The Fawn

I awaken, next to some huge stones. Light is burning into my brain, but mist is shifting across the whole forest.

My head is pounding painfully. It's like some horrible headache times ten.

Mommy...Where's mommy?

And why am I in this forest?

It looks like my dream forest...

I wonder.

Pain brings me back to the present, before I can think about that anymore.

My skull feels like it was split in half. The blood is still flowing from the wound and scrapes. My legs feel wobbly... It almost feels like my body has gone through a blender. But I can't remember how this could have happened.

But I'm alive. Definitely alive. Is this how I got here? No...can't be. My memories are vague, but they're telling me that these injuries did not..bring me here.

I try to stand, but instantly fall over. My world is spinning like crazy and I can't keep my balance. I fall down in an ungainly heap, feeling sick. Stupid spinning world. You really need to stop before...

The nausea doesn't go away. It's killing me, along with the major headache I have. And the dizziness. Ugh.

This is all so strange.

I roll over, placing my huge ears over my eyes. That light is hurting me. Luckily, I can still move a bit. Enough to do that much. I can feel myself getting stronger.

I search my mind for something about what happened. But nothing seems to be there. Just then, a fawn runs by me, bleating loudly. I remove my ears from over my eyes. It stops and tries to get me to play with it.

I snap at its leg and it runs off, crying in surprise. Still roaring, great.

Stupid fawn. Stop making people angry.

I groan and finally get up. Everything hurts, but it's better now. I walk slowly towards the pond, stopping to pick up purple flowers.

“Pretty.” I say aloud. There's still beauty in my dream forest after all and I can still appreciate it.

I go to the pond and step into the shallows. Feels good...but the light still hurts. I hang my head. The water is cooling me. Feels really nice. I wonder if I should go play with the other fawns, but I don't. My headache is dulling now. I look up.

Why am I here? I question.

Nobody answers.

--------
The Priest

I awaken and the pain is still there. It's dulling, though, leaving my body. I decide to try and move today. If I don't...

I decide to leave that thought alone.

I get to my knees. Alright so far. Then I shakily get to my legs, for the first time in days. I'm up. There is hope for this forest yet. I smile to myself and walk carefully to the pond.

Everything is aching. The mist blows over me, carefully, nearly caressing me. It's good to be back in the forest of my Gods.

I lose energy quickly and sit down periodically. Every time, I rise again. I refuse to fall. I will not fail, not again. This battle has taught me, reminded me of the past. I am not about to fail, but...perhaps fighting isn't the only option. Perhaps...there are less violent ways. I begin thinking of the demon and stop.

I do not want to think of him now.

I stand again, walk a few more steps, then sit down.

This time, my doubts are surfacing again. I push them away, fiercely.

My doubts are haunting me too.

So I dwell on other things, like that presence I felt while I was in the ruins. Female. Trapped, maybe? I'm not really sure. It was very strange...but she never truly showed herself to me. I just felt her...I'm curious, though I'm not sure why I should help a trapped doe. Well, love all unconditionally. I sigh.

I need to make it to the pond today. I stand again. This is a test of my will, if not by the Gods, by myself. I must prove that I still have some sort of will within myself. I start walking again, slowly. The mists are like a light hand brushing over my back. The Gods must be willing me to do this, I tell myself fiercely.

I finally see the pond and nearly exclaim in joy. I walk around to the shallows, appreciative, and lay within them. The dried blood lifts from my fur and floats away. The water is lapping around me, joyfully, as if it had been waiting for my arrival. I smile, lightly, nearly carefree. I decide that I cannot move any further today and move to the banks, only my head out of the water. I fall asleep in the soft mud there.

“Welcome back,” whisper the winds and the willows.

I smile. There is still hope.

-The Priest