Note: Hey, boys and girls. I decided to make a sequel to "I Sense Evil Around You". Honestly speaking, I didn't feel comfortable with leaving the story just as it was. I know that the first chapter here may not be entirely connected with what happened in the last chapter of ISEAY, but I had to give it such a start to let the story unfold smoothly. This time I decided to put some more drama in it. Hope you will enjoy reading it.

Huggies,

Sandrei

CHAPTER ONE: Stay away from me!

Just after Skipper had woke up, he felt an unpleasant jolt deep down inside his stomach. Just as if he had been throwing up for an hour. There was also that unpleasant, bitter undertaste in his mouth he'd tried to get rid off by eating grass and mint leaves. But it wouldn't help a bit. He got up from the ground and took a suspicious look around. The whole meadow was covered in dust.

He heard the explosion pounding in his head. But he had no clue what was he doing in the middle of the park at 2:00 p.m. His throat was all sore, just as he'd been screaming his lungs out for a very long time. He felt dizzy and somewhat remorseful.

"Did someone drug me or what?" he pondered out loud while taking several wobbly steps forward. There was not a single soul to be seen. But after two minutes of fruitless wandering, he would finally spot Marlene's body, curled up in two. She was lying near the rock, motionless. Another wave of remorse swooned across Skipper's body at the sight of his best friend. He waddled up towards the rock to check on her. He heard short, painful sobs escaping her chest.

"What on earth is she doing here? Why isn't she asleep in her habitat?

He leaned slightly across the otter and placed his flipper on her arm. Marlene turned her head, as if sensing his presence and sent him a hateful look with her teary eyes.

"Stay away from me!" she cried, squirming away from his touch.

Skipper leaned back, and goggled his eyes, obviously puzzled with Marlene's unexpected reaction.

"Mar.. Marlene.. do you feel all right?" he asked and tried to get closer to the otter one more time, but he'd been pushed away.

"Don't you even dare touching me, you maniac!" said Marlene, balling her paws into fists. Skipper couldn't believe in what was actually happening. He made one more step towards his friend and received a nasty scratch in the face. He felt three, slim streams of blood trickling down his cheek.

"Mar.. Marlene!" he gasped, pressing his flipper to his wound. "Why all this aggression?"

"Why? You have the cheek to ask, WHY? After all you have done to me, you brutal!" spat Marlene, fixing her angry look at the leader penguin. "Chasing me all over the zoo, volleying abuse at me, twisting my paws!.. You've even attempted to rape me!"

Skipper just stood there, his beak agape. He was so shocked he would even forgot about the pain.

Marlene's eyes filled with tears again. She rasped to her feet, turned on her heel and leaped forwards towards the zoo, leaving his friend alone.

Skipper still couldn't get over the shock. He sat slowly on the rock, massaging his bleeding cheek and reliving his confusing encounter with Marlene. He didn't even notice those demonic, gloomy, dark clouds stretching above his head.

He didn't know it yet.

But it was only the beginning.