NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: A Different World
The twig snapped again, closer this time, jolting William from the paralysis that had gripped him since his abrupt arrival. He forced himself to move, scrambling backward, away from the sound. But as he moved, he began to notice his surroundings with a new intensity. This wasn't just any forest. It was a symphony of the extraordinary, a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of the familiar and the utterly alien.
The trees were immense, their trunks thicker than any he'd ever seen, reaching towards the sky like verdant skyscrapers. Their leaves, a vibrant, almost luminous green, formed a dense canopy overhead, filtering the light into an ethereal glow that painted the forest floor in shifting patterns of light and shadow. It was as if the very air hummed with life, a palpable energy that thrummed beneath his skin. These were healthier than any forest back on Earth, more vibrant, more alive.
He pushed through ferns taller than himself, their fronds unfurling in intricate, fractal patterns that seemed to defy the geometry he knew. Flowers in a riot of colours he'd never encountered bloomed in abundance, their petals shimmering with an otherworldly dew. Some were delicate and star-shaped, others resembled trumpets of vibrant blue and gold, and still others pulsed with a soft, internal light, like tiny, bioluminescent beacons. He saw flowers that resembled roses but glowed with the faintest blue light, and others that looked like lilies but unfurled to reveal intricate patterns like a peacock's tail. It was a breath-taking display of biodiversity, far exceeding anything he'd witnessed in his own world, even in the most pristine areas or the most exotic botanical gardens. It was clear that whilst this new world was similar to his own, it was also vastly different. William was certain that he was no longer on Earth, or even if it was Earth, it is one very different to the one he knows meaning that he would need to learn and re-evaluate everything from scratch.
And it wasn't just the environment that appeared different. He felt... different. Stronger.
As he moved, he realized he wasn't as winded as he should have been, given his initial panic and the challenging terrain. His limbs felt lighter, more responsive, imbued with a newfound agility. He leaped over a fallen log, a moss-covered behemoth that would have winded him in his previous life, with an ease that surprised him. He, William Shard, the data analyst who spent most of his days hunched over a computer, whose idea of exercise was walking to the coffee machine, was actually displaying a level of athleticism he hadn't possessed since his teenage years, if ever. He felt healthier, more alive, than he had in years. Perhaps it was the air, thick with the scent of a thousand unknown blossoms and the tang of rich, fertile earth, or the water he'd cupped from a crystal-clear stream, shockingly cold and invigorating, that had splashed onto his face and down his parched throat. Or perhaps it was something else entirely, something magical, something woven into the very fabric of this world.
His newfound physical prowess, however, did little to calm the growing unease in his stomach. This enhanced vitality was just another anomaly in a growing list of impossibilities, another data point that defied explanation. He was a man who sought logic, who craved the comfort of quantifiable data, and this world was a symphony of the inexplicable.
He continued deeper into the forest, drawn by a primal need to find shelter, to understand where he was, to impose some semblance of order on this beautiful chaos. He ran his hand along the bark of a tree, marvelling at its texture, rough yet strangely soft, like ancient, living stone. He picked a leaf from a bush with broad, spade-shaped leaves, unlike anything he'd seen before in any botany textbook or nature documentary. He examined it closely, noting the intricate network of veins, the way it seemed to absorb and reflect the ambient light, the subtle shimmer that hinted at an unusual composition. His analytical mind was working overtime, trying to categorize, to understand, to find a pattern in this beautiful chaos, to decipher the details of this new world. He took another leaf and crushed it between his fingers. It released a sweet, almost citrusy scent, that was completely new to him. He took another leaf and placed it in his pocket, his mind already racing with questions. Was it medicinal? Poisonous? Did it hold some other, unknown property?
As he looked around, taking in the full panorama of his surroundings, he realized there were no signs of civilization. No buildings, no roads, not even a hint of a trail worn by human feet. A chilling thought crept into his mind: Was he alone here? Was he the only human being in this entire world? The thought was both terrifying and strangely exhilarating. To be the sole representative of humanity in a world untouched, unexplored, unknown...
However, that thought only lasted a moment as that's when he heard it. A strange, guttural cry, somewhere between a shriek and a growl. It was close, and it was coming closer. The sound sliced through the tranquillity of the forest, a jarring note of discord in the symphony of nature. Listening carefully, William could hear the footsteps coming closer and closer, one step at a time. From the footsteps, he could determine that this creature was smaller than him and running reasonably fast unfortunately definitely towards his direction.
