Disclaimer: Don't own anything connected to LOTR or Tolkien. This story is written solely for my own enjoyment and that of my readers.
A/N: Hopefully 'Alone in Anórien' will be different from other stories in the LOTR fandom that feature a female OC.
a.) The beginning chapters are somewhat slow in development and do not feature any of the leading characters from the books. No Tenth Walker here, sorry. The Prologue itself is a bit long, so I hope you bear with it and continue reading. If you want to skip it and read when she's in Middle Earth, go to the next chapter.
b.) There will be no Mary-Sues even though the story is told from the perspective of a female character, who is an ordinary student from our world with no knowledge of swords, magic or the Middle Earth's languages; she is not even a great fan of the books!
I hope, dear readers, that you will enjoy this adventure. Any suggestions, criticism or advice are appreciated for I firmly believe it is this that allows all authors to grow as writers.
Thank you for reading and even more for leaving a note :)
Prologue
or: How you land in Middle Earth
I stood on the narrow path leading between two high cliffs to the valley beyond which was the goal of my two-day journey. My friend April Jones (who I had met at my University in Europe), her friends and two cousins were further up the road. Because of the heavy fog that lingered well into the late morning I saw only dark blurs around me. Luckily for our expedition, the sound carried a long distance, so communication between us was not as difficult as it could have been. And communication was especially important when we were located deep in the Canadian mountains, and there was danger of getting lost. But I thought the situation was getting slightly ridiculous – how in the world would we be able to see and get to our destination if we barely managed to discern trees and rocks twenty yards away?
My backpack was heavy, and the chill and humidity of the fog had my cheeks painfully cold and red. This was not how I had imagined our trip to the old and abandoned Native American site would be like. Until now I had braved the journey with good humour, but the morning fog April swore would be gone by noon was only getting thicker by the hour.
Until this moment my stay in Canada has been enjoyable, fabulous even. I was here for a month and half now, visiting my friend April and her family. We've met at a student exchange program at my University the previous year. She was wandering the corridors, searching for the hidden door to our lavatory when she bumped into me. From that moment on I was her guide around the University and the local area. It was not long afterwards that she was dragging me from one place to another in the city I had thought I knew pretty well. However, the spirited Canadian knew it like the back of her hand in barely two months time; a feat I did not manage until a year had passed.
I must admit her overabundance of energy and good humour had me overwhelmed at times, but at the same time this spurned me on to work harder and enjoy new and exciting things. She dragged me on trips I never got around of taking before, had me working out regularly and even expanded my circle of friends. We spent coffee brakes chatting and laughing, and even the most boring lectures were bearable with her scribbling comments in the margins of my notes. I was like ying to her yang. So it was no surprise when she invited me to spend the long summer holidays with her.
"Megan," said she, "you simply must come. I don't want to hear any excuses." And there were no excuses I would give, for I was thinking of asking her if I could go with her to Canada myself.
For the first few weeks after the invitation, I was naturally excited at the prospect of spending two months in a foreign country. Although my parents were a bit protective and wanted to discourage me (or at least make me wait a year before going), I managed to persuade them that it was the chance of a lifetime. It helped that they knew April is a responsible person. The good results of the exams maybe had a bit to do with their good mood too. It did not matter though. Because I had never been abroad for such a long time without my parents, I was just dying to experience a bit of traveling alone. I needed new experiences – I was twenty one, for God's sake! I had not rebelled in the first two years at the University and went on a trip around Europe with my mates, so I felt entitled to this wonderful opportunity. Yes, I did travel during the weekends with my mates, but I spent most of my holidays at home. I liked to concentrate on my paintings when the heat was too much to endure without an AC, or party without the threat of missed lectures in the morning.
So I worked hard one month before the flight to Canada. I had a scholarship, but since I intended to spend a lot on my trip (and because there never is such a thing as too much money), I had donned an apron and started to tend to the patrons of the Black Cat pub. Being a waitress at one of the many Irish pubs in my hometown was a fun experience. Quite a few of my high school mates came by since the same pub used to be one of our gathering places after school.
