It’s too late now to suddenly change course. Dirty and sweaty, with messy hair, I continue my straight path with a poker face.


    “Good day,” greets a tall slim guy with a head-shorter girl standing by his side, holding a wicker basket.


    “Uh, hi.” I greet them as awkwardly as possible, running my hand through my hair, making it less disheveled.


    “Are you alright?” asks the freckled girl, looking kind of frightened. Her eyes do a quick peek at my legs. I wiggle my knee, and she notices it. There are some small red marks, probably blood, and the fabric is a bit torn. So indeed, the little fucker’s claws did pierce through.


    “Yeah, I had some accidents here and there.” I point my finger into some random ravine.


    “Is that blood?” the guy asks, pointing to my knee.


    “You wouldn’t believe it, but I got ambushed by a damn ferret or marten or whatever it was. So be aware.” Giving them advice, I maintain my poker face and attempt to carry on.


    The pale red-haired girl leans as her basket starts to wiggle.


    It reveals a white fluffy cat that peeks out in the most adorable way. “We have protection,” she smiles and chuckles, saying it in a cheerful tone.


    I can''t help but be surprised and smile back. "That''s a cute little fellow," I remark.


    "Indeed, his name is Pocco," says the girl.


    I pause for a moment, considering whether it''s okay to pet him. But he’s so adorable I can’t resist and quickly extend my hand and give him a gentle pat between his tiny beige ears.


    What a calm buddy, compared to my recent wildlife encounter. I notice there are two small mushrooms with orange tops next to the cat.


    The guy notices me looking at the mushrooms and tells me about their little stroll while gathering some edible ones.


    “I hope you’ll be lucky with your hunt.” I wish them well and use it as leverage to part our ways. Rude, but I didn’t even introduce myself.


    Anyway, I continue my walk towards the known entrance.


    After a few dozen steps, I see the small hill surrounded by a ravine in the distance. I squint my eyes and focus my sight as I don’t believe it. Orange dots are all over the place. From pure curiosity, I decide to get closer.


    It is a large family of aspen mushrooms. Well, large is quite the weak word for it. It’s huge; there are dozens and dozens of them.


    “Hmm.” It would be right to tell those two people I just met, my conscience tells me.


    Turning around and jogging back, I try to catch up with them.


    When I’m finally close, I stop before they notice me, so it’s not creepy that I run after them.


    “Uh, hey! Hey guys, I’ve found something you may like.” They both turn quickly and look at me, surprised why I’m back there.


    "Over there, on that hill." I turn around and point my finger in the direction. Quite happy that I did some insignificant but good deed after a long time.


    As I move back, passing the area I just showed them, I hear the frantic footsteps of a man rushing toward me, with the girl following closely behind. He extends his hand for a handshake and introduces himself.


    "Thank you for the tip. I''m Michael, and this is Astrid. You already know Pocco."


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    Now at least, I will introduce myself properly. "Markus," I respond to both him and the girl. I awkwardly search for a clean spot on my clothes to wipe off my right hand, not wanting to offer him a muddy hand for a handshake.


    Suddenly, the cat Pocco leaps out of the basket, and I catch a glimpse of his striped tail with a darkish gray and beige color, just like his ears. He dashes away toward the mushroom spot and then sits in the sphinx position, waiting there.


    That small cat melts my heart and brightens my mood, so I decide to take a little detour and maybe collect some for myself too. Maybe ask them for a recipe? It’s not quite common for people to forage mushrooms here, but I assume they know what they are doing.


    They collect them, clean them, and carefully place them into the basket, where the fluffy ball was a while before.


    Before I get my hands on the ground, I look around. There is nothing special but a shallow circular hole surrounded by the mushrooms. Kinda strange how perfectly round it is, I assume.


    As I turn my head slightly to the side, I catch a glimpse of that hole with the corner of my eye. Shivers run down my spine.


    It flashes black. What the..?


    Looking straight into it, I see normal-looking ground covered in leaves, just as before. But if I look away, it seems deep and pitch black, like a well or a sinkhole appearing instead.


    I quickly look straight at it once again to confirm, and it is shallow. Is my mind playing tricks on me? I blink slowly and wipe my eyes. Fumes from the mushrooms?


