In Your Comfortable Bed

The stars filled up the sky as the blazing sun went down. My eyes scanned the heavens for any sort of air attack that might take away my life. So far, none has appeared.

The ground was moist and soft, the soil watered with cloud tears. The air around me was damp, like a just-unloaded washing machine. The sound of crickets was heavy in the air, making up a natural choir.

The weight of my make-shift bag was ponderous against my back, my legs aching so much it felt like lead. Even so, I forced a step after the other, trying to balance my breath.

My mind was clouded with fears, my vision blurry. It was getting dark, and I spotted, just in time, a huge rock sticking out of the earth's outer layer.

My stomach rumbled with numb hunger, and suddenly, a wave of hopelessness drenched me whole, drowning me in a whirlpool of fears and despair.

I sat down on the rock, its rough surface a pain in the ass, pun intended. I slid the straps off my shoulders, leaving a dent in the multiple layers of my clothing.

Heaving a shallow breath, I let the heavy bag leave my grasp and it landed with a soft thump on the muggy ground. The bag itself was much soiled from my trip, so I didn't really care about the dirt know stuck onto the bottom of it.

My fingers nimbly pulled the zipper up and around, the cold metal pressing against my calloused skin. The putrid odour of scent which name's unknown wafted out.

The trees around me whistled a innate tune, the soft breeze calming my thoughts just enough for me to start knocking up some food.

As I cooked and cut, the stars above me aligned, showing me a way through the wilderness of the forests of Amazon. The winding paths has led me here, a strange place with even stranger creatures.

A sound resembling a shotgun reverberated through the area, causing my very bones to tremble. A flash of fear shot through my veins as my mind started to wonder what it was.

I continued to devour the scarce sustenance packed in my rucksack. While munching, I observed the skies and the stars, noting how the moon shone brightly tonight.

I stole a glance at my watch, and it said what I had expected. I mumbled the date under my breath, nodding to myself. If ever a squirrel, a lizard or a hedgehog were to spot me just then, they would shale their heads and say, "What a psycho..'' in their languages, I'm sure.

The sound of rushing water was heard close by, and so I left my bag near the consequential rock, and brought my utensils towards the sound of the stream.

Again, I followed the sound and the stars, and was put on full alert when:

I lost my footing and my shoes were drenched in freezing liquid, or mountain water, as I like to call it. I exclaimed loudly, a shriek topping out of my lips.

I looked up at the stars and cursed them. Then I turned my attention to a more vital thing at hand. I bent down, and started to rinse the remains of edibles off the crudely shaped aluminium plate.

I shivered, as the air decided to blast a harshly cold cat's paw at me. Gasping, I proceeded to fill my Hydro Flask bottle with raw water. After that, I stumbled back towards my temporary camp.

Just as I spotted the jutting rock again, I heard a horrible yelp, unlike a human's voice, and my heart skipped a beat. I gripped my eating utensils and bottle tight, my knuckles turning white.

I looked around, my face flushed pale, and I looked up. The stars were glowing, but not the normal light that offered beauty; It was more of a harsh red, like a fireman's car when a fire erupted somewhere.

I tottered over hastily towards the protruding boulder, and quickly started to pack, my fingers trembling, my heart seeming to pump in, out, in, out of my chest.

With another glance at the stars, I begged for mercy to Him and heaved the burden of travel back on my back, the straps almost immediately cutting into my shoulder.

I left the clearing, which, I knew very well, might be the last I'll see in this hideously exciting trip. "What the hell was that?" I swore, as I tripped over a pebble, lost my footing, and almost toppled over an impending cliff.

I shook my head to rid of the dizziness that was felt as I almost lost my life over a stupid pebble. I craned my neck upwards, forcibly wrenching my head up, too.

The stars were blinking innocently down at me, aligned in a certain pattern which I found rather useful. I frowned, for they were an evil red just a few minutes ago.

"How the heck..?" I muttered again, as I proceeded to put another foot forward, again and again, ignoring the painful aching in both of my legs.

The smell of daisies, and pine-cones wafted into my nose, reminding me of my home far away. Will I ever managed to get out of this labyrinth of euterpe trees and navigate my way back home?

A sense of nostalgia grew into a small knot in my stomach; a knot that consisted of longing, fear and an overwhelming want of warm food, complete with a glass cup, a ceramic plate and silver utensils.

Thoughts journeyed my mind, and I wonder, how far I'll go?

I continued my journey, forwards, for that was the only way to go, following the whisper of the stars, the slithers of unseen dangers, and the tuneful hum of the wind and the trees.

Hedgehogs were my best friends in these strange woods, though, I'm not sure if I'll be seeing them again. Goodbye, for now, and sleep well in your comfortable bed, with fluffy pillows and a chunky blanket.