Crystalline Forest

The blue sun is setting over the low mountains, its pale dusky glow barely lighting up the thick forest. My feet feel heavier as more dew collects onto my worn leather boots, but they’ve carried me so far I won’t lose my trust in them. A thin mist settles under the canopy of trees, making it harder to see even with the dinky flashlight I have stored in my bag.

I squint my eyes in retaliation, eyebrows bunching together and I lift my hand to wipe the sweat that has accumulated there. The air is humid, thick as if it’s almost solid and you can never breathe enough in. I ran out of water hours ago—and even then, the ice keeping it cool had melted, granting no relief from the temperature.

It’s then when the compass that had been leading me forward slips from my hands, and I curse my stupid butterfingers one last time as it tumbles down the endless mountainside and into the abyss.

Crap.
Well, that’s the end of that. I groan, arms lifting to rub my temples then sweep one hand across my face. When I open my eyes once more, a small blue thing is floating there.

I startle, reeling back like it burned me, eyes widened. The thing only tilts its head (if that’s what you could call it? It's more like a blob with another blob on top of it, with a tapered tail-like thing that fades away into air and two knobby arms), then evaporates.

Okay, now I’m super weirded out.

I get back up from where I’ve fallen onto my back, using my arms to heft back into a standing position. It’s only when I’ve righted myself that the wisp appears again, further away and hidden behind a tree. It ducks behind it before I can follow, and when I jog up to look behind the trunk it’s gone. There’s a whoosh ahead of me, and then it’s running (floating) away, it’s back to me. My curious instincts have taken over, at this point, so I follow.

…

I lift one of my hands to push wide green leaves out of my face, and duck under the flora. What I’m greeted with, however, is much different than the rest of the forest.

It’s some sort of cove, with dark trees lining the clearing to create a semblance of a wall. Various creatures run and play—anything from fox cubs to squirrels. There’s a small cliff, under which a cave sits, it’s entrance shielded by layers of moss. I go over to investigate.

Wow, I think.

Inside, many blue-purple crystals line the walls, glowing fungus that I really do not want to touch gracing the walls. There are no animals in here, save for a few bats. I leave the cave be.

When I reemerge from the maw of the cove, a bird squawks indignantly over my shoulder. I spin around, taking a few steps back, but the avian simply lands onto my arm. It’s grip is firm, but its talons don’t dig through my layers of cloth and leather.

I look like such a disney princess right now.