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PROMPT #1!
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly stared and was doing her best impression of catching flies. She was not sure what she was looking at, but there was no symmetry and she was pretty sure eyeballs were not supposed to hang like that. Thinking it was no longer working, she was in for a fright when the dangling eye swiveled to watch her movement. To say she was freaked out was an understatement. She crept back one step. It followed. She gulped. One more step back, and again it pursued her, but equally slow and measured. She offered a prayer up to the sky. One step to the right, and again it scooted in her direction. Her life may have flashed before her eyes. If you were to ask Cloud Jelly how she thought she might die, this was not it. Not by a long shot. She new furbodies were unpredictable and highly adaptable, but not once did she think they were foretold in her death like some sick joke of the swamp. She breathed in and steadily blew it out to ready herself. She was going to make a mad dash. Leaning forward for the stick to her side, she grabbed it with her teeth, flung it at the odd familiar and ran like a bat out of a cavern come feeding time.
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly was a fool. She managed to escape the odd furbody with the dangling eyeball, but now found herself in a new horror show. Now she was surrounded by multiple eyes of different shapes and colors in a cave. They watched her every move and she tried to think of what could be worse than a stalking furbody. Several stalking furbodies? Was this her fate? Was she doomed to be followed and possibly eaten by furbodies for the rest of her life and afterlife? She was certain they would follow her to the beyond. And if she were reincarnated, she probably would be a furbody. Circle of life or something like that right? The swamp had one sick sense of humor. She could try to quietly backtrack, but by now she was certain her hammering heart gave her away. One step in front of the other, she found her way back and hoped that when she crossed the cave's entrance, that one-eyeball dangling furbody would not be there. She asked for but one mercy. It would kill her to find out she was sandwiched between two horrors. She knew that it was the time of frights, but this was too much even for the swamp!
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly was convinced she was in a neverending nightmare. First, she escaped the one eyed furbody only to find herself in a cave surrounded by many eyes. Now, she found herself face to face with a tree with scarily large claw marks. Whatever made those marks, she hoped to never find out. She first thought perhaps it belonged to a totoma or kin with a wicked sense of humor. But no. those were definitely marks of climbing claws with the telltale hook. And so she backed up to warily look up the tree. She wasn't sure what would be worse- finding the large creature or finding the one-eyed furbody. Alas, she didn't see anything, but it didn't mean she was alone. Unease crawled up her spine and the space between her shoulder blades itched with awareness. Something was watching her. She tensed and backed up. She paced to think through her options. So far she could not go back the way she came, nor the cave. Surely there was another option. A slow rustle of a deliberately dragged tail told her thinking was over. She bolted. Cloud Jelly ran through the dark grove with her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. Something nipped at her heels, but she ran.
Spoiler
That was definitely a bite. Cloud Jelly risked a look back and saw smoke, shadows, and of course one pair of eye. This one was at least symmetrical so it wasn't her previous foe, furbody of one dangling eyeball. Thank the swamp for small mercies. She ran, but her steps faltered as the distance between her and her attacker grew until she was alone. Sweat broke out, but it was not the one of exertion but the primal fear that something was happening in her body. She felt her body flush out fluids from all ends and her vision blurred. Cloud Jelly collapsed to the ground, unease at the lack of hiding spot at her forefront while the rest of her body spasmed in pain. She wished for a quick death, but it did not come. So this is what growing pains must feel like. The sickening crunch of her body warping out of symmetry was too much on her. Pain exploded behind her eye and her vision clouded over. One was dark while the other had a film over it. It would be her luck if one eyeball fell out. Poetic justice it would be called. She closed her eyelids and hoped to all the stars that both eyeballs were in where they were supposed to be at least.
