Trapped

Adaption

Lian moved awoke with the sun's rays falling to her eyes; the girl turned groping for the blanket until she realized there was no blanket. Sitting up, she felt disoriented; the events of the last two previous days were coming back to her. Slowly, she stood up and cautiously she looked back into the pristine water. Indeed, this did not turn out to be a nightmare; the same reflection stared back at her only the only difference now was a pair of violet blood shot eyes.

Hesitating, she looked at herself very carefully, many of the changes she had experienced the past few years had vanished, and she had reverted back into her childhood body. She sighed and blinked her dry eyes trying to moisten them, hoping her glasses would still fit she made her way to her bag which was laying on the banks of the water, half soaked and muddy but still there.

She pulled the item, which now felt too heavy for her due to her lack of stature and strength, toward her. She drags it a few feet away under the shadow of a towering tree, the shade welcomed to her sore eyes.

She pulls at the zippers opening her front pocket she retrieves the lens case which contain her glasses, a cleaning cloth and next to it her case for the contacts. Lian pulled the offending eyesight correctors out of her eyes, her eyes tear but she ignored it, thankful for the appearance of the liquid.

She reached for the glasses and placed them on her face once more before staring out again to the lake; it was fuzzy, seeing as she did not have vision problems as a child she could attribute the glasses as no longer being necessary. Happily in one sense she removed them and placed them carefully back into the case and into her backpack along with the contact lenses. She opened the main pouch, 1 textbook there, along with an inch thick binder, her sweater and her gym clothes. Frowning, she pulled at the items trying to find her book, thankfully the novel Angela's Ashes was still there under her clothe. Lian groaned when her stomach growled out loud, she had not eaten in over day and she was sure she had to drink at least something to stay alive or else she would die sooner. Moving toward the pond/lake she looked at her self once more, she was sweaty, covered in dirt and a god knows where. Placing her hands to the water she sighed as she scrubbed the dirt off of them and then scrunched up her face as she cupped her hands and drank. To her surprise the water was pure and did not taste as foul as she would expect a polluted body of water to taste. A smile ghosted her features maybe it wasn't so polluted after all.

She felt herself once again fill with anxiety, she did not know how she had come here and the way she was. She pulled her loose hairs behind her ears, then paused feeling them she felt her hand tremble as she traced the elongated shape, pausing at the tipped point. Unable to handle the development she sat down slumped and scooted against the tree, she felt her eyes burn once again. Tears lay in her eyes but she refused to shed them, she did not cry! She never had been an easy crier and she intended it to remain that way. She pulled her knees to her chest and breathed in, closing her eyes. Her breaths were uneven and her grip felt weaker than it should. Lian felt her stomach again demand food and she gasped unaccustomed to the feeling of her belly being so empty.

"I have to search for food." she said to herself and realized her voice had also changed, not in its tone but in its texture, it sounded more melodic, not so great a difference but in the silence that surrounded her she could hear it. It was then she noticed the lack of sound around her, birds chirped, yes but farther away than her present location. She could not hear any ambience, no electrical hum, though she expected it as she was in a wooded area but she didn't even hear any machines from overhead. The birds had fallen silent and Lian moved closer to the tree trying to shield herself from the silence that surrounded her.

She looked at herself and stood up on firm legs. "It's just quiet; stop being silly, Lian. You have to find food." Grabbing her items she wished she had a carrier for water but knew it would have most likely weighed her down more. She placed everything inside and looked around, she needed a place to store the them. Moving around for a short while, she found a tree with a hollow in it large enough for the bag, placing it in there was slightly more difficulty, she had to heave it over herself and stand on her toes to conceal it from sight. She made her way back to the lake/pond, she wondered if there was fish in the body, but dismissed the idea as she did not know how to start a fire. She made her way into the forest once more keeping track of where she was.

Lian dmoved between the trees looking for anything she could identify as a food substance. Lian had never gone camping in her life, she was a city girl; sure she had visited places where there was more nature but her family had always returned to a hotel or motel room if they had not visited relatives. Down between she moved, she could not reach into the trees very well but looking upon the trees saw no fruit, so either they were not bearers or it was not their season's time. Terrified she would lose place to the only source of water she had she quickly made her way back once she had ventured farther than she was comfortable with. She made her way in a circle, she looked down at her wrist, her watch held the time at 2:14 and she knew she had been looking for over an hour. Determined to find food she continued to look for it, hoping to find something she knew was edible.

