Chapter 2

Three hours into the walk, and Fiona was immediately regretting letting this fool carry her. Barely a moment had passed since they met, and he just wouldn't shut up. One minute, he would be talking about some village he had visited, and then he would switch to talking about some yokel he had met a few months back…and the fish. Every spare moment he would talk about the blasted things. Halibuts, perch, bass, and a whole other slew of scale covered delicacies that only made her stomach turn. He just wouldn't shut up about he loved them, and he would then go into the different ways he like to cook them, going in depth of how the flavors would tickle his tongue. Soon enough, she couldn't handle it anymore. She screamed, and Judah stopped dead in his tracks.

"Will you please just stop talking?" she snarled. "Good grief, I've known dozens of empty-headed bozos, but you're wearing on my last nerves! Just shut up!"

Suddenly, the forest fell quiet. Fiona peaked up at Judah's face, and she noted that he had a hurt expression, complete with a pout and his ears pinned back. Fiona suddenly felt like a louse, and she took a deep breath to cool herself down and compose herself.

"Sorry about that. I'm just a little tense. You know, because of the wolf attack and the ankle thing."

Judah's ears straightened, and he cracked a tiny grin.

"Eh, forget about it, Miss Fiona. I tend to overstep myself when I'm with new folks. We lions are social people, ya know, hence why we live in such big prides."

He breathed a wistful sigh.

"Sure does makes me miss home, sometimes."

Fiona cocked her brow at that.

"Oh, are you a runaway?" she asked.

Judah laughed.

"Oh, no, nothing that dramatic." he replied. "My teacher just sent me on a walkabout. I am meant to find 'the link that binds all'."

"Huh?" Fiona asked, confused.

"My thoughts exactly." Judah replied blankly. "My teacher, Mentor, has a bad habit of talking in riddles from time to time, and it really makes my head spin, ya know? I don't suppose you know anything about the Dreamtime, do you?"

Fiona shook her head.

"Then nevermind." Judah sighed.

Fiona shrugged, and she tried her best to make herself comfortable. Not an easy feat with the now pitch-black forest. It was nearing midnight about now, she figured, and that only meant that the worst of he creepy crawlies were fixing to come out. Was she a superstitious person? Oh, heck ya! From mysterious water gods to genocidal aliens, Fiona knew that there were stranger things between heaven and earth, and she didn't want to be caught unawares.

"Maybe we should find some cover." she suggested. "It's gotten pretty dark out, and who knows what's out there."

Judah grinned, and he shook his head.

"No need to worry, Miss Fiona. We're almost there?"

"Almost where?" Fiona asked.

Judah paused for a moment, and he took in a deep breath through his nostrils.

"Yep, just another couple of yards now. A small cottage with the fireplace a'burning. Gotta love the smell of old hickory."

When he received a bewildered look from Fiona, his grin widened, and he pointed a finger towards his face.

"First rule about us lions, our senses never lie. After all, the nose knows."

Fiona would have groaned at that overused metaphor, but it died in her throat when Judah suddenly took off at a fast pace. He was no Sonic, that was for sure, but the sudden action had caused her lunch to jump into her throat, and she clung tightly to Judah's neck as they raced through the thicket. The forest whizzed by in a blur, the late-night blues and blacks whirling together, and her ears were ringing as the wind rushed down their canals. Judah continued to race through the forest until a small house finally came into view, and he went skidding to a stop. Sure enough, it was a small, two-story cottage with a steaming chimney. There was even a light on in what was probably the den. Judah smiled down at Fiona, and he started forward at a milder pace.

"What'd I tell you, Miss Fiona? I'm not usually one to boast about my abilities, but even I have to admit that my senses are pretty spectacular. Yep, there's not a thing my instincts can't pick up. Not a single, itty-bitty…"

As though the universe itself wished to shut him up, the white lion was suddenly yanked high into the air, and Fiona was sent rolling across the ground. She glared up towards a nearby tree where a very humble looking Judah hung upside down in a snare trap. He offered her a meek smile, but she burned him up with an angry glare.

