Summertime Madness
He doesn't know how long he was at the bush hiding. Minutes? Hours maybe? But it felt like days to him as he was still holding the ice cream he took from home. Cradling it like it's his only salvation from this confusing mess he's in right now. 'What were those… things??? I've never seen anything like it. He thought to himself. Is he… crazy? Maybe it's all his hallucinations? Maybe…??'
Trying to think that it was all a nightmare, some nightmare that he can't wake up from. He tried to get up and peered right through the top of the bush that he was in as Clay was too small to just sit and take a peek on the top of the bush. He tried to see what was going on outside of his little space as he tried to boost himself up with his knees, nearly seeing what was going on, he, unfortunately, stumbled making a noise in his location that can be heard by every shadow creature he was trying to avoid. He didn't hesitate to crawl back to his little bush and tried to conceal himself again, but to avail. He felt the breeze creeping him again, signaling that it was time to move out of that bush. With his ice cream in hand, he crawled the hell out of his space and tried to hide or at least escape those who saw and now following him. He moved swiftly but as not to alarm the shadows that he was escaping.
Clay crawled silently away from the road, he was too afraid to even look behind him because of those creatures he saw on the road. He trembles to the fear of being caught and thinking about what they'll do to him. He doesn't want to imagine it and slithered without making any noise, getting away from this horrible, horrible nightmare he's in.
-
He doesn't know how long he was still silently crawling to the bushes and nearby trees to stop by, 'is it half an hour maybe? Did I even lose them?' He reasoned to himself. The wind startled him again, there was that breeze again. He thought, worrying about basically what to do at this point. Clay knows he's in trouble again with that cold breeze as a warning that the shadows are still searching for him. As he was about to move once again, he felt something grab his ankle, feeling his foot as the soft 'hand' crept right through. Clay couldn't breathe properly, he stopped functioning entirely as the hand lurked up and tried to get a grip on his legs entirely. He knew he's doomed the moment the hand gripped his ankles. He can't scream for help as no one would ever hear him to the trees surrounding them. He was very much trapped and with no options, he could consider, he just hoped for the best he won't be eaten alive, or better yet just kill him with ease.
He was trembling with the fear of being captured. His ankle felt a relieved weight, he looked at the back of where he crawled and the creatures started to vanish from behind. One reaction stood him the most he noticed the shadow creatures were… weirdly fear, some kind of horrified look whenever you see something you don't like. Why were they even scared?
Clay still pondered to the question until he heard a ruffling noise in the direction he was heading. Little thud sounds of footsteps are heard in the dark corners of the trees as the one creating the noise emerges from it. It made his breathing unstable and made him stopped again because of how big 'it' was. It looked like a mountain from his point of view from the bushes he was hiding. It moved like it wasn't aware of his presence as it passed right through him. Though he was scared of his appearance, the wind didn't drastically change as he felt… secure when the breeze made its way to his skin. At this point in time, he became aware of the wind in the forest he was in as if it was his… guardian to warn him that some other creatures are either bad or good.
From the looks of the big creature he couldn't take his eyes on, it has at least one eye peering through streaks of long vines and overgrown bushes that cover most of his body that slithered down but can still distinguish the feet. When the big creature passed to his bush, Clay eventually snapped out of his mind, stood up, and looked behind him where the big creature was heading. The air the creature was swarming with was very warm and fuzzy all around it. He knew that if he headed from where the big guy had gone, which was pretty dark and might be full of the shadow creatures he wants to avoid it extensively.
It's my best bet yet. Besides, it didn't notice me when I was near, so it can be safe… maybe… it was probably his only choice if he wants to get out of here alive and well. The big creature was his only hope. Not that it mattered anyway because he'll probably get eaten alive when that beast notices him. Arrghhhhh!! It's the only choice! As he ruffled his hair and prepared himself for what he was about to do.
He let the beast get a good distance from where he was standing. When the big creature's breeze was fading, it was time he needed to sneak up behind the beast behind him in order to hide from the shadows. The big creature was slowly taking steps forward as it moved. Observing the beast from behind, the features were still covered with hair, lots and lots of it. And the way the hair looks from his point of view, it looks… really fluffy, and with the breeze signaling him that the big creature felt like both the warm summertime and the wandering breeze of the trees he always wanted and the cold fuzzy breeze he'd been trying to feel ever since the heat waves of summer began. Clay wasn't aware of what he was thinking as he tried to remove the thought of it entirely, shaking his head and focusing on following him through the woods.
He tried to be sneaky as possible but following him at a snail's pace while trying to avoid the shadows was very much a hard task to do for Clay. But he still manages to be off sight when he knew he couldn't. Clay was impressed with himself as he sighed very quickly with his now soggy ice cream being stirred in the container he was holding. The beast, tired of walking (at least that's what he can tell) stopped not too far from him. It was probably a good time to rest too, his ankles entirely were very much exhausted at this point.
He took his time to sit down on the grass and lay down a little while the beast was still in sight. Laying down to the grassy bushes thinking nothing but getting out of this damn forest. His anxiousness of not being able to make it out alive is making it impossible to even try to relax even just for a little bit. Leaning back to the tree that had a shade of the sun shimmering just below the leaves of the tree, directing it to the beastly creature in front of him now as his eyes became littered with nothing but tears, yawning with the intent of falling asleep with his eyes still in the direction of the big creature.
-
His eyes were still heavy as he tried to open them slowly. The light blinded him for a second. it subsided for a while, making his vision still blurry but noticeable to his surroundings. When he opened those eyes he found something extraordinary. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was it… real? Was it a hallucination? He pondered as he tried to reach for it. Slowly but surely trying to make contact until… he made him jump for a second slowly… it was in his hand now. A rough surface but is still distinguishable. He tried to reach a little more until…
Clay forcefully woke up as he panted. Sweat from the heat subsided from his forehead running down his cheeks as he looked for the beast. But, instead of finding the beast, he found something more unexpected.
He was suddenly at the beach with the night as his only light source of any kind. His disheveled strands of hair were buried into the sand, his whole body was covered with it. He looked around to see if there's people still in the beach, there were still people hanging around the area with bonfires being lit and laughter being heard from afar. He knew he was outside of that horrible, horrible woods. With a heavy sigh of relief that he was gone from the forest. A new question arose from his mind. What… happened? He asked himself as Clay flopped out and reminisce the sand hitting him. He can ask those questions later, but now. He needed some rest once again as he said out loud, "I hate summer," as he went into slumber.
Clay suddenly woke up alarming him that his auntie had been shouting his name like a siren throughout the beach. It didn't take too long for his auntie to find him at the end of the shore with policemen at her disposal. His auntie immediately hugged him for comfort, followed by scolding him that she got too worried to the point of calling the police and his parents for making her wait for too long. It didn't really bother Clay at the time because he was still trying to process how did he even get out of the forest, or whatever happened to that beast he was following. Or the breeze of the creature being different despite it being the most monstrous thing he ever saw. The questions swirled him with no answers on his mind. Not noticing that his aunt was actually talking to him on their way home.
"Clay, are you even listening?" as he turned his attention to his aunt who was clearly mad at him for what he'd supposedly done. "Don't ever do that again. You made me so worried." To which, he replied poorly saying, "I'm…. I'm sorry auntie…" as it was the only thing he could say, looking away as he speeds up walking entirely ignoring his aunt and sleeping on his bed right after they went home.