After the month was over I had enough to pay my half of the plane ticket and all the things I needed for the stay in Canada. Since April spent a month at her family cabin at one of the many lakes, I was invited as well. I knew the stay there would turn out to be special. But living in the wild required a lot of luggage that I couldn't possibly drag with me on the plane. April got everything sorted out in no time, and my worries (along with my mum's) diminished. I had little to carry when I boarded the plane, but I knew the size of my luggage would be doubled when I arrived back home – no doubt due to souvenirs and presents... I happened to like shopping abroad. Little trinkets, books on art, pottery... you name it.
After four weeks spent in the big city, running from one place to another, browsing the shops, visiting museums and experiencing the Canadian style of life, I had been excited to experience the wild beauty of the woods and lakes that made up this country. A cabin in the middle of nowhere plus my best friend and her good companions sounded like heaven. She had promised fishing, canoeing and hiking, and warm fires with star-watching and story telling. That there was no electricity at the cabin was a given, but since I'm not addicted to computers, television and other modern conveniences, I thought this would be no big deal. I know some of my friends can't live without these things, but I hoped I would survive well enough without it. If people could live without it a hundred years ago, so could I, I had thought.
If only I knew how prophetic these thoughts were...
And so I was standing in the centre of the path leading to the valley, shivering and feeling slightly miserable. Not that the other nine were faring much better. I expected someone to start complaining loudly any time now. It was slightly stupid to continue forward in this weather. Ten college students ought to know better than to stick to the plan in these conditions. Well, I guess the guys would have no problem pushing on, but we girls were not as sturdy as them.
We all knew each other quite well by now. The two weeks spent at the cabin made us connect on a very intimate level that would not have been possible in the big city where each of us was pulled in opposite directions. Here we had to work with each other. I liked that and I could see that April enjoyed this as well. It was not hard to love their company.
I could only smirk and shake my head when I remembered what April told me the reason for this hike was. She wanted to get her best friend Mike and Celine together, who made it pretty clear to anyone they fancied each other. The only unanswered question was what kept them from admitting to. So, April hatched a plan. It was so typical of her to try and pair people up, if they wanted it or not.
"There is nothing like a touch of romance in the woods", she told me. I had my doubts that smelly clothes and muddy shoes had anything to do with it, but limited my skepticism to a raised eyebrow to which she had responded with loud laughter. April and her plans… She really did not make us any favours with this one.
I grumbled to myself, safe in the knowledge they would not hear me. I was (as usual) the last one in the line; not because I wasn't fit enough for the trip, but because I always liked to walk at my own pace. Usually I'd be snapping pictures or just enjoying the view, but the thick fog that surrounded us for the last few hours annihilated any thought of snapping photos. What was the point? All I'd be able to see would be an endless grey-white blur. And being one of the shortest in the group, I also had the shortest legs and I saw no use in competing with the 'giants'. They towered over me by at least a head, even though my height was just slightly below average for women.
But I had to bite my tongue and push forward if I wished to see with my own eyes what the Native Americans accomplished and left behind for future generations. I have always carried a deep fascination for all native cultures of the lands I had visited, and even more so for those that were wronged throughout history. I truly hoped we would make it. I wanted to see the place the Natives spoke of in their legends and stories. It was supposedly a place where they entered another world. It was no doubt a place where rites of passage and other spiritual practices took place in the past before it was abandoned. There were many paintings on the walls of a cliff, I was told, so I was even more curious. Art was my chosen major for a reason after all.
However, it seemed I would not get the chance to admire this site. Another hour passed without the fog lifting or even thinning a bit. How in the world did Claire and Sabrina find their way? I saw no trail – only wildness and an endless sea of rocks, trunks and fog.
