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what direction he entered it, and his nav-compass was still behaving strangely.
    The trees groaned and creaked louder with each gust of wind. The forest was unfamiliar territory for him, and he was feeling claustrophobic. This was nothing like the wide open expanse of the desert. Then he realized there was a way out and it didn’t require waiting for daylight to arrive.
    He looked up and focused on the brightest star he could find through the thick branches. With his arms outstretched, he willed himself to rise.
    He felt his body become light as a feather. He rose slowly, carefully weaving his way through interlocking branches as they rustled and scraped against one another yet his eyes never wavered from the bright star he was focused on.
    He broke through the leafy canopy and hovered over a forest that stretched out endlessly in all directions. The moon was beginning to rise, allowing him to see in the distance a narrow gash that snaked its way through the forest. He knew that was the road he needed to follow. He looked up at his guide star and almost fell into the forest when he saw it drift away.
    He hovered until he felt confident enough to nudge himself forward. He glided over to the road and followed its course. He snuck a glance at his nav-compass to confirm he was heading west and was relieved to see it was working again.
    He felt his stomach grumble and his mouth was dry. He knew he had to land and eat soon. He drank from whatever creek he came across and foraging on berries he found hanging off branches and vines. He was careful to sample each one by eating it slowly, waiting to see if he felt sick before eating the rest. There was so much about the forest that he didn’t know, and he was determined not to die here in the wilds.
    The moon rose higher, giving him a better view of the road below. He ascended to achieve a higher vantage point and spotted a large swath of open land in the distance. He made a slight course change and headed for it. Along the way he came across a lake with its surface glinting in the moonlight. Relieved to see water, he descended, only to stumble and fall face first into the sand when he tried to land along its shore.
    He got up and squatted along the edge of the lake and began hastily scooping water into his parched mouth while glancing around nervously for any wildlife. He didn’t like the forest or the creatures that inhabited it. Most of the kids in his school rarely, if ever, traveled outside the desert country. What little they knew about forests was only what they saw in books and in vid-images.
    He continued to scoop water when he saw his wavering reflection in the lake. He leaned in closer and could see his face and the stars above him. He felt dizzy as the stars began to rotate. He dug his hands into the sand, feeling as if he were about to be ripped off the ground and flung up in the air. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, struggling to overcome the dizzying sensation that overwhelmed him. No sooner than it began, it came to an end.
    A sense of relief swept over him as he took short, ragged breaths. He lifted his head to gaze at the stars above.
    He always wondered what was to be found out there in the infinite blackness. Every star to him was a pinpoint of light that kept the gathering darkness at bay. There were rumors around Conception of aerocraft fabricators building ships that could pierce the upper levels of the atmosphere and achieve orbit, but they were often dismissed as myth. He once tried to ascend to a higher altitude, but the extremely cold temperatures and blasts of air from the jet stream would force him to turn back.
    His trance was shattered by a horrific roaring sound. He spun around as a tree from the forest lining the shore toppled with a mighty crack, falling to the ground.
    His heart raced. He could see his breath come out of his mouth in sharp bursts in the frosty air. The roaring was followed by fierce shrieking as more trees snapped and fell,