Haunted Wood shiny leather in the dark

vague, vague, vague. have no idea where he'd be. you can decide for me! set for July 5

he'd been here a week, but surya didn't know that. the days and nights blended together, considering how dark his new environment was. there was no semblance of time or space, and besides, he was too out of his mind with pain and sorrow to even try to grasp it. all he knew is that he was here—and he would be here for a long, long while.

the moss the woman had given him had helped to mop up the most profusely bleeding wounds, and now everything was starting to scar. surya felt it in every movement, the way the cuts yearned to break open again. he must remain still. he must heal.

his leg, broken. he had tried to walk maybe two, three days ago, but to no avail. his ribs, fractured, and every breath was agony. his tongue, still swollen. every morsel of food hurt to chew, and swallowing was a herculean task.

but the worst was the loneliness. he missed whitebark stream. he missed his brother; he missed aphrodite. he missed having a purpose, an identity, instead of being the injured wretch that had wound up here. he regretted his foolish bravery, misguided, and he hated the girl that had led him into chaos. . .the cat that had torn him to shreds.

he lamented. loathed. languished. there were no rays of sunshine—physical or metaphorical—to be found here. there were only his thoughts and feelings, and the coming and going of medics, and the agouti shadow crumpled on the forest floor.

and so time passed with no way to mark it, and surya healed. . .though slowly. much too slowly.