《How to get lost: a wanderers guide》Day 5: Hot to trot

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Hello again. Today was... Interesting.

When I woke up and left the tree I noticed something disturbing. Yesterday I fought 13 little green men, but today I only count 11. That means either two survived the fight, and could be back with reinforcements for revenge, or it could be that there is a large meat eating predator or predators that can carry away two little green men that are each about a third my weight.

Personally I'm betting on the latter. I feel pretty confident I killed them all dead.

Either way, I didn't want to stick around and find out. I was still stiff and sore from the fight yesterday, and in no state for another fight. My nose in particular is still tender, but much better than before. I reckon it should be fixed by this time tomorrow.

So I put the odd mountain to my back and headed off.

Munching on some of that gross but filling dried meat the little green men had in their packs. I'm sure I don't want to know what manner of critter tastes like that. Its like someone rubbed sweaty feet in unwashed armpit, then smoked it.

As I walked I whistled, I find there is something calming and relaxing about whistling. Letting tunes of whimsy and a wandering mind echo alongside my physical whimsical wanderings. It feels right. To whistle while I wander.

I sent the occasional plume of fire darting out at any curious critter that might have waylayed me. I did find one candidate for the little green mens disappearance. The mighty fat-fur. It's a rotund and large animal with thick fluffy fur much bigger than the little green men.

Its shoulders coming up to about my hips on all fours, and I guess it might be a bit shorter than me standing. They definitely outweigh me though, so I made sure to scare the few I encounter off with a few ribbons of flame.

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Did you know trees like fire?

Yeah, one caught some fire from an errant whistle and started to pass it around to all its friends. Soon they were all passing around my fire and making a cool roaring snappy sound. I didn't even know fire could get that big.

I decided to leave them to it and carry on. Get it? Leave? Tree leaves? No one is gonna laugh are they. Then again who would even be reading this?

Moving on, as I headed away from the firetree party I started to hum.

I was listening to the snap and crackle of the trees behind me. There was a certain music to it. So my humming mimicked that tune. The tingles started to hum with me, dancing throughout my body and making an hum harmony. A Humory?

I started to feel warmer. Enjoying the sensation I hummed louder, and the tingles rose from a hum to a thrum. Deep rippling vibratons rumbling through my body. In a heady tune of freedom and hunger.

My feet started stepping faster, first to a fast walk, then a jog, trot, gallop and finally I was sprinting to the driving tune.

My feet were pounding away at the earth. A counterpoint and rhythm to the joyous roar that had filled my frame. I started feeling hot, my pounding heartbeat accelerating to match the rhythm of my steps. I sped up more, beyond what I had thought I was capable of.

A glance downwards showed my whole body was wreathed in fire, most noticeably my feet. I was tempted to burst into joyous laughter, but knew that would end the music. And that would be a true shame. The hum picked up, carrying me away in its joyful melody. I sped through the forest leaving nothing but fire and its song behind me.

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Soon the thrumming music was too much for my body alone to contain, I let it out into the world. Hoping all things would revel in this music as I had. Fire exploded from me with every step, and I could see and hear the nearby trees catching the tune. Bursting and roaring to life as they echoed the song of fire back at me. I danced and dodged between their trunks. It was glorious, and I never wanted it to stop.

But slowly the music turned. New players joined in, Branch-brains, fuzz-buts, and fur-fats, along with all kinds of feathered friends added their voices. Where the trees burned cheerily, sharing the fire song happily with one another. These new chords sang of desperation, pain, and fear.

Of smoke filled dens, where children once slept, of lovingly crafted nests, set ablaze, of carefully stored foodstuffs, reduced to bitter ash. They sang of slow painful death. Of choking on black smoke, and they screamed in gibbering terror at the dancing red wonder around them. The music took a turn and dove off a cliff, and suddenly I wasn't enjoying myself anymore.

All I wanted to do was end this new song of maddening sorrow. It had no joy left in it anymore, as the trees simply repeated whatever song they heard. The fear spread, and I needed it to end.

Looking ahead I saw a small stream. Maybe three bodylengths wide, and I decided to jump it. Get away from this new song.

My leap fell short but the explosion of steam from the river picked up my blazing hot body, and carried me to the other shore to land amongst bushes of vibrant red berries. My flames extinguished, and my body exhausted.

It was at this point that I finally noticed the pounding ache behind my eyes. The thorns that had torn my legs and feet open. The scalding welts from whipping branches. All the pains of charging blindly through a dense forest. Forgotten in my music induced madness.

Combined with the fact that my hide is still a bit ragged from the fight yesterday. It's surprising I'm doing as well as I am. My legs are shaking like a leaf in a storm, and I know I won't be doing much walking for a while.

So here I sit, watching the fire dance with the trees eating berries by the handful. Letting the song shift and change as it will.

I'm can barely think. My mind feels slow, and tired. For now, it would be best if I could get some rest.

Good night.

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