I awake on my back, feeling pain in every limb. Groaning, I push myself to a sitting position and try to get my bearings. The last thing I remember I was tossing and turning in my bed, experiencing another delightful bout of insomnia. I must have eventually drifted off, but this doesn’t explain why I'm no longer in my room. Instead of my hardwood floor, I feel leaves and dirt. It’s pitch black, and by squinting I can just make out the shapes of trees all around me. This is bad. My heart starts beating faster as I take in my situation, and I start to sweat. I have to get out of here!
I struggle to my feet and look around. I can smell the plants, and there’s a cool breeze blowing. The breeze has a snap to it, like early autumn. Distantly, I can hear what must be the sound of animals moving about and I feel the first cold fingers of real fear seeping up my back. I’ve never been an outdoors type, but I’ve seen lots of documentaries. Right now the only thing I can remember about them is you drop a few steps on the food chain when you go out in the woods. I only hope there are no bears or mountain lions… or worse.
The wind picks up, and it’s gone from slightly cool to distinctly chilly. I wrap my arms around myself and look around for a house or a building. I’m wearing my wool pajamas, but that’s it. No slippers, no glasses…so I’m barefoot and half blind. Just then the moon appears from behind a thick bank of clouds, and I find myself staring up at it. It’s way larger than I can ever remember seeing, and looks closer. In any other circumstances I would have been impressed by its beauty, but right now all I can think about is finding out where I am and somehow getting back home. But I can’t do anything in the dark, so I sit back under a tree and huddle against it, trying to keep out of the wind. I force myself to think calmly as I sit there. Whoever took me from my bed is most likely not a friend of mine and maybe it was all some sort of cruel prank. I don’t know anyone who would do something like this to me, but you never know what someone else may be capable of. I take solace from the fact I am uninjured, but that could change out here, wherever “here” is. I should be angry about all this, but right now I need help.
The more I think about it, the more worried I become. As far as I know, there were no thick woods like this anywhere near where I live, but it made no sense that I could somehow be taken miles from my home in the middle of the night, and just dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Unless I’d been drugged. That thought did nothing for my composure.
I listen, but besides the sound of scuffling and the snap of twigs from what I assume to be animals and the creak of trees shifting in the wind, there are no sounds of traffic, no glow from streetlights. I must be out in the boonies, away from civilization. I debate whether or not it is better to wait for daylight, or try to find a way out now. But I’m chilly, and will probably be hungry soon. Besides, who knows what else may be out here, which may not be averse to sampling human? I get to my feet, pick a direction and slowly start walking. Fortunately, the ground is very soft, but I still went slowly, sliding each foot along and feeling with my toes for any rocks or twigs before planting them. I’d only rarely been outside barefoot before.
After about an hour, as far as I could tell, I stop and sit under a tree again. There seemed to be no end to these woods, but other than an owl hooting unexpectedly and making me jump, I’d encountered nothing scary or threatening. But now I could faintly hear the sound of water. There must be a stream or a river nearby, so I get back up and follow the sound. After a few minutes, I see a small stream with the moonlight glinting off its surface. There were probably fish in there, but I had no way of catching one or even cooking one if I could. I sit down next to the water and think about my next move. The sound of the stream was somehow comforting, but I had no intention of trying to cross it, not barefoot and certainly not with the chilly wind. I looked up and downstream and then stopped. There, a few yards away was a small bridge, and I felt relief flood me. Where there’s a bridge, there’s got to be people, I reasoned, so I made my way towards it. Sure enough, there was a path on either side of the bridge, and that meant I’d found my way out!
The thought of finally getting out of this dark forest made me hurry as quickly as I could. The path was smooth, and hard packed, but I still was wary of stepping on sharp rocks. As I went, I considered what I should say to whomever I met. It’s the middle of the night, and I’m a stranger. Whomever I woke would probably not be very trusting; I know I wouldn’t be. All I had to do was convince them to let me use their phone, and I could call the police and get home. That shouldn’t be too much to ask.
Before too long I saw what appeared to be farm buildings, for in the moonlight I could just barely make out a barn, and a house next to it. There were trees in rows stretching off as far as I could see in the dim. It must be some kind of orchard, but they were no help to me now. I couldn’t see any lights in the house, so everyone must be fast asleep. They were certainly not going to be happy about answering their door at this time of night, but other than that thought I was almost giddy with relief. I’d soon be on my way home, and then I’d see about whomever it was that pulled this “prank” on me.
As I made my way to the front door, I paused before knocking. This is odd. The door is much smaller than it should be, almost level with my head. I shrug and knock on the door. I’m probably just tired. There’s no response, so I knock again, a little more forcefully this time.
“Hello?” I call out. “Can someone help me? I need help!”
After a few minutes, I see a light come on through the window, and I hear a voice, but I don’t recognize the language. More oddness, but I’m in no position to be choosy.
“Can you open the door, please? I just need to use your phone.”
The door opens, and I start to speak, but then I get a good look at what just opened the door, and ice cold fear shoots through me. It’s some kind of tiny horse, but it just appears…wrong. Its eyes are huge and intelligent, unlike any eyes I’ve ever seen on an animal. It’s holding a lantern up in one hoof, and the look of fear and shock on its face must match my own. We stare at each other for a few seconds, then we both scream! I turn and run, while I hear the door slam and lock behind me. Heedless of rocks, I take off back down the path. Once I get some distance between me and that place, I stop and catch my breath.
That…that thing was speaking just before it opened the door!