The first two days had been unbearably boring. Mikey had woken up hurting all over and with the worst stomach ache he'd ever had, which was saying something. He'd reluctantly opened his eyes to a bright blue sky. Confused he'd sat up, fighting the urge to throw up, and looked around. His brow creased.
He was held midair, just high enough that the tops of the trees brushed the invisible floor. Carefully walking around what turned out to be a box, Mikey found it was about big enough to do three back flips both ways and high enough that he could touch the ceiling on his tippy-toes. Mikey had amused himself with exploring his invisible containment for about five minutes, enough to confirm there was no way out. He'd tried hitting the wall with a fearsome kick and several hits with his nunchucks but each blow just bounced off harmlessly. Mikey frowned. He had no idea how he'd gotten stuck here and, worse, he had no idea where his brothers were.
Mikey had felt worry claw its way into his stomach but he'd pushed it back, reassuring himself that his brothers would find him and explain what was going on. He just had to wait. He had settled on distracting himself by imagining himself fighting different villains from his comics, acting out the choreography with plenty of enthusiastic cries.
Sadly, the activity left him aching for something to drink. Mikey realized, a little late, that he had no source of water or food. Well, he thought, I'm sure Donnie will have some water when he shows up. In the meantime, might wanna chill so I don't get any more thirsty. Satisfied, he counted the clouds, creating stories behind what each one looked like. Once the clouds became too numerous with the oncoming storm, Mikey gave up. He lay spread eagle waiting for the rain until he fell asleep.
Somehow, his unbreakable box allowed air and water through so Mikey woke up completely soaked. He'd opened up his mouth and let the rain drops sooth his parched throat. After a few minutes with his mouth hung open, Mikey realized he might not get this kind of rain again. He had to collect water for later. He looked over his box, thinking. Nothing else in the box but himself.
That was it! He unwrapped his bandages and began weaving them tightly together. His tongue stuck out in concentration. When he finally finished, he lifted up his makeshift water pouch. Thankfully, the rain lasted long enough for him to collect enough water to fill the pouch. Satisfied with his accomplishment, Mikey shifted his attention to the ground, watching the forest below, occupying himself by memorizing the piece of nature he could see. As the rain cleared, he could see a few animals scamper down below. There was a squirrel nesting in a tree next to him that he watched with particular diligence, naming him Mr. McNutter, although there was the possibility he was was a she. Mikey shrugged.
As Mikey watched Mr./Mrs. McNutter bring nuts back into the hole in the tree, Mikey felt his stomach growl. He pressed his hands against his stomach and sighed. He'd never gone this long without food. His appetite was huge as it was and, without food for who knows how long, Mikey's stomach ached in a relentless demand for food.
There was nothing he could do now so he lay on his back and looked up at the emerging stars. Their fainted glimmer shown through the dark purple sky as the sun began to set for the second time since Mikey had woken up. He stared as the light faded and the stars got brighter. He heard Mr./Mrs. McNutter scampering back into the tree for the night. Mikey sighed as his stomach refused to be forgotten with anger grumbles. Not helping. He'd also rationed what little water he had in a sudden stroke of thoughtfulness so his tongue begged for water. Mikey turned on his side and squeezed his eyes shut. He imagined his brothers coming for him, offering a big pizza and a huge glass of water as they crashed through the invisible walls of his box. Mikey smiled and tried to push aside his worry long enough to rest.
On the third day, as Mikey lay face down, watching Mr./Ms. McNutter bury nuts in the forest floor, he caught a glimpse of an odd kind of movement to his right. He pressed his nose to the floor and squinted. His eyes widened and a smile grew across his face.
"Leo!" He called. He knew his brothers would find him! Mikey frowned. Leo didn't even look his way, he just kept walking, or limping rather.
"Leo!" Mikey cried more desperately, banging on the wall of his box in a frantic attempt to get Leo's attention. "Leo!" Mikey called out again, confusion playing across his face. He tried calling out again but the sound got caught in his throat. All Mikey could do was watch Leo disappear into the forest.
