„It will be 363 yen."
Natsuki Subaru searched his leather wallet for small change.
„Oh, a groove-edge ten."
He looked for a moment at the small copper coin, and then he pulled out rest of the money to pay for the food.
While the shopkeeper counted the money, Subaru passed the time looking at his phone. It was already 10:30 PM, and he did not even get a message from his parents.
‚Why would they not ca….'
Subaru's thoughts were stopped by the shopkeeper who stood before him with tired smile, giving him a receipt.
„Thank you, have a safe way home."
The ringing bell welcomed him once again to the dark streets of his hometown. He shivered. His tracksuit after all wasn't enough to protect him against this cold night wind.
„Wrrrrum"
Subaru stopped at the edge of the road to let the car pass. Suddenly, as he was trying to cross the street, something flashed in front of his tired eyes. It felt as if something or somewhat pulled him a little bit forward.
„I guess anyone's eyes would be tired after holing up in their room, gaming all day."
Trying to keep himself awake until he returns to his cozy room, and especially bed, he rubbed his eyes with his right hand. He slowly opened his eyes again. Though, because of the bright light he had to blink several times, for his eyes to get used to it.
‚Wait a second, bright light?' he thought to himself, not understanding, why would their be sudden light in the middle of the night.
„Also, it seems a bit warmer than before, right?", he murmured and finally looking again forward, ready to head back home.
„Wait! What!?"
What Subaru layed his eyes upon was not the road as he expected. It was something far more mysterious. Out of nowhere, shut-in Natsuki Subaru, found himself standing in the middle of the green meadow. The couple of chirping sparrows flew over Subaru's head and thus leaving him all alone in this unknown place.
„What is going on?" a lonely voice broke the peaceful silence that surrounded this place since the couple of birds left.
„Seriously, what the hell is going on here?" the voice once asked a question that no one could here.
„No, no, no, no, I really, REALLY mean it. What is going OOOOOOOOON?"
Subaru screamed as much as his lungs let him before sitting on the grass in despair.
For some unknown reason, he was suddenly transported from his hometown to someplace that, what it looked like to Subaru, was probably a heart of nature itself.
The azure sky was filled with white clouds, that Subaru for sure didn't see even on his school trips. The high pitched chirps of insects, living in the grass, has surprisingly stopped irritating Subaru after a short while, and now he was enjoying the melodic sound they produced. No matter which side Subaru looked at, there was only a forest. And finally, in the far distance, the mountains stood proudly with their snow white hats, nearly touching the same snow white clouds.
Of course, the first thing after Subaru overcame the initial shock of being transported, he did the very thing, anyone in his situation would do. He looked at his phone.
„He? How can their not be a signal? In this time and age?"
Subaru tried to jump as high as he could with his raised hand to get the singal. He repeated the process several times, in several different locations, with only one and the same result.
Why do we even have that many satellites in the sky when they can't even cover the whole earth, or at least the whole Japan!"
While complaining to the lack of functionality of the satellites, Subaru's stomach started to present his own case.
„I guess, I have been here a while, it looks like it's noon or early afternoon, and my last food was the pack of chips I ate before I left home."
Subaru grimaced at the thought of his parents not knowing where he is. He didn't even say goodbye to his mother when he left. What would they think now?
„Maybe they think I am an excellent student once again and went early today to school, hehe."
He laughed at his own naive expectation, before his angry stomach once again reminded him, what requires the utmost importance at this moment.
„Okay, okay, so what is in this damn plastic bag? Chips, noodles . . . . not much, but it will do for now. I would like something to drink though."
As he started to filling his stomach he dived deep into thoughts to try and decipher this precarious situation.
„The last thing I remember was blinking and than appering here in this place. Was I kidnapped? No it doesn't make any sense. Then maybe I collapsed from the sleep deprivation and someone took me here? Wait that doesn't make any sense either. And for the same reason. Why would that individual left me here then? Then, if nobody transported me here, is it possible I went here myself and somehow forgot it? No matter how far fetched it is, it isn't entirely impossible. And I know, that for me, nothing is impossible, just look at all the achievements I aquired in my life and . . . . wait, wait, wait, gotta focus on the improtant stuff. Why am I here? Why … am … I ... here? Why … am . . . . ?"
During his monologue, Subaru has instinctively begun to play with his phone and his eyes picked up something, he should've noticed a long time before.
„Why does my phone say it's 11 PM? Is it broken? No definitely not, but why wouldn't it moved. I mean, it moved, but only like half anhour. I definitely left the store about half past ten? The phone isn't frozen so, am I maybe in different time zone? This is wierd. Or maybe I . . ."
At the end of the sentence, Subaru eyes widened in excitment, but he quickly shaken his head.
„Nah, there is no way, I may have an incredible luck, ehm, I mean skill, in guessing in videogames, but I'm not that lucky in real life. Also if that was the case, something would've happened by now. And I see nothing special and no one special. I didn't get any awesome weapon or gear and . ."
Subaru slowly touched his head, almost as if he was afraid it would blow up.