"April! This is getting ridiculous," I exclaimed when the blanket surrounding us seemed to thicken after a bend in the road. It was getting downright dangerous! I knew well enough that we could not afford to get lost here. And I was not the only one commenting on that fact.
"Yeah, sure it doesn't make any sense," she responded with her usual air and bright smile – always an optimist. "It'll get better."
"You said that three hours ago, remember?" I reminded her gently without being bitchy or nagging about it. "We won't see a thing soon. Is it really wise going on?" I asked.
"Don't worry, Megan," cut in Matthew, Sabrina's boyfriend who acted like a big brother to the female population of our group. "We know the trail very well. No worries here." If only I could believe him. "Anyway, we start to climb up here, so we should get out of this thick soup in an hour or so," he explained, looking at the map.
"Thank God!" sighed April's other cousin. "I've never seen such fog in my life," she complained. I hadn't either, but I kept any comments to myself. We were miserable enough. Hiking in such conditions is not pleasant at all. Where the heavy backpack rested against my back sweat gathered on my skin, yet where the cold air brushed against I felt cold. It was pretty clear that late August brought with it more of the autumn weather than anyone liked.
"Well, the sun should be shining above the fog level," I said as we waited for Mike who was retying his boots. "Let's hope we'll get dry by the end of the day… or we'll be sniffling for the rest of the stay here. Your parent's won't be happy when they come, April."
"Ha!" she barked out. "It would be payback for last year." She turned to Sabrina, "You remember the flu I got from them when they got ill camping out here – I felt like crap for a week. And I had a date with J.J too," she huffed, much to my amusement. This event had really ticked her off and she was nursing some resentment even a year later. Everyone knew about this cancelled date that involved a major crush and a concert of one of her favorite bands.
"You poor baby," cooed Sabrina, petting April. We burst out in laughter.
"But the weather is really horrible," sighed Celine after we calmed down. "We should have listened to that weather forecast," she stated. The guys had checked the weather conditions for the next week with the help of their cell-phones, even if the reception left something to be desired. "They clearly said it will get colder. But there's no use crying over spilt milk is there, April," she smiled, knowing exactly what her friend would have said in response. April promptly closed her mouth and quirked a smile.
"Good to know I've got you well trained," she nodded, much to our amusement. She was a comedian. But that is exactly what I liked about her – she had a sense of humor that never really offended anyone. She knew how far she could go and could also laugh at her own expense.
"Well, the forecast did say it would be cloudy, but I didn't think they meant that the clouds would fall down on us…" grumbled Clair, still much in the spirit of our banter. She just shrugged her shoulders when the guys asked her if she could elaborate, and drank from her flask of water. I personally had no desire whatsoever for a drink – the fog took care of that. When I am cold, water is the farthest thing from my mind.
"Yeah, right, big deal. Come on you babies – a little bad weather won't kill us," April mock whined. She was ready to go forward and get her share of the promised sunshine, but we needed a break to nibble on a cracker or drink the beverage of our choice. We had walked a long time after all.
"No, perhaps it will not kill us, but it certainly defeats all the plans we made," I told her as I rolled my shoulders. Good God was my backpack heavy! The previous days spent carrying it made my shoulders stiff even if we tried to share the load equally among each other. The guys did carry the majority of our provisions, but we girls had to do our share too.
"We had this conversation already," she whined. She never liked mood-killers in her vicinity and my comment could have been considered a start to an argument or a complaining campaign of epic proportions. There were ten grumpy and cold college students bunched together. But fortunately, we had the advantage of being people who make the best of a situation. So, we kept our complaints to ourselves and focused on the (hopefully) brighter future. I must admit I would have thrown a fit at the miserable weather if we were just starting out on our hike, but since we were a day and half away from the cabin there was no point.
"Ok, here's the deal," April said, "we go another hour and if it doesn't get better, we turn back. The trail will get harder after that, so I see no point in persisting from that point on."