Mikey sat back, breathing heavily. Tears streamed freely now, Mikey leaned against his cell wall. He knew Leo would've turned if he'd heard him but somehow the walls kept noise in and him invisible. How would his brothers rescue him if they couldn't hear or see him?
A burst of fear flew into his heart. Mikey immediately stood and began attacking the sides of his prison with renewed vigor. He gave his blows all he had, taking out all his fear and frustration. Bang! Bang! Bang! But the walls never faltered.
Finally, Mikey sank to his knees, exhausted. What if he were stuck here forever? What if his brothers never came? Mikey shook his head. His brothers would find him. They were smart and resourceful and his big brothers. Things would work out. They always did. They always came for him. Even when he'd get lost in the sewers as a toddler, Leo or Raph or Donnie would come charging after him. He'd gotten lost for over a day once but he'd never doubted his brothers. But now, he wasn't so sure… With that thought echoing through his head Mikey set about distracting himself some more.
Mikey had lost track of time. He figured it'd been about three or four days since he'd last seen Leo but he wasn't sure. The days had begun to run together after that. With nothing to distract or engage him, Mikey had spent whole days staring up at the sky or down at the forest floor. With his depleted water supply and increasing anxiety, he was beginning to loose his mental battle. It kept nagging him. There was no way his brothers could help him. They could be injured or dead by now. They had their own problems to deal with and no way to find him. Mikey weakly pushed the thought from his head. No, they'd find him. He was their little brother. They'd drop everything for him. Mikey was sure. Mostly.
Mikey groaned and turned on his side.
He froze, catching sight of the new visitor. At the opposite end of his cell, Mikey spotted a snake staring straight at him. He had no idea how it had gotten there but somehow it had snuck in without him noticing. He wondered how long it'd been coiled there, motionless.
Mikey gulped and slowly sat up. He pushed himself as far away from the snake as possible, forcing himself into the opposite corner. The effort and stress left him dizzy. His hunger was beginning to take a real toll. He blinked a few times and refocused on the snake. It had white stripes all down the length of its dark blue body. As the snake shifted, Mikey could see the flat head and beady black eyes turn to get a better look at him.
"Hi, ninja snake." Mikey tried to crack a smile. The snake hissed and the smile immediately left his face.
As day turned to night, Mikey ached to lie down and rest his aching joints but every time he tried to shift to a new position, the snake hissed and menacingly arched its head. So Mikey spent the rest of the that night and the following day, in an uncharacteristically still position, only making small movements when his body hurt too much to keep ignoring. The snake's weirdly still, focused position and its creepy eyes made Mikey more scared than he'd ever felt. He hadn't been able to sleep since the thing showed up and he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to sleep again tonight. He shivered and the snake twitched. Mikey resumed his paralyzed position.
The moon hung high in the sky as Mikey's head began to droop. His eyes felt like brick and his body was at its limit. The snake's hiss had almost become background noise but as Mikey finally allowed himself to give in to sleep, he heard a particularly nearby hiss. Mikey's eyes shot open. The snake had cut the distance between them in half. It moved its head slowly from side to side and Mikey felt adrenaline rush his body, keeping his eyes open against all odds. After a few silent moments where only the crickets screeched, the snake finally made its move. It shot forward with incredible speed.
In his exhausted state Mikey had no time to dodge the attack. Instead, his arm flung up between his face and the snake's outstretched fangs. Mikey screamed as the teeth met with his arm and sunk deep into his skin. Mikey flung his arm around in an attempt to slam the snake into the wall. By the time his arm made contact with the side of his cell, the snake had disappeared from his forearm. Mikey swung around, searching for the snake but it had disappeared. Mikey let out a breath and stumbled forward, his eyes growing heavy again. His body began to loose its responsiveness. Quietly, Mikey collapsed. His sluggish breathing could only be heard by a single being. The moon cast its shadow over the unconscious turtle. The onlooker's teeth gleamed in the moonlight, forming a crooked smile. Mikey shivered.
So sorry for the hiatus. Life got crazy again. Thanks for sticking with me. :) Hope you guys had a fantastic holiday season! And don't forget to tell me what you think in the comments!