Fallen Identity

As I was waiting for 7 o' clock to roll around, I started to recall the 7 months I was gone and started to remember things I had forgotten. Starting with what happened after I woke up on that park bench...

A hand nudged me awake. I looked up in the kind eyes of a stranger. I blinked a couple times, trying to get the sleep out of my eyes and sat up.

"Can I help you?" I asked in english, momentarily forgetting where I was.

The stranger was a woman who I assumed homeless based on her apparel of ragged clothes and bedhead hair. She had on your average bag lady clothes but no shopping cart nearby, or any bags for that matter.

"Home," the bag lady said and pointed to the bench. I didn't know what she said at first because it sounded like she said 'ome' like she was meditating or something.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I yawned and got up. She gave me a small smile and a pat on the head. She opened up her jacket and took out a small silver-looking chain and placed it around my head so it layed firmly around my neck.

"Um, merci," I said and gave a sort of half-bow before backing away and then running. Now I know why everyone said to stay away from bag ladies.

I made my way over to the forest that was so conveniently placed right next to the park I was at. There was a sign with a map on it and I read it as best as I could. I guess my french wasn't as good as I thought it was.

I headed into the forest anyway, rubbing my arms at the slight chill that the early morning brings. I kept following the trail until I got to a two-way path. There was a post with an arrow pointing down one path and another arrow pointing down the other path. Now I'm Alice in my very own Wonderland. I had a sudden urge to yell out for the White Rabbit.

I looked down the path that was facing east and the one facing west. They both looked the same but I felt something surge within me when I looked down the path pointing to east. Guess I'll follow this path.

I started following the path and about ten minutes walking, a weird sensation came over that I couldn't explain. I looked back and couldn't see anything except the woods. I stopped and took a look around and only saw trees. Dead trees.

They looked eerie with their bare limbs and gray trunks. I tried to find a glimpse of sunlight but everywhere I looked, another tree was right there. I tried to shrug off the weird feeling but it seemed to be glued to me. I kept walking, hoping maybe the end of the path would be close.

As I delved farther into the forest, I could sense something strange about the air. It tasted weird. Like sweet honey.

I stuck my tongue out and sure enough, the air tasted like honey was just dripped onto my tongue. The trees were becoming less bare and more.. colorful. Leaves of purple and blue appeared on the branches. The path was forming into, if you can believe it, neon orange grass. It felt like I really had entered a Wonderland and was waiting for the Chesire Cat to appear on a tree branch and say his famous line, "Were all mad here."

"Do you like it?" a whispery voice echoed from behind me. I turned around to see nothing but the bright trees.

"Who's there?" I managed to cough out before more confidently yelling out, "Show yourself!"

I felt like one of those paranoid girls who hear something and then wander down in the basement, knowing something was down there.

"It's beautiful. Different than what you are used to, yes?" the whispery voice said again and seemed to be coming from all directions. I gave up trying to figure out where it was coming from and just answered it's questions.

"Yeah."

"It's yes, sweet child. Manners are even approved here in the Emfria," the voice whispered softly, as if right in my ear.

"Yes," I replied, almost as if I was being controlled. I didn't know what to do so I raised my hand awkwardly as if I was in a classroom, trying to ask my teacher a question.

"What is it, sweet child," the voice kindly asked.

"What is Emfria?" I asked as politely as I could.

"Emfria is the very essence of your being. This place is bright and colorful because it is where your true heart lies. You noticed the baren trees when you arrived. That is the rest of your soul, held captive to the other realm," the voice explained. It took me a couple minutes to absorb this new information. I reached down and picked up a small purple-blue leaf, twirling it in my fingers.

So I must be inside myself. How is that even possible?

"It's possible because you're possible," the voice whispered. "Haven't you heard the phrase 'Anything is possible, if you just believe.'"

"Anything?" I asked to myself. I looked up and saw a shadowed figure off into the baren trees. The firgure was a male from what I could tell since he had a muscular structure. When I caught his eye, he disappeared, leaving a black, smokey shadow in his wake.

I turned back around and found myself in the normal forest, with the leaf still clutched in my fingers. The two paths stood before me and this time, I chose the west path.

I noticed something very strange about my eyesight. I suddenly had a stronger sense of... awareness. I could tell when a squirrel was about to cross my path and when an acorn was about to fall from a tree. I picked up a stick and aimed from a small scratch on a tree and fired. I looked to see the stick perched in the scratch perfectly.

"Lucky shot," a voice murmured behind me. I turned to see a young boy about my age with golden brown hair and honey colored eyes. His eyes immediately reminded me of that sweet air. Emfria.

"Who are you?" I asked, with a hint of courage in my tone. Only a hint.

"Emery," the boy, Emery, replied.

"I'm Car-"

"I know who you are. I think everyone here does," Emery smirked and added for no reason, "Carter."

"Who's everyone?" I asked and then said just to twerk him off, "Emery."

"Why... everyone in the forest of course. You haven't left yet." Emery winked and then disappeared behind a tree only to reappear from behind a different tree ten feet away.

"How-?"

"Magic," he replied sarcastically and wiggled his fingers for added effect.

I looked down at the ground and watched as a simple, brown leaf started to hover up until it was at eye level. I watched as the leaf took on the same color as the leaf in my hand.

"A cover for the human eye," Emery whispered lightly as the leaf turned back into the brown color.

"Do you have a cover?" I asked suddenly.

"Everything has a cover, something to shielf themselves from the rest of the world. Lucky for you, your cover is here. Your own forest," Emery said and ran up a tree as if it were the easiest thing in the world to do. "Well? Are you going to come up or what?"

"I-I can't," I stammered and looked down, ashamed at my own weakness.

"Sure you can. Just try," Emery gave me a small smile and said, "I won't laugh. Promise?"
I nodded after a moment and then tried to climb the tree. I got about a quarter of the way from slipping off. I attempted a couple more times but only got the same result. Emery slipped off the tree easily and landed on his feet as if her were a cat.

"Here," he held out his hand, "I'll help this one time. You'll be able to do it soon though."

I looked into his honey-colored eyes and could feel like I could trust him. I took hold of his arm and then before I knew it, I was sitting on a tree branch at the top, looking down at Emfria. My own forest.

I saw a small clearing that stood out from the rest. It was the only colorful part for miles and miles while the rest was just.. dead.

Sadness washed over me as I looked over my own forgotten woods. I could only imagine the beauty it truly held.

"Not a pretty sight, is it?" Emery asked.

"No," I replied honestly. No sense hiding the obvious truth. "How can I fix it?"

"You live," Emery whispered and then I found myself sitting on the floor, in front of the two way path once again. This time I turned back, out of the forest. When I finally reached the small park, I could see the bag lady sitting on the bench, playing with a purple-blue leaf. I turned around and saw the plain forest glimmer into my forest, but only for a second.