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly knew she was not dead because she could hear the wailing and it was nonstop. Eyes crusted with sleep, she opened and blinked to find it was still dark. The sky did not offer much light or perhaps it was blocked off by trees. It didn't feel musty like caves. Cloud Jelly took comfort in the fact that wasn't dragged to some cave or creature's home. She probably was where she collapsed. A small pile of dried leaves amassed around her sleeping form. She tried to sleep, but the voices were not accommodating. The wails were endless. She opened her eyes to peer around but again, she heard nothing. But the cries hid a sinister secret: footsteps were coming her way. The leaves beside her were brushed aside, and a rumble was issued forth. Fear had her frozen. She could not move, not even to lift her head to see who or what it was. She tried to open her eyes but the irrational part of her said not to. if she didn't see, it did not exist. She quivered. Her tail was the first to move and then it was her hind and then her forelegs. Slowly she crept up and by the time she valiantly got up and opened her eyes, she was alone.
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly was not alone. This was becoming a theme. Would her horrible night ever end? Was she stuck in a neverending nightmare? Was it because she made fun of the furbody with the droopy eye? Was this retribution for some unknown slight her younger self gave? Because when she looked into the dark, a pair of fangs grinned back at her. Those were killing teeth. Large and blindingly bright in the gloom, Cloud Jelly quickly got to her hooves and swished her tail in greeting should it be a friendly creature. Silence met her. Nope. She didn't need another sign and quickly skedaddled out of the area. She ran as if her hooves were on fire and water was nearby in reach. She ran and only once did she look back. The teeth were closer, the shadows obscuring the entire being. She blinked. Was it nearer despite her increased speed? She looked forward and ran deep into the night. If she faltered, she was certain it would catch her and she was not on the menu tonight. Cloud Jelly looked to the starless sky and gave a quick prayer of supplication to whoever would hear it. She did not want to become food for the nameless creature that hunted her.
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Her prayers were answered and a tunnel opened up in front of Cloud Jelly. She sprinted towards it with her second wind. She rushed at it so quickly that her horns almost scraped the opening while she crossed the threshold. This tunnel smelled differently from recent ones so she took comfort that it was a new path. It was not musty, she heard water, and the fresh air meant an opening was somewhere to be found. She would not die in this pitiful cave. Cloud Jelly looked for where the air currents moved, hoping to find the exit. She bypassed some glowing mushrooms. No carcasses or spoiled food could be smelled. Water fell on her pelt occasionally. The current gets stronger and she walks towards it. Finally, she sees light near the nebulous edges. Excited but cautious, Cloud Jelly goes forward. Finally out of the cage, she looks back for good measure. No fangs greet her, but she knew better than to let her guard down. She would not be alone. Prudent, she ran ahead to get far far away from this place. Her hooves pounded the sand that led her to the nearest copse of trees. Magnolia branches heavy with blooms, she breathed in the scents.
Spoiler
A respite was not meant to be, no matter how fleeting. Light tugged at the periphery of her vision and she saw orbs through the trees. They lingered and as soon as she caught sight of them, they moved out of her sight of vision. She tracked them with her head. On a whim, she stopped. The orbs backtracked until they were firmly in her field of vision before veering off. Message was received. it wanted her to follow them. But to where? She obliged since it seemed like she wouldn't get any peace and quiet any time soon and much to her relief, the orbs were headed in the direction of opposite of where she came from. She follows the orbs and on a merry chase they led her. From trees to changing terrains, the soft loam of the forest giving way to craggy rocks up a slight slope before sneaking around a small ravine with steep cliffs. The orbs led her on an easy pace and never far out of her eyesight, their point made quite clearly. They wanted her to follow and that she did. She did not stop for water, nor did she feel the effects of exhaustion which made her think this was a dream.
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And that's why they led her to where they did. She heard the rattling of bones and wouldn't you know it, as soon as she came to the scene, they vanished into thin air. The orbs' job done, their purpose complete, she was alone once more. Except for the pile of bones that rattled, whatever it was in them refusing to die. She sighed. She was in for a long night. This was payback surely. For something egrigious if only she could remember what it was. Maybe then she could make amends and be out of this hellish landscape. She couldn't remember so she asked the pile of bones. "You there. Cease your wailing and tell me what's wrong." Silence met her and she wasn't too surprised. She ventured closer and kicked at the pile of bones. Still no response. She tried screaming at it. She switched tactics and talked at it, asked a few questions. Finally she gave up and made to move. She was tired, she wanted to rest. Cloud Jelly was not a fan of this dream or this adventure. She had her fill of it and if only life acquiesced. She walked down the slopes rather annoyed.
