I have made it deeper into the forest than ever before. The vegetation is dense and inhospitable. My pace has slowed down significantly since I need to place every footstep carefully. There are all sorts of colorful bugs and small creatures that I've never seen before. I worry about sustaining my rations, I've foraged enough to last me a few days, but I don't know how long my trip will last. I hope I will find a solution to this problem as I go.

  I have a different problem to deal with at the moment. My cutting tool has broken, there's a large amount of vegetation that I need to cut to make better progress as I go. I haven't seen any suitable stone around to make a new one, I'm already trying to stay alert to all sorts of danger from the unseen corners of this place, I didn't need another thing to worry about.

  The wind is barely present here... but I can still feel a breeze, I have that at the very least. I keep stumbling around in this awkward terrain, following the breeze. My eyes are peeled wide open, alert to any dangers that may be lurking around the corner, but so far, every time I heard something rustling in my blind spot, there was nothing. I'm not foolish enough to be relieved by this, it's still daytime, the real challenge is yet to come, not to mention I have no idea how far this forest goes.

  I need to take a break and rest for a bit. I found some familiar looking berries and nuts along the way, so luckily I don't think I'll starve while I'm here, still, this terrain is impossible to navigate. I have the option of going back since I haven't strayed too far yet, but what would I even do there? I could regather my supplies, but to what end? Only face the same issues as I am now all over again?

  I managed to relax a bit, enough to have my mind start drifting again, only now I realize that the constant looming threat of danger was a pleasant shift from the usual anguish I feel when my memories start resurfacing. Somewhere in that process, my thoughts got mixed up, and I started thinking about the cutting tool I need to replace. How did we learn to use those? How did we come about to be so different from the rest of the animals. There are fierce creatures living in these woods, but do some of them use tools like us? Do they start fire as well? I know my father taught me, and he said his father taught him. But how long does that trail go? How did the first man come to learn this knowledge.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  I sat with this thought for a while, with no clear answer. It bothered me significantly, and without realizing, I started to chuckle.

  Everyone I held dear is dead, I'm all alone, following the wind because the elder said it holds great power to those who can listen, a desperate, last ditch attempt of a dead people to get vengeance.

  I died with them that day, I exist only to make sure the enemy dies off with us at any costs, and what am I doing with this chance I've been given? Getting lost in thought over something so foolish. If the old man was here, he would probably offer one of his ironic ill wanted wisdoms at this time.

  A single tear goes down my face as my laughter comes to an end, my face still twisted in a pained grin. I gather up my belongings, and I set off again. Not too long after, I start hearing a stream of water, the sensation of excitement rushes over my body, and I immediately head over to the source of the sound.

  After some time muddling through the dense terrain, I come to the clearing of the river, and immediately I spot something in the distance. Further upstream, there was a creature, large, heavy, covered in black fur with a white streak down it's side.

  I freeze instantly, panic overwhelms every fiber of my being. I stare at this creature in the distance, and the more my eyes focus on it, the more I can pick apart its terrifying appearance. The only things that matter are the fact that adjusted for size, it's at least several times larger than me, and that its claws could easily rip me open.

  I don't know how long I've stood like that, but it felt like an eternity. I immediately ducked back behind some foliage, and looked away.

  It was instantly apparent to me that this was the thing everyone would whisper about at night when telling stories of our ancestors around the fire. The thing nobody saw and lived, but it's very being confirmed by the fact no one ever came back.

  When we spoke of fear, this was the creature that came out in these stories.

  I don't know if it was courage, or the instinct to avoid even more fear, but I decided to peek out and look back at it. And there it was, further upstream, wading around the water with its slender and long claws, as long as spears almost.

  The thing looks like a nightmare, but luckily it doesn't seem to have seen me. I keep staring at it for a while, entranced by its being, and it was just... fishing?

  It used its spear like claws to pierce a fish, and it would open its needle teethed maw to eat it. This repeated several times, and then it just simply went away.

  I have no idea how long this event lasted, but the sun is slowly starting to set, I didn't dare move at all during this event. Once I thought it was safe, I filled up my belly with water and scampered off as quickly and silently as I could. I need to find shelter, and to rethink my approach.