„Yep, no protagonist status!"
Just to be sure, he also tried to search his pockets, and slide his hand in the air. As Subaru expected, nothing happened.
„Alright, enough is enough, gotta get moving or I'm gonna die by of thirst,"
‚Not that you wouldn't deserve it', a quiet voice that bothered him for some while now, has returned.
Grabbing the plastic bag, Subaru hushed the obnoxious and bothersome voice in the back of his mind and stood up.
And putting the phone back into his pocket, he set on a journey.
„I might try, ehhh, this forest!"
Natsuki Subaru smiled and made a first step towards the unkown pile of darker green in front of him.
Though his face showed smile, the heart inside his chest was filled with completely different emotion. And to guess, if this emotion originated from the guilt he felt from due to his recent lifestyle or the situation he found himself currently in, or maybe both, he dared not.
He walked.
He walked for a long time.
He did not know how long he walked.
That was until he looked at his phone and saw that, it was only another half an hour,
„So not that ‚long time'!"
He humored himself, to lighten up the mood that he himself killed with looking at his phone.
„I am bored, and I don't know how long do I have to walk in this neverland."
Finally, the long awaited frustration got the hold of him.
„Not only I am bored, I still have no damn signal. I also only found this road, that doesn't have any tourist signs or tourists, I didn't find any water, and I didn't even see a plane. Seriously, the sky right now is so damn clear, that people would certainly come and pay to see it.
For the past few years, Subaru avoided the outside, as a politic avoids a question about his party's campaign goals after the elections. For him to see the nature in its pure form, to feel the gentle forest wind against his face and to hear the birds and rustle of leaves and occasionally catching a glimpse of a running animal, was something that he never thought he would see in his upcoming years.
This truly was a unique experience for Natsuki Subaru, and if anyone saw him, he would see, that not a pleasant one.
„~ yo "!
‚It' has heard something.
„I go I go and I don't know. How long How loooong can thiiis gooo ooo~ooon !"
The loud, dry, teenage voice carried itself through the air followed by its source. The source of this unpleasant sound that awakend ‚it', was currently walking on the road.
The source was wearing something that ‚it' has never seen. It was an odd color. Somewhat flashy color, almost like the round thing that shines and is not good to look at. ‚It' hates that thing and therefore it hates this source of the ear-tearing voice. ‚It' will eat soon. Not now, but ‚it' will follow the voice and when the time will come, ‚it' will finally eat.
‚It' must be careful though. Many of ‚it's' bretherns would kill ‚it' for the feast that awaits ‚it'.
Subaru stopped for a second and looked into his bag.
„Looks like I'm out of food. But that is only secondary. I have no idea where I am, and its getting darker."
His phone once again refused to get even a little bit of signal. Not even for emergency call. Subaru wasn't a boy scout. He didn't spend his vacations with his parents camping. All his knowledge of spending the night outside, were from videogame, manga and light novels.
If possible, he would like to find at least some gamekeeper's cottage or some high seat were he could safely spend the night. Not that he was worried that something might actually eat him but still, the combination of darkness, strange night noices, and unknown location is something, that Subaru was actually scared of.
It so happened that at that moment he saw something that looked like a sign. His heart skipped a beat. Finally he would know where he is. Finally he would be able to contact a human being. He didn't know, that only few hours in wild nature would make him crave a human contact. Maybe it was also the fact, that he still couldn't forget the fact, that his phone showed, it is 6 in the morning, when actually, the night was just getting started.
„It really is wierd, but nevertheless, I have hope now, to have a good night sleep."
As he was getting closer to the sign, his worries, that were blown away by the mere sight of the sign, were slowly coming back.
The wooden sign consisted of a meter high round based stake and a wooden board with a writing on it.
It was not that the sign was made out of wood and not from plastic, aluminium or some other metal. After all, this was a forest, so wooden signs were only to be expected. Even Subaru would feel that in this kind of forest, that overflows with nice air, and is as clear as a new car, a metal sign would stood out like a sore thumb.
It was also not the fact, that the sign was slightly leaning to the right side. The wood itself, didn't look like it was made yestreday from the finest wood. Sings, bus stops, buildings and many other things are repaired and renovated all the time, so logically there must be things, like this sign, that are waiting for repair.
It was though because of the writing, that was encraved on the wooden board.
„Hey, this is not japanese! What language is it? Is that english? No, notfor sure!"
Subaru, even if he skipped school, still had decent knowledge of english, and its writing, thanks to foreign videogames he played and some tv shows that caught his eye.
„It might be russian. I mean, I've seen russian couple of times, and this looks . . . not it looks different. Or does it? This actually might be russian. So am I in Russia, or Ukraine. Probably Russia, cause I wouldn't be surprised if this was Siberia. I red that there are not that many people and generally humans don't go there as often. And also the signal there wouldn't be great. But how would I get into Russia? The only way I can think of, is being taken by a plane or a boat and why would someone took me and than left me here? The other thing I can think of is teleport."