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The bites were the first thing Cloud Jelly noticed. She looked down, bugs crawled up her leg. Surely it was too much to be alone and the wailing pile of bones had given her a souvenir. She looked down at the "present." She ran to where the brook was, hoping to immerse herself. These bugs were the nasty biting kind and she wasn't sure what a tick was, but she had heard of them. And they were not good news. They could leave infections or lingering disease. Cloud Jelly had half a mind to tell off the orbs if she saw them next. She knew there was more to the wailing pile of bones. Cloud Jelly refused to be a plague rat. She submerged herself into the freezing water, her chattering teeth be damned. If it was miserable in the frigid stream, she hoped the bugs were just as upset and hopefully dying. Finally, Cloud Jelly could take it no more and took to the shore to shake off excess water. She was cold, the night's wind cutting to her bone. She was fed up and let loose her own wail to the night sky. From orbs to grinning fangs, she was never alone but now she had fleas. This was a step too far.
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly was tired from the previous excitement and after shaking off most of the water, decided she was due for a bit of rest .Lying down in a divot of sand, she closed her eyes. After a short period of time, she opened them, took a good look at her surrounding and noticed with some clarity that her hole had very specifically spaced holes around the larger hole she was in. She got out, delicate to not disturb the deliberately placed indentations in the sand. She reared back. She was in a giant footprint. She didn't understand or fathom what large enough creature could make such a mark. She looked around and now that her eye knew what to look for, realized that there were other similar footprints of various age and placement. So whatever it was, it was bound to come back and this watering area was a regular haunt of it. She wasn't alarmed just yet, but just pleasantly puzzled. She wondered if it made its home in the water, up in the mountains or far away. She wondered about its migratory pattern. But that was for another day. It was prudent she hightail it out of there should it come back and considered her a threat.
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly went to the woods with much enthusiasm and zeal. Rested up from her brief catnap on the sand, she embraced the darker foliage of the woods. It would offer her protection from prying eyes and should she be chased, she could lose them in the endless sea of woods. Cloud Jelly loped lazily and looked back at the water she came from, noticing that her path was obscured. She stopped. Those were definitely woods moving. They were closing up behind her. She wasn't completely surrounded, but she was enclosed and she did not want to stick around to see what would happen if the trees got closer. Once again, because she could not remember how many times this long time she had ran, she galloped like the best of the kiokotes on the plains. She was an acha and was built for dexterity and not endurance, but she could be fast and wiley when needed. Executing evasive maneuvers, she ran in one direction and kept at it, mindful of the trees closing in on her. She would not lose herself to these woods. Her bones refused this place as her final resting spot. She ran and ran, hope in her heart keeping her footsteps light and one step ahead the closing forest.
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly's journey was coming to an end. She was faltering in her endurance and breathing was labored. Up ahead she saw a glow beckoning her. It belonged to a cave. It was not similar to the previous cave. She briefly wondered had she entered into a pocket of strange reality with the first cave. And if so, perhaps the exit was a different cave. It was either that or succumb to the growing forest and its hungry growls that joined it. It was a dodgy assumption but she was out of good options. Cloud Jelly ran to the cave, slowing down as she entered the lip. It wouldn't do if a loose pebble took her out. She had come through so much to expire just now. She kept a brisk pace through the cave, wondering where it would take her. At least the glowing mushrooms offered her much needed seeing light to keep her footsteps steady and true. Water slipped through the sides, but the air felt fresh and cool. It wasn't a dead end. There was at least one opening ahead and if she were lucky, she'd find it before she perished. She was losing her optimism at an alarming rate with all these nonstop adventures.
