With a surge of adrenaline, she pushed herself up, her limbs feeling heavy and uncoordinated.
The rough bark of a nearby root scraped against her palm. Looking down, she gasped. Her body was pale and bare, utterly exposed to the alien world around her. Shame and vulnerability flooded her, her cheeks flushing despite the chill in the air.
Her gaze darted around, searching for anything to offer a semblance of cover. Her eyes landed on the oversized flora crowding the understory. Giant leaves, broader than her torso and deeply veined, lay scattered on the forest floor. With trembling hands, she reached for the nearest one, its surface surprisingly smooth but slightly damp to the touch.
Towering ridge trees stretched their emerald canopies endlessly into the heavens, creating a dappled mosaic of sunlight and deep shadow on the leafy undergrowth below. The silence was profound, broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures moving through the dense vegetation and the gentle snap of twigs under an imperceptible weight.
The ground was a tapestry of textures – soft, yielding moss in some patches, rough and uneven with gnarled roots in others. The scent of blooming, yet unfamiliar, flowers added a subtly sweet note to the earthy aroma.