"Them's some impeccable instincts ya got there, fella!" she called up to him.

Judah merely chuckled, and he did his best to shrug. Just then, they could hear the front door of the cottage open and slam shut, followed by the crunch of gravel under heavy boots. Fiona pushed herself up onto her elbows, and she spied the owner of the feet. He was an elder mobian if the limp in his right leg and wizened features were any indicator. He was a racoon if Fiona was correct, though that was hard to tell since he had no tail. He was dressed in little more than a white tank top, a pair of camo pants, and combat boots, but the thing that really got Fiona's attention was the sniper rifle holstered at his shoulder. Fiona hated guns, and the mere sight of one was enough to make her uneasy, not that she would ever allow one to know. The old mobian came to a stop just a few inches from her prone form, and he fixed her with a steely but curious gaze. He spent a few moments studying her, and then he shifted his gaze to Judah. After a long, hard moment, he sniffed the air in a huff.

"Well, you certainly ain't the wild boar I was hoping to bag."

Judah offered the fellow a kind smile, though it wilted at the old man's stern gaze.

"Sorry to disappoint you, sir. Uh, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, sir, think you could help a poor man down from here?"

The old man hummed thoughtfully, and then he unholstered his rifle. Judah's eyes went wide with alarm, and he covered his face. There was a shot, and the next thing Judah knew he was sent crashing back to the cold hard ground with a heavy thud. He was seeing stars and swirls for a moment, but it was soon blotted out when the pain started to course through his body, not just from the fall but from the scars of the earlier battle. Judah groaned, and he wished he hadn't, but it was enough to get the old man's full attention. He rushed up to the lion's side, and he looked him over fervently. His face then fell into a snarl.

"Hey, lass!" he called back to Fiona. "Do you know what happened to this poor sap? He looks as though a pack of wild wolves had used him for a chew toy."

In spite of herself, Fiona offered a dry laugh.

"Convenient you say such things, gramps. That's exactly what he did. He pulled me from a bind, and then he carried me around because I twisted his ankle."

The old man shook his head.

"The fool. He's an absolute mess."

He knelt down and hoisted Judah up onto his shoulder before he dragged him over to Fiona.

"How about you? Can you walk?"

Fiona attempted to rise, but the instant she applied pressure to her foot she collapsed once again. The old man rolled his eyes, and then he scraped down and brought her up onto is other shoulder.

"Put as little pressure onto that foot as you can." he instructed. "Now walk."

After escorting the two wanderers into the cottage, the old man retrieved a medical kit and began to dress their wounds, starting with Judah. With the light much better, Fiona could see that he really did look like a wreck. He had grown bald in some spots, and it was obvious that he had been bleeding. She was completely without words. Why on earth had he gone to such lengths for her sake? Her first instinct told her that he wanted something. She had been around the block a few times, and, if it was one thing she had learned from her time alone, it was that nobody did anything for nothing. How many times had she in her trusting youth been robbed of anything precious because some strangers wanted to "help" her out. However, when she really thought about it, Judah didn't seem anything like those people. He hadn't made a single demand in the few hours they had known each other, nor had he really hinted at anything he needed.

She stopped short her musings when the old man moved over to her and began to splint her leg. She gasped as he started winding the wrappings, having not expected the sudden tightness.

"Sorry." he offered. "Got to keep it tight, ya know. It won't set properly if you don't keep it straight."

Fiona turned her nose up at him, and she did her best not to care.

"Whatever, gramps. So how long do I have to wear this thing? A couple of hours? A day or two?"

The old mobian glared at her.

"One, watch it with the gramps comment. The name is Mask, and you will refer to me as such, young lady. Second, if you've got plans, my dear, you're gonna have to cancel. That's a bad sprain, and I'd wager it would take at least a week for you to properly recover."

He looked back to Judah.

"That goes double for you, fuzz face. You ain't going nowhere until that bandages come off, ya hear?"

