Run deeper into the forest

You hot foot it away from the goat and into the forest. Glancing over your shoulders, you see that the animal is still in pursuit.

You reach a clearing, and your heart all but stops. “Oh, fuck me.” There is not one, not two, but five more damned goats, along with two deer and even a stray sheep. They all lock eyes with you and let loose a hungry battle cry.

“Why is this happening to me?” you ponder as you run in the opposite direction. You are going so fast that some leaves are falling off your impromptu skirt. The animals got you cornered, they are on the left, right, and behind you. There is only one direction you can move to.

“This was supposed to be a relaxing job,” complains a Japanese man hauling around a heavy camera.

“That´s never the case with professor nutjob over here,” replied his colleague.

“Hey!” A Japanese woman wearing a lab coat addressed her helpers. “The university is paying for this trip, so stop whining and set the recording equipment.”

“Why? Let´s ditch this stuff and have fun at the lake. Do you honestly think we´ll find big foot here? A yeti? A fairy just cavorting along the forest? This is a waste of time…”

“AAAAAAH! Help!” You run next to the researchers and hide behind them.

“See? A forest fairy!” The woman slowly approaches you. “Hi spirit, I´m professor Hisako, what´s your name? What is it that you want, oh noble one?”

Spirit? What? Huh, your costume must be better than you thought! Maybe you can take advantage of these naïve tourists? Truth be told, you want a hot bath and a massage, but you can start by acquiring some more normal clothing.

“Yes, I´m the lake nymph, and you will give an offering to walk in my woods! Give me your shirt and your pants! And your underwear… hmm, never mind, those are a bit too small. Cash is good too,” you say with an extra dramatic flair in your movements. Ha! And your friends said that drama class was useless.

“Well, you heard her doc. Start stripping!”

“I guess if that´s what the spirit wants…” With trembling fingers, Hisako begins to unbutton her coat. “Get ready for when I give the signal,” she whispers at her assistants.

“Hold on, I still don´t believe that this is a fairy or nymph or whatever. How do we know she isn´t a normal girl cosplaying?”

“How else would you explain that the leaves cling to her skin like magic?”

“Glue?”

“So, you are saying that this girl stripped naked, and yes, she must have gone naked because she is obviously not wearing anything underneath that…” You timidly hug yourself. It’s not that obvious, right? “… and then she glued leaves onto her skin so that she could frolic around the forest barefoot and in a leaf skirt?”

“Yeah, that sounds crazy…” you say. “…and very unlikely. Ergo, I´m a magical spirit.”

“Well then, let´s see some magic.”

“Yes, oh venerable nymph. Show these nonbelievers. Make flowers grow out of your footsteps, let the trees sing, summon a mighty herd of animals!”

“I, err, hmm,” you fidget with your fingers. The gig is up! What can you-

“Baaaaaah!”

“Oh no.” The goat and his herd found you with impeccable timing. They begin chasing you anew, and you start running circles around the researchers. “Aaah! Uuh! Ha! Yikes!” You can feel their raspy tongues slowly peeling away the back of your outfit.

“See? She summoned a herd of animals!”

“Ack, no. Don´t jump! Eeek!” One of the goats cut you off and takes a bite out of most of the flowers on your chest.

“What is she doing now?”

“Eep! Not, oof, there!” A deer manages to remove most of the foliage in your crotch with one swift flick of her tongue.

“She is chanting and dancing, It´s a magic ritual! Quick, we must capture her before she completes it!”

“Wait, capture what? Ack!” Before you know it, a net is thrown atop of your body. You struggle, but you can´t escape.