Spoiler
After a journey through the cave, she finds the other entrance. An eerie glow descends on the landscape and she knows she is seeing a different sky. This one beckons with a red moon ahead, low on the horizon. If she were taller or in the mountains, she was sure she could touch it. It glowed like blood and with that, a chill ran down her spine. It was an ominous sign. She wondered what it woudl bring her. She left the cave and walked out in a path with soft undergrowth and followed the winding way. She passed through brooks, fallen logs, and what looked like a fertile crop of strawberry plants late in the season. She passed by pumpkins and thorns. She looked to the sky. The moon followed her, but she paid it no heed. It was nice to have a companion and this one was practical in that it shone light. She could see her steps and the path in front of her. Clearly there was a destination in mind, but she followed the path. If she was lucky, maybe a white rabbit would lead her. She wasn't lucky. SHe continued on, whistling a tune to pass the time.
Spoiler
Eventually the blood moon leads her back to the sand, but this sand is softer and drier than where she came from. It had been many lifetimes since a body of water sat near it. A strong gust of wind unrelenting in its pressure descends on to the area. It blows the sand around revealing ancient ruins in its wake. A door or entranceway can be found. In its previous life, it must have been a wonderful structure. Now it laid forgotten, half collapsed but stubborn. The theme of the night seemed to be unexplored spaces. Cloud Jelly had already visited many death traps and freaky caves. What was one ancient crumbling ruin? If she got lucky, she might find some rare items, valuable stuff, or lose her life. She could also escape better for it with fantastic stories to share with everyone. Yes, that would be ideal. The weather was cooling, perfect for gathering around the fire to tell stories. Throwing caution into the raging wind, she went through the thresshold of the ancient ruins. If she were honest with herself, she enjoyed these adventures. She liked this wild side to her that normally lay dormant. She found some bones that were much too big to be anything she knew. She kept the smallest one.
Spoiler
The ancient ruins give way to a little grove in its center. Blu skies atop, Cloud Jelly did not understand how it was possible. They were in the middle of a dessert. She saw it from the outside. It was a crumbling ruin covered in sand. Beige on beige surrounded their view. And yet, an open area in the middle of the ruins with a generous view of the sky and thriving lush trees. A small pond splashed to life nearby. Nothing about it made sense and with each step, she was sure the acha had found herself in an endless dream state. Might as well get used to it and enjoy what it has to bring. She was tired of running from things anyway. Soft soil met her hooves and she sunk by the pond to enjoy its soothing sound. Little fat fish swam to the lip to say hi. She paused to nap and leaned back on rocks that were pointy. Not quite rocky sand, she looked over her shoulders. Crows. Many many of them and all long dead. Sun bleached bones looked back at her and someone had piled them neatly around the pond. Someone who could still be around given how neat and tidy this place was.
Spoiler
Alarm prickled down her spine. And that was her sign that playtime was over and she had overstayed her welcome. Just because she trespassed, she might get away with some bruises, but the more she lingered, the surer her demise would be. Careful to not disturb the resting places of the crows, she gingerly got up and followed her footsteps. She had to get out quickly and without alerting whatever it was that made its home here. Cloud Jelly wasn't as slick as she thought bc soon she heard the growls and she was being chased. It was so kind of this monster to wait until she had a bit of rest. She rolled her eyes and pounded the sand, eager to get out. She was chased through the ancient ruins, out the door and up a steep cliff. Up and up they wound while she frantically searched for a hiding spot or a new path. The culmination of their chase is a cliff edge. She had a choice to make- either she faced the monster or off the side of the cliff she went. She looked down. It was deceptively shallow of a fall. She jumped down to the lake.
Spoiler
Cooling waters embraced Cloud Jelly and her aching limbs. The heat of the sand scorched the underside of her hooves, so she enjoyed the change in temperature as she looked up. No one was on the cliff and she gave a small prayer to the stars that the monster would not follow her. If the last place was any indication, lingering was ill advised. She looked around for the shore and made her way towards it. The waves near her rippled and with dawning dread she realized that's not a log and she was at the clear disadvantage in the waters. She moved slowly, the current fighting against her. Her lungs and limbs screamed in protest. She had to make it to safety. After everything she went through, she'd gladly take a missing limb if it meant she was still alive. The "log" with two eyes advanced on her, lazily swinging its tail. With startling clarity, she realized it was playing with her. Kin existed for the amusement of whoever sat in the sky and watched below. It may have moved at a leisurely pace, but she swam like her life was on the line and her tail was on fire. Water seeped into her lungs and up her nose, but she didn't care. She had a clear target in mind and it was the safe shores.
