Lost

By Julian Osejo

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I do not recall what had happened to me prior to this night. When I try as hard as I can to remember my past, my mind is only filled with fog. I don't remember anything, including my name and who I am.

All I can remember is waking up all alone in the middle of a dark forest surrounded by snow. I couldn't see anything, and I was freezing. There were strange noises everywhere; I didn't know if it was the local wildlife or if there was someone else in the forest with me. Whatever it was, it filled me with fear.

There was light in the distance, and I was in such a hurry to get out of the forest that I followed it in desperation. It led me to a small town filled with people celebrating what looked to be a holiday. There was music, food, and activities, but most importantly, there was joy in the environment. I approached one of the locals in hopes that she could help me or at the very least tell me where I was. But when she saw me, she froze with fear and called me a monster. The other locals turned their attention toward me, and they began to scream and run.

I was even more confused; I began to wonder what made them so scared of me. I looked around, and they were all gone; everyone took shelter inside their homes, all except for one. There was an elderly man standing at the center of town. He signaled me to come over.

"How come you didn't run away, sir?" I asked.

"In all my years of life, I have witnessed horrifying things," the man replied. "And you do not even compare to those things. I have no reason to run."

"The townsfolk ran away because they're afraid of me?" I asked. "I don't understand; what makes me so terrifying? I mean no harm to them; I come in peace."

"When was the last time you looked in a mirror?" the man asked.

"I do not recall, for I have no memory of anything prior to this night," I replied.

The man laughed.

"Please follow me," the man said.

He led me into a small inn. The guests inside only started as I walked in.

"Don't you have something better to do?!" the man exclaimed. "Quit staring at my guest!"

The guests ran off to their rooms.

"I apologize for that," the man said. "Head down that hallway; there is a mirror at the end of it."

I headed towards the mirror. When I saw my reflection, I was horrified. I wasn't sure if what I was looking at was even me. It was a terrifying skeleton with pitch-black eyes. I was frozen in fear; I couldn't move at all. Once I managed to calm down, I began to move my arms to make sure what I was looking at was me. The mirror reflected my every movement; the skeleton really was me. I returned to the man; he was waiting for me to return, and he had a key in his hand.

"Now you see why they're all scared of you," the man said.

"I don't understand," I said. "How is this even possible?"

"It truly is odd; I've never seen anything like this," the man said.

"Does this mean I died?" I asked.

"It seems like it; something must have brought you back to life, but not in the way anyone would hope for," the man replied. "It must be something supernatural."

"No wonder everyone is scared of me," I said.

"And it won't just be here," the man said. "Wherever you go, people will be scared of you. You're a walking corpse."

The sadness I felt was tremendous. Not only did I lose all of my memories of the past, but I finally realized I was something unnatural, and wherever I went, I would be feared and seen as a monster, even though I meant no harm to anyone.

"Here, take this," the man said.

He handed me the key that was in his hands.

"I can only help you for tonight," the man said. "You can sleep here. I am not going to throw you out to sleep in this freezing weather. By tomorrow at dawn, you need to get as far from here as possible. The townsfolk don't want you here, and I'm afraid of what they may do to you."

"And where will I go from here?" I asked.

"I am not so sure," the man replied. "But I know that one day you will find a place you will be able to call home. For now, please rest; you have had a long night." "Thank you, sir," I said.

I went off to the room. It was a small room; it had a small bed, a desk with a chair, a sofa, and a bathroom. It was nice and cozy for the little time I would spend in it. I went straight to bed and tried to fall asleep. However, there was so much on my mind, and it only kept me up at night.

Eventually, I did manage to fall asleep, but I hardly got any rest. I got up right at the brink of dawn and made my way out of the inn. I searched for the elderly man to part ways with him, but he was nowhere to be found. Not long after, he walked in.

"Oh, you got up when I told you to," the man said. "I was afraid I would have to wake you up."

He had a coat in his hand, but I could tell that it wasn't for him.

"Please take this," the man said. "It will keep you warm in this cold, and the hood will allow you to hide your face so you can blend in with the people you come across, and with that, they won't be so afraid of you."

He handed me the coat, and I immediately put it on. He then handed me a bag full of supplies.

"It has food and water so you won't starve or go with thirst on your journey, that is if you can," the man said. "There is also a tent and a lantern so you can shelter whenever it gets too late and there isn't a town nearby."

"I cannot thank you enough," I said. "You have been nothing but kind to me."

"The townsfolk are about to wake up. It's best that you get going now," the man said.

I parted ways with him and made my way out of the inn. I got out of the town as fast as I could, and I continued on my journey. Wherever I would go, I would not be welcomed. It would take a while before I could find a place to properly call home, but I don't know where I'm going.

My only guide is the road. I will be feared everywhere I go. No one will choose to be by my side on my journey; they would rather run away. Until I can finally find a place where I belong, I will take this journey both lost and alone.