He froze, his senses on high alert, his earlier observations forgotten in the face of immediate danger. Based on the speed on the footsteps, William wasn't confident he could outrun it, so his best chance was to stand his ground and defend. He gripped a sturdy branch he'd picked up earlier, its weight a small comfort in his hand, his makeshift weapon feeling utterly inadequate against the unknown threat that lurked in the shadows. Holding the branch like a sword, he was preparing to swing it at whatever jumped his way.
Suddenly, a creature burst from the undergrowth, screeching as it charged. It was small, barely reaching his waist, with mottled green skin and large, pointed ears that twitched nervously. Its beady black eyes, filled with malice, were fixed on William. It wore a tattered leather jerkin, more patches than garment, and wielded a crude club – more like a thick stick, really – with surprising ferocity. A wave of recognition washed over William, despite the surge of adrenaline that flooded his system. Though this was the first time he had ever seen such a creature in the flesh, he knew what it was. In his many hours spent devouring fantasy novels during his youth, losing himself in worlds of magic and monsters, he'd read countless descriptions of creatures just like this. Small, malevolent, and often found in forests, lairs, or ancient ruins, they were almost always referred to as goblins. This creature, with its green skin, pointed ears, crude weaponry, and undeniably hostile demeanour, fit the description perfectly. It even resembled the illustrations he'd seen in some of the more lavishly produced editions. He'd always found a certain escapist pleasure in those stories, a way to momentarily leave behind the rigid logic of his data-driven world. Now, faced with a real-life goblin, the reality was far less appealing.
The goblin lunged, swinging its club wildly, its movements jerky but surprisingly quick. William reacted on instinct, fuelled by adrenaline and his enhanced physicality. He sidestepped the attack, the club whistling past his ear, a near miss that sent a fresh wave of fear through him. He swung his own branch, connecting with the goblin's arm with a solid thwack.
The creature yelped, a high-pitched, almost comical sound, its grip on the club loosening. But it was relentless, driven by a primal aggression that seemed out of proportion to its size, a ferocious intensity that belied its diminutive stature. It came at him again, faster this time, its beady eyes narrowed in fury.
William parried another blow, the force of the impact jarring his arm, sending vibrations up to his shoulder. He was stronger, yes, but the goblin was agile, a creature perfectly adapted to this environment, and surprisingly strong for its size. He danced back, trying to keep the creature at bay, using his longer reach to his advantage, circling, looking for an opening.
He managed to land another blow, this time on the goblin's shoulder. The creature stumbled but didn't fall, its momentum briefly checked. It snarled, its eyes burning with fury, a low growl rumbling in its chest.
Then, in a flash of movement, the goblin darted forward, lower this time, feinting left before lunging right. William reacted a split second too late. He felt a sharp, searing pain in his left leg as the creature, instead of using its club, bit down hard.
He cried out, more in surprise than agony. It was like being bitten by a small, rabid dog. He stumbled backward, losing his balance and falling heavily to the ground, the breath knocked out of him. The goblin, still latched onto his leg, began to thrash its head, worrying at the wound, trying to tear into the flesh like a wild animal.
Panic surged through him, raw and primal. He had to get it off. He raised his branch to strike, but hesitated, momentarily stunned by the ferocity of the attack and the warm blood soaking through his trousers, staining the forest floor a dark, crimson red. This momentary pause, a flicker of indecision in the face of brutal reality, gave the goblin the upper hand. With a snarl, it released his leg and launched itself upwards, aiming for William's exposed throat, its crude club raised for a final, decisive blow. Its eyes gleamed with what could only be interpreted as triumph, as it prepared to deliver the killing strike.
Knowing the next attack from the goblin could be the end, William struggled with all his might, managing to push the goblin with the branch from an awkward angle causing it to roll over and away from William. However, it was but a moments reprieve, as the goblin quickly got up and raised its club preparing for the next attack knowing that its prey was on its last legs. As William got up, he knew that things looked grim, and that his next move might be his last, but he didn't give up, he wouldn't give up, he needed to think quickly to give himself the best chance to survive in this new cruel world.