We all smiled – there was no way she would allow us to do that. We would most possibly receive a lecture on the benefits of not giving up, on keeping our words, and so on. I chuckled and soon we all laughed. "Ok. You have your deal," I told her and she embraced me like I had promised her the world.
"Now, I knew there was a reason I had invited you," she grinned.
"Right. And that had nothing to do with my charming personality or the fact we are friends," I retorted back, tongue-in-cheek.
"You never know…" was the cheeky reply. "Now, are we ready to go on?" she asked us as she strapped her backpack onto her shoulders once again. Various affirmative words were her answer and we formed a line to continue on the narrow path once again. It was getting close to noon I estimated, since my watch had decided to die on me the previous week. Some people are just lucky that way.
When we moved down a curve, before a steep climb up began anew, a yelp of pain rang out. It was Celine.
My heart froze for a second before I saw others start into action. I only saw her stagger before Mike (to no one's surprise nearest to her) managed to get a hold of her hand. Nick and Mike helped her hobble to a nearby boulder and take off her backpack so she could sit comfortably. This was bad.
"What happened? What's the matter?" April frantically asked her friend.
"I think I sprained my ankle on that hole over there…" she bit out through clenched teeth. I hissed in sympathy for I knew the pain she was experiencing. I had had a light sprain several years ago. Even though I only required a tightly wound bandage around my ankle, the first two days were hell. I couldn't walk, couldn't sleep and was constantly reminded of the injury with every move I made with my foot. I was pretty sure one of the guys would be carrying her back to the place we had spent the night.
"Let me see," said Matthew – the only one with a medical degree in our group. Even if we weren't incompetent regarding first aid, he was the authority in anything connected with health and injuries.
I moved closer to April and observed from the sidelines how they carefully removed Celine's trekking shoes and two pairs of socks while keeping a small stream of conversation going. I did not know if it was for Celine's benefit or theirs. I had nothing to say.
I got a look at her foot and saw that a slight bruise was already forming. Crap! It was hard to miss it with her dainty feet and pale complexion.
"This doesn't look good," Matthew declared, gently turning her foot one way or the other. I just wondered how this was even possible with our sturdy hiking boots that offered plenty of protection. But it did not matter now; what was done was done. We offered words of comfort to Celine who was rapidly losing color in her cheeks. Knowing her, she was feeling guilty about ruining our trip.
"We need bandages and an icepack," Matthew declared. "A cold bottle would be good right now," he amended his command. We did not have ice with us.
Claire had one of the first aid kits and she had already begun searching for it. Nick rummaged around his backpack for the cold bottle of water. One by one we removed our backpacks and settled down in a circle around Celine, helping when we could, but mostly just observing how Matthew carefully bound her foot up after cooling the injured area to numb the pain. It seemed to help, for she regained some of the color in her cheeks.
"We'll wait a bit for the initial pain to go down. An aspirin would be nice too, what do you say, Celine?" he gently asked her.
"Please," she nodded. I sighed and offered her an encouraging smile when she turned to me.
"Don't worry; we'll get you back safe. At least you provided me with a reason to come back and bother April next summer," I winked at her and the others laughed. She even managed a small smile that I returned ten times stronger.
Since there was little space to move around, least of all to put down our backpacks and sit, I was one of the last one standing up with my pack still perched on my shoulders. As the initial shock of the situation was over, we made ourselves comfortable in a circle around the boulder Celine was sitting on. Mike wrapped her in a blanket and offered her some of the warm tea from his flask. A mental 'Awww' was shared among us girls at the affection he heaped on her. I did not miss April's triumphant look thrown my way. 'See, it works', could be read in her eyes. April and her romances…
It seemed it was high time I found a spot to rest and preferably not near her or my ears would be filled with endless remarks on any move the two 'lovers' made. And it would take some time before we moved on, this time in the opposite direction. Brilliant, just brilliant.
