I walked through the forest my aching feet pestering me about its pain as I looked around me to make sure I was safe. I walked through the crowded trees and muddy ground as my clothes built up grime and crud. Though my journey through the thick waving trees went unperilous, my mind was still sporadic.

Now that I knew what type of things lived within that forest, I couldn't help but get worried. The thick leaves that blocked out the sun did nothing more but cement the forbidding feeling that cradled in my chest.

It constantly blinded my vision and caused me to fall so many times that I lost count. I knew what general direction to go, but I had no idea how to get there. I walked up grassy hills and shimmed down rocky slopes, but I still didn't feel any closer to that town.

As far as I knew, I was walking in circles for those few hours. But all of it paid off in the end when I limpingly strode out of the thick outline of the forest. The sun had set far into the horizon, but that was the least of my concerns.

I looked around and I could see a giant gap within the earth. The cliff that I was closest to was uneven and jagged while the cliff that was the farthest from pointed and narrow. The gap that split the crust of the ground had a raging river riding through it. It was then that I realized that it was the spot I fell from.

I was happy for some time, only to realize that I was on the complete opposite side of where I wanted to be. I looked further down the river to see how far I had to go, but all I could see was a great winding path of the massive river.

I then dropped onto my ass, and muffled out my frustrations. But as I was swearing to the hands of fate, I began to notice the sun was eerily dripping beneath the horizon. Realization struck me when it became apparent that I was nowhere near any sort of shelter.

With what I experienced just a couple hours ago, I did NOT want be out in the middle of the night.

I no sooner got back onto my feet and began to pathetically run back into the wooden troughs of the forest. I hadn't even run for ten seconds before I tripped on some ridiculous object that wrapped itself around my foot. I looked down at my trapped leg and saw a lantern holding me down to the ground.

I pulled my foot out of its confined trap, and took the lantern in my hands. It looked like any old green lantern would, the only difference being that it had a sleeker design. I turned it this way and that to make sure that it was in good condition before I turned the small nozzle that was attached to its side. The thing lit a small flame inside of its glass prison, allowing me to see through the darkness that was dawn.

I turned it off immediately and had an idea. I knew I couldn't go back to that hole in the wall; it would be too dangerous to go at night and too exhausting to go back. I got up again and headed back to the empty cliff that I had plummeted from yesterday. I put the lantern on the ground, and went back into the forest.

By that point the sun had enveloped a dark purple hue, and was quickly turning into a forbidden black. I gathered as many sticks and branches as I could carry before I waddled back to the clearing. I laid some of them in a teepee shape, and laid the rest on the side. I then grabbed the lamp and looked at its exterior for a way to get to the oil.

By that moment in time the moon was slowly peaking over the horizon, ready to take its sister's place in the sky. The forest had darkened itself to a drastic degree, and was getting darker by the second. As I felt the seconds tick by, I couldn't help but panic even further. I reached into my pocket and pulled out an orange handled pocket knife, and proceeded to pick at any hole that it could fit in.

I prodded and scratched at the bottom of the lantern, hoping I would find some hole that I could rip open for oil. But as I was scratching the surface of the lantern, I heard the sounds of howling in the distance. I panicked even further and was about to slam it against the ground in a fit of rage. But with a twist of my wrist the bottom of the lantern opened to reveal a small pool of oil within its metal confinements. I was lucky that I didn't get any on me.

I was glad for a couple seconds but I was quickly knocked out of my stupor by the sounds of bushes rustling behind me. I pulled out my revolver and took aim behind me, but all that was there was a bunny scurrying behind me. I ignored it and decided to go back to working on my plan. I grabbed the bottom of the lantern with care and elegancy before I dumped some of its contents onto the teepee of sticks that I had made.

I then grabbed a couple rocks and started to bang them against each other. They clashed and clattered, but no matter how many times I tried getting a spark, I would be met with either sore fingers or small pebbles. The sky had almost completely blackened as the only source of light left was diminishing further beneath the crest of the earth.

I had nearly given up when I decided to grab my hatchet and hit it against the now broken rock. The next thing I knew a large fire had enveloped the entirety of my vision. I jumped back from the scalding flames, and watched them dance with wind. I jumped into the sky with joy only to fall on my back as my feet collapsed onto the ground.

And even though my back was aching with pain, I could do nothing but smile at the flames that had given light in my dark situation.

There I sat on the cliff huddling against the now low flames as I tried to stay warm. I would slowly breathe in and out, watching as the fog from my breath would dissipate in the air. My body shaking and shivering as it tried to form heat. Snot running down my nose as my body shivered.

I wasn't able to sleep; every time I tried I would involuntarily shake as the cold air would brush my skin. I knew that the forest would be colder than that cave was, but I did not expect it to be as cold as it was. It reminded me of those days that I spent walking in that cold dessert. The only difference is that I didn't question my sanity at that time.

I wasn't huddling over a fire with my feet pulsating in pain. I wasn't confusing reality with imagination. I wasn't questioning if I should make amends with ponies.

I was brought out of my mental conflict by a heavy growl coming behind the flames I took refuge behind. My cold shaking right hand reached for my revolver as I scanned the environment around me. As I raised my gun, I could only hear more growls getting closer to me.

I grabbed a couple of sticks and put them in the fire to help me see, but I got another reaction out of it instead. I heard a more vicious snarl and some whimpers behind it. That's what got me curious. I grabbed a big thick branch that hasn't been lit yet and put the tip of it in the small fire.

As soon as the tip of it was alight with fire, I pushed myself off the cold ground and proceeded to walk closer to the sound I heard the growling coming from. My revolver still raised and the torch down on my side as I was slowly edging closer to the outlining of the pitch black forest. As soon as I was close enough to the small lining of the trees, I pulled the small ball of fire up and stared in awe.

I saw pure yellow pupil-less eyes peering at me with hate and intent. Its body was covered in bulks of wood, from its teeth to its tail. I could hardly see it with my small light, but there it stood defensive and ready to pounce.

As I was about to carefully walk back to my small fire, I saw more eyes popping out of the darkness, one after another all with the same sickening yellow color. I drew the torch closer to myself and slowly walked backwards towards my camp. Once I was back at my 'safe haven', I dropped the torch on the burning pile of wood, and proceeded to sit on the ground with a slack jaw.

I had just seen an animal, as far as I know, made entirely of wood. How? I still ask myself to this day. Nature is a mysterious thing. Able to evolve apes into humans, and able to make a fish breath underwater. But never in my life would I think nature would transform wood into an agent of chaos.

My mind rambled to itself over and over again, but it was for not. A sudden scream behind me had pulled me from my wavering mind, and I could do nothing but stare into the distance of where it came from. It was on the other side of the cliff too distorted and low to identify it as anything. So I simply looked on in its direction, and waited for the sound to die out.

As soon as it ended, I huddled back closer to my fire and hoped that I would make it till morning.