I woke up in a cluster of ferns at the feet of two marble statues surrounded by towering candles. They loomed over me like deadly creatures about to devour me, a helpless little boy. I noticed instantly that my vision was different. I could suddenly see a lot more than I was used to in my peripheral vision and I could see that I was in a forest. Puzzled, I turned my head and moved my eyes, surveying my surroundings. I was laying on a hill in a forest. I could see a hollow oak and a pond not too far off. Where was I? Why did my mother take me to a forest?




...Or was it the man who brought me here?




I tried to get to my feet but I lost balance and fell over. My knees and elbows hitting the ground. Why had my hands gone back instead of forward? I tried to stand, slowly this time. I stopped, doubled over on all fours. Something felt strange, my limbs were all weird. I looked down at my hands only to find hooves instead. I almost lost my jaw in the ferns I was still in. I tried to walk, I was clumsy but I soon got used to my new limbs. I ran flat out to the pond, tumbling down the hill in the process and splashed into the water. As the waves settled down I peered into my reflection.

I saw my face as it had always been, at least at a first glance. A blood curdling scream escaped my mouth when I saw a great, big eye staring back at me, placed in the very center of my face. Then I noticed the long ears that were protruding from the sides of my head. I panted and it took my heart a bit of time to settle down. I blinked my single honey brown eye, and my reflection blinked back at me. I felt a lump in my throat and blinked the tears away. I twisted my head around to look at my body. It was covered in soft light brown fur and flecked with white spots.

I couldn't believe this. I had to be dreaming. I bit my lip harshly, having no fingers to pinch myself with. I still didn't wake.
"Mummy...?" I called, "MUMMY!" I looked all about and for the first time I noticed there were many other creatures that were like me. They were a lot bigger, probably adults. Some had antlers, some didn't. I could only assume they were deer. They were dancing and playing, having fun. How could they be having fun at a time like this? I called for my mother again, I looked at all the faces. None of them were her. Even if she'd been there, she'd be calling for me too, searching for me.

I slowly waded out of the water, the constant nagging of my mother caused a force of habbit and I wiped my wet hooves on the earthy ground before I continued on. I walked over to a group of deer, they were all strangely coloured with colourful masks. I tried to get the attention of one which looked a bit like a tiger. "Excuse me," I mumbled shyly. He didn't notice at first, but I nudged him on the side with my forehead. He turned his head and looked at me. He was slightly surprised at my appearance but not sickened or scared as I had been.
"What's the matter little fella'?" he said kindly. He didn't have a human face like most of the deer here did, but his face wasn't exactly deer like either. His mouth was very large, his teeth dolphin-like and his tongue very long. I supposed that was why he hadn't been afraid of me, everyone here seemed to be strange.
"Where am I? Where's my mummy?" I asked timidly, not looking him in the strange face. It's rude to stare, that's what mummy always said.
"Well little one, I dunno where your mummy is, but I sure do know you're in The Endless Forest."
"Oh..." I said, even though his answer confused me. "Ok..." and I set off again. Endless forest? What did that mean? Why did he say the instead of an? It must be important. Mummy always said that if something was 'the', then it was important.

I walked around the pond and followed a stream. There was a bridge with more giant candles but I didn't cross it. I didn't want to get more lost then I already was.
I continued to follow the stream until I realized the air was suddenly thick with fog. The fog was very thick but I could still see through it, especially because my eye was so big and there was light up ahead. I followed the light to find more giant candles around a big brown stone statue that looked like it was crying. There was a giant deer sleeping in front of it, it was way bigger than the others. Was it really sleeping? It looked really badly hurt! I approached it, ignoring the foul stench that was seeping from it, and as I did a terrible scene flashed through my mind. I saw a dark shadow, a flash of silver and a blood curdling scream of a woman. A searing pain in my left eye, then in my heart. I couldn't remember anything else, not even my name. Only that scene, and how wonderful my mother had been.

I hadn't stopped walking and I tripped over the big deer, my heart lurched and I thought I was going to collide head first with the crying statue, but I fell right through it into a tangle of reeds. I emerged from the statue, my knees shaking and my heart pounding. I didn't even realize that my pelt had changed it's colour to a mottled red, this place was too weird. This place was a nightmare. At this time I finally knew I was dead. I wasn't where I used to be and I would never be able to get back. If mummy wasn't here, that must have meant that the man had gone away and she was safe. When would I see her again? When her time came, would she come here too?





I ran, I ran as fast as my thin little legs could move. I tripped a few times, still not used to my body. I left a trail of salty drips behind me, crying like the statue I had fallen through.






I found myself back to the beginning, those weird statues leering at me as if I was a fool.
Had I gone in circles? No... I couldn't have. That's what that tiger deer had meant when he said 'endless'. No matter which direction I went I'd end up back at the beginning. I was trapped here.



You can call this forest 'endless' and 'magical', but only I know it for what it really is.