First off thank you for the nice response to the first chapter. The reviews really pushed me forward.

This chapter took a little longer because I wrote the third chapter before it (which was originally supposed to be the second chapter). It's also slightly short and I'm not entirely satisfied with it especially the ending but I couldn't find a different way to do it. But nevertheless I had fun with it. I'm a big nature lover so I wrote it with a little passion.

I feel there are a few sentences that are strangely formed so I ask my English reviewers to help me out.

The next chapter will be up soon since it's already done and I'll start working on the forth.

Now enjoy the story and let me know what you think.

Chapter 2 : No Sense for Directions

"Get ready, men. The enemy is nearing the target. Resume hidden and wait for my mark."

Mikey was crouching behind an old mossy log. His head was lifted just enough so he could see over it. The boy's eyes were narrowed and his face focused and calm as if awaiting someone. He slowly weighted his right hand full of small round pebbles while searching the area with his gaze. He kept completely still for a minute.

"Attack!" he suddenly yelled and leaped over the log. With his left hand he swiftly threw the first rock and hit a pinecone a few feet before him. "Bullseye!" he grinned before turning and striking down three more. His eyes shined as he looked around for any more targets before running through the trees in search of more. He quickly stopped in his steps as he ran upon a whole pile of pinecones under a large pine tree. A bright fluffy squirrel was sitting on top munching on a seed when it looked up as soon as Mikey appeared. The squirrel quickly scrambled away onto the tree. As it skipped a few pinecones rolled down the pile towards Mikey's feet.

"There's too many of them!" the boy fell back on his butt and dropped the pebbles. "Retreat! Retreat!" He scrambled to his feet and rushed in the other direction away from the pinecones. He ran until he was hidden behind the rotten log again.

"That was close. The enemy almost defeated us even though we ambushed them. This is a grim day for our people." He furrowed his forehead and clenched his fist in front of his face, mimicking a passionate general.

A long silent moment passed before he exhaled a deep breath and leaned back on the log.

Playing like this wasn't that much fun without his brothers. When the four brothers were little they would always play and explore the sewers together. They always stuck with each other. No one did anything alone – especially not Mikey. No one wanted to leave him out of their sight. He had always been very clumsy and a lot smaller than his brothers so they always babied him and declared him their baby brother. Mikey never complained. He enjoyed the attention they gave him. Even when they were older one of them would always join him if he wandered or skated through the sewers. He had a lousy sense of direction and he was known for getting lost at the first corner. But as they got older Mikey became more skilled and matured enough to be able to watch out for himself. But he never lost his baby brother title, and his brothers still acted the same towards him. He was never left alone for a long period of time. But Mikey loved company – even if it was just a feeling of presence, it was good enough – and so he never complained.

But lately it was hard. No one seemed to want him around and he had little to distract himself with. The constant silence in the farmhouse felt like cold sharp knives. It was unbearable. Mikey was glad he had decided to go into the woods to clear his head.

Already the first steps into the low bramble had been better than the last month he'd spend on the farm. The birds chirped as if announcing his arrival, and the cold ground was covered with soft moss like a carpet to walk on. The rays of sun that escaped through the thick treetops created golden curtains all around him. The smell of forest soil and dried leaves was new to the small turtle but it soothed him just as much. The humid air made him feel refreshed and it cleared his head.

The boy spent a couple of hours only running around and observing everything he could. The giant anthills, the small tree mushrooms, everything looked interesting. Sure he'd seen it all on television and books. He's even been to the Central Park with his brothers a couple of times but it couldn't compare with a real, wild forest. It was completely different to be able the see it all up close and touch it, even hear and smell it.

Not long after he had wandered around and became slightly less curious about every little thing he saw, he had started collecting small, round, white pebbles that he used later to play with later.

