saved me. If other humans are still alive in this world, they need help. And as far I am aware, I am the only person that can help. Maybe I can save them somehow. …Not sure how though, as I can’t even save myself. But I need to do something, right?
But delving deeper into the forest to try and randomly stumble upon a random human is like searching for a needle in a haystack. I’ve got a better idea. All I need is some rocks, branches, cloth and maybe something like flint rock…
Wait, never mind.
I feel in my pocket and take out a lighter. I always keep one with me in case I need to stir up a fire. Don’t question it. Best way to draw attention is to create a smoke signal… Yes, I know how to do that, I’ve done scouting as a kid. (And maybe watched some cartoons about cowboys and Indians. Shut up.)

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