CCSF 2012 Day 10: The Dark Forest

Written by Jessica as Part of the Shee Journey Series

Even with a few new additions, I could hardly rest assured that everything was well. There was no sign of any communication from home, and it seemed like we would be lost in space. Yet apart from the anxiety of not knowing where we were, I almost felt a rush of excitement. This exploration had turned into more than a dull journey, and I was becoming a different sort of Shee. Not too different, though: My tea still tasted delicious, and I could never kick the habit of sipping it throughout the day. Short range radar showed us that there was a world not too far from where we had escaped from the black hole, and I had set the navigation controls to take us there. What appeared outside the window was a strange picture, though, and I wondered if it was actually a planet at all. I scrunched my face in confusion.

The oddly oblong object below was certainly made of substance, though it seemed exceptionally strange. I pointed it out to the Norns, Grendels, and Ettins, for we had let them out of the cage room. It was supposed to be temporary, but my assistants enjoyed their company. I kept a close eye on the Grendels, who seemed to have some aggressive moments, though they were careful to stay in check when I was around. That serious stare came in handy. For the time being, though, I had to leave them while I made another voyage to the surface. The exploratory vessel was actually rather comfortable, and had not malfunctioned the day before. I felt I could trust it.

After I zipped through the atmosphere, this world appeared to be a gigantic forest, with scarcely an opening to reach the ground. I searched for a long time, simply trying to find a way to penetrate the thick layer of leaves and branches. The vessel quickly darted into a clearing through its auto-pilot feature, though it moved a little too erratically. It was plotting something... All of a sudden, it came to a dead halt in a very dark spot of the forest. Something was out there. Many somethings, in fact. Only the glow of the vessel's interior lights could be seen. Something leaped against the window at the same moment that the vessel captured something else...

From Jessica: "Welcome to the tenth day of the CCSF! Can anyone believe how quickly the festival is flying by? Today's theme is that of a forest, where virtually anything could be hiding beneath the shadows of the giant trees. Will the Shee bring back a critter or two? Or perhaps we'll see some Norns, Grendels, or Ettins? Or maybe the oblong shape indicates a formerly disc-shaped world... It all will become clear as the day progresses on!"