Return To Me

Chapter 3 - Wait... How?

"Oh Tal~ Come out come out wherever you are~" Ratna said in a singing tone. Fauna turned to me putting her finger on the tip of her nose, signalling me to be quiet. I tried to keep calm but my heart beat was getting faster as I can hear the click clacking of her heels growing near.

I looked at Fauna, her eyes were glowing blue, I guess she's telling me to teleport out of there.

She mouthed 3...

Ratna's footsteps are getting louder. I'm guessing she's very near.

...2

"Hmm, where could you be~" I'm imagining Ratna grinning while she said that. Her tone was really devilish

...1

Then poof  leaving blue dust Fauna vanished.

"BOO!" Ratna cackled in front of me. "AAAHH!" I shouted, closing my eyes and clenching my fists.

I slowly opened my eyes Where am I? I thought. I saw the clouds hovering behind this magestic looking mountain. I blinkled twice to check if I wasn't hllucinating, and the scenery was stil there. I pinched myself, and it hurt. "Guess this is real." I whispered to myself. I look around more and I was standing on snow, beautiful pine trees are below me, analizing where I am, I seem to be on top of a snowy hill.

Then it hit me. The clouds behind the mountain, pine trees below this hill I'm standing on with snow, "HOLY GOD OF EMERALDS! I'M INSIDE A PAINTING!" I screamed happily.

...wait... How am I supposed to get back to Fauna? I guess the more logical question here is... Why did I teleport here??? I know I saw this scenery somewhere... But where?

Questions kept flowing back into my mind. But now all I can see is the sun going down, the sky turning a beautiful orange-y yellow, and it was getting real cold.

I don't even know how to survive on my own.

How am I supposed to stay alive?!

The first thing that went on my mind was to grab sticks and make a fire.

I went down the hill I was standing at and looked for fallen branches and sticks. A lot  of the ones I found were covered in snow so I just tried to get those off and put them in a pile under a tree.

Great! I gathered all of this... Now what?

I'm no expert in surviving, but I think I need to create some kind of friction with two sticks to make a fire.

I grabed two pieces of sticks, rubbed them both together and... nothing

I tried again but with two different sticks and... nothing

It was already dark and it is already freezing cold. I'm going to die here alone aren't I?!

I tried one more time, I grabbed two pieces of sticks, rubbed them together and still nothing!

I might as well give up at his point!

No food, no water, no light, its freezing cold...

Oh hold on a minute.

God I'm stupid. I whispered to myself face palming. I could try using my gem.

I held up my hand near the pile of branches and sticks, I command you to set these twigs on fire.

I was staring at the pile for what seemed like an hour. I placed my hand back down and the gem instinctively went back to where it was. I closed my eyes shut, clenching my fist. Then all of a sudden, I felt somewhat warm.

I slowly opened my eyes, and there was a fire! 

I don't know what to feel, feel proud of myself? Or should I be sad knowing I can't get out of here alone.

I ripped off the train of my dress and used it as a bed so that I won't have to directly sleep on the cold snow.

***

The sun shined on my face, forcing me to wake up. My hands were numb from the coldness of the ground and the fire was gone. Are there any food here? I thought to myself, standing up.

There were some bushes around the area I was, so I went there and inspected the bush. No signs of berries or any food-like thing that I can eat here.

I searched for more bushes and found a bushh with some berries! I rushed over there to take a look. The berries were, purple? I'm not sure if they are poisonous or not but I'm not taking my chances.

I saw this strange pathway-like road behind that bush. I followed it and ended up finding, a village!

There are actually people living here? I thought to myself.

I rushed down towards the busy looking village. As I got near a lot of them were giving me looks. Never happened before, I almost took it as an insult.

I saw this nice-looking lady with a fur jacket with a blanket on her back. "Hi, sorry to bother but coould you spare me some food?" I asked. The woman looked at me like I was some freak, and just walked away. 

Ok that was just rude. 

There was another guy sitting outside a tent behind a warm fire. "Hey sir,  I'm sorry to bother but could you pleas spare me some food?" I asked. "Ay, back in me ol' days, we worked hard for our food." The man said then took a bite out of the food he was eating. "Please sir, at least just a little bit of food?" I asked again, but the guy was just crunching on his food, ignoring. I got the hint, sheesh.

I asked around and still, no one even bothered to give me at least a tiny bit of food.

It seemed like hours but I reached a final tent at the back of this village. It looked like someone  was in  there. "Hello? Excuse me?" I asked. The tent's zipper opened and a guy was there. "Um, I'm sorry to bother, but could you please spare me some food?"

The guy looked at me, top to bottom, I felt awkward. The guy went back into the tent. I sighed, and as I was ready to leave, the guy went back out with two pieces of bread. "Take it." He said with a deep voice.

I reached out my hand to grab it, but he took it back. "But you have to tell me why you're here, Princess Natalia."