A New World

𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘱. 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘱. 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘱.

The hot sun's rays shone down on the body of a young boy who was lying down on an open field, surrounded by trees from all angles. The birds were chirping and flying south, migrating to where the weather was warmer, settling in trees nearby to the young boy.

A light breeze passed by the young boy, fluttering his clothes and rustling the bushes that surrounded him. The sound of a creek could be heard nearby, the water flowing steadily and rhythmically.

"Ugh..." groaned the boy.

The boy raised his right arm, shielding his face from the hot sun above. He slowly used his left hand to push himself up onto a seated position, putting one knee up to support his left arm simultaneously. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing the green grass that he was lying upon.

"Where the fuck am I?" the boy asked.

The boy slowly lowered his right arm, adjusting his eyes to his bright surroundings. There were tall evergreen-esque trees that rose tall into the sky, some of which looked to me about 60 feet tall. The boy swiveled his head, observing his surroundings. He seemed to be in a little out cove in a massive forest, but that is all he could see, as there was only shrubbery and trees that encompassed his vision.

[I was sure that I had died,] the boy thought. [Is this a dream?]

The boy pinched his cheeks.

"Shit!" he exclaimed.

[Well, that hurts, I guess this isn't a dream?]

He propelled himself up with both of his arms, glancing down at his body at the same time. The boy was skinny, almost to the point of malnourishment. His clothes were torn and tattered, with brown spots that he assumed to be dried blood, and a small puddle of brown grass surrounding the spot where he was just lying. Although there was the presence of blood, there was no sign of any injuries on the boy's body.

[Did I take control of a young boy's body? This seems way too strange. Why was I brought to this world?]

He was perplexed. But there was no time to worry about that, as he was parched. He heard the sound of flowing water nearby, and he wasted no time. He sprinted toward the sound of the water, revealing a lanky creek that stretched farther than his eyes could see. The boy threw himself onto the ground in front of the creek, cupping his hands, and proceeded to drink the water in massive gulps.

Ahh...

He felt refreshed, lying down near the riverbank with his arms and legs spread out. He took this time to organize the thoughts he had running through his mind.

[So... It seems like I have been reincarnated into the body of this young boy, who appeared to be dead. But... to where? This seems like somewhere tropical, perhaps a forest somewhere?]

He slowly rose and crawled toward the creek. He looked into the water and saw his reflection. He was a young teenager, with short, middle-parted black hair, brown eyes defined cheekbones, and a sharp jawline. He was not buff, but very skinny, it seemed like he did not eat in a few days.

[It seems like I'm Asian in this lifetime, not Italian like I was previously. Should I abandon my previous name?]

The boy's mind was racing. He was once an 85-year-old man, lying in a hospital bed with no visitors to come to visit him. But now, he had a second chance at life, a time where he could live how he wanted and was not burdened by the rules and laws of modern society; only by... this place's society. Where was this anyways? The boy did not know the answer to that question. He could only follow the stream downward, hoping to find some sort of civilization.

"At least I had boy scouts training when I was younger," the boy mused.

However, before he could do that, he only solved one problem thus far. He got rid of his water problem, but now there was another: food.

He looked around and spotted fruit growing in nearby bushes. He made his way toward the bush, finally being able to get a closer look at the fruit that the bushes bore. They were small and circular, red in color, and growing in small patches around the bush.

[Well... they look like cherries, so they should be safe... I think,] he thought. [Well, no point in hesitating, I am hungry.]

After organizing his thoughts, he wasted no time in grabbing a few batches of fruit from the bush. He put three in his mouth. As soon as his teeth made contact with the fruits, they exploded with juice. There was a sweet with a sour undertone of flavor that coated his mouth. They tasted like strawberries, but they had the outward appearance of cherries.

[Oh! This is quite good. It seems to be safe and edible.] The boy proceeded to pick some more from the surrounding bushes.

Once the boy had his fill he had to think of what his next steps were.

"The best bet is to follow this river downstream, I hope to find some sort of civilization soon," he voiced his thoughts out loud.

He started walking downstream when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Wait. What was this boy's name?

[Should I refer to myself by my old name, or make a new alias?]

[Oh fuck it, it's better for me to stick with something I'm familiar with.]

The boy finally decided what to call himself in this new, unknown world.

"That's right. My name is Enzo; Enzo Guerra, and this is the start of my journey in this unknown place."