Chapter 1
Jared Greene looked around the dense forest, searching for a spot to set up camp for the night. He had been walking for hours, and the dense foliage had made it difficult to find a suitable spot. Finally, he came across a small clearing that looked like it would work. It was sheltered by a large tree, and there was a small stream nearby for water.
He quickly got to work setting up his space tent and gathering firewood, making sure to only grab the already dead fallen branches from around the clearing. The forest was dark and foreboding, and he was grateful for the light of his small fire. He knew that the fire was a risk, attracting attention to his location, but he needed it for warmth and to cook his food. He kept it as small as possible, using only the minimum amount of wood needed to keep it burning.
Jared watched as the cub slowly emerged from the shadows and approached him. The small creature had lost its mother to some unknown terror of the forest, and Jared felt a pang of sadness for the little orphan. As the fire crackled and flickered, he watched as the cub cautiously circled the flames. It seemed hesitant to approach the warmth, but also drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. Eventually, it seemed to decide that the heat was too intense and retreated to a safe distance from the fire. It curled up into a ball, its eyes fixed on Jared, watching him closely.
He knew that he should be wary of it. That it was a wild animal with instincts that he could not predict. But as he looked into the creature's eyes, he felt a strange sense of kinship. They were both outsiders in this hostile environment, fighting for survival against forces that they could not comprehend.
As the night wore on, Jared felt the weight of the forest closing in around him. The sounds of the creatures of the night were unsettling, and he felt exposed and vulnerable. He kept the CR01-SS4NT close at hand, ready for anything that might come his way. But for the moment, he was grateful for the warmth of the fire and the company of the cub, who had slowly moved closer and curled up not too far from him for the night. As he drifted off to sleep, Jared couldn't shake the feeling that he was not alone in the forest. Despite the cub's presence, the night was still filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. It felt like the forest itself was alive and watching him, waiting for him to let his guard down. But he refused to show any weakness. He kept his weapon close and his senses sharp, determined to make it through the night alive. And as he drifted off to sleep, he knew that the cub was still there, watching him, a tiny beacon of hope in a sea of darkness.
Despite the small comfort awarded by the fire, Jared slept fitfully, tossing and turning as the dark forest pressed in on him. And in the midst of his troubled dreams, he saw her: a woman with long green hair, calling out his name in a voice that sounded both familiar and strange.
He felt a sense of deja vu as he gazed at her, wondering where he had seen her before. But every time he tried to get a closer look, she vanished behind the foliage or trees. He called out to her, asking who she was and what she wanted, but she only smiled enigmatically and continued to beckon him forward.
The forest seemed to grow darker and more sinister as he followed the woman, its twisted branches reaching out to snag at his clothing. But Jared was driven by a sense of urgency, a feeling that this woman held some important clue to his past or his future.
As he neared her, he could hear her voice more clearly, her words ringing in his ears like a long-forgotten melody. Turning in circles to find the source of the sound, he was startled to find her standing directly behind him. She reached out to him with one hand, her fingers brushing gently against his cheek. Jared felt a jolt of electricity shoot through his body, as if her touch was charged with some kind of mystical energy.
"Stay with me...", she whispered in his ear, her voice soft and alluring. "We could explore this forest together. Forever... and ever...". The sound was almost cooing in nature.
Jared's mind reeled as he looked into her deep green eyes, trying to make sense of what was happening. He felt an undeniable connection to her, a sense that they were somehow destined to be together. But part of him also knew that there was something dark and dangerous lurking beneath the surface, a force that he could not comprehend.
He tried to pull away from her, to break free of her spell, but he found himself unable to move. It was as if she had some kind of hold on him, some kind of power that he could not resist. As she drew closer to him, her breath hot against his skin, Jared felt deeply of both fear and desire.
But just as he was about to touch her in turn, she vanished once again, leaving him standing alone in the midst of the dense, foreboding forest.
Jared woke up with a start, sweat beading on his forehead, and his heart racing as he tried to get his bearings. For a moment, he was disoriented, unsure of where he was or how he had gotten there.
But then he remembered. The forest, the cub, the strange dreams that had haunted him all night. It all came rushing back to him in a flash, and he sat up, taking stock of his surroundings.
The forest was still dark in the early morning hours, the trees casting long shadows across the forest floor. The fire had burned down to a smoldering pile of embers, and the cub was curled up nearby, snoring softly.
He let out a deep breath, relieved to be awake and out of the grip of that strange dream. His sense for completing the mission was even more at the forefront of his mind. He knew that he needed to keep moving, to keep exploring the forest and try to figure out the strange forces that seemed to be at work here. But as he looked out into the gloom, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. The forest seemed to be alive with a strange energy, a feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Getting to his feet, he shouldered his CR01-SS4NT and made his way out of the clearing. The morning piss was calling his name and the small stream he had seen earlier would do for a good place to refill his water supply. And maybe some cold water on his face would help shake off the feeling of that dream. As his thoughts wandered away from him during the recollection of that green hair, the snap of a twig next to him brought him back to the moment.
For some reason he couldn't quite understand, the cub had followed, with bleary eyes now staring at him, and a wave of protectiveness towards the little creature intrusively worked its way into his mind.
Jared activated his comms device, his gruff voice betraying his annoyance. "Cassandra, explain to me why this cub is still following me."
Cassandra's calm voice responded, "As I previously explained, Jared, from prior records, these seem like highly social creatures, and the cub likely perceives you as its new protector."
"Ok, I suppose I can reason that," Jared growled, casting a sharp look at the cub, which was now following close behind him. "But it's going to make the damn mission more difficult. Fuck me if it starts to slow me down..."
"Understood, Jared," Cassandra replied. "But I would advise caution. The cub may become distressed and agitated if you try to leave it behind, which could attract unwanted attention from other creatures in the forest."
Jared grunted in frustration, knowing Cass was right. He couldn't afford to let his guard down, not even for a moment, in this mysterious and dangerous forest. But he also couldn't afford to let this cub become a liability to his mission. "Fine," Jared muttered.
He glanced back at the cub, which was now snuffling around his feet, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes. Despite himself, Jared felt a twinge of sympathy for the little creature.
"I'll protect it, Cass," he said firmly. "But Sana help me if I don't ditch it as soon as fucking possible."
Jared made his way through the dense foliage, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of water. As he stepped through some thicker brush, he caught sight of a small stream, the water shimmering in the sunlight that filtered through the trees.
Relieved to have found a source of water, Jared knelt down beside the stream and cupped his hands to take a drink. However, as soon as he tasted the water, he recoiled in surprise. It tasted of grass and leaves, with a strange, earthy flavor that he couldn't quite place. He looked up to see the cub pawing at the water's edge, batting at the stream as if trying to shoo it away.
"What's the matter?" Jared asked, reaching out to pet the cub's head. "Don't like the taste?"
The small cub batted at his hand, clearly agitated. Jared frowned, standing up and peering into the stream. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, no strange color or smell that would indicate the water was contaminated.
Shrugging, he turned away from the stream and picked up his backpack. "Well, we'll have to find water somewhere else then," he said, glancing around. The infant creature followed him as he made his way back into the dense undergrowth, swiping at the branches and leaves as it went. Jared couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed; this was shaping up to be much harder than anything he could have anticipated.