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly collapsed onto the wet sand before flopping to her side and staring up at the moon. At least that's where the tiny sliver should have been, but a huge shadow blotted the hanging thing. And the shadow was close. Adjusting her eye she noticed it was a huge canine of some type. It drooled and slobbered all over her and she wasn't confident she closed her mouth before a little got in. And wouldn't you look at that. Literally. One eyeball hung out of its eye socket in blatant disregard for the natural order of things with regards to symmetry. It was her old friend come alive in a different form. She could not help but roll her eyes. Same thing, different time, she musts be marked for dead. Suddenly, the canine shifted back on its haunches allowing her to swiftly roll to her side and upward. She stared and it stared right back at her. Finally, it sniffed, pawed the ground, and fled into the nearby forest. That was strangely anticlimatic. It was almost as if it cared and wanted to make sure she was still alive to continue playing this eternal chase. She laughed a ltitle bitterly. It was fun in a weird way.
Spoiler
Her mind snagged on back to what she thought. How was it that whatever the shifter was, it was finding her. Was she marked somehow? Nearby the water and moon gave her a way to find out. She meandered towards the waveline to peer at her reflection. What looked at her was wrong. It was a passable fascimile until you looked closely and noticed that like how the creature that chased her with its one eyeball hanging lower than the other, her form was asymmetrical. It fit, but not quite right. It was as if she was smushed together in a hurry because it wasn't important that she was her completely. As long as she passed, it was enough. And that was peculiar. Had she done something to be led astray from her life's path. Had she wronged someone? Crossed paths and came out with hexes? She wagged her tail. Wait, that was the wrong motion. She was not a dog. Was she someone being assimilated into what chased her? And that each time they met up, it was merely checking up on her progress? Was this a nightmare where she lost herself and was thus a metaphor for how up until now, she was not living true to herself? This was an existential crisis in the making, but the answer was hovering right at the tip of her mouth. She couldn't quite figure it out just yet.
Spoiler
The sound of twigs breaking under weight pulled her out of her reverie. A shadow moved from the edge of the forest. It moved into the light with a gait that suggested it was a kin. It moved light on its hooves with known of the bulkiness of a totoma or the mad spring that was a kiokote. It didn't slither like the leathery zikwa. It was an acha through and through. And when the moon's rays shone on the other acha, Cloud Jelly was stunned. It was her but whole. Except in the eyes. Cold amusement peered back. Chills broke down her spine. She wasn't sure if she had ever left the ancient ruins in the sand in the first place. Or where her physical body was. She wasn't even sure if she was still dreaming. Had she ever left her body's confines? The other kin came almost abreast to Cloud Jelly and while she looked disfigured and demented, it radiated health. She wasn't sure who was the interloper here or who was the real Cloud Jelly anymore. And when the kin looked at her and smiled, the answer was in how the other acha's face broke in half in a way that no acha jaw could ever. It had the desired effect. Cloud Jelly was terrified.
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly ran. In the back of her mind, she was sure some irrational part of her brain or hammering heart was trying to make a joke about her running from herself, but she couldn't quite process the primal fear that threatened to overtake her mind. And so she ran as fast her limbs could take her. She mimicked the long treks of the kiokotes. While they had the advantage of endurance, she had survivor instincts by her side. She wasn't brave enough to face the imposter that stood on the beach's sandy banks. She ran and ran until her body forced her to take a break. in a clearing were some pink and purple with spots of cream flowers. If she tried hard enough, she could maybe blend in with them. She needed to buy time and process what she saw. Slinking to a place near the middle but offset to the right of where she came from, she lowered her body and tried to get comfortable. Much to her horror, she found the reason for her discomfort at every angle. Goodness, the flowers had teeth. And they weren't the fangs or canines of known ones. No, these were teeth found on kin.
