I kneel by the shallow stream that flows through the stagnant woods.
It is a welcome change in speed, but I can't help but be wary of what may lurk beneath the water's surface.
My experiences in these woods so far have shown me that not even the air is safe, and the plants could possibly come alive due to a mere whim.
I cup some of the water in my hands and bring it up to my mouth, but the water slips through my fingers and back into the brook, and then I catch glimpse of delicious looking berries a few paces above my head.
My mouth starts watering at the prospect of getting food into my body, and I reach upwards desperately, hoping to grab some- or at least a stalk, so I can pull down the stem of the berry plant- and the berries with it.
The plant curls and twists away from my touch, and I groan in frustration before rising to my tiptoes... I even try jumping in an ultimately futile effort to gain access to the fruits.
I sink to my knees, and lower my face to the water, attempting to at least get something to drink, but the water rises up and away from me like an angry snake.
I tackle the water creature, but only succeed in getting my clothes wet.
The water recoils yet again, and I stick my tongue out at it.
More silt and debris start appearing within the water's aqueous body, and I realize that something is most likely in a state of chaos further upstream.
Maybe this stream's beginning- though, at the moment, it would be more accurate to call it a tail- is swishing through the riverbed in an attempt to dislodge anything that could prove useful to me.
The berries have lowered themselves to be within my reach, but they look rotten and diseased, which is odd considering that that they were perfectly ripe just a few moments ago.
Then again, looks can be deceiving in this place.
I reach up and snag a berry off the vine, then pop it into my mouth hurriedly.
Sure enough, the berry tastes nauseating, but I'm not sure if I should swallow it or spit it at the water creature. I need the food, but maybe these berries are poisonous.
I spit it at the water creature with surprising accuracy, and the creature starts turning grey and screaming loud enough to wake the dead when the berry lands in its 'mouth'.
I reach up and grab the vine full of rotting berries, and I start lobbing them, one after the other, into the water creature. Perhaps whatever poison they are full of will subdue the thing long enough for me to get a drink of water.
I hope that- eventually, the being will tire of fighting me, and go back to being a normal stream of water, but I have a nagging feeling that the stream water will be undrinkable once the water returns to normal.
Perhaps it would be non-harmful once the poison washes away, but that could take months if not years, and I simply don't have that kind of time. I need to get upstream to where the water is sanitary, and safe to drink.
I try to get around the water, but it coils and shoots small pieces of debris in my general direction.
It obviously wants to keep me here until I eventually keel over from exhaustion, dehydration, or a mix of the two. Maybe it is hoping that I will forget that there is food- even if that food is poisonous.
The water reaches toward a part of the vine that is within its reach, and wraps around it.
The vine sags under the cumbersome weight of the water, but the formerly shriveled fruits seem rejuvenated by the touch of the water.
I grab the vine and yank it down forcibly, and the water creature screeches in protest.
My grip on the vine does not falter as I move closer, but the vine becomes heavier as I get closer, and soon the weight of sustenance threatens to overwhelm me.
The water creature hisses with satisfaction, and I feel new strength flow through me.
I won't be defeated by a vine and a bunch of angry water!
I run towards the water, ignoring the way my bones feel close to breaking, and I seem to be seeing double.
If I die trying to get the water, then I will die, but I will not give this monster the satisfaction of seeing me crumple under the weight.
Finally, after what seems like an eternity, I reach the water, which is now tranquil and suspiciously cleared of debris.
I extend my hands to collect some of the water, and I finally manage to collect some to drink, along with some berries, which no longer look as diseased or rotten.
I quickly shove the mix into my mouth, ignoring the slightly bitter taste that lingers in my mouth even after I swallow it.
If it was poisonous, then I will no doubt feel the effects in a few hours, but for now, I feel rather refreshed.
My attention is grabbed by something crashing their way through the underbrush, and I tense up. I hope it leaves me alone, but the odds of that happening are very slim.
Mara appears within my line of sight, but she's covered in earth, and her eyes are glassy. I can't help but wonder what horrors the forest has subjected her to.
No doubt she has had a few different challenges than I have had, perhaps even more than I have.
There are tiny braids laced into her hair that she could not have done alone, even if she had reflective surfaces and endless time..