There were not many nice and relatively dry rocks to be found. The fog made the leaves that littered the floor slippery and there was no way in hell I'd sit on the ground. So I moved a bit away from the group to a nice sized flat rock I had seen a few steps back. I took a look at my seat and felt satisfied. It was relatively big and dry. Perfect.
"Megan! Do you have that pack of tissues with you?" asked Clair. "This weather is just horrible!" she complained. I could only sympathize – my nose was not exactly dry either.
The pack was in the uppermost pocket, so I threw it to Claire who caught it expertly. I reached for my faithful brown and olive trekking backpack. It had accompanied me on almost every journey I had ever made and was used extensively when commuting from the city to my home-town, so I was careful where I put it. We had history and I did not wish to find a tear on the bottom one day. It would break my heart. It was then when I wanted to lift it up that I discovered a small bone pendant. It was lying beside it on the ground, almost crushed under its weight.
My left eyebrow arched in surprise and fascination. What is this?
I reached out and lifted the pendant up. Curious about the discovery my eyes studied it with the careful precision of a dedicated artist. Who did you belong to? I wondered.
It was carved in a shape of a wolf. The tail languidly curved downwards, its front legs strong with defined muscles yet leaner than the hind legs. The narrow and strong muzzle pointed slightly upwards. It appeared to be looking at something in the sky – maybe the moon? I could very well see such a proud creature howling at the moon in the winter. But what really made this carving beautiful and strange at the same time was the very fine craftsmanship. The lines and cuts were made with great care, and although the piece was very old it seemed to be well taken care of. Some parts of it were smoothed with long use as if someone were petting or touching it continuously. This slightly worn look added charm and gave it life. If it were unblemished it would not have been as beautiful as it was now – it would have lacked its spirit.
When I held it in my hand it fit perfectly into my palm – it was by no means a small pendant. Whatever bone was used (maybe even horn), the animal must have been large. But what did I know about such things, really? I started to shift through the knowledge I had of sculpturing of the earlier periods of human history and on what I knew of the Native American arts and craft. April had been a great help there, but many things slipped my grasp in the abundance of information.
Have I stumbled on a new archaeological spot? Unlikely… Has one of the regular visitors lost it?
I bent down to look more closely at the place where it had lain. There was a strange shape discernable under the moss. Did the relics of the old culture spread all around the valley, and not just to one known spot? Had we unknowingly missed the path in the thick fog and found something new? Such thoughts flew through my mind, and I was positively excited about it.
"April, you've got to see this," I said with a voice that almost quivered with happiness as I gently moved the thick moss slightly up and away. It peeled itself off easily, leaving only a trace of mud behind. There was a strange shape carved into the rock, slightly raised from the smooth structure. What is this?
It looked like it were a shape of a man, but then again it did not. It had arms and legs, but the body was slightly bent, there seemed to be long nails on the fingers. The face was a mask, I was sure. A demon perhaps? But did the Native Americans believe in demons? I could not remember.
"April! Come and look at this," I called once again. When no answer was hear I turned around. It dawned on me that there was no sound to be heard from my friends anymore. There was no subdued chatter or the encouraging words to Celine. Even the fog had thickened to a pea-soup quality the famous London-fog was described as. It was pretty scary and strange. I could not explain it, but chills ran down my spine.
"April?" I called out, "Hey?" Were they trying to prank me? It would be nothing unusual. But I was in no mood for silly pranks. I was scared. Yet there was no sound to be heard. "Guys, this is not funny. Answer me," I commanded, trying to control the fear. But it seemed as if the fog ate up my words, leaving me wrapped in white nothing. My heart-rate spiked considerably.
I became nervous, but I still clung to the idea of a prank. It was better than to analyze what was happening. The strangeness of the silence and the fog was a can of worms I did not wish to open or even touch upon. Funny, how our minds disregard our instincts in a futile attempt to preserve our sanity.