Judah nodded, and Fiona gagged. A week? As in seven days? An entire week stuck in this small, run down shack with the Zone Patrol still hot on her heels? No way, no how! She had to get out of this joint, and she had to get out now! She tried to jump to her feet, but the sudden surge of pain in her ankle forced her back into her chair. The sudden action didn't go unnoticed, and Mask whirled about on her with a stern face.

"Hold it, missy! Where do you think you're going?"

Fiona matched his gaze with an angry look of her own.

"Anywhere that I want to, GRAMPS! It's a free forest, and I have the right to go wherever I want to. I've got better things to do than be stuck in your little hovel for an entire week."

Mask didn't appreciate that. He leered down on her with an almost fatherly gaze, and he made certain that she felt absolutely microscopic.

"Let me tell you something, missy. I'm not asking anything out of you here. I brought you into my home, set you in my chair, and patched you up with my always dwindling medical supplies. I'm not asking for anything specific, just that you stay long enough for your wounds to heal. You go back running around out there before your ankle heals, and it'll only make it worse. So please, for an old man's conscience if anything, just sit still and take it easy for a while. As soon as the bandages come off, you can go as far away from here as you like, ok?"

Fiona felt her heart sank into her feet. She wasn't getting out of this, that much was for certain, but that didn't mean she had to like it. To further emphasize her defiance, she folded her arms across her chest, and she sat back in her chair.

"Sure, fine, whatever. But as soon as my leg is better, I'm out of here. You got that?"

Mask replied with an exaggerated bow.

"But of course, you're highness. Your fondest wish is my humblest command."

Fiona could hear Judah snicker, but she ignored it. Once again, she was trapped, but at least she would be comfortable. At least, until the Zone Patrol showed up to hall her away. Now satisfied, Mask straightened up, popped a kink in his back, and he started off for the inner part of the house.

"I've got a couple of spare bedrooms here downstairs. That's where you folks will be sleeping. Should either of you need me for something, I'll be upstairs. Just holler; I'm a very light sleeper. Fuzz face, you got the door on the left over there. Missy, you've got the door on the right. You can use that walking stick on the side of your chair as a crutch. Feel free to nod off when ya want. As for me, I'm calling it a night."

"Goodnight, Mr. Mask, sir." Judah called, and the old man disappeared into the upper floor. Then, the two of them were alone once again.

"He seems nice." he noted.

"Nice like a toothache." Fiona muttered to herself.

She picked up the stick Mask had pointed out to her, and she started towards her bedroom. Judah got up and did likewise for his own room. He stopped at his doorway, and he looked over to Fiona.

"Sleep well, Fiona."

Fiona replied with a grunt, and then she slammed the bedroom door behind her. It wasn't that big of a room, barely large enough for the twin sized bed, and there was no light save for the moonlight shining through the window. It wasn't glamorous, but Fiona had made do with worse. She hobbled over to the bed, tossed up the cover, and laid down hoping that for once, just this once, she wouldn't be greeted by another nightmare. However, no sooner had she closed her eyes, she knew found that she knew better.

…..

Fiona was running, running as fast as her chubby little legs would allow. With the skirt of her little yellow dress wrapping around her legs, she chased after her as quick as she could. She would catch her this time. This would be the time for sure. All she had to do was catch her, and everything would be fine. At her back, she could feel the darkness closing in, the sounds of manic laughter slowly growing louder and louder as it drew ever nigh. She was almost there. She could barely touch the hem of her blue dress. Her goal was almost within reach. She reached as far as her tiny arms would go, but something suddenly latched onto her and dragged her back. Terror clutched at her heart, and she struggled and thrashed as hard as she could. She had been so close this time. So close that could almost have felt the soft velvet. But she was indeed being dragged away, and once again she was being pulled away. As the darkness took hold of her, Fiona cut loose with one final cry in an attempt for release.

"Mother!"

And then, there was darkness.

….

