[Sometime in the future]:

"What's taking so long?" Someone asked impatiently.

"There are two paths here and neither is on the map." Another answered.

"We can't just stand here. somebody chose a path and move. It's getting dark." Someone else shouted from the back.

"We can't just choose any path, we have to be sure. This place can easily end us if we are not careful." Someone from the front argued.

"We can be sure. Let's go through the left." I walked to the front, all eyes on me.

"And why would we follow you?" The first one asked skeptically.

"Because I'm the only one who knows this terrain. You have no choice but to trust that I want to live as much as any of you." I spoke confidently.

"What makes you so sure about the left path?" The one from the back had made his way towards the front.

"Because as far as I see, the right path is dotted with carnivorous trees, I barely survived one, we would never survive so many. And left path, has the trees I used to sleep on and berries I used to feed on." I explained and looked at everyone, "Not a very hard decision, is it?"

Without waiting for any response, I headed towards the left path, smiling as I heard footsteps following me.

#

[Present time]:

My nose was the first thing that woke and picked up the aroma.

It was a delicious smell that made my stomach churn with hunger since I hadn't eaten anything proper in more than a day. I heard strange sounds. Like fire crackling and something moving quite close to me making my senses go on a sudden high alert. I knew I wasn't alone. The pain in my body seemed to have nullified to a magnitude. I felt like part of me was wrapped in some soft silken cloth as I felt some soft grass beneath me.

None of it made any sense.

Where was I?

Who had taken me?

Had I finally been rescued?

Had my parents finally located me?

Instead of me finding it, had the civilization found me?

I tried to move and open my eyes cautiously but instantly stopped when Someone said, "Moving will hurt your knee more, it still needs rest." and then added humorously, "You can open your eyes though!"

I stilled. It was a soft childish voice. An empathetic voice. I slowly relaxed, I must've been found and treated that is why I don't feel as much pain as I did before falling off the tree, but what was a child doing near me? I slowly exhaled and opened my eyes, giving them time to adjust to my surroundings.

I looked around and before I could comprehend anything else, disappointment settled in as I realized I was still in the deathly forest but then my eyes landed on the petite teenage figure with short hair and dark skin. His hands moved effortlessly as our eyes locked and a soft smile lit up the young face.

He kept working on some strange grass as he introduced himself, "I am Herbert. I found you lying on the forest floor a couple of nights ago. You were in a bad shape, especially with that dislocated knee."

I instantly looked down as he quickly explained, "Don't worry, I relocated it. I know first aid, and I wanted to be a nurse when I grew up. So, that's how I survived here so far."

I lay there silently for a moment and then decided with a simple, "Thank you."

He raised an eyebrow and I added, "For helping me and, saving my life! I owe you."

He nodded smiling softly, his hands still skillfully working on the grass. I realized I hadn't introduced myself so I said, "I am Anara, by the way."

"Nice to meet you Anara." He put the strange net of grass he was knitting on a leather bag and stood up dusting himself, "Well, it's going to start getting dark soon and I need to get some lichens for your injuries. Stay here, you'll be safe. I'll be back before you know it."

Without giving me time to respond, he left me alone with my thoughts and observe my surroundings. I was covered in the healing moss that was sticking to my wounds and my clothes were in an even worse condition than I last remember them to be but that was because of all those insects trying to eat me alive, twice.

I looked around and started to observe my surroundings as a multitude of questions swarmed my thoughts with each look.

Indeed I was lying on a strange grass that smelled of vanilla and its blades had a tint of golden hue to them. Herbert had done a nice job at knitting a canopy that covered almost six square feet of area and stood almost four feet tall. The same grassy netting that he was knitting covered all four sides of this trapezoid organic tent, like curtains. In this cozy little place, he had built a tiny fire in the center laid upon the same non-flammable material as one of my suits. I could see something burnt in the middle of the fire but I couldn't move to inspect.

Further, I noticed, that Herbert had lots of strange organic stuff accumulated in a corner. On my other side, I saw my backpack lying close to its twin, which must belong to him, though his was even worse for wear than mine. That rose the questions,

How long had the kid stayed in this place?

How did he survive alone when I couldn't even find water?

What if he isn't the victim like me?

What if he is older than he looks?

What if he is the psychopath that brought me here?

What if this is his way of gaining sympathies so that I don't suspect him?

But most importantly, why me?

I felt adrenaline rushing through me. But then, What if he was just a very smart kid alone in the forest like me who adapted and learned his way quicker than I did? After all, I am not the best of people for outdoor activities to compare to. It did feel like he had been there longer than I was.

As I kept thinking, trying to decide, whether or not to trust the kid, my eyes landed on a bottle of water. I finally realized how parched I felt, my tongue felt like sandpaper. I moved slightly to reach and gave an involuntary grunt as pain seared through my multiple body parts especially the knee that I was informed to be dislocated. I still needed the water. So despite the pain and Herbert's prior warnings, I moved and stretched until I could grasp the elixir of life.

Herbert returned after what seemed like hours since the dark had surrounded our camp and I was almost getting anxious for the kid's safe return. I had not chosen if I trusted him or not but if he really was a child surviving in the forest, I did want him to be back safe.

On the plus side, he was the first human interaction I had in days. So I decided to hold my knife close to me before his return and see how the wind blows.

He entered with a gash on his forehead and a sigh of exhaustion but as soon as his eyes landed on me, the sigh turned to that of relief. He slumped close to the fire that was warm enough to prevail over the initial chill of the night.

"A part of me was certain, you might've tried to run away. But I am glad you are the smart one and chose to stay." He noted.

I nodded tightening my hold on my knife, "Believe me a part of me almost didn't."

Herbert rose his eyebrows at me, "So you considered running away with that knee?" he almost mocked me.

Instead of answering his question with the obvious stupid answer, I decided to throw all the questions rushing through my mind at him, "How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"What's your full name?"

"Herbert Nathan."

"What are you doing in this forest?"

"Surviving."

"How did you get here?"

"I don't know but I'm guessing a UFO."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"That is the thing about facts, they are true, whether you believe in them or not."

"Did you read that in a meme or heard it in a song?"

"Movie actually. But then do tell me, how did you get here?"

"..."

"Exactly."

"You said, I was the smart one because I didn't run away, does that mean someone else did?"

"Yes actually. You are not the first person I found half-dead becoming this jungle's dinner."

"Who? When?"

"A week or so ago, an old man. Hadn't eaten or drunk for a couple of days. I tried to save him, gave him some berries and water. I had just gotten here myself, a few hours earlier. We stayed together for a couple of hours but when I left to find a water source I don't know what came over him. He wasn't where I had left him. I searched for him but I was too late, I barely survived that tree myself."

"Tree?"

"Yeah, huge, carnivorous, vines and roots."

Before I could ask anything else he moved to the fire, "Are you quite done interrogating me? Kia would definitely've loved you, she's my older sister." He added the second half, humorously. I curiously asked, aware of my questioning my grip loose on the knife, "Where are you from?"

"New Jersey."

I realized too late the tale he had spun and his true intentions as he picked something from the grass beside my feet and lunged at me with a predatory look on his face. I re-firmed the grip on my knife and slashed in feeble defense.