"How much farther?" I screamed at Total through the roaring of the wind in my ears. "I'm freezing!"

"Uh…." Total stared down at the countryside. "Uh…there! There!"

"Finally!" I started spiraling towards the ground. Unfortunately, my landing was no better than any of my others, and Total tumbled out of my arms as I hit the earth. "Sorry!"

Total got up, shaking out his fur. "Well, of all the indignant things…"

"So, we're here?" I ask. We've landed in a small clearing ringed by pine trees. One problem: there's nobody here. But the area shows clear signs of being lived in. The grass in the center is charred, as if by a fire. Footprints criss-cross the grass, and large imprints showed where they slept. I walk over to the charred area and put my hand above the ashes. "They can't have been gone long," I remark, feeling weak heat. "At least a day or two. Otherwise the ashes would be cold."

Total trots around the clearing, sniffing the air. "Let's see, judging by their scents they've been gone for…a day and a half."

"Great." I fall to my knees and start crying. "Oh Total, we're never going to find them!"

Total nuzzles me. "There, there," he comforts. "Don't worry Trinity. We'll find them, you'll see."

I smile at him. "Thanks Total. I just wish…"

"What?"

"I wish that my mother was here." I feel silly admitting it, but it's true. She would've known why they left or where they were going. Heck, if she was here, I wouldn't be trying to find them in the first place!

Total suddenly leaps away and sniffs again, his fur standing on end. "Uh, Trinity? We've got company."

"What?" I look around.

"Wrong way, hon. Look up."

I do, and my heart sinks.

There's these flying robot things hovering above us. I've never seen them before, but I know just what they are. Flyboys.

Oh no.

"Uh, Total?"

"What?"

"Run." I grab him and start running as fast I can.

Now, I'm not bragging or anything, but I'm pretty fast. I can outrun my mother, point blank. And that is saying something.

But however fast I was, they were ten times better. But I've got a head start. I'm running blindly, not caring where I'm going. Brambles and tree branches lash into my arms but I ignore them, cursing my nearly five-foot frame.

I can hear them crashing through the undergrowth behind me. Now, I'm not sure, but I'm betting that they have that infer-red vision thingy. Great. My super-heated body would stick out like a bright yellow mutant sore thumb in this dark, damp forest. So I run quickly, dodging rocks and thick tree trunks.

And the ground suddenly…stops.

I wave my arms wildly to keep my balance, keeping a hold on Total. I've reached a cliff overhanging the sea. Pure luck saves me. I don't fall. I know that I should spread my wings, but I also know it would be no use. They would only follow me. The sounds of them grow louder. I look back and forth quickly, trying to find the best way out. Stay or run? Run or stay?

Then I look down. Suddenly it occurs to me that there aren't just two ways out. No time to think. "Hey, Total?"

"What?"

"You're not opposed to swimming, are you?"

"Not really, why?"

I don't answer. I just clutch him against my chest, fold my wings tight against my back, and jump.

The wind whooshing past my ears is the only sound for a few moments. Then…

Whoomph.

I'm surrounded by bubbles. I let myself fall for a few seconds, aware that Total is struggling madly, trying to get out. Then I start kicking upwards.

As soon as my head breaks the surface I'm hit by a mouthful of saltwater. I cough and sputter, trying to get the taste out of my mouth. I spot a large rock sticking out of the water and head towards it.

I reach it after a few seconds and climb on it. There's just enough room. I hug my knees to my chest and let shudder after shudder pass through me.

I don't know how long it is before I realize…Total's gone.

"Total!" I scream, slipping back into the frigid water and wading through the shallows. "Total! Answer me!"

But he doesn't answer. I scan the waves desperately, waiting for a small black dog to poke his head out of the water and yell at me for dragging us both into this mess.

But he doesn't. I start crying. He was my guide, my friend, my only hope. Now he's probably drowned by now and it's all my fault.

"Hey Trinity!"

"Total!" I cry, wading towards him. He's perched himself on a large rock jutting out of the waves. His fur is sopping wet, and he doesn't look very happy. "You're alive!"

"I could say the same for you, Trinity."

I reach him and hug him, hard. "I thought I'd lost you," I admit, my voice shaking.

"Well, it would be a bit stupid to kill one of the main characters off in the fourth chapter, maybe in the climax, but not in the fourth chapter…"

"What?"

"Never you mind that, Trinity." He shakes water out of his fur. Personally, I think that's a bit useless, but don't say anything. "Are they gone?"

"Uh…" I gaze up at the cliff's edge. "Yeah. Let's get out of here." I stand, spreading my wings, shaking saltwater off my sopping feathers. "Ready, Total?" I bend my knees, preparing to jump. Just as I'm about to take off, I'm hit by a huge, nearly 7-foot tall wave and swept off my feet. I just have time to grab Total's scruff before I'm carried into darkness.