    As I look away, the sinkhole reappears once again.


    "Ugh." Okay, this is haunting as fuck. Should I tell them about this? They might think of me as a lunatic, or not?


    Suddenly, the girl Astrid screams for the fluffy Pocco. I turn around quickly and see the cat stride towards me, passing by and into the shallow hole. He completely disappears into thin air, in front of my eyes.


    Huh?! This is nonsense! I quickly rub my eyes again. Why would an animal do such a thing?


    *Meow*


    She yells again, “Pocco!” The guy Michael drops his bag on the ground and sprints without thinking twice toward me. He stops and looks at the weird spot, a bit frightened.


    Wait, he sees the hole? Before I even have a chance to tell him anything, he runs straight toward the hole, gripping onto a strong flexible branch on the nearby young tree and looking inside while swinging a bit.


    “Hey, I think I see him. He’s hanging below the edge. Help me quickly! This thing is deep!”


    “Deep? What are you talking about?” says the girl and goes straight near the edge of the hole.


    “What are you doing! Careful!” Michael yells and tries to grab her, but she just simply walks in and vanishes in front of my eyes, the same as Pocco, like a ghost.


    I can’t even react to this. In shock, I watch with my eyes wide open as it is completely wild.


    “Nooo! Why did you just... Astrid?!” the guy yells, terror-struck.


    “Hey!” He turns his sight to me and yells at me. “Why are you just standing there? She just fell in! Help me, for Christ''s sake!” I look at him, being slowed down and confused.


    “Fell?” I frown and gaze into the hole while walking towards it. Approaching the edge of a shallow depression, I look briefly at the guy again, and in the corner of my eye, a deep black sinkhole reappears.


    My head starts spinning. I feel like I''m losing my balance. My hand automatically grabs his jacket, and we are falling in.


    It feels so slow. I suddenly realize the small details: his stubble, strands of his black straight hair, and his gray eyes with a terrified and angry expression looking at me. The branch he is holding onto is ripping off.


    <hr>


    "Are you alright, Astrid?" the tall guy asks with concern. Retrieving his phone, he switches on the flashlight and scans the surroundings, checking on Astrid.


    "You okay as well?... Markus," he adds, pointing the phone at me.


    "Yeah," I reply, looking at him through my fingers as he shines the flashlight in my face.


    Glancing up briefly, I notice the stars shining above. "Huh?" Is it nighttime already?


    "How long have we been here?" I wonder aloud.


    "Well, according to my phone, it''s still early afternoon," says Michael.


    “Well, then look up.” I say and quickly search my pockets and retrieve my phone.


    “Shit, the time is the same, and my signal is cut off.”


    Michael hops out of the hole with ease and looks around, “It''s cold, and I don''t recognize the surroundings.” He spins around.


    “Wait, I see the light! Someone might be there. Hey!”


    He offers his hand to Astrid and pulls her out, then does the same with me.


    We walk together toward the light.


    <hr>


    And there it is. In the middle of the forest, a bronze bowl burning an oddly steady and smooth flame.


    It''s warm, yet it''s impossible to kindle or expand it, as Michael tries to set one stick on fire. He then waves his hand through the flames.


    "It''s warm, but the heat isn''t building up," he observes. The area surrounding the flame feels oddly safe and cozy.


    Astrid approaches the flame, warming both her hands and the fluffy Pocco.


    “No GPS, no signal. Moving in the cold and dark would be unwise,” Michael observes.


    “So what now?” I ask, my voice edged with panic.


    We’re all in shock, and I notice Astrid pinching her skin, trying to reassure herself this isn''t a dream.


    “I... I don’t know. Do we stay here for a while?” the tall guy stutters, uncertain.


    I nod in agreement, feeling drowsy as the warmth of the flame wraps around me, making me feel oddly cozy.


    I button my shirt up to my neck and start gathering the dry leaves around us, piling them into a makeshift bed.


    The couple does the same, curling up together with the cat.


    What absolute madness this is. My mind struggles to make sense of it, but as I gaze into the flame, an instant calm washes over me. My thoughts quiet, and I quickly drift into sleep.