Of Steel and Roses: Anthophobia

The smell of seawater was pungent, almost overwhelming to the senses as the waves crashed against the pale ivory sand, gently shifting it along itself as a young Nia Eko would awaken, her eyes adjusting as the cloudy midday sky hang overhead.

Her body ached as slowly she tried to sit herself upright, her arms buckling and sending her back down to the sand below for a moment. Everything hurt, she'd rather just lay there and sleep it off, but she knew she couldn't... Minutes passed before she even dared to try again, the moment of extra rest giving her enough strength to at least sit herself upright. 'Where am I?' she thought to herself, her memories a haze as if a thick fog had descended upon her mind.

Looking around her she'd see the beach she laid upon had been marred by a shipreck only a few metres from her, the beams of wood and metal twisted in unnatural ways, jutting out at sharp angles as if a massive beast had torn it apart. Looking upon herself she'd see her body covered nearly entirely in tightly wrapped bandages, with a pair of worn boots, tattered brown pants and a moss-green tunic covereing the rest of her body. She couldn't have known how long these wrappings were on her body for, but chances are it would be wise not to unravel them yet...

Suddenly, a howl would echo through the wind, coming from the endless ocean before Nia as she felt the dread seeping into her... She knew creatures that resided in the water wasn't able to surface onto the land effectively... Right...?

She knew it was dumb, but she just couldn't risk it...

Carefully, Nia would set herself to stand upright, her legs wobbling badly butjust barely staying strong enough to keep herself from buckling down into the sane again.

She finds herself looking between the wreck and behind her, a thick forest with an oddly conspicious path leading through it and away from the wreck. Had this path always been here or was it recently created somehow? She wasn't sure, but perhaps it could lead her to some sort of salvation...