Chapter Two: And It Begins . . .
I slowly pried my eyes open and pushed myself off of the ground. My head pulsed with pain and my vision was slightly blurred, but other than that I was all right; I had no broken bones, cuts, scrapes, or even bruises. Considering that I had just fallen into the sky, I was slightly surprised at my good condition, but very relieved.
The air was still and warm around me. I breathed in a lungful of moist, tropical air. That's when I snapped back to reality. Just a few moments (or what I thought were a few moments) ago, I was standing ankle-deep in snow in the middle of the mountains, but now, I appeared to be in the middle of a thick forest. The only thing that proved that I had ever been at camp was my backpack lying at my feet.
I stood up in shock and fear. Where was everyone else? Was I the only one lost in this strange place?
"Koushiro? Yamato! Is anyone there?" I yelled at the trees. I stood very still, waiting for reply, but all I could hear were the rustle of leaves in the trees and the loud humming of insects. A tear trickled down my right cheek and I quickly brushed it away even though I knew I was alone.
"You're here!" a cheery, high-pitched voice rang out. I looked up.
"Takeru!" I shouted joyfully. "Takeru, is that you?" A shiny, bight-blue sphere bounced into my arms from the shadows of the forest. I was so startled that I dropped it and stumbled backward. It ricocheted off of the forest floor and back into my lap.
"I'm not a Takeru, I'm a Katamon! And I'll be your partner!" Katamon reminded me of a blue balloon with a tadpole-like tail and two wide, inquisitive eyes. Although this thing's size was quite impressive, it was her eyes that mystified me most. When I looked into her saucer-like eyes, I could feel time itself slow down. My muscles relaxed and I slumped back against a near-by tree. My heart gradually stopped beating and my lungs lay limp in my chest. I frantically tried to move, even twitch an eyelid, but found that I was completely paralyzed. I could feel my body start to deteriorate and shut down from lack of oxygen. The world around me grew fuzzy and dark as my back slipped from the tree trunk and I collapsed to the ground. Just before my brain gave way to darkness, I heard a high voice whisper "Oh no, I've done it again . . ."
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Slowly, I started to regain my senses. Even though I was lying down, I felt very dizzy. Someone was panting hard and cursing nearby. I strained to open my eyes, but could only flutter them a little. I started breathing shallowly and I heard a sigh of relief. A gentle hand softly shook my shoulder.
"Mimi?" A familiar voice asked. "Are you awake?" Gathering my strength I nodded my head, just slightly. I tried opening my eyes again. It took me a moment to focus, but when I did I saw Jou leaning over me with a concerned expression on his face. I struggled to get up at the sight of him, but he held
me down. "Don't get up just yet; you were unconscious after all. How do you feel?" I took in a deep breath before speaking.
"Rather crappy. Did you see what happened?" Jou shook his head.
"I found you like this. Well, actually, it was really Bukamon who you should thank. He spotted you first; I suppose I was too freaked out from meeting him to notice you. Say hi, Bukamon!" Out from behind a bush popped a grey, floating creature with flippers and orange hair. He reminded me of a Plesiosaurus, a very small Plesiosaurus.
"I'm Bukamon, Jou's partner Digimon!" He chirped. I tried to slink away from the creature that seemed similar to the one that attacked me, but I didn't have the strength.
"What, what's a partner Digimon?" I asked Jou, not taking my eyes off of the creature.
"Well, apparently, Digimon is an abbreviation for 'digital monster,' and Bukamon is supposed to be my companion or partner, I guess."
"Why of course I am!" Bukamon replied, slightly insulted. "Every human who comes here has a partner!" He turned to me. "So, where's your partner Digimon?" My shoulders fell and glanced to the side.
"I must not have one since I haven't seen any other monsters except-" my voice trailed off as my memory brought my thoughts back to the strange Digimon that had attacked me. She had said that she was supposed to be my partner, could that mean . . . I shook my head rapidly, trying to relieve my brain of my confusion.
"Um, Mimi? Are you all right?" Jou inquired, worried. "Yeah," I muttered, "I'm all right." It was obvious that Jou didn't believe me. I struggled to sit up. "We should try and find the others, but I don't think I can stand." Jou squatted down and gently scooped me up in his arms. I blinked in surprise. "You didn't have to do that." Jou blushed slightly.
"Well, erm, you aren't all that heavy, and you would be rather vulnerable just lying there, virtually immobile." He reached down, put my backpack on, and stood up. Jou didn't appear to be in the best physical condition and I doubted that he would be able to walk since he was wearing my backpack as well as carrying me, but somehow he managed. He walked in silence and I started to feel my eyelids droop. I've always been rather self-conscious when it comes to being asleep in front of others, even my family, and I didn't fully trust Jou (we had only know each other for less than an hour, after all), but I could feel my brain floating in and out of consciousness.
"Jou," I weakly whispered, "honestly, what were you doing while I was unconscious that made you so agitated?" Jou hesitated.
"I-I was performing Circulatory Pulmonary Resuscitation. You weren't breathing, and I knew you wouldn't last long unless oxygen could reach your tissues. I'm studying for medical school, so it was a simple procedure." I couldn't help but weakly smile at his obvious discomfort. I also had a tendency to hide touchy subjects behind technical terms and complex words.
When really stopped to think about someone doing CPR on me, I did feel a bit violated, but I owed Jou my life. It was already obvious to me that this incident was not going to be solved instantly, and we survivors would end up getting close before it was all over, probably closer than necessary . . .
