Page 35 of Diluted Truths

I couldn’t stop for long. I couldn’t let him catch up, or maybe I had to catch up to him? I-I couldn’t remember.

Why couldn’t I remember?

I looked around, trying to get my bearings. I was in a forest and couldn’t see past the trees. They were everywhere and towered so high I couldn’t see where they ended. They completely obscured the sky but the moonlight filtered through the branches.

Fuck,I couldn’t stop.

I needed to keep running. I took off through the trees. I needed to run as fast as I could. My thighs burned from the exertion but I kept pushing myself. I could hear footsteps. Were they in front or behind me? Was I chasing someone or was someone chasing me? Why couldn’t I remember? My feet ached, why did they hurt so badly? I looked down to see I had no shoes on.

Why did I leave without my shoes?

“Jackie!” screamed a voice in the distance. It was definitely in front of me. The voice sounded panicked. I must have been running towards them.

That had to be it.

“Hello?” I yelled back. “Where are you?”

“Jackie!” the voice yelled again. They seemed closer. I couldn’t tell if they were.

“Who are you? Where are you?” I yelled as I ran towards where I thought the voice was coming from.

“Jackie.” The voice sounded right next to me. I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn’t find the source of the voice. Who were they? The voice felt familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on who it was.

“What’s going on? Where are you?” I yelled back. I ended in a clearing within the woods. There was a cabin in the distance that was obviously abandoned. There were no doors, and only windows on the second floor. There was a light in one of the windows. It flickered like a candle and was the only source of light nearby.

“Jack, you need to be careful.” This was a different voice, it came from inside the cabin.

Why were they calling me Jack?

I ran to the structure, trying to find some way in. How did he get in there?

“It’s not time yet, you can’t come in yet.” This voice I knew. I was positive I knew it, but I couldn’t place it. Why couldn’t I remember whose voice this belonged to?

I sagged against the cabin, my forehead resting against the facade.

“What do you mean it’s not time yet?” I asked, hoping for some clarity.

The voice sighed. “Always so curious,” it stated, almost to itself. “It’s just not time yet. I delayed it as much as I could. I’m sorry you’re first.”

The voice wasn’t answering any of my questions, just creating more. What am I first at? What did it delay? When will it be time? What was going on? Who was it?

“Jackie!” The original voice yelled, somewhere off in the woods.

I began to run towards it, hoping to at least identify this voice. “Don’t!” the voice in the cabin screamed, stopping me in tracks. “Stay away from him!”

“Him?” I asked.

“That’s all I can tell you. I’m sorry. Just… please be careful, Jack. I need you to be, okay?” the voice in the cabin responded.

I nodded in answer. I didn’t know what was going on, butthis voice felt safe.

Familiar.

Trustworthy.

Slowly, I sat down next to the cabin, wondering what was going on. How did I get here? I must have ran. That could be why my feet hurt so badly. I looked down and saw I had no shoes on. Why would I leave without my shoes?

“Jackie!” screamed a voice in the distance. I looked up, trying to see who was yelling.