The thing about sudden, unexpected occurrences is that they are sudden...and unexpected. There is no way to anticipate them so there is no way to participate in the avoiding of them. So usually you end up meeting them head on like a twelve-year-old driving a bumper car who just spotted their dad three cars to the left and looking pretty vulnerable. Only in some situations, the object your heading on a collision course with isn't vulnerable. Nor will you have any hope of a casual hit and run. You are going to crash into this object and you are going to do it hard and fast and brutal. And there isn't a darn thing you can do about it. Except maybe scream, with your eyes wide open and your mouth gaping like a hot dentist is about to put his fingers in. Your heart rate slows or you might even swear that it stops altogether. Your muscles clench and your hands grip into hard fists, your nails digging into the skin of your palms and perhaps even drawing blood. You wish you could close your eyes but you can't. The all-consuming terror has frozen them wide open, your senses are hyper aware and you're not sure if you're even breathing. And then you collide, and then burning pain, and then darkness.
Everything ached. From her head to her toes, Olivia could feel every muscle as she moved and sent a dull, painful sensation through her body. Even the roots of her hair seemed to pulsate.
"Ugh." She moaned and shifted. A grassy scent wafted into her nose followed by a rank stench of rotting meat. Olivia wrinkled her nose. What is that horrid smell?
She attempted to sit up only to make it halfway before flopping over onto her face. She inhaled dirt and grass seeds and spent the next couple of minutes hacking her lungs clear before prying her eyes open and staring blearily at a strange gray rock a few meters in front of her face while her vision and other senses sharpened properly.
The first thing Olivia noticed was that her surroundings where distinctly forest-like and she was lying on her side in a clearing with three large, gray boulders. The second thing she noticed was that she was bound in rope by her hands and feet. Panic shot through her chest and she wriggled frantically, trying in vain to free herself. The rope began to chafe and she moaned as her already sore body reacted more sensitively to the pain. Giving up on the rope for a moment, Olivia pressed her forehead to the ground and took the time to catch her breath. As her heartbeat slowed, she realized she could hear voices. They varied in pitch from low and masculine to higher and still somewhat masculine. She could tell there were fifteen voices in all.
"What do you suppose this is?" One of the voices piped up.
"It appears to be a lute, idiot." Another voice replied.
"Where would giants get a lute?"
"From some unfortunate passerby I assume."
Olivia lifted her head from the ground and wondered if these people might be able to help her. Of course, as strangers they could also be dangerous. As she pondered what to do her decision was taken from her as an unfortunately timed shift to find a more comfortable position made her roll over a particularly sharp rock. The pain filled whimper that followed was not quiet.
"Shh! What was that?" One of the voices said.
Really, the strain was beginning to get to her, she could hardly keep her eyes open.
"It came from over there."
Olivia's breathing became fast and shallow.
Just then fifteen bodies came into view from around one of the boulders. Thirteen of them looked short but sturdy, one was quite tall and thin and the last fellow was particularly small and a bit round if she was honest.
"It's an elf!" They all cried and Olivia only had time to think, "Elf?" Before her eyes slid shut and she swirled into oblivion.