I straightened up and grabbed my backpack with a shaky fist. With a disgruntled expression I went in the direction they should be in. After ten steps, there was no one there. Even when I walked twenty steps no person was to be found. The tendrils of fog rolled on the ground, chilling me to the bone. I have not counted wrong. I was sure of it but why was no one there? I had a good sense of direction, so I was sure they were supposed to be where I stood. I yelled out a few times for good measure, deep inside knowing there would be no answer.
I looked closer, searching for any indication where I was. Even Celine's boulder was not there. In its place were mighty trees with dark bark. I panicked.
"April! Matthew? Where are you?!" I cried out.
I turned around and around but my eyes could not penetrate the dense cloud surrounding me. Everything was wrapped in the fog, appearing only when I stood a few steps before it. Even then it was like I had to fight my way through to see it. At my wit's end, I turned around again to return to the shelf. Somehow I managed to get to it again.
Good. You know where you are – now find them!
This first victory made me focus. Once again ventured in the direction they should be at, and once again failed to find April and our group. I could feel tears gathering in my eyes, threatening to fall any time. Blindly I ran in every direction possible, scraping myself on some bushes along the way. I called their names, pleading for them to answer me. A horrible thought wriggled inside my mind; this place did not feel familiar at all! Trees, only trees and a small rock or two seemed to emerge from the fog; not the massive boulders I was familiar with. The bushes were small and bare, not filled with colored leaves.
"Shit…shit, shit!" I cursed under my breath.
Why don't they answer me? What is going on?!
My fingers dug inside the long braids Claire had so painstakingly made the previous evening and pulled. What is going on?! Where am I? With a heavy sigh of agitation I turned around to once again start the search from the shelf. In vain…
When I could not run around anymore, I collapsed at the boulder and wrapped my head in my hands. What now? I looked down on the pendant I still had in my hand and heaved a great sigh. What was going on? I did not understand what was happening to me, where I went wrong or what I was supposed to do. I kept telling myself to find a solution, but it was not that easy to find one.
After a while I continued to run in circles for over an hour, steadily becoming more and more agitated. But in that time the heavy fog seemed to lift a bit and the visibility became somewhat better. It did not matter that much though, it remained pretty bad overall. And was not exactly familiar with this hike as April and her cousins were. I could almost imagine the news report: 'Tourist lost – search launched this afternoon'. Brilliant!
I did not have my cell phone with me, thus the solution of calling for help had been crossed out before my mad running around. I surely wished I had it with me now! I couldn't believe I had wandered off so far from them and then lost track. It just did not sound logical at all. I was just ten steps from them, maybe more… And I could scream pretty loudly, so there was no reason for them not to hear me.
I sank down on the shelf I had always returned to. My backpack was discarded onto the ground. I cried for a few minutes before composing myself. When I felt better, I busied myself with the pins and cords keeping my long hair bound tightly together. I'd do anything just to keep my mind off the fucked up situation I was in. Anyway, I had in my mad dash and frantic gestures pulled out several strands that now hung into my eyes, so I had to get it retied. Small droplets of dew clung to the strands and when I finally unbound my hair, the water slipped closer to my skin. I felt altogether miserable in this cold. With little care I bound the cold and limp mass in a pony-tail, pocketing the pins and other cords.
I could already feel an exhaustion headache starting at my temples. This is so fucked up! What the hell am I supposed to do? I had to think my options through and come up with some solutions. But it was harder than I thought – panic was not far from my mind.
It seemed best to turn back and try to reach the ramshackle cabin we had spent the night at. I did not have my sleeping bag with me since Nick insisted he'd carry it, but I thought I'd manage with only a blanket and a few layers of clothing. But I did fear the cold at night. I have to find them before that happens!
The nagging voice at the back of my mind kept reminding me that landscapes didn't change in a matter of seconds and I had some knowledge how my surroundings were supposed to look like despite the fog, but I pushed the thought away. To pursue it any longer could only lead to madness. Sometimes it is easier to pretend nothing is wrong than face the matter.
