Forest Secrets

"So you're from the Main Earth? What's it like there? How did you arrive here?" Probed a young woman sitting across from us at the dinner table, she had bright purple eyes and long wavy green hair. Everyone's style here was very different than where we were from; I also noticed some people had wings tethered to their backs which seemed odd to me.

I gulped down the strange purple drink I was sipping with slight hesitation, it tasted of strawberries and something else I couldn't put my finger on. I smiled at the woman who was scooping potatoes on a young boy's plate.

I told her all about "Main Earth" and how we got here, and answered some questions she had about the place.

"Well you will like it here, it's like main earth but you'll find some obvious differences yourself."

"I'd like to make a toast!" The man who brought us to the dinner hall exclaimed from the front. I nudged Josh who was deep into reading the manual he was given, he glanced up at me and I pointed at the front.

"This place is a joke." He muttered under his breath.

"Why do you say that?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know, but we'll find out."

"Welcome one and all, the Four from Main Earth are here and I extend my deepest welcome to them; and I expect the rest of you to be on your best behaviour. Now first things first, you'll find under your plates is the weakly oath. Please read it to yourself; and when you are finished come up and grab a chip. Hold on to it until tomorrow, and the results will be forwarded to your homes."

I looked under my own plate and saw a small piece of paper with a strange language written on it, the woman across from me told me it was the language of their people; known as Pollintorne; she pressed the paper and it changed in front of my eyes to English.

Mine read: 'I oath to become one with the clouds; and to belong to the earth.'

"What does yours say?" I asked Josh who figured out himself how to change it to English.

'I oath to learn to make peace with my demons; and to slay my strengths.' He chuckled after he read it; and ripped it in half.

"Sounds like a load of bulcrap." He said watching the people around him get up to go to the front of the diner hall.

"Mine said something about digging a hole, and burying my soul." Andrea told us shrugging at her paper.

"Four from Earth; please come up and grab a chip; you will discover the meaning of it soon. Come quickly."

I glanced at the others who got up with hesitation and made our way up to the front; a large basket was in front of us with small orange chips, Josh reached into the basket first and pulled out one. When he touched it; it turned a green color and started beeping quietly.

"Ah, yes; you would be the one to pick the rare chip." The man holding the basket replied, his wings behind him flapping slightly.

"Whatever that means." He replied under his breath and turned to me. "They seem pretty serious about this shit." I nudged him and he walked off to the side while I took my turn to grab a chip out of the basket.

The one I grabbed turned purple and opened up; it showed a small screen and an image of me as a young child. I gasped in shock and closed it as quickly as I could.

"Where did you get that?" I asked slightly scared.

"All the information of those who reside here –Including you four- is in our database." He replied handing it back to me.

"Well that's just creepy." Josh said glancing at me; he looked slightly annoyed about the entire situation. "Yeah, if you excuse me; I'm over this place and me and my friends will be leaving."

"You can't leave." Someone from the crowd said getting up and stepping in front of us. "Not until the four tasks are complete."