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There was only so much bullshit Cloud Jelly could take before she had enough and teeth was at the top of her list. She got right up, stamped on some flowers for good measure and went into the opposite direction that she came from. Was it so much to ask for a quiet place to process what she just saw?! That acha was that picture of health and youth and yet when it opened its mouth, the lower half descended like a pumpkin broken in half. And MotherFather, the teeth. It was like looking into a sea turtle's mouth. Furious rows after row of sharp teeth. which explained her fear and why she was so over the flowers. Teeth were just nasty and unsettling. Cloud Jelly was still fuming so when she walked into the spider web, she made it to almost to the center before being hit with a silk coddled snack. And by that time, she was pretty much good and caught. Whoever was chasing her didn't have to do much but wait. She was on a self destructive path now that she was having an existential crisis and questioning who was real. Her anger faded as quickly as it came. She stilled and tried to figure out a plan of escape.
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The more Cloud Jelly struggled, the more the webs wrapped tighter around her. If she was smart and thought about it, she would realize it was like quicksand and that direct action would be her undoing. But there was a limit as to how much the mind could take before it fractured or passed the optimal frame of usefulness. She was good and trapped and her thrashings were her fault. She stopped, exhaustion seeping into her bone. She had been running for so long. Would she ever see the sun again? She almost let her fall into despair, but barking jolted her. To her side she saw an eaglehound barking at the center of the web up beyond her sight. It must be where the spider resided or napped. She peered closer to the eaglehound and saw it was her friend in a new shape, the telltale eyeball hanging out from its eye socket. She gave it a grim smile. She was happy to see the damn thing. The eaglehound looked at her briefly before resuming to its indignant barking. Vibrations came from the top and she was unceremoniously dropped. The eaglehound bit at her sides, loosening up the spider silk before running away, no doubt giving her a head start. It seemed to chide her mockingly. Didn't she know how to play the game!?
Spoiler
Cloud Jelly eventually freed herself of the spider silk before continuing on her destination-less journey. She knew not where she was supposed to end up, but had a feeling it was one big game and the trek itself was more important than anything. She would play the game until she figured out all the rules and could escape. And when she did, she would gorge herself on fruit as they were easier on her stomach and fall into a deep slumber. She was near her mental exhaustion tipping point. Eventually some moonlight caught on a trail of ooze. It led deeper into the forest and Cloud Jelly took it as a sign to follow. It was either that or risk running into circles. She would follow it deep into the ground if she had to. It could very well be the path to ending this nightmare. She was at the point she might even walk off a cliff if it led her to one. Just as her thoughts took a dark turn, an unmistakable eaglehound howl could be heard in the distance. Her friend was never far she realized. It herded her in the direction it wanted. So she obliged the trail slime.
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Cloud Jelly follows the trail of slime until it leads her to a place overgrown with vines. She can't even see the bottom of it or what used to be the ground. It was like the mangroves that edged the swamp and water, but green. She took a look closer to confirm her suspicions. Thankfully these weren't vines with rose thorns. It was a wild place of vines fighting for dominance while creating staggering tall structures that blocked parts of the sky. She climbed and tested her weight against the vines. Sturdy and not budging. She would be alright. She climbed and fell some parts, and even enjoyed the bounce the vines gave her. She could jump and it would spring her into the air a very small distance. It was fun. She hadn't expect this turn of events. There were no secret thorns or sharp rocks or sticks waiting to hurt her. She could even take a nap if she wanted to, but something warned against it and urged her to the other side as quickly as possible. It was best if she did not linger. She could take her time, but that was it. Anything more was tempting fate.
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Cloud Jelly meticulously makes her across the jungle of vine overgrowth. As she clears the first half, she notices that she and nearby vines are lifted into the air and it slopes towards the opposite end. Heavy weight has been applied to the exit. She tries to make sense of what the blurry forms are but she's so far away. She's able to see legs. Many, many legs. It's either one or several creatures. It moves back and forth before dipping back into the shadows, and then into the moonlight. Could it be her new friend and had grown impatient with her slow trek? Or was it a new foe? Whatever it was, they knew she was here and was waiting. The vines did not hide much and for not the first time tonight, she wished she could fly. She could escape this hellish landscape but she also remembered her shifting friend and was pretty sure it could fly as well. Would that one dangling eye even be aerodynamic she wondered? She laughed at the absurdity of it and decided that any exit was better than standing in open space. She went closer to the forms and gave a small prayer hoping she was fast enough to escape.