As he lay with his carapace against the old log Mikey's gaze traveled up, and he looked through the thick treetops. His eyes settled on the warm, orange sun. It was low and it seemed it was going to set soon. The birds were starting to sing again, announcing the end of the day. He hadn't even noticed how much time had passed since he left the house. It felt so little to him. But there was no time to complain. It was late and it was time to head back.

He lifted himself up onto his feet ready to return home when he froze.

"Umm…" he looked around the trees trying to recognize the way he came from.

"This way…?" he mumbled to himself looking at a small passage between two tall birches. But his unsure gaze soon turned to another passage between different trees. "Or this way…?" he almost squealed.

'This isn't good. Not good at all.'

He hobbled on his feet a few moments, trying to remember the exact way before deciding to try the latter passage with clear uncertainty on his face. And even after walking down in the chosen direction he still wasn't sure if it was right or not. The trees all looked the same and there wasn't any kind of path or trail on the ground.

After a few minutes of aimless wandering he stopped when he noticed it started to get dark. He reached for his T-Phone when he realized this wasn't something he could just walk out of. He wouldn't hesitate so much to call but he felt like his brothers and friends were annoyed by him.

'They'll just have to help even if they don't want to' Mikey puffed. He just hoped anyone will answer.

His hand reached for the spot on his belt where the phone usually was. But his fingers only grabbed at an empty pouch. "Huh?" He looked down to his side. The phone wasn't there. 'Where is it!?' He looked around his belt when he remembered he left it on the couch when he had finished playing the app earlier around noon. He mentally slapped himself before the panic in his chest started increasing as the thought of staying in the forest through the night crossed his mind.

'Maybe I can see where I am from above. Maybe I'll see the house now that there's still a little sunlight left.' He tried to shake off the panic and keep a clear head.

He climbed the trunk of the nearest tree and jumped up the branches until he reached the top. He balanced himself on the last large branch and squirmed through the colored leaves carefully. With fingers crossed he looked around. The sun was setting behind a faraway hill in front of him and its rays beamed at the tall treetops leaving behind a beautiful scenery. But the view around him stretched endlessly and all he could see were hills of trees and nothing else. No sign of any kind of house or opening.

"I'm lost! I'm completely lost! What am I going to do!?" he squealed out as if he just suffered a punch in the stomach. "Okay… no… wait, calm down, Mikey. Think…" He tried to steady his breathing. He knew panicking wasn't going to get him anywhere. 'What would my bros do in such a situation…?'

"The sun of course!" he beamed. "The sun's setting in that direction which means that's the west so that must be the north," he pointed at his right, "…which tells me…" He furrowed his forehead in concentration. "…Nothing! This tells me nothing! God, why am I so bad with directions? I'm going to die in this forest all alone and hungry because I'm too stupid to think things through before doing them!" He pouted and crossed his arms.

The movement made the tree branch he stood on sway, and his feet slipped. He yelled as he fell through the leaves but luckily quickly landed on the next branch with a thump. He clung to it with dear life before exhaling loudly. 'This is nothing like the New York rooftops…'

Slowly and carefully he climbed to the ground. He slid down with his shell on the trunk. He curled up and hugged his knees. 'The guys are going to start worrying if I don't show up. They'll start searching for me. Then they'll find me and probably scream at me for wandering off but after that everything's going to be alright,' he tried to assure himself.

'If they ever notice I'm gone…'

'Which is very unlikely,' he buried his face in his arms.

"I should have never left the house. Raph was right. I really can't look out for myself."

A shiver ran through him and that was the first time Mikey realized the air will be getting colder through the night. His eyes widened as he looked up at the sky. It was still slightly light but the sun was almost completely hidden behind the horizon. Some bigger stars already started to appear. The absence of the sun began to show in the temperature. It has already been chilly during the days but in some nights it even came close to freezing.

Mikey had to move fast. The cold was not good for his coldblooded body. The small turtle was very well aware that if his temperature dropped too low, it would start being hard for him to move, and his body might go into hibernation.

Who knew what would happen to him if that happened. But it couldn't be good.