he wasn't sure how he managed to get away from that forest , but he managed . the dense air no longer hanging him high from tree branches and didn't serve as a constant reminder to all the pain and regret that the forest now carried . he was glad to have escaped , to get away from all that looming intensity , to leave behind the bone - chilling reminder that he was alone . but . .
but , considering he couldn't see , considering he didn't have eyes to see with ( not that anyone would know , the gruesome image hidden behind bandages ) , he really didn't know how he pulled it off , at least , not without a lot more injuries than he actually sustained --- which really wasn't much more than a bruise and a few scrapes . he knew nothing of the world outside , nothing beyond the endless sins and cruelty that writhed and curled up in the hearts of all that inhabit it .
( they were no different , they had wanted to be different . )
he was a sentinel of that forest , he was meant to protect it , to keep it from harm -- that was what it meant to protect . ( to protect it . ) in the end it left him on his own , his two friends fleeing , running away from the monster that was themselves and then he remained . only him . . . the gloomy silence and the memory of what was still burned in his brain as he stayed , as he sat , waiting for the next person to come into the forest . with his judgement scales tilted forever on one side , no one ever came .
( and still he remained . . . )
he inhaled , there was no point in thinking of that now . he had to figure out where he was now and then eventually find a place to stay . " h - hello ? Is anyone there ? can someone help me -- help me figure out where i am exactly . . . ? " his voice was weak , raspy , from disuse , but hopefully it carried enough to get attention from someone .
( how did he manage to get here again . . ? )
" speech. "