Wait, are you Micearenice? Just checking because I'm hoping nobody's controlling Jaaws against the creator (Micearenice)'s will.

Kimi~

After I've gone a good way into the woods, I stop to catch my breath. I've only been going deeper, and everybody knows that 'deep', when speaking in terms of the Decoy Forest, is a one-way trip. I'd better start actually making some progress.

I turn nintey degrees and run straight on from there. Pretty soon I see a giant rockslide in front of me, spreading left and right like a wall as far as the eye can see.

Common sense tells me that there aren't any cliffs around here to create a rockslide.

The irrational part of me that's being affected by the Decoy tells me there's no way out.

I clamp my eyes shut and approach the rockslide. If I can convince myself it isn't real, I should be able to walk through it. But I've already looked at it. I'm already halfway under its spell.

I then trip over a root and fall forwards. The only way to save myself from cracking my head on the rocks ahead is to open my eyes to see where I'm falling...and it's too late when I remind myself that the rocks aren't real. I've already opened my eyes. Those rocks are as good as real now.

I don't feel worried, because I was never supposed to feel worried. Instead, I begin to try and scale the wall. Unfortunately, each rock is covered in a slick, wet, mossy substance that makes it hard for my feet to get a hold on them.

A few hours later, I reach the top, but the top's not much better than the bottom. A huge, rocky clif face looms up above me. Why hadn't I seen it before?

"BECAUSE IT'S NOT REAL," I yell, and shove myself into its side. To my surprise, I fall right through it as if it were nothing. Both the cliff and the rockslide vanish and I find myself in a free-fall.

I quickly lean towards a thick, tall conifer tree and stick my paws out, trying to grasp its bark. The tree vanishes.

With a frustrated yell, I straighten myself and prepare for impact.

I hit the ground hard, and stars spin in my vision as I topple backwards. I lay on the ground for a few minutes, waiting for the spots to disappear and for my breathing to return to normal.

When I stand up, I feel dizzy, and my legs feel like they're two giant bruises. I stumble over to a tree, which I lean upon. Thankfully it's real. Or it's pretending to be.

I rub some medicinal oil on my legs, which I had packed in my bag earlier. While I'm applying it to my feet, I hear someone in the forest ahead.

I don't dare look up.

"Oy!" says the person.

I keep my eyes down. Rule number one in the forest, never trust anything anyone ever says except for when they're telling you rule number one. Most of the time the people in our camp were Decoys anyway. There's really no escaping them when you life in their domain.

"Are you lost, little girl?"

Well, that makes me look up. Instantly I regret falling for his insult. No--I squash the feeling. No room for regret here.

It's a human. I've never, ever, ever seen a human. He's dressed in armor and he's riding a horse.

"Call me little one more time, Decoy," I snarl.

The human laughs. "She thinks I'm a Decoy!" he says. Then his face grows more serious, and he stares into my eyes searchingly. "How do I know you're not a Decoy yourself?" 

Short post! 

Kimi~

I start limping away from the man, too annoyed to say anything else, when he infuriates me further.

"Stop right there."

I turn to look at him, then scowl and keep limping away.

"I said stop, in the name of the law!" he repeats.

"Since when has the Decoy Forest followed any laws?" I mutter loudly.

"Since Catastrophe took over. Or didn't you know? And I'm supposed to take in any beings seen around Jokull, whether they're decoys or not. We can't risk a breach in security."

"Jokull? I'm near Jokull?" I ask, forgetting the rest of his words.

He laughs and hops off his horse, brandishing a sword. "You bet you are. Now you're coming with me."

I growl angrily. "Yeah right."

Kimi~

The struggle takes place quickly; silently--and before I know it, despite my fighting skill, I find myself handcuffed. What do you know, if it's not the forest holding you hostage, it's the first real human you meet.

As he leads me through the woods, I can't help but feel unafraid. I can't make myself realize that this is the real deal. I keep waiting for him to disappear and leave me stranded, alone and lost, in the middle of the woods. But it doesn't happen. It feels like a dream.

I'm really only curious as to where I'm going--not frightened, not apprehensive. What's a Catastrophe? Why is he at Jokull? I've never been kidnapped before. It's kind of fun. Shouldn't I try to escape?

No, I want to see what's going on. The only way to know is to go with him. 

I've seen Jokull at a distance once before--that was the one time I saw a glimpse of an open field that wasn't this tight, dismal forest I'm used to. I always thought Regina lived there, but I guess I was wrong...unless someone captured her. Huh. Maybe Catastrophe is her pet. Why would a reindeer have a pet?

Pretty soon, Jokull looms out of the distance like a jagged cliff on a misty shore. I can see more guards stationed around the mansion, and to my surprise the walls are covered with strange graffitti. Is this all one big illusion? Or is it real? I shake my head. Those kinds of thoughts make you crazy. Always assume it's a decoy.

The guard yanks me off the horse and drags me into the mansion. It's chilly in here, even colder than the outside. I shiver as I'm led down a darkened hallway. A different kind of evil resides here.

-------------

It's only after I'm locked away in a prison cell I realize I should've struggled. Why didn't I? Why did I let him take me?

Maybe I'm curious about what's here. After all, I've only ever known the forest. I wanted to leave in search of safety, and though this isn't exactly safe, I also left in search of adventure. This is definitely adventurous.

I'm not sure prisoners usually smile when they lay down on their hard, dusty prison cots, but that's just what I did as I sat down to process this new event in my life.