I started playing The Endless Forest a couple of days ago, and I must say, this is a very interesting game! It's very calming and mysterious, and I love that in a game like this! Then I decided to join this community to create an outlet of sorts. I've looked at some of the artwork on this page, and I'm quite envious of your skills! I'm almost afraid to post anything here, but I hope I'll be able to create something you'll like too.
I wrote this story based on how I experienced my first few hours playing the game. Yeah, I don't usually write all that much, let alone stories like this one, but I just couldn't let this slip. I apologize if it is a bit "meh", as I said, I don't write a lot. I don't really understand the wonders of the forest and its sacred places yet, so my interpretation of it all so far might sound a bit weird *shrugs*. This is at least how I see the game, and that is all that matters, right?
Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy it, if anyone will read it at all. xD

PS: English isn't my first language. Just keep that in mind if you should stumble upon any obvious errors in this text. ^^;
PPS: I'm aware of the messy layout. I suck at these kind of things. T_T

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I opened my eyes. All of my senses were activated at once, and I was startled by all the sensations. The grass beneath me felt soft and damp, while the air carried so many strange sounds and smells. I stood up carefully and looked around. My vision was dark and blurred, but I could still make out the great trees standing tall and the green grass stretching far. This was definitely a new place, a place completely unfamiliar to me. I couldn't remember where I had been before or how I got to this strange new world, but I knew that I had never been here before.

My body felt heavy. I tried to take a few steps and move my legs for a bit, but I was really clumsy, as if I didn't have full control over my body. I paced around the spot were I had just woken up as I looked around. My eyes started to adjust and I could see even more of my surroundings. There were pretty flowers in the grass, critters climbed up and down the trees, insects flew through the air. I took a deep breath. There was water in the distance, I could smell it. Something inside me, probably my instincts, told me to set course towards this smell, as I could feel the thirst itch in my throat and since I didn't know where else to go.

It was truly a very exciting experience to walk through this strange forest. I could hear so many different sounds from every angle. There were flies buzzing around me, and I swear I saw a bird that was following me, flying from tree to tree while chirping loudly, observing me. Perhaps it thought that I looked peculiar and was curious of me, or maybe I looked like a threat and it tried to shoo me away. I couldn't tell what it wanted either way. There were loud shouts and grunts in the distance, presumably from other deer. This made me even more excited, but also a bit concerned. I couldn't recall meeting with any other deer, as I didn't remember any past events before that particular day. What were these deer like, I wondered.

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I could hear the running water as I approached it; a pond by a small river. I spotted a few tall deer with large antlers on their heads by the riverbank. Most of them were just lying there, some fast asleep, while others ran by in a hurry. They all looked really strong, and they could probably hurt me badly without much effort. I tried to thread carefully as I didn't want to disturb the ones who were resting. I dipped my front hoof into the water. It was cool but refreshing. Then I lowered my head and was greeted by my own reflection. There, in the water, I saw a deer, but without any antlers or big muscles. A fawn. I could never be able to hurt anyone, let alone defend myself in case I was attacked. I thought I looked weak, and began to wonder when I would start to grow a pair of antlers of my own. I began to drink. The cold water running down my throat felt incredibly satisfying, and I stood there sipping water for several minutes.

Just as I finished drinking, I could hear someone approaching me. I turned around to see that it was a deer walking towards me. It was much bigger than I was, which frightened me. I didn't know whether he was going to greet me, like me, disapprove of me, hurt me, or just drink some water from the pond. It didn't take long before he stood right before me, looking down at me as my feet were stuck to the ground, unwilling to carry me away from this scene. His scent was overwhelming. I could tell that he was a strong, powerful and mighty creature just by breathing in his presence. I still couldn't tell what his intentions were, and all I could do was lower my upper body and bow down to him. Maybe he wouldn't hurt me if I simply showed him respect. I could feel my whole body stiffen in fear as I wondered what he would do to me. After a few seconds of staring at the big deer's hooves, I got up and waited for his reply. It seemed like he studied me for a moment, before he nodded. He then went to drink from the pond. I assumed that this was a sign of his approval. What a relief.

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I decided to find a place to sleep. I was already feeling pretty tired, even though I had been awake for only a few hours. There were some trees along the path that I ate from and rubbed my side against, and this made me feel like I was truly beginning to adapt to my body and to this world. Then, I spotted a huge tree in the distance, much taller and wider than any of the other trees. A big oak. It looked really old too, as if it had been standing there since the dawn of time. The smell of old bark seemed almost inviting, and I trotted towards it to take a closer look.

As I got closer to this mysterious tree, I started to feel a bit strange. A pressure inside my head was building up, and I could hear a low hum coming from within. The many sounds of the forest became a soft and enchanting lullaby. It felt as if I was already in deep slumber, wrapped up in a warm and protecting womb. I had no idea how I was still standing on my feet, being as drowsy and sedated as I was, but it felt like something held me up and kept me going for the tree, as if there was some invisible force leading the way. I wasn't entirely sure of what this force was or why I felt like this, but I knew that I was connecting with it somehow. I wasn't scared or confused. This felt right.

I could see that the tree was hollow with enough space for several deer to sleep inside. I stuck my head inside for a brief moment to make sure that I wasn't waking anyone, but there were no one there, so I found myself a fitting spot where I could rest. This was truly a very comfortable place to be. Not only was the tree a perfect place to sleep, but also a sanctuary. I felt safe there. It felt like my spirit connected with the tree, at least that's the only way I could describe it. One with nature. I thought about how I had woken up earlier that day, found my way to the pond and the meeting with the deer. This was truly a mysterious place, but I liked it. Before I knew it, I was in deep slumber, binding with the forest.

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