It took no time at all for Gia to rush back in the cart and lock the door. Alex smashed through and roared. Well, that didn't work. Gia didn't know what to do. She didn't want to hurt him! She ran as fast as she can through the train carts. Alex followed. She stopped to check if Alex was still chasing her, and he was gone. Gia was relieved for two seconds before she realized that the had passed Marty's cart. Gia heard Marty scream, and she rushed towards Marty's cart. Alex was on top of him clawing him, biting him, torturing him until he was ready to finally have a midnight snack. "Gia! Help me!" Marty screamed. Gia didn't even have to process the words into her brain to punch Alex and help Marty up. "Let's go! Hurry!" She shouted.
Marty and Gia did all they could to get Alex away from them. It broke their hearts to fear their friend, but they kept running anyway. Alex would've wanted them to. "Marty! Up here!" Gia shouted as she opened the cart door and climbed up the ladder. Considering Marty had hooves, Gia had to pull him on top of the train. Alex didn't bother using the ladder. He latched onto the train with his claws and made his way up. Hmm, we need to figure out how to outsmart him. He seems to find a way through everything! Marty thought. A tree branch broke Marty's train of thought as it smacked him in the head as the train passed by. That tree branch forced Marty's head downwards. Well would you look at that.
Gia pushed Alex on the edge of the train, causing him to hang on. "Are you ok, Marty?" She asked. Marty smirked at the jaguar. "Never better. I have a plan." Marty pointed his hoof towards the bridge up ahead. "I'm planning to knock Alex into the water below the bridge." Marty explained. "Here's how we'll do it: I'll distract Al long enough for us to get to the bridge. Then, you take this board," Marty used his teeth to bite off part of the train and handed it to Gia. "And you smack him as hard as you can. So hard that he'll fall off the train, and into the water. It may not be professional, but it may just work." He continued. Alex was back on the train. Gia didn't question the zebra by asking what would happen if Alex hit the bridge and not the water, and nodded quickly.
"Hey, Aaalleeex!" Marty sung. The insane lion glared at his dinner and smirked. Gia got her board ready as the train approached the bridge. Tears ran down her face as the train got on the bridge. "Gia?" Marty called her. She didn't know what to do. The whole world seemed to freeze. "Gia?!" Marty called again as Alex drew nearer. Gia had never been so afraid in her whole life. She couldn't hurt him! She couldn't! "Gia! Do it NOW!" Marty screamed. Gia finally used all her strength and knocked Alex clean off the bridge. He roared as he hit the water. "Yeah! We did it!" Marty yelled joyfully. But the monochromatic animal's smile faded. "We did it..." He repeated softly. He just let Alex, his best friend, get knocked off the train into the water. "What if we never see him again?!" Marty yelled at Gia. "Let's...just get back in the train and we'll talk about it in the morning." Gia said. The two animals made their way back into the train, both extremely worried.
Alex shot out of the water coughing. He made his way to shore as fast as he could, coughing up loads of water. He took a very deep breath and he finally reached the shore. He looked above him. He sure wasn't on the mountain anymore. Out of his blurred vision, he thought he could see the train drive away. Two very familiar animals were on top of it. "Marty...Gia..." He whispered weakly. I tried to kill them... He thought, and he fainted right there on the edge of the lake, all alone with a monster.
Alex's feet ached so much he thought they would fall off. He was so tired. So sad. So...hungry. He shivered at the thought of eating his friends. Oh, what is it now? Alex heard a familiar voice in his head. A voice he'd heard too many times already. "What do you want?" Alex said aloud. No one was around, so he spoke to himself. Well, you're tired, lonely, afraid, hungry... Wild Alex whispered the last word in a way that made Alex's mouth water. What do you see in that Marty character? Unique, fun, good friend indeed. Wild Alex explained. But do you know what I see? Fresh meat. A wonderful meal sitting right in front of you, yet you never go for it. You know you're hungry Alex... You must eat. Everyone needs to eat. They need to survive. That includes you. Alex listened to these words, as if he was hypnotized. "Yeah..." He said. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the train tracks he'd been following for hours. C'mon, Alex... Track them down... Wild Alex sung.
Alex's pupils then grew. "NO! Don't even think about it!" He yelled at himself. What am I doing? You're the one who just considered- "No! Don't even say it! I can find my way home without you!" Alex interrupted. Suit yourself...but face it: You know you want to... Wild Alex sang, and he was gone. Not gone for good, but for now. The exhausted lion looked at the long path ahead of him. He needed to find them. Alex once again made his way down the tracks.
Gia paced back and forth, playing with her fingers. "What do we do? We can't leave him there! What part of you thought that was a good idea, Marty?" Gia crossed her arms at the zebra. Marty was about to answer, but Gia interrupted him. "I don't even want to hear it! Alex will die out there! Next thing you know, he'll begin to go insane ed egli finirà per suicidarsi!" Gia began to rant and worry in Italian. "Gia!" Marty yelled. "What?!" Gia practically screamed. "I'd love to help you, but I don't speak Italian." Marty pointed out. "You're not helping with the situation! You know I love him and if he dies out there, non sarò mai in grado di vivere! Ho bisogno di Alex e tu sai fare a!" Gia started speaking in Italian again. Marty looked out the window. Please, please be ok, Alex... I need you... The zebra thought sadly.