Visitors in the Forest

Visitors in the Forest is the 1st chapter of Psychteria Volume 1. It debuted in August 2014.

Synopsis
After suffering from a nightmare, Cali takes a casual stroll in the forest and finds a strange boy being attacked by a mutant. Reluctantly, she decides to save him and agrees to shelter him for the time being.

Full Summary
Cali wanders through an eerie scene as a city burns behind her. As she takes in the destruction, blood, and dead bodies around her, she collapses to her knees is disbelief. Screaming, "No," however, jars her awake and she realizes everything what a dream.

Viewing the outside for a moment through her window, Cali ponders the pointlessness of her current life, but ultimately resolves to continue living for her mother. Retrieving her coat and gun, Cali heads outside her house where forest rests on all sides. Cali strolls through the forest, pondering how she would one day avenge her mother and how here mother would be upset if she had known what a certain individual did to Cali.

However, her thoughts are interrupted by someone screaming for help. With reluctance and grumpiness, Cali rushes to the origin of the voice and finds a shirtless man being ambushed by a mutant. Though she only watches for a moment, she reveals herself when she notices the mutant's antennae made it aware of her presence.

The man reluctantly asks if she was there to help, and with some sarcasm and begging on the man's part, Cali pulls out some guns and attacks the mutant. After a small scuffle, Cali brings the mutant down. With safety now assured, Cali begins to lecture the man about being in the middle of the forest before attempting to leave. The man, however, cuts in and comments he needs shelter. Angered, Cali asks why the man would expect her to be nice. However, the man mentions having just come from "a bad place," making Cali feel guilty and pondering how she's been alone for three years and it couldn't hurt.

Cali begrudgingly agrees the man can stay with her, and the man hugs her much to Cali's derision. After yelling the man shouldn't make her regret her decision, she begins to lead him elsewhere.

Characters

 * Cali Nightstone
 * Zage