Spoiler
Finally, Cloud Jelly clears the distance and makes it through the forest of LARGE HAIRY LEGS just in time. They scurry to block her entrance but her diminutive frame gave her the advantage for once. She was able to duck through them and dash through the forest before coming to a cliff. She peered over the sides. It was dark down there. It was blacker than black and she had a sneaking suspicion about the bottom. She kicked a rock over the side and strained to hear. Nope. Silence met her. She immediately backed up as much as she could while avoiding the roaminng army of hairy legs. The pit was bottomless. She would bet her last apple on it. She wouldn't be surprised if even all the stars in the world could not shine light to its bottom. That thing probably ate light for breakfast. If she somehow fell, not even her shapeshifting friend would save her. She thought about it. She had grown fond of its dangling eyeball and how it always seemed to be right at her periphery. In another life she might even call it a friend. It was a weird time to be alive that much was true.
Spoiler
The clouds part atop of where Cloud Jelly stands and it's remarkably bright. Nothing in this dream or nightmarae is done without design and intention. She looked up. "Message received." She edged closer to the cliff of the pit but not before checking multiple times whether or not there was anyone or anything behind that could rush at her and push her into what was most likely a bottomless pit. But just near the center she could see a row of fangs. All pristine and pearly white like the moon. They were arranged in a circular fashion. Some would even joke it was a summoning circle. They spiraled into the center and without meaning to, she steps closer and closer, following the maze. Her right foreleg is the first to slip and she finds herself barreling down the bottomless pit head first. She falls for a series of heartbeats that comes into full breaths. Since time had no meaning up there, why should it make sense down here? She falls and falls and at this point isn't sure what she wans more- to fall to death or for it to stop. She supposes it the same thing really. Just an end.
Spoiler
Suddenly she is surrounded by bats. The cloud encircles her from every direction as she's falling deeper into the pit. Even in this weird state of non-death, she cannot be alone. And that's when she has a sneaking suspicion. She strains her eyes to see with what little moonlight punctures through the falling loom. There, just a brief flash, but it confirmed her suspicion. It was her shifting friend and it brought friends. Or perhaps in this form, it was many but still connected to the one mind. One eyeball hanging lower, she was of mixed feelings upon recognizing the cloud of bats. Cloud Jelly struggled for words. Not once did she exchange words or even names. She wasn't sure now was the time. But she was falling and there seemed to be no end to this. "I'm Cloud Jelly." In response, the cloud of bats closed in on her and blocked out the moonlight. She supposed it already knew her name or maybe it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered as she was falling to her doom. She would either starve to death or the impact would kill her. Whichever happened first, she took small comfort in not being alone for her final moments.
Spoiler
The cloud of bats come closer until they are in her face and the flurry of beating wings is all that she can hear. Soft wings kiss her eyelids and Cloud Jelly keeps her eyes closer for the time being. She's fallen for so long that by the time she realizes she no longer hears the wings and their constant activity, she opens her eyes to a familiar scene. She's on still ground. She isn't falling. And she's exactly where she started. It starts small at first. She's still recovering from no longer falling and her heart needs time to adjust. But that small spark blossoms into something greater and it warms her entire body from limb to limb, nose to tail. She rages against the shifter with one hanging eyeball. She knows the score now. She knows this game, this place, and its face. She's back to where it started and it is endless. For as long as she's alive, she cannot die, but the game will continue again. And she's tired of chasing. The game cannot happen without her, and she is furious. Furious at the MotherFather for letting this happen. Angry at finding herself in the situation, and most importantly hating the shifting friend who really is nothing more than a fiend preying on hapless idiots. This time, she's going to be the pursuer.