Nothing, absolutely nothing! She found no food items around her other than a few rotten berries, having been eaten by insects, which she quickly moved away from. She returned back to her starting point. She noticed the sun was lowering and guessed it was around 6:35. She made her way back to the tree which she sat under previously, it had shade under it still and she did not wish to venture out for sometime, she was tired. She sighed, a day without food but water, a slow dread filled her, she'd be in complete darkness as soon as the sun went down. Lian went to fetch her items, pulling the things out had been a much more difficult task but she knew it could be worse. She looked for shelter for two hours as the light faded. When the sun fell so did her only major source of known light. Lian gasped in surprise when she gazed upon the beauty which was the sky. The stars sparkled like never before, their beauty was astounding. To her surprise she saw wonderfully, the light from the sky being enough for her to see her hands and all.

Whatever I am, she thought, I am certainly glad it has some advantages to it. She made her way a tree she saws she could climb, making her way up, she dragged the luggage with her. She did not wish to be prey for forest animals despite the fact she had been safe the last two times she had been unconscious. She closed her eyes and made her way to a sturdy branch, depositing her items there, she moved on to another and scooted against the tree. She closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to overcome her. She felt herself relax but she did not go close to unconsciousness anytime soon, she had continued to try but to no avail. She opened her eyes and found her vision once again enhanced than in her previous state as a human.

Lian climbed higher and sat looking at the stars, making images by connecting the points until she grew bored. Looking around her she proceeded to sing, she might as well use her time. "All of my hate cannot be bound; I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming. So, you can try to tear me down, beat me to the ground I will see you screaming." She started the song Thoughtless, the version sung by Evanescence on their CD Anywhere but home. She continued to sing until the song ended in her mind. Sighing, she proceeded to choose a selection she remembered and continued to keep herself entertained. The songs were ending up being sung quietly until she wished the sun had already risen. Lian was singing Mary had a Little lamb for the 10th time when the sun finally did rise; she sighed and looked at it gratefully. "That was the longest night I have ever experienced!" Sighing, she decided to make her way to the lake and try and hunt once again for anything edible. For the first time she realized she had to pee, bad, choking on non-existant material she looked around. "I wonder if you really can use leaves as toilet paper." She said nervously. Quickly, she climbed down the tree, when reaching commenced to do the potty dance. "Right, don't go near the water." She warned herself. Dashing behind a tree and bush she wished she knew how people in the wild did this.

After ten minutes and having nearly peed herself, Lian emerged triumphant against nature's call. She moved toward the water and looked down; she really wished she could wash her hands with soap. Carefully taking some water from out of it she scrubbed her hands outside on the ground and rubbed them dry in the grass. For the second time Lian failed to find food although she did find an old dagger in the ground. The dagger was in pristine condition, in her opinion.

Lian was walking looking, failing to see the root sticking from the ground and tripped she reared in her scream to a moan as the flesh on her leg was torn by something very sharp. Looking down she saw blood, moving away she spotted the cause, in the ground slightly concealed was a blade. Knowing she could use all the tools she could, she started to dig around the item hoping it was not just the blade or a shard of an old blade. She digs, very carefully; the thing is sharp, she knew, her leg was proof enough. The blade was intact to a dull brown handle though she could see that engravings once furnished to item. She had ended up cutting her hand in the process but she hoped it was worth it. She dragged herself to the water and started to try and treat herself after placing the dagger a few feet away from her. She did not get in, she need this water until she could find food or a way to carry the liquid so she would travel.

She moved back to her tree, placing the dagger into her jacket, the material luckily did conceal it and kept it from penetrating, leather was wonderful, she thought. Lian had luckily stopped bleeding but her hoped she could find food tomorrow, she was getting very hungry. The sun was still high; Lian had seen fish in the water and knew fire could be made by friction or by a flint. She had made sparks once by hitting two stones as a child but she did it only once and by mere chance. Knowing the way of rubbing the two trees took good hands and time she decided to try the flint method and get fire. If she could achieve fire, the maybe she could achieve fishing. Lian found two rocks near her the tree she slept under and gathered a few broken twigs from the bottom. Moving to the small area where she usually found herself away from the water she placed the twigs there and decided she should try. Hitting the two stones together caused her fingers to ache where they were damaged and start to bleed after she tried several times. Glaring, she knew she would have to try harder, she had to find a way to live until she healed she could not venture away from the water either. With no food this was the only thing she had of substance. Sighing, she made her way to the tree she had slept in and climbed back up it. The sun was sinking and she that night sleep did take her.


Lian woke up at sunrise, she felt better on her injuries. She ignored her stomach; she'd try the fire for today. No need wasting a good day looking for food that wasn't there. She made her way back to the area where she had tried to make a fire, to her horror she saw the site had been moved by something and she was grateful she had indeed chosen to sleep above the ground. She resumed back in her attempt to create fire, and proceeded to fail, but every step meant to her she was closer. She discarded the two rocks and tried to search for two more, trying to recall her childhood memory, she sighed when it failed to help her recall the stones.