There was still the possibility he dared no to think. First of all, the odds of that are lower than a temperature in north Siberia, and second, that would mean, that he would left his parents behind. Also as he tested already, he doesn't feel anything different about his body.
Suddenly a growl from behind him was heard.
Growl?
Wolf?
Bear?
Tiger?
Whatever it was, it meant trouble. Big trouble. Deadly trouble.
Subaru, all of sudden sweat pouring down his back, slowly turned his head around to see what exactly is behind him.
„ -!? "
„Wha-?"
„This is - ?"
He realized he can't move a muscle. His entire body was undergoing a paralyzing shock. That what he saw, was not real, it couldn't be. It. Could. Not. Be.
‚It' got to it first. ‚It' doesn't have to be bothered anymore. A mere sight at ‚it' paralyzed the human creature and now it stands defendless. The legs of the human seem to be glued to the gravel. His eyes took the shape of a circle, and his pupils reduced into two singular points.
‚Good!', ‚it' thougt. Now ‚it' can enjoy the dinner, that avoided ‚it' for so long. Now ‚it' can chew on meat again and filled ‚it's' stomach with proper food. It doesn't have to starve anymore.
The long awaited feast has come at last.
The creature that Subaru layed eyes upon was similiar to a wolf. A giant black wolf with wide mouth that hid pure white teeth, saliva pouring out, as it was breathing. The claws of the wolf, were still ten meters away from Subaru, but he felt as if they were already on his neck. The pitch black skin covered easily visible muscles that probably allowed the beast to move as fast and as skillfully as it wanted to. The monster's eyes were entirely blood red and were keeping Subaru at place, unable to move even a single muscle.
But the worse thing about the beast, and also the thing that made Subaru believe, that one of his guesses, that he deemed most unlikely, turned out to be right, was something else.
The best had a horn on its forehead. As if you took a horn from rhino, straighten it and put it on a wolf. Subaru could feel that the horn has something unnatural inside it. Something that makes this wolf even more dangerous than starved jaguar.
The beast moved forward.
Subaru stood in place.
The beast made another two steps.
Subaru still stood in his place. Drops of tears were falling from his eyes as he was unable to blink.
As the beast slowly approched him, Subaru could feel that the strengh is slowly returning to his body.
„ - – - !"
He tried to scream, but his mouth only slightly opened.
„He-!"
First half of the word, he so much wanted to say, left his mouth.
The beast was now only two meters away. A single drop of sweat from the boy's forehead droped on his hand. Few fingers twitched and then he felt that the strenght completely returned to it.
With the strengh coming to an arm, Subaru's nerve system, picked up another feeling.
Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain.
Thousands of little knives stabbed Subaru simultaneously in his forearm. The pain was something unimaginable to him. It was blinding. The blood red that was initially in beast's eyes, was now to be found on Subaru's whole right arm. His entire visions was covered in blood red.
Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain.
All of the little knives suddenly teared the flesh, splitting Subaru's arm. The pain he felt now, was doubled.
‚This is bad', He though.
Grassy ground welcomed Subaru's body as it fell from the pressure. He lost his breath from the impact.
The pain from his arm now spread into his other arm. Thousand little knives stabbed his left arm, legs and stomach.
‚It hurts so bad',
He wanted to scream but he couldn't even catch a breath that would allow him to talk. All he was left with was the agony.
Ripped flesh. Splashing blood. Stabbing pain. His visions suddenly cleared. Only to be welcomed with a hot breath of the beast mouth right in front of his face.
‚Mom, dad. I am so, so sorry. Please, be happy.'
At that very moment the air returned to his lungs, allowing him to scream, right before everything turned black and silent.
Chirping brids flew over the meadow, as the sun reached it's the highest peak. Wind flew through the grass and trees picking up few leaves, that eventually felled down.
A lone ligth brown rabbit jumped out from its hole, and hopped forward few times checking it surroundings. It was carefull. It treasured its life. It started running through the grass, choosing the quickest way to its nourishment. It moved quickly and quitely. Not disturbing the peace.
The rabbit stopped as he saw an obstacle in front of him. This was not a normal obstacle. This was a human. It carefully jumped around the boy leaving him behind.
What the boy will do is not the rabbit's problem. The rabbit will not risk his life but doing something dangerous, like trying to figure out, what is the human doing there.
The rabbit must live, so its young can live. After all, once you die, it's all over.
„AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHhhhhhhhhh"
A heartbreaking scream sent couple of nearby birds flying away somewhere more quite.
Two does nearby, halted their lunch and they let their legs carry them away from the dangerous voice.
„What was that?"
The boy in a track suit woke up in the middle of the meadow from what seemed to him like a living nightmare.
„AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHhhhhhhhhh"
A green haired man in dark purple robe stopped and looked ovee his shoulder. His golden yellow eyes fixated on one specific point.
„What kind of interesting thing happened there".
In far distance he could see black dods that flew from the trees.
Than from out of nowhere the ground shattered and the man flew in the air.
Just a reupload. I made few mistakes while uploding.
Now the paragraphes and few other errors should be fixed.
I hope you will enjoy the read.