A/N: hahaha!!! Okay, so here's another chapter of this. still winging it so don't spew flames all over me!
Disclaimer: I own the title. I own nothing Ben 10 related.
Ben jumped nearly a foot in the air at the sound of a wolf's howl echoing through the darkness of night, the stars suddenly concealed by clouds and the moon disappearing behind murky shadows and looming black shapes across the sky. They were shrouded in a veil of black and grey, facial expressions and any sense of direction becoming useless. "Are you scared?"
The raven-haired teen spat on the ground. "Why would I be?"
That howl got a bit closer.
The trees seemed to be closing in around them, engulfing them like they were the prey and the branches were the claws of the hunter, zeroing in for the kill.
Ben could've sworn he saw something move. "Well, I'm scared."
"Whatever you do, don't scream like a girl." Kevin bit back a snicker as he imagined Ben cringing away, mouth opened as a shrill girlish yelp escaped from him. It would hurt his reputation. Badly. "The monsters always attack the comic relief or the girly screaming guy first."
The brunette snorted. "Of course, you would know."
That cold cry of a beast came closer, this time sounding more wild and hungry for blood.
Both teens could've sworn they heard thrumming feet in the darkness, but neither would tell the other.
Finally, every last source of light from the sky had been obscured. Utter darkness covered the land, leaving the two stranded boys hopelessly lost in the dark. There was hardly any chance they could get out of this one.
Gwen was gone. Each cell phone in their pockets had either died or the signal was out in this specific area. They carried no flashlights, leaving them to fend for themselves.
The first thing Kevin could think of in a time of need was his Plumber's badge. He reached in his back pocket. Then his other pocket. It was gone. But he knew it was there a second ago! He remembered taking it out of the car's console and slipping it into his pocket as he got out of the car to check the engine. "Ben, where's your badge?" he asked the other boy immediately.
With a weak shrug, Ben stuck his hand into his back pocket. "Not there." He put his other hand into his other pocket. "Not there either."
Kevin was frankly pissed off with this.
Ben checked both front pockets. "Hmm…" He checked the pockets in his jacket. "Not there."
"You don't have to announce everything," Kevin growled.
The fierce call of predators seemed to be growing in their ears, resounding through the small copse of trees.
Ben fought back with the exact same sentence but in a snippy tone. "You don't have to announce everything."
"Let's not screw around. This could be really bad at this point," reminded the dark teen.
He checked the inside pockets of his jacket. "Sorry. Must've left it at home tonight."
This was not the kind of night they were expecting. Kevin was hoping to be back in the garage so he could call his mom and ask whether the step was home or not. He was totally ready to crash in his room again for the first time in weeks instead of spending another night in the car. He would appreciate the warmth of a blanket after their experiences of that night.
Sumo Slammers was having a marathon tonight and Ben was not happy to be missing it. I mean, who could resist the thought of two fat guys in loincloths slamming each other into the ground in a wrestling ring?
The moon was dispersing filtered particles of light through the thinning cirrus clouds, giving the ocean of trees a threatening glow. The shadows they cast seemed like outstretched claws, ready to pin down the two teens the second they moved. They froze in their places.
"Kevin?" Ben's voice was timid in the cold night air that bit at their exposed skin. His green eyes were widened in fear but trained on a specific point at the base of a tree. His mind was exploding with fear and his heart could be heard pounding in his chest if one listened close enough. "Is that a chainsaw?"
The older boy whipped around, staring into the shadows at a glint of silver within the trees. He could've sworn he saw the blade of a chainsaw, but when his obsidian eyes disappeared to blink, the flash of silvery color in the dark had vanished. "Whatever happens, we don't get separated. We run in the same direction. Never lose sight of each other. That's how they pick us off."
There was a silence. Another howl ripped through the night, much closer. More passionate about the kill. Ready for the hunt. Driving terror into the hearts of its prey. Murderous intent. Bloodshot eyes staring through the night. Paws thrumming against the ground as it slipped through the undergrowth. This was time for a kill. Time for a hunt. Time to eat.
The older teen could've swore he heard the 'Jaws' theme song playing softly, growing louder with each passing second of tension. He looked to Ben whose gaze was locked on his iPod, the source of the music, a sickly pallid white and bluish glow covering his face.
Kevin reached over and knocked the iPod from his hand. It cracked against a rock on the ground, glow instantly vanishing. He realized his mistake. The glow of the screen would've been very helpful. "And I just destroyed our freaking flashlight."
"No dip, Sherlock."
Ben got daggers from Kevin's glare although he couldn't see it in the surrounding darkness.
A/N: okay, not my best, but next chapter might be Gwen. Still not sure where I'm going with this. suggestions are welcomed as are reviews!!
~Sky