Knowing it was useless to recall them she continued to choose until she settled on a small pile and started to strike the stones together in many ways and forms until sparks started to appear. She tried to maneuver a few sparks into the twigs but failed. She tried, ignoring the amount of time it would take, without fire she could not eat fish and with out fish, she would not eat. Ignoring her stomach was a different issue, she was becoming more and more irritated by the stomach acid churning, demanding food. Finally when she was about to snap she found a small fire roaring, the flame was very small but it was there. Quickly, she tried to repeat the action and a new flame started on the wood. A joy rose with in her.

She had made fire, and she hoped she could make it again tomorrow. Looking up she saw the sun was about to lower again. She felt proud of herself, she had made fire. Looking back to the water her smile faltered. Now, all I have to do is catch a fish. Lian thought for a moment the realized. "I'm a vegetarian!" Sighing she looked at her reflection, she was dirty, not horribly so but enough for her to notice. "Alright, I'll go back to eating meat. I haven't even lasted an entire month as a veggie, either!" she complained to the wilderness around her. Though she had to admit she didn't like being a vegetarian at all, she enjoyed meat too much to sacrifice for her and part of her dislike to the entire meal might be to the fact of she could not really cook so her meals were mostly plain salad. Her brother called it hamster food; lettuce was not enough to be dubbed rabbit food.

Moving toward the water she gave an attempt, she had a good hour before the sun went down. Looking around she knew no one was around; she winced as she pulled her shirt off, her fingers being aggravated. She sighed, she felt dirty, looking she noted her brazier was now just a piece of cloth hanging on her a bit loosely but secure, her sense of modesty made her leave it on. Removing her pants was harder, her leg hurt, she had been in one position most of the day and her cut throbbed. She winced looking at the scabbed wound.

Lian moved into the water, she wondered how deep it was and grateful she could swim if it was too deep. She saw a few silver streaks flash by her. Moving forward she waited a few feet in. The fish congregated around her as she stood still, seeing a certain fish she lunged to it, she dived entirely, her fingers clamped around the body but as she struggled to exit and keep hold, the fish slipped out of her grip.

Lian tried once more, and continued to fail until the sun was nearly down. She gave up on food once again that night and moved toward the small smoldering fire she had created. Grabbing her shirt she dried herself off with it and headed for the tree she had dubbed as one to sleep in. She changed into her gym clothes, thankful they had not shrunk with her and the shirt went down to mid thigh and the shorts were secured with the draw string but kept her covered enough. She kept herself entertained once again having not being able to sleep, she wondered in ways she could improve of her success in fishing. She would get food tomorrow if it was the last thing she did.


It had been one month since she had come to this place and Lian had determined she most certainly wasn't on a normal Earth. She had learned to fish by making a rather crude spear with her only good weapon. The spear was nothing but a sharp piece of wood but it was strong enough to be used for its purpose. She was planning to leave, having stolen a rather crude water pouch from the beasts.

Lian had been chased by the ugliest creatures she had ever seen; they were filthy and didn't come off as the type of good guys. They had tracked her down like dogs and spoken in a language she never heard before. She only managed to escape due to her small size; she had hid in a crook of a tree and blocked herself from view by several branches but nearly did not make it. They kept their search for a few hours she stayed where she was but was hoping the left camp. The creatures had remained for two days, they were still hunting her but she managed to sneak into their camp and take a weapon and pouch, she hope was for water.

Sneak was too strong a word dash in and run for the hills was a better description of her 'stealth'. She hoped she would be able to use what she had taken but had to drop the weapon as soon as she saw the creatures again. She had been chased again; she had a reminder of the encounter. A long cut was on her back, Lian did not want to know how it looked, she had crudely treated it and she was certain it was infected. She had a fever but she needed to move, she had to find help to treat her. She smiled as the water pouch had turned out to be that. She had burned the thing until she was certain she had killed any microbes that could be present. It was tough but she would need it.

Moving to her bag, she emptied its contents, she was I her gym shirt, dirty and crusted with dried blood but her other was a poor piece of cloth now that she had shredded it for a make shirt bandaged and her pants were still in tact in comparison but filthy. She was certain she had a fever but she could not be certain.

She pulled out all the contents, she left the glasses case in the front pocket, she had to discard the English textbook, it was too bulky. She placed her jacket into the bag along with a few pieces of vegetation. By trials of eating and seeing the affects she had learned rather quickly what plants she could eat but she wasn't sure how good they were for her. She placed her 'flint' stones in the bad and zipped it. She carried her crude spear as a walking stick. The pouch was slung over her shoulder to her side; she left her good dagger in the jacket. Not glancing back, she headed to where nature seemed to guide her. Hopefully, she would find help before it was too late.


A.N: Well that was it. How was it? Did it stink, was she too unrealistic? Please give me your comments.