Page 2 of Mushy Stuff (Guardian Mates #1)

Several hours earlier.

It’s the weekend, and I am determined to get out and explore my new town. I want to make the most of the time I have before I start my new job.

I moved here two weeks ago from the city; the same city that I have spent my whole life in. I’ve only known life around the hustle and bustle of a lot of people and cars and buildings. I’m tired of that life, so I’m starting something new.

I’m slowing down and stopping to smell the roses.

I’m going to find my most authentic self here, and I think I have found the perfect place to start.

My very best memories as a child were from before my mom’s illness, when we went to the cabin in the mountains for a couple of weeks at the start of summer.

Well…okay, it was more of a villa than a cabin.

Our Serenity Villa, to be exact. I didn’t care about the villa or the shiny appliances or the big televisions like my parents did.

I just cared about exploring the woods around me.

I would get up in the morning and wander all day. I found so many exciting things. There was a creek nearby, and I could always find little frogs along the banks.

There were always interesting mushrooms everywhere, just waiting to be discovered.

I always brought a camera to take photos of them.

I’m sure my mom and dad were annoyed that our cameras ended up filled with pictures of mushrooms, but I just love them.

I know everyone thinks it’s weird, but I’ve loved them my whole life.

I don’t know why; I’m just drawn to them.

I’ve looked around on all the socials and checked around town, and I think I have found the very best spot to go foraging for mushrooms. I’ll have to drive about an hour away, toward the mountains. There’s a big forest there and people have reported finding tons of mushrooms.

Most people that forage for mushrooms are finding edible ones to eat, but I’m too afraid to try that. I just enjoy taking pictures of them.

People did mention not to go too far into the woods.

They said there is a small creek that I would need to cross to continue going deeper into the woods.

They warned me that when I reach it, I need to turn back.

People were really adamant that I should not cross that creek, but…

I mean… really? I’m not that worried about it.

I don’t plan to go deep into the woods anyway.

I pack up my phone, a battery power bank and charging cable, some snacks, a bottle of water, and a towel. All of it fits nicely in my favorite sling bag that is shaped like a mushroom. Once I have everything that I need, I lock up my apartment and get on my way.

I’m so excited that I can barely contain it, so I sing along to all my favorite songs to help pass the time while driving. Before I know it, I’m at the parking lot for hikers. My car is the only one here, but that doesn’t bother me. I lock it up and head out on the trail.

This forest is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. It feels ancient and powerful, and looks mystical. I walk for a while, enjoying how peaceful it is.

I haven’t seen any mushrooms yet, so I decide to leave the trail to find them.

Safety is important, so I keep the trail in sight and try to follow its path from a distance.

As soon as I get away from the trail, the forest comes alive.

There are so many small plants. It takes me no time at all to find the first bunch of mushrooms. Then I just keep finding them.

As soon as I stand up from taking photos of one, I walk a few feet and there are new ones.

The longer I look, the more interesting and beautiful the mushrooms become.

I get completely lost in my excitement, and I take tons of photos and even do a few videos to share on social media. I can’t forget to make content for my MsMushyStuff followers. I try to do a live video, but my cell service is terrible out here, so I just stick with things that I can upload later.

A few videos later, I look up and realize there is a creek right in front of me.

It must be the creek that everyone warned me about.

I look across to the other side. Why was everyone trying to warn me away from here?

I probably should have asked questions about it.

I shake my head though, because I realize that it doesn’t matter what they were trying to warn me away from.

Something about this forest just calls to me.

I feel almost a physical pull to cross the creek.

I look around, trying to see anything that is obviously a danger.

It looks safe to me, so I take off my socks and shoes, roll up my pants, and tiptoe out into the creek.

The water is so cool and feels amazing on my feet.

I was so distracted by the mushrooms that I didn’t realize how tired my feet were getting.

I walk around in the creek for a few minutes to relax.

Then I finish crossing over to the other side.

I get my towel out of my bag to dry my feet off, and once I put my shoes and socks back on, I look around.

Something feels different about this side of the creek.

I can’t quite figure out what it is. Everything looks and feels different, but not obviously so.

How are they different, yet still the same?

That doesn’t even make sense. I try to push those thoughts away.

I’m letting the people from town get in my head and freak me out. It’s just a creek…it’s fine.

I notice something ahead of me that looks like a small clearing, so I start walking towards it.

I pass all kinds of mushrooms, but I’m too focused on the clearing to stop.

I can’t wait to see what’s there. When I reach the edge of the clearing, I look out into a sunny glade and see so many little flowers.

There are mushrooms here too! I start looking around at all of them and realize I don’t recognize any of them.

It’s like it’s a whole new world of plants.

I immediately get out my phone and begin taking photos and videos.

I lay down on the ground carefully to take a few selfies with flowers and mushrooms around me, then I get back up and continue exploring.

I make it all the way across the glade and stop at the edge of it to record a video for my followers.

I switch my phone to selfie mode and find my best angle before I hit record.

“Hi, fellow mushy-heads, you will not believe all the mushrooms I’ve found here!

I’ve never seen mushrooms like these before!

There are so many shapes and colors, and all of them growing alongside each other!

It’s a perfect mushroom paradise. Oh my gods, what if I’m discovering NEW mushrooms!

What if they let me name…” I go quiet as I notice something behind me.

It’s some type of shadow. I stare into the shadows, but I can’t make out anything.

I shake the worry off; it’s probably just a large bush playing tricks on my eye.

I focus back on the camera and pick up where I left off.

“What if they let me name some? How amazing would that be? Oh! Maybe we can do a poll, and everyone can weigh in on the names! Then it would be like everyone…” I see movement behind me in the video, and I go still.

That was definitely something. I’m facing the clearing, so everything behind me is cloaked in shadows and dim.

But I can see a shape there. It’s a shape like a man…

but not a man…and has antlers. It has glowing yellow eyes that seem to be studying my body.

Oh gods, what is this?

It’s a monster.

It’s a monster and it’s going to eat me.

This can’t be real. It can’t be real. I try to keep my breathing even, and I slowly start to lower my phone.

I turn around to look at it, and oh gods.

It’s huge. It’s so tall that I barely come up to its chest. It has large dark antlers, and fur that looks a lot like moss.

But it stands up like a man and has the face of a man. It has menacing looking claws .

Oh gods! It has blood on its hands and arms and smeared all over its mouth and chest.

For a moment I can’t move or make any noise, I can’t even breathe.

Then I scream as loud as I possibly can.