Living Among Supernaturals

Chapter 1

In times like this, Lana wished she was never born in this world. A world where women are seen as inferior than men and no more than bed warmers for them. A world where money and fame is all it takes in order to survive, having a job in order to make it everyday, and people with mental disorders are discrimated for simply being not what they are exptected to be by the society.

"You have nowhere else to go Miss Psychiatrist, the end of this alley is a wall." The man chasing her shouted with a booming laughter which only accelerated Lana's speed. The man has been stalking her since last week. The first time she saw him was when she moved apartment in that block a week ago and she approached him to ask for directions. He was sitting with some other friends and her mistake was not observing before approaching them. As a psychiatrist, she was supposed to have known what's wrong with them and that was only when she was already before them. They were drug and s*x addicts having a get-together just outside her apartment building. She backed away immediately after asking her question as she saw how their eyes ravaged her body, she turned away without waiting for their response.

"You should have listened to us first before turning away that day." He reminded her of that day which she agreed mentally because she really has no idea where she's running off to. Despite hearing his first warning, she still continued as fast as she could not trusting him, he must be lying.

The alley got darker as the spotlights ended a few meters away. She couldn't see what's beyond the dark corners but because of her fear as to whatever the man could do to her, she was determined to go on further and so she went. She walked and walked and that was for almost ten minutes, never did she stumble at anything. She reached out her hands to feel the walls but she can't feel them and so like a blind person, she still continued with smaller steps making sure that she wont step on a hole or any trap. She also realized that she cannot feel the man's presence behind her, neither his footsteps nor his frightful voice.

There was no end to that blinding darkness even as she tried to blink many times to test her eyesight, she might be dreaming but no. Fear crept into her skin as she imagined the worst, they must have led her into their trap and now she's sorrounded by them. What is the alley actually led to an open area? But no matter how she tried to use her eyes, she couldn't see any light or any color aside from black nor could she hear anything even at least the flapping of mosquito wings.

She was about to stop when her right foot which took the last step felt something different. She waved it in the dark trying to feel what touched her skin then leaned down to touch it.

"It's grass!" She exclaimed as she went further crawling in the grass. Then suddenly as if she pressed the switch, everything around her glowed and fireflies flew around and all kinds of night creatures were heard. She stared with awe at the sudden spark of the environment.

'This couldn't be a dream.' she thought. This sight can only be seen from a century ago, not even the countryside has this in this millennium so what more in the city? She tried to catch a firefly to see if it is real and it was, the tiny creature glowed on and off in her palm as it crawled slowly.

This is too good to be true and too good be gone so Lana run in the grassland with the faint light from the moon guiding her. If this is a dream, she would take her time to enjoy it. Nature is a gift which only few people are able to enjoy and living in the city only made her longing for such rare sight grow. She went further and further taking off her sandals and stepping on the soft grass, her feet taking her to who knows where.

The fireflies are as countless as the stars in the sky. As she went further, she did not realize that she had already entered the forest. The trees are tall as if all trees in that forest are siblings of the giant red wood tree. Lana paused to take it all in, she should record them all in her memory so that she won't forget them when she finally wakes up from that dream.

She was reluctant to take a step into the woods as the moon's brightness can't reach the base, foliage is very thick but just as her foot stepped on the forest floor, as if she pressed another switch making all creatures in the forest awaken. Glowing mushrooms of different kinds and sizes, some fruits from the trees glowed at the top as if they're substitute for the stars, and there were also dragonflies and butterflies of the night.

As if guiding her, the fireflief formed a line illuminating a pathway. Lana's joy was overflowing, she wanted this dream to come true or if not, to never end. She wished the whole world could see this and appreciate how beautiful nature was instead of tall towering buildings glowing at night, one firefly is still more beautiful than that, one tree is more full of life, and the sound of crickets are more melodious than any music human could ever compose.

She went on as the fireflies led her into the dephts of the woods. As they went further, the air became denser and creepier. There were as if eyes all around her watching her but the fireflies never left her. She is getting exhausted, she estimated walking for over an hour already but the forest seemed boundless. There is no water or food with her and she's getting thirsty and hungry. She thought, 'Do I get hungry, thirsty, or even feel pain in a dream?' as she pinched her cheeks, it all felt so real.

