Chapter 2- Feeling out the new
Here is the second chapter of "The Sound of Silence". I hope you like it, and as always please review if you like it. Thank You!
The veil of darkness lifted slowly, fading out like layers of a curtain being drawn away. When the light finally succeeded in shining through the dark, Maura found herself laying face first spread eagle on a forest floor, far from where she was first knocked unconscious. Still disoriented she looked around at her surroundings, searching for her best friend, there was not a single sign of Folly's presence around her; for the first time in her life, Maura felt alone in her silent world. Large, old growth trees towered above her, reaching for the sky. They were covered with a thick layer of lichen and seemed to be at peace in their silent, giant lives. The forest floor was covered by decomposing leaves and pine needles; it gave off a pleasant, earthy scent that had a peaceful effect on Maura.
She was still wearing her riding gear, tall black leather field boots, cream colored breeches, a white button up shirt with a high neck, and a chocolate brown hunt coat. When Maura and Folly had crashed on the jump course, the ground had been wet and muddy, but her clothes now only held traces of the decomposing leaves around her.
When Maura's head finally cleared and she was able to stand, she got a better view of her surroundings. To the west was a small creek that bubbled its way through the forest over large, irregular stones. To the north, the trees seemed to grow more sparsely than in her current surroundings; they seemed to be younger in age and smaller in size. To the east, the sun was creeping her rays over the horizon, the sky it had already touched on fire with its light. And to the south, the trees seemed to blend into one another, a canvas of mottled shades of green and brown. Maura was all alone.
Thinking quickly, Maura gathered her emotions and tried to push the thought of what might have happened to Folly out of her head, to survive, she must only think about herself. Since she did not know where on earth she was, Maura took inventory of the things she needed to survive. Thankfully, coming from the Pacific Northwest, she had experience hiking and camping in the woods, she knew the dangers and how to survive. Maura decided that as long as she hiked along the creek, she would be in no endangerment of becoming dehydrated; the water looked clear and clean. The air was pleasantly warm at the moment, but the evenings could get chilly once the sun went down. Maura knew how to start a fire without the use of matches or a steel and flint, and there were plenty of dead branches around, so warmth wouldn't be a problem. The only adversity that Maura faced was food; she didn't recognize the plants that surrounded her so did not dare to eat them, lest she get poisoned.
Maura followed the creek for a couple of hours, the terrain was easily walked, and the creek tumbled its way down a gentle slope through the trees. Though she was famished, she only took drinks from the clear water, hoping that would calm her grumbling stomach. Around noon, Maura saw hoof prints that trailed its way to the creek and made its way back to its original path. She looked closer at the prints that were pressed into the soft creek bank; the hoof prints were horseshoes with stud imprints! Maura got excited knowing that the prints could lead her to Folly! She followed the prints at a quick pace, slowing only to make sure that she was still following them. Maura followed them up steep, barren of the trees she had become so familiar with. At the crest of the hill she could see the outline of a horse and rider! As she drew closer, she could make out Folly's markings and recognized the tack that the horse still wore. The rider astride his back, however, was not familiar to Maura. He had long blond hair, a chiseled pale complexion, blue eyes, and pointy ears! His dress was most unfamiliar to anything that Maura knew, he was dressed in organic colored leggings, boots, and a tunic; and seemed to be carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back. The man spoke, but Maura could not read what he was saying, he seemed to be speaking in a different language. She brought her right hand up to her ear and gestured that she could not hear. The man nodded and swung his leg over Folly's back to dismount, he then walked over to her and gestured her to remain calm. Gently he placed his hands over her ears and moved his lips slightly as though he were whispering.
Maura's world exploded in sound.