The cruel monster of Everfree

“Damn it, what happened…?” I muttered under my breath, struggling to lift myself off the ground. My hands brushed against something rough, unfamiliar—the sensation of hard, uneven dirt mixed with the itchy prickling of grass. It wasn’t a floor. I wasn’t inside anymore.

Slowly, painfully, I managed to sit up, wincing as my back throbbed. The earth beneath me wasn’t soft like the bed I so desperately wanted to return to. It was firm, unwelcoming. I ached for the comfort of my mattress.

"Where the hell am I? How did I end up here?" Confusion clouded my mind as I looked around, only to be greeted by a strange, vibrant valley. The colors seemed wrong, unnaturally bright, like staring into an over-saturated nightmare that hurt my eyes.

Panicking, I shoved my hands into the pockets of my pants. Nothing. My heart sank. No phone. My lifeline in this digital age was gone. In 2024, not having your phone is like missing a limb. I frantically searched again, hoping against hope, but all I found was a pack of cigarettes, the lighter my father gave me, and my house keys.

"What the hell happened last night…? How did I get here like this?" I wracked my brain, but it was blank after leaving work. The last thing I remembered was getting on a bus to head home. That didn’t explain my missing wallet and phone, though.

Survival? I wasn’t built for this. I wasn’t some wilderness expert or scout. The only knowledge I had about survival came from movies and video games—hardly reliable. But what choice did I have? I decided to start walking, aimlessly, hoping to find a forest or maybe a stream, anything that might help me last a few days until I found civilization again.

Fifteen minutes later, I reached the edge of a forest, sticking to its shadows. I wasn’t eager to lose myself in the dense trees. The fear gnawed at the edges of my mind, but I tried to stay composed. I had to, or I’d lose it. I need my mental sanity, beacuse in the worst-case scenario, no one would come looking for me.

The forest was alive—birds chirped overhead, and I could see rabbits in the distance. It was almost peaceful. But that also meant I wasn’t the only hunter out here. Nervously, I picked up a sharp stone, jagged enough to resemble a weapon. It wasn’t much, but at least I had something to defend myself.

By the time evening crept in, I was exhausted. My feet screamed in protest, not made for long treks in these city shoes. Luckily, I stumbled upon a river snaking downhill, but exploring it would have to wait until tomorrow. I drank cautiously from the river, praying I wouldn’t get sick.

With the sun setting, I set about gathering small, dry branches, anything that looked like it might catch fire. It took me longer than expected, and by the time I felt I had enough, the sky was already dimming. If video games had taught me anything, it was that hunting at night would be a dangerous, foolhardy endeavor. So, gripping my makeshift stone weapon, I ventured cautiously into the forest.

Hunger gnawed at me, even though I wasn’t usually someone who ate much. I knew there was no way I could take down a deer or a boar with just this stone, but maybe a rabbit… or even a field mouse. I walked for what felt like forever, finding nothing, when suddenly, a sharp squeak broke the silence.

A rabbit. It stood there, its back turned, probably foraging. My heart raced. This was my chance. My hand trembled as I held the stone. I’d never hurt an animal before, and for a second, I thought it would be like a video game. But this was real. This creature was alive.

My hand shook, doubt flooding my mind. I didn’t want to miss, but with a burst of desperation, I hurled the stone.

It hit. The rabbit yelped in pain, a brutal gash splitting its head open. But it wasn’t dead. Limping, bleeding heavily, it tried to escape. Guilt and nausea swelled in my chest. I didn’t even feel hungry anymore—I just wanted to end its suffering. I chased it down as it stumbled toward a burrow, and before it could disappear, I threw the stone again.

The rabbit collapsed, motionless. Was it dead? I approached, only to find something that sent a cold shock through my veins—a basket of berries next to the body.

“What the…? What the hell…?” I recoiled in horror. Rabbits don’t use tools. They don’t make baskets. This had to be a joke, some kind of sick experiment.

"Hello? Is someone filming this? If so, this isn’t funny! Are we making robots this advanced now?" I reached down to touch the rabbit, half-expecting it to feel artificial. But no. It was warm, furry, and the metallic stench of blood hit me hard.

“Oh god… it’s real…?” I dropped the rabbit, shaking, and stared at the burrow. Inside, there was a tiny door. A door.

“Shit… SHIT!” Panic gripped me. I wasn’t just a animal killer now—I had killed something intelligent. This wasn’t just an animal. It had a home, a life. Trembling, I set the basket down near the burrow and picked up the rabbit’s lifeless body. I needed to return to the firewood I’d gathered.

As I walked back, murmuring apologies under my breath, I noticed something eerie—the once lively forest had gone deathly quiet. The birds had stopped singing, and the creatures had vanished. Was it because the sun was setting… or were they hiding from me?

I reached my makeshift camp near the river and lit the fire with my lighter. The flames crackled, casting dancing shadows over the rabbit beside me. Darkness settled in fully, and with it, the grim reality of what I had to do.

“It’s just an animal… just an animal. Only humans are sentient, right? It’s not conscious. It’s… it’s just a rabbit,” I muttered to myself, trying to convince myself as I placed the rabbit on a rock. With trembling hands, I raised the stone and struck its head again, before clumsily beginning to skin it.

Hours passed, filled with tears and disgust, and when I was done, I had a poorly skinned rabbit, ready to roast. I wasn’t sure I could even eat it, but I had no choice. After securing it over the fire, I went to the river to wash the blood from my hands.

The cold water bit into my skin, but it couldn’t wash away the guilt. I splashed my face, feeling the freezing water drip down, and looked up at the sky, desperately searching for any sign of an airplane or some clue that I wasn’t truly alone here.

“Is that… a horse on the moon? I thought the stories said it was supposed to be a rabbit… A rabbit.” I whispered bitterly to myself. “Where am I? What is this cursed place…?”