I turned in the direction I supposed we had come from. Since I rarely went wrong, I was quite confident in my ability to find my way back despite this recent incident. My internal compass had never steered me wrong before, so I was a little shaken, but I decided to trust it as always. I confidently turned towards the direction I deemed was west; from where we moved from towards the Native American site. The sun was only a small white disk somewhere up in the sky, but I knew where to turn to from the position of the shelf with the interesting relief.
Here we go, Meg. Time to get home.
The path lead me through a labyrinth of tall trees, over their roots sticking up from the ground that was littered with leaves and sported many pools of mud and dark earth. The forest floor glistened with water drops, the leaves barely making a sound as I stepped on them. My own breathing seemed unnaturally loud in the silence blanketing everything. Where were the birds? I did not know, but their absence made my hairs stand on end.
I blame my frazzled nerves for the time it took me to realize something quite odd with this forest. As the fog receded and the lower branches of the trees could be seen better, I realized there were no leaves on them. When the same was seen on the bush I came across I took my time to investigate. The appearance of very tiny spring green buds on the ends made my heart stop. How in the world is this possible? Tiny buds peppered the small branches and the few bushes gave cover to the early flowers and soft tufts of fresh green grass. There was no denying it. This was not September in Canada.
There should have been millions of red and yellow autumn leaves glistening with dew, but instead I was gazing at a fresh new growth on the twigs. And yet I was not crazy, this was not a hallucination. I certainly wish it was. But the evidence was unmistakable. Every tree I saw was the same. This forest was waking up from a long winter sleep.
I stood rooted to the spot under one mighty oak. Soft tremors shook my frame while my mind struggled with this latest discovery. "Oh God, no, please…" I pleaded.
I felt sick. I had no fucking clue what was going on and nothing made sense anymore. I swayed slightly on the spot, overwhelmed with panic. Hysteria bubbled up in my throat, forcing its way out in choked gasps. I struggled to grasp at the tatters of my sanity. I had no rational explanation to what was going on. Tears welled in my eyes, soon following the familiar path down my cheeks.
It took some time before I calmed down again. I don't know how long, but it took time. Whenever I felt somewhat calmer a new terrifying thought would appear in my mind, forcing me into another spiral of dark thoughts and bursts of tears. I felt so alone and exposed in this strange landscape. If only April and guys were here – I'd feel so much better!
This thought jolted me from my desperation. What if they were lost inside this forest too? Looking for me? I prayed they were not separated from the others like I was. But what in the world could turn the time back again? This was one explanation that did not make much sense to me. Was I located at the opposite hemisphere then? If this was a forest in spring, I had to be somewhere like New Zealand or the Andes. The forest vegetation did not appear to be much different from Canadian one, so I at least was located at the same height. But what could do that? A portal? I did not believe in them. But what if there was some truth to the legends? Did the Natives truly find a way to enter a 'new world'?
I prayed that I was still on good old Earth, just transported to a completely different land. It would be a hell to explain without ending up in jail or a psych ward, but I would take that over being lost here all alone. "I'd never scoff at the Bermuda Triangle mystery if I come back home safe and sound," I swore.
The fog was still lifting up very slowly, so I discarded the idea of searching for my friends in the huge forest. Matthew would urge anyone to descend the mountains and move towards big rivers where towns or houses are easily found. Finding civilization is the first step; things are a small piece of cake from then onwards. With the help of the police and rescue teams my friends would be found much faster. They had a few cell-phones with them too. They could always call for help and be traced with the GPS. I only hoped Celine would be alright…
So I heeded Matthew's advice and turned towards a gentle slope, which hopefully lead down the mountain. The visibility was bad, but it was bound to change. I just had to keep on until help arrived. Armed with my backpack and the knowledge April drummed into my head about surviving in the wild, I took on the challenge. I did not know that my journey has only just begun.
A/N: Please review! :D
Any mistakes, inconsistencies... anything that bothers you - feel free to point it out in your review. I'll gladly edit it for future readers. Thank you.