Deciding not to waste any more time, she continued walking until she reached a stream. She could see the blue waters as if there's an attached lighting at its bottom like the pools in the real world. She bent to take a scoop of the water and it didn't disappoint her because her palms were filled as it immediately ran out in her hand. She scooped again to test if it can be drinked and it was, the most refreshing drink she's ever had in her life the difference is that it's a dream. Lana was so tempted to dip her feet in the waters and have a bath in them, she could feel and smell her sweat and it is making her uncomfortable. So sure that no one is there beside her, she stripped her clothes off leaving her only with her underwears and swam into the pool. Even the rocks are beautiful. Taking a scoop from the bottom of the stream, her eyes went wide seeing precious stones in her palm. If the people from reality would come to this place, noy even the tiniest stone in this stream would be left.

Rinsing her hair, a sudden flapping of water scared Lana as she backed out away from the waters. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she watched where the flapping came from. That was a massive one, it cannot be any fish, it is from something bigger. Then her eyes found it, a beautiful creature that men from reality only saw from stories, a woman with long silky hair flying in the air like a stream with fins in her back and fish tails instead of feet.  Lana watched bewitched by it's beauty as it sat on a big rock and slowly transformed into a normal human being, just like her. She was now clad in a simple satin dress which perfectly hugged her curves and hiding her private parts but her n*****s stood out as the two dots are still visible in the fabric, but overall, she was like goddes with skin glowing and smooth as porcelain.

Lana tried to hide in the bush but the woman suddenly speaked, same tongue as her.

"Why do you hide in the bush woman?" Her voice are sweet and music to Lana's ears but she had no time to close her eyes and take it in with what the woman meant. She didn't move thinking that the woman must be speaking to someone else.

"Are you lost in these woods my lady?" She freaked out when the voice suddenly spoke behind her. The woman that stood five meters away from her down the stream now stood behind her back. Up close, Lana could take a good look at the perfection of the woman before her. She is smiling, the sweetest smile that may kill anyone with diabetes. Lana blinked unbelievably as she stared at the hands offered to her.

'If I can feel her hand, this is no way still a dream.' She thought as she reached out to take the woman's hand. When she touched the woman's fingers, as if her hands are charged with electrical energy, the woman let her go wiggling frantically. Lana couldn't believe though that she could feel the other woman but when she looked at her face, there was shock and confusion. She looked at Lana as if she's someone to be feared from.

"I don't recognize you, where are you from?" She asked staring into her Lana's common brown eyes, the woman had green orbs of peridot color.

"I'm from Earth, where else would I be from?" Lana answer e somewhat sarcastically but also confused.

'Is this another world, is this still earth?' She asied herself because there is no way she's still in a dream for almost two hours already. If this is reality, where would one find glowing creatures and a half fish half human who could transform into a beautiful woman?

"I've never heard of that place, must be from another continent." The woman muttered eying Lana properly.

"You have red hair and a normal body but you have immense power, do you have a name?" Lana furrowed her eyebrows, she can't comprehend with what she said, if this isn't earth or dreamland then where in the galaxy is she?

"I'm Lara." She gave a short answer.

"I see Lara, you seem lost in my woods. I can guide you out of here." The woman offered giving her a genuine smile.

"You forest?" Lana asked, confused and the woman nodded.

"I'm Arlan, the protector of the Arsland forest. I plant tress, guide lost travelers, and kill those who come into my forest with mischief." She introduced. A guardian of the forest, how beautiful.

"Nice meeting you Arlan, your forest is very beautiful." Lana complimented, it was really beautiful beyond compare. There is nothing like this in her world.

"Thank you, it's my responsibility to make it beautiful." Arlan humbly responded as she led the way.

After few minutes of walking, Lana could already see rays of light coming from half a mile away. Arlan stopped and faced Lana with a smile, a farewell smile.

"I can't go on any further, the rays of the sun will vanish me along with this forest." Arlan said making Lana sad, she expected Arlan to see her off in the exit.

"Well then I'm off. Thank you for your help, may your forest live forever." She said before turning around to the clearing taking a last glance of her newfound friend. When she reached the clearing, the blinding rays of the sun met her immediately making her close her eyes and slowly open it again to take it in. Her jaw dropped at the sight, there was a wall of waterfalls in the other side, much wider then the Niagara falls and higher than Angel falls. There were big creatures flying in the sky, not just dragonflies but real dragons. From where she's standing, she could see more beyond the montains and hills and at the end of what her eyes could see is a glimmering area. If only her eyes could zoom in more but human eyes have their limits and all she could see is a shining thing from far away. Then she decided, she will head to that place.