Chapter 2

That night my dreams come back to haunt me.

In my dream, I'm sitting cross-legged on the living room floor. Behind me, the patio door window shines a blood-red moon onto my back casting a haunting silhouette on the floor. I'm aware of the sensation of being high...again. My body is tingling and my eyes roll into the back of my head. I start to tip, but something stops me.

My mother screams from upstairs. The shrill cry rips through me and pulls me from my heroine induced stupor. I fall onto my hands and knees, clutching my stomach which is now writhing in pain.

"Oh god, Sasuke- what have you done!? You killed him, you killed Fugaku! And oh god...Itachi!"

Mom screams at the top of her lungs…tears stain my cheeks and I sob in defeat.

"It was an accident…" I raise my head and scream at her through the roof. "I'm so sorry! It was an accident, mom- forgive me!"

Footsteps barrel towards me! A twisted and bloody face is inches away from my own. My tongue unravels from its delirium and I scream falling onto the floor.

I'm suspended in darkness, the dream of my mother is slipping out of my hands like sand through my fingers.

Just as I'm about to wake up...a new voice (unlike any I have ever heard) Whispers in my ear. The stranger sounds like they are gurgling on mud and rocks. Their tongue clicks and their deep voice circles around me.

" e…. e"

"Gasp!"

I wake up coated in sweat. Heaving like an animal, I clutch my stomach with both my hands still bound.

It's the morning...Kakashi and his group are already packing up. Naruto looks at me, just in time to watch me curl into a ball and throw up onto the grass.

Naruto rushes towards me and holds my hair back. "Woah, woah-" he soothes. "It's alright. I got ya' man."

I don't thank him. After all, I'd be able to hold back my own damn hair if my hands weren't bound! Naruto wipes the sweat from my brow with the back of his hand, but I pull away.

"Beat it blondie, I'm fine."

Naruto scoffs. "Fine. Jerk! Be that way! Stupid Sasuke..."

He passes Sakura. She looks just as concerned for my well being as he did. Sakura grabs a leaf and brings it to my lips.

I'm not as quick to turn her away...she wipes the remaining drool from my lips and throws the leaf back into a nearby canopy. The glare I send her indicates I don't want any more help. She nods and leaves me alone.

A man named Shino walks past me...his eyes are glued into the distance. I stare up at him, confused. He's wearing thick glasses and a large white long-sleeve. He crosses his arms and adjusts his pack.

"Something is wrong…" he insists.

"Ya-" I begin. "-we're a bunch of strangers trapped in an infinite forest with no memories. No shit something is wrong."

Shino shakes his head. He waves over his companion, her name is Hinata. She has long blue hair and soft features. She holds her hand to her heart and whispers in a voice sweet as sugar.

"Shino, you're right." Hinata agrees with him. "The trees are rustling...something is out there."

Right on cue. A bulbous figure the size of a car leaps from the bushes. All I can gather is the creature has four legs and two tails. The beast opens it's jaw wide and-

CHOMP!

Fast as lightning, the attacker has its teeth locked around Shino's neck. Blood spurts into the air obscuring my vision and soaking its furry face. Hinata screams bloody murder and falls onto her back in surprise. The monster throws Shino across the clearing. His limp body lands in the crooks of Kiba's arms.

"Oh shit!" Kiba screams. "Shino, no!"

Kiba's arms cover the wound applying pressure. Hinata scrambles to her feet and jumps into her group of friends. All twelve of them are gathered in the center of the clearing with weapons drawn...leaving none other than me all by my lonesome.

"Fuck...fuck!" I claw at my restraints. The monster licks its lips and bears down on me.

Its fur is dark blue and black. It looks like a combination of a household cat and a tiger. It's twin tails whip-snap! Cracking through the open air. It grins and approaches me. Its breath smells of iron and fire.

I spin onto my back and raise both feet. It's teeth snap at my heels but I dodge the attack and kick it in the jaw. The cat-like monster screeches with rage and jumps towards my face...no way to dodge this! My body goes limp with shock. This is it. I'm dead.

A knife flips through the air and gouges the monster's eye. It howls in pain. It's claws miss my face by mere inches. It circles the clearing, now blind in one eye. It's trajectory is completely unknown. It wildly slashes at the air and stomps its front paws in the dirt.

Neji boldly steps forward. He's armed with a rock the size of his head. "This one is mine...after all, it's my job to protect you-" he gestures to Hinata. "Allow me!"

The maniac bursts forward and strikes the rock across the cat's jaw. It's neck snaps and it flops down into the grass. The rest of us gaze in amazement as Neji viciously beats the monster to death with the rock. Brains splatter the ground like thick chunks of meat. I stifle another gag and back into my tree...the smell of blood is suffocating.

Kakashi comments. "I think it's dead."

Neji nods. He drops his rock into the dirt and spins to face us. His face is covered in blood. He wipes the sticky liquid away with the back of his hand.

"Is everybody ok?" He asks.

"No!" Kiba cries. "Shino won't stop bleeding!"

Hinata joins Kiba on his knees...the two hold Shino's hands as his eyes begin to fade. Within the folds of his neck I can see strands of muscle that hang loose like broken rubber bands. Shino gasps once, and his body goes limp.

"He's dead." Kabuto dully comments.

"I'm sorry." Ino says trying to hide her tears. She snuggles up to Sakura and the two women hold one another in a friendly embrace.

Meanwhile I remain tied to the tree, panting and wheezing.

"Hey!" Everybody turns towards me. "Now we know what's in these woods, and it's not friendly. Now could you please, please get me out of these fucking ropes!?"

Shikamaru shakes his head. He's the only one who's remained calm during this whole ordeal, and, he's the only one without a knife. Leading me to believe he's the one who threw his weapon at the monster and undoubtedly saved my life.

"No can do Sasuke." His voice has a husky tone. "You're the odd man out. And the key component in my current hypothesis- if you try to do something stupid, my calculations will be screwed. Got it?"

I don't like this guy's high and mighty attitude! Meanwhile, the larger man named Choji beside him simply nods in agreement.

Looks like even though this forest is filled with monsters. I still won't be set free!