midwestern wear: prologue

Cool autumn day with a clear sky.  It’s calm and quiet, just the way I like it. Nothing to break this moment of silence that made your day better, that’s what you liked to hear.  The Midwest was mighty cold this time of year so you had to bundle up, that’s what momma told me.  I’ve always done what I have been told, and she’s been so kind to me. I push myself off of the fallen log and brush the dirt off my pants with a sniffle of regret of bringing that subject up.  

Pushing open the screen door with no effort and slumping down in the living room left me too much time to myself. This is why weekends aren’t fun, still waiting for dad to get up so we can get to work.  Something catches my attention outside the window, shuffling slowly to the window.  

“AH!” scrambling back from the window with a new found energy and a bothered grunt from upstairs.  By the lord almighty I have witnessed and the only the dead know peace from this evil.  I get on my stomach and make my way to the window again.  To my relief it wasn’t there anymore.  What was that thing? It walked like a man but it had limbs of creatures I didn’t even know existed.  I don’t think it was even walking it sort of. . . floated.  My heart just exploded and I needed time to put the pieces back together, calming down I look back outside.  The sun was still shining bright and high in the sky.  Wait, that tree ain’t normal.  We don’t even have trees out here, what in the world is going on here.

“Pa, you need to come down here!”

“Would you be quiet! It’s too early.”

I gulp down the lump in my throat.

        “If pa won’t help me I’ll help myself.”

Quickly running into the living room. I grab pa’s gun of the rack above the mantle and checking if it was loaded.  Two buck shots ought to do the trick.  Fueled by anger I rush for the door and kick it open with unreasonable force to get my point across to whatever this thing is.

“Whatever you are, you ain’t welcome here! You hear?”

The only reply is a chuckle and then full out laughter.  Obviously this wasn’t funny, but what am I supposed to do with something I can’t see.  

“You really think you’re going to stop me?”

“What? Stop what?”

“in good time” he says with a raspy dry voice

That’s when I notice a shovel flying towards me at Mach speeds; shocked of course my body becomes frozen in place and has to accept my fate.  I mean dad will help me, right?

        An audible ‘Thunk’ rings through the pastures and all becomes dark and cold in my mind.

        A searing pain in my head woke me in a shock

        “What happened? Oh this is going to hurt.”

I swear I could hear pa calling my name. I bet he was just mad. Doesn't really make a difference now

I heave myself off the ground, this is a mistake. I stumble back onto the ground head now worse than before.  Hold on a minute, this doesn’t feel like… shooting my eyes open darting around.  This ain’t home that’s for sure, and I don’t like this at all.  Sitting my myself on a mossy rock with my heads in my hands I let out a deep sigh.

“I never asked for this, I never asked for any of this.”  A lump in my throat grew and I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.  I sat there for a solid half an hour just getting emotions out.  Yet I feel like something is missing, oh yes.  Where in the world am I?  I don’t remember there being a weird mysterious forest in Iowa.  I finally got up and stretched out my limbs that felt like I was asleep for a thousand years or so.

I observe my surrounding for a few hours to pass the time. Looks as if the forest thins out if I go farther but I don’t feel that I should risk it.  I may have no other choice on the other hand because I have no food or water, though I could see a stream from afar.  Still no food and that could become a problem soon.  It didn’t look like I had much time until it became night, I should feel scared but adrenaline started pumping from excitement, excitement to stay alive. Should I make a break for the edge of the forest now?

“Let’s do this, come on!”  

Making a mad dash for the clearing I swear I could hear wolves and something similar to a large cat.  My legs ignore the pain that I’m causing them, my lungs are about to burst, and my brain throbbing. Was it fear of life in the balance or fear that most likely I’ll never see family again? Right now I don’t personally care.  Just run, run and don’t look back.  Sweat was now drenching your shirt already covered in filth, the clearing finally came into view.

        Fire, that is the only word that describes the pain that sweeps me off my feet and tumbling into trees.  Looking up I see a wolf, much taller than me but there was something off about it.  The fur looked suspicious but now was not time to ponder pelts, I got up producing pa’s shotgun that I miraculously kept with me the entire time.  Leveling the barrel, holding my breath, and squeeze.  The poor thing didn’t have any time to do anything, walking closer to it but still cautious.  One thing you remember from pa is that wolves hunt in packs, and I’m the one being hunted.  On closer inspection the fur turned out to be bark.  This place is becoming more peculiar by the moment, and I don’t have a moment to spare.  Instantly turning around and continuing the fast paced journey not yet complete.  

        “Does this forest ever end?”

        “You just wish it does now don’t you?”   

        “Well yeah bu- wait, where are you?”

        Frantically looking around I'm left at the edge of the forest breathing now almost impossible my body now unable to move.  All of the injuries caused today came back in a flash, today was not a good day.  

        Consciousness was something that made me loathe the world right now.

        “guuuuuuuh oh geez, everything hurts” are the only words to escape my lips in a rasp manner.  My vision blurry and hearing is like trying to enjoy classical underwater with an ear infection.  Forcibly prying my eyes open I’m blinded by lights above, gripping the blankets covering me.

        “What? Blankets? Where am I?

        “You’re in the hospital, we found on the ground by the forests edge. Very lucky to be alive today.”

        “But exactly Where am I? This doesn’t seem like earth.”

        “I've never heard of of earth, and I've certainly never seen anything the likes of you."

        My eyes open, it’s definitely a hospital.  The only time I’ve actually been to a hospital was… mom.      End.