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I slowly pried my eyes open and pushed myself off of the ground. My head pulsed with pain and my vision was slightly blurred, but other than that I was all right; I had no broken bones, cuts, scrapes, or even bruises. Considering that I had just fallen into the sky, I was slightly surprised at my good condition, but very relieved.
The air was still and warm around me. I breathed in a lungful of moist, tropical air. That's when I snapped back to reality. Just a few moments (or what I thought were a few moments) ago, I was standing ankle-deep in snow in the middle of the mountains, but now, I appeared to be in the middle of a thick forest. The only thing that proved that I had ever been at camp was my backpack lying at my feet.
I stood up in shock and fear. Where was everyone else? Was I the only one lost in this strange place?
"Koushiro? Yamato! Is anyone there?" I yelled at the trees. I stood very still, waiting for reply, but all I could hear were the rustle of leaves in the trees and the loud humming of insects. A tear trickled down my right cheek and I quickly brushed it away even though I knew I was alone.
"You're here!" a cheery, high-pitched voice rang out. I looked up.
"Takeru!" I shouted joyfully. "Takeru, is that you?" A shiny, bight-blue sphere bounced into my arms from the shadows of the forest. I was so startled that I dropped it and stumbled backward. It ricocheted off of the forest floor and back into my lap.
"I'm not a Takeru, I'm a Katamon! And I'll be your partner!" Katamon reminded me of a blue balloon with a tadpole-like tail and two wide, inquisitive eyes. Although this thing's size was quite impressive, it was her eyes that mystified me most. When I looked into her saucer-like eyes, I could feel time itself slow down. My muscles relaxed and I slumped back against a near-by tree. My heart gradually stopped beating and my lungs lay limp in my chest. I frantically tried to move, even twitch an eyelid, but found that I was completely paralyzed. I could feel my body start to deteriorate and shut down from lack of oxygen. The world around me grew fuzzy and dark as my back slipped from the tree trunk and I collapsed to the ground. Just before my brain gave way to darkness, I heard a high voice whisper "Oh no, I've done it again . . ."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Slowly, I started to regain my senses. Even though I was lying down, I felt very dizzy. Someone was panting hard and cursing nearby. I strained to open my eyes, but could only flutter them a little. I started breathing shallowly and I heard a sigh of relief. A gentle hand softly shook my shoulder.
"Mimi?" A familiar voice asked. "Are you awake?" Gathering my strength I nodded my head, just slightly. I tried opening my eyes again. It took me a moment to focus, but when I did I saw Jou leaning over me with a concerned expression on his face. I struggled to get up at the sight of him, but he held
me down. "Don't get up just yet; you were unconscious after all. How do you feel?" I took in a deep breath before speaking.
"Rather crappy. Did you see what happened?" Jou shook his head.
"I found you like this. Well, actually, it was really Bukamon who you should thank. He spotted you first; I suppose I was too freaked out from meeting him to notice you. Say hi, Bukamon!" Out from behind a bush popped a grey, floating creature with flippers and orange hair. He reminded me of a Plesiosaurus, a very small Plesiosaurus.
"I'm Bukamon, Jou's partner Digimon!" He chirped. I tried to slink away from the creature that seemed similar to the one that attacked me, but I didn't have the strength.
"What, what's a partner Digimon?" I asked Jou, not taking my eyes off of the creature.
"Well, apparently, Digimon is an abbreviation for 'digital monster,' and Bukamon is supposed to be my companion or partner, I guess."
"Why of course I am!" Bukamon replied, slightly insulted. "Every human who comes here has a partner!" He turned to me. "So, where's your partner Digimon?" My shoulders fell and glanced to the side.
"I must not have one since I haven't seen any other monsters except-" my voice trailed off as my memory brought my thoughts back to the strange Digimon that had attacked me. She had said that she was supposed to be my partner, could that mean . . . I shook my head rapidly, trying to relieve my brain of my confusion.
"Um, Mimi? Are you all right?" Jou inquired, worried. "Yeah," I muttered, "I'm all right." It was obvious that Jou didn't believe me. I struggled to sit up. "We should try and find the others, but I don't think I can stand." Jou squatted down and gently scooped me up in his arms. I blinked in surprise. "You didn't have to do that." Jou blushed slightly.
"Well, erm, you aren't all that heavy, and you would be rather vulnerable just lying there, virtually immobile." He reached down, put my backpack on, and stood up. Jou didn't appear to be in the best physical condition and I doubted that he would be able to walk since he was wearing my backpack as well as carrying me, but somehow he managed. He walked in silence and I started to feel my eyelids droop. I've always been rather self-conscious when it comes to being asleep in front of others, even my family, and I didn't fully trust Jou (we had only know each other for less than an hour, after all), but I could feel my brain floating in and out of consciousness.
"Jou," I weakly whispered, "honestly, what were you doing while I was unconscious that made you so agitated?" Jou hesitated.
"I-I was performing Circulatory Pulmonary Resuscitation. You weren't breathing, and I knew you wouldn't last long unless oxygen could reach your tissues. I'm studying for medical school, so it was a simple procedure." I couldn't help but weakly smile at his obvious discomfort. I also had a tendency to hide touchy subjects behind technical terms and complex words.
When really stopped to think about someone doing CPR on me, I did feel a bit violated, but I owed Jou my life. It was already obvious to me that this incident was not going to be solved instantly, and we survivors would end up getting close before it was all over, probably closer than necessary . . .
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