I know I said in the summary that I would post weekly updates, but I have another big test tomorrow and the stress is getting to me. Besides, that was a terrible stopping point and this is my apology. It's kinda of a halfhearted apology because I have a big test tomorrow, so...

Chapter 2: Some Kind of Rabbit-hole

As Kyle looked up from his hands, he felt a weakness come over his body. He fought hard against the feeling, focusing on the trees in front of him. The scene quickly became blurry, he kept fighting it. The rough trees swirled around his vision like hot chocolate and bright flashes of light that came from the sky felt like they had a physical force and were trying to knock him over. He grounded his feet and pushed back against the light as it engulfed the whole world. Suddenly there was a lack of sensation to match the lack of distinction around him and he almost gave in to the ever present fatigue. He took one deep breath as he stepped forward.

The ground he had so solidly been planted on mere moments before had disapered and there was nothing to stop his fall. And that was it. His fear had lowered his guard and Kyle too lost consciousness.

After a moment of darkness, he was awake and upright, looking around the woods. But these were different, unfamiliar trees. He walked around the nearest one, marveling at the low, thick branches that would be perfect for climbing up and into.

Before Kyle could get his foot on one of those tempting branches, he heard a girl yell, "Help!"

He looked over to see a tan girl with black hair and a blue sundress lying about 30 yards from him on a small slope. She had a nice face, but something seemed wrong that he couldn't quite place.

"Please, can anyone hear me?" she yelled again

"Hold on. I'm coming!" He yelled back at her. He brushed the brushes and branches out of the way as he ran to her. When he got close he noticed her sandals and backpack were scattered around like she had been thrown off a swing-set. And then he saw why she had called for help. Besides the scratches on her arms from thorns, her collarbone was askew, giving her neck an inhuman shape. Kyle had watched enough TV to know that a broken collarbone was fairly serious.

"One second, I'll call 911," he said in a slightly shaky voice. "What's your name?" he asked as he pulled out his phone.

"I'm Rosaria."

"Tha-that's a cool name. How'd you end up in the woods dressed like this?" He said, trying to make conversation to keep himself calm. He tried not to let her see how frustrated he was with his phone. It wasn't the latest model to say the least and the plan only covered areas accessible with a stepladder.

"I didn't. I was just walking home from school." she said meekly. "You didn't tell me your name."

"I'm Kyle." He cursed at his phone verbally now. "I can't get any service here. Do you have your phone?"

"In my purse. But we don't even know where we are. Where is an ambulance going to go?"

She had a point he thought. "I don't know."

Rosaria looked at him and he could see the tears in her eyes. "You should go look around. Maybe..." She trailed off as she thought about what they would say to anyone they found. How she had ended up in a forest when there wasn't one within 300 miles of where she had been. How this scruffy punk with earrings had ended up with her. How she had woken up to an amazing pain at the top of her chest. If only I knew. Then I could do something.

Kyle thought about it. Could he leave this girl to find some help? Did he have a choice?

"I promise, I will be right back," he said. And he started walking north, looking for a trail or a sign of a human.

He didn't get very far before he saw a boy a few years younger than him in sweatpants sitting on a log. Kyle walked up to the end of the lg he was on.

"Hello," he said. "Do you live around here? Someone back here is hurt, and-." He stopped when he saw the shell-shocked look on his face. "Hello?"

We must have been in an accident. I just forgot everything. Trauma, right? Was it an airplane? Had to have been. Why would I be on an airplane? And then he remembered that horrible feeling of falling. No. that light was real. it had to be. Maybe I died. That would suck.

"HELLL—OOO!" someone voice yelled. "Anybody!"

As the voices got closer, Kyle could make out another voice, a girls voice.

"This is nuts. Whatever crazy TV show I've been put on is gonna pay big time when they get sued."

"We're over here!" Kyle yelled, slightly relieved.

Two figures pushed their way through a particularly large bush. A slender girl with bouncy curls was wearing a sweatshirt and some tiny running shorts. Behind her was a well built black guy dressed like any normal teenage boy would. He checked his iPhone and slid it back into his pocket without really looking at it, mostly because the time had been stuck on 12:00 and he had found a place without service.

Tessa saw Spencer sitting on a log, walked up to him and asked "Hey buddy, can you hear us?"

Spencer gave a little shiver of a nod and went back to staring at the ground.

"I guess so," she said. "I'm Tessa, by the way. This is Ian. We just met a few minutes ago."

"I'm Kyle." he said, "Look, there is this other girl I found back a ways. She's hurt pretty bad. Like, needs a hospital bad, so if any of you knows where we are, or what's going on, spill. Now."

Ian stepped up, "No, