ā ( :3c i love sending this one to the non supers gjfkngd )
Kai rarely received any mail. No one sent them anything - who would? - and they didnāt tend to do any online ordering. But when their photography blog started getting frequent comments that their photos were consistently grainy, Kai knew that it was time to retire their old Nikon. With a heavy heart, they said goodbye to the faithful device, slipped it securely into its case, and tucked it away on the top shelf of their closet.
For their only hobby, not just any equipment would do. They wanted to splurge on the best, and that wasnāt going to be found locally. So they Kai went online and ordered the newest Nikon model, complete with an interchangeable zoom lens. A week later, the doorbell rang, and soon enough the postal carrier was pressing a cardboard shipping box into Kaiās hands and disappearing into the downpour.
Kai had almost forgotten that they had ordered anything, so receiving the package was quite a nice surprise. As soon as the rain cleared up the very next morning, they dug out their hiking boots and headed into the woods, new camera slung around their neck.
The zoom lens was perfect for close-ups with little critters like squirrels and sparrows, and Kai soon lost track of time in their beautiful surroundings. The fresh moss was soft against their knees when they knelt to take a shot, and they felt like they could wander through the spiraling greenery forever.
Catching a flurry of bright yellow feathers in the corner of their vision, Kai turned and stepped further into the forest to try to spot the colorful bird again. Suddenly, one foot forward sent a shock through their entire body. They felt...cold, as if a frigid gust of air had found its way inside their insulated raincoat. Kai froze on the spot and found themselves turning, with all intention of heading back the way they came, towards town.
But they didnāt want to. What they really wanted to do was find that bird, but they nevertheless found themselves retracing their steps, numbly picking their way back through the forest towards civilization.
Kai ran that moment through their head for weeks. They never quite figured out what possessed them to turn back. It was almost as if, once you got deep enough, the forest itself didnāt want to be seen.