The setting sun shone through a nearby window, the warmth it's rays gave was not felt on me. I turned the last page on the novel I was reading, and placed it down on my lap. Its ending leaving me with an unsatisfied feeling, something I was intimate with.

With a sigh, I set the book aside on a nearby table, and lay back in bed, my eyes staring up at the sterile ceiling vacantly. That very well may have been the last book I read, lest the nurse somehow gets me another one in a day or two.

Just as I shut my eyes, I heard someone enter the room, prompting me to open them again. I sit up and face whomever it was.

"Excuse me, miss…Hisako?" The nurse asked me, in a manner as if she was unsure if that was even my name.

"Yes, that is me," I answer her.

"A letter has been addressed to you, here." She walks over to my bedside and hands me an envelope.

"From whom?" I take the envelope from her.

"From your family, I have been told."

"I see."

"I'll be giving you some privacy, then." The nurse leaves briskly through the door.

I glance down at the envelope and take out the letter contained inside. The sight of the handwriting on it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Dearest Cho,

We have received word that your condition has worsened, your father and I are very sorry to not have been able to come to visit you often. We'll be back in town around next week, and your father has taken care of his work down in Tokyo, so we'll have more time to spend with you. Isn't that delightful?

We promise we'll get to spend some more time together, I'm sure you've been itching to get some fresh air for once instead of being stuck in bed all day. Maybe we could go see one of those live performances like you said you wanted?

Love you, and stay strong.

I fight the urge to crumple the letter and toss it aside, my spite leaving my body through a heavy sigh.

If you cared that much about me, why the hell did you only begin to show it when I'm a foot in the grave?

I place the letter aside next to the book and slump onto my back. What a foul mood that has left me in, I suppose I'll just sleep this off. My eyelids drift shut, and I try to clear my mind to ensure a restful slumber.

However, a moment later, I suddenly felt as though I was falling. My eyes shot open, only to meet a series of other sinister-looking eyes staring back at me. The harrowing sight quickly vanished, lasting only but a second, and I landed on the hard ground beneath me.

I lay face up, staring at the orange sky of the early evening. I sat up and looked around at my surroundings. The hospital was nowhere to be found, nor could any buildings and people. I appear to have found myself in a clearing inside a forest, my surroundings were lined with seemingly endless trees. I try to stand up, but a bout of dizziness strikes, causing me to lose balance and fall back down to a knee. A gentle cold breeze blew against my body, giving me a slight chill. When I finally caught my breath, I struggled enough to stand upright.

With nothing else to do, I decided to venture into the woods and see where they take me.

Author's Note:

An experimental work to help me get over writer's block. Inspired by a short story from a friend of mine that unfortunately never got published.

Not sure how I exactly wanna take this, but I'm hoping it ends up interesting.