Judah yawned lazily as he emerged from his room. It was still very late, but the call of the wild, as well as an empty stomach, gave him cause to raid Mask's kitchen. He figured the old man wouldn't mind if he had himself a little snack, just so long as he was courteous and cleaned up after himself. So, he made his way out into the den once more, being as quiet as possible, and he started his way towards the kitchen. Suddenly, he paused, and he perked his ears to their fullest. He couldn't have been sure, but it almost sounded like…yes, there it was! Whimpering. Silent sobs. Someone was crying, and it sounded like it was coming from Fiona's room. Puzzled, the lion made his way towards Fiona's room. After opening the door as quietly as possible, he poked his head inside.

"Fiona?" he whispered.

He spied her sleeping in her bed, though that was a bit of an exaggeration. Fiona was all scrunched up in her bed with the covers cast down on the floor. Her hand was gripping the sheets, her eyes were squeezed shut, and her brow was absolutely drenched with a cold sweat. There was just no two ways about it. She was having a doozy of a nightmare. His first thought was that he should wake her, but he decided not to. Nightmares could only be defeated if they are faced. Something his teacher had taught him a long time ago. So, instead, he moved up to the bed, and he laid down on the discarded blanket. He didn't know if it would help, but maybe the sound of his purring, or snoring as callous tended people to accuse him of, would settle her nerves. Worse came to worse, she would wake up and slap him; no big deal. With that in mind, he closed his eyes, and before long he was sound asleep.

…..

She was chained again. Why had she even bothered? They always got her in the end. She was here again, that horrible dark place. Four walls, no doors, and endless streams of chains wrapped around her and trapping her in one spot. She didn't even bother trying to contain her tears this time. It was hopeless. She knew it, she always had.

Overhead, the demonic specter of that mad doctor hung over her, laughing like a maniac and mocking her efforts. It knew what she had tried so hard to deny. She was his prisoner. Even though she wasn't really in that dusty old cell anymore, she was still trapped. It would forever haunt her dreams and her memories, and no amount of denial could break her free.

Why should she be free, anyway? She was a terrible person. Nobody liked her, and it was just a rule that she was hated. She had nowhere left to go, and there was no one left that she actually cared for. Maybe it was time for her to finally give up. She had been fighting for so long. It was time to just surrender.

The darkness was closing in now. It could taste her despair, and all she needed now was just a little more to finally break. Fiona closed her eyes. It was over. It was all over.

"Fiona?"

Her eyes snapped open, and she looked up. There was a white lion standing before her, a door of light standing open behind him. The light, it felt so warm. What was it? Was it…could it of been…hope?

Fiona awoke with a fright. Before she knew it, she had leaned over too far over the side of the bed, and she fell out and landed on something big and hairy. Judah also awoke with a start, and both he and Fiona scrambled to untangle one another as they shouted and cried out in mad confusion. It was enough to rouse Mask from his slumber, and he came roaring down the stairs and bursting into the room.

"What's going on in here?" he boomed.

Judah finally broke loose from Fiona, and he jumped to his feet while rambling incoherently.

"I was just…that is…I didn't mean to…Fiona, I'm so sorry and…"

"Get out!" Fiona erupted while slapping him hard in the face. "Get out right now you…you FREAK!"

Judah went rushing out the door and past a bewildered Mask, disappearing out the front door. Mask nearly snapped his neck in half as he looked between the open front door and Fiona.

"What the…what the sam hill was that all about? Fiona, why are you…?"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

Fiona stormed over to the door and slammed it shut in Mask's face, and there the old man stood looking all the more confused. From the other side of the door, he could hear Fiona sniffling. He then made his way to the front door, and he could see just the last remnants of Judah as he vanished into the forest. Mask took a deep breath, and he took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his forehead.

"I'm getting too old for this kind of nonsense." he grumbled to himself.

With the overall excitement over, he started his way back up the stairs and towards his nice soft bed. He knew he was going to have to deal with this, but not right now. If it was one thing Mask would do, it was solving people's emotional problems before his morning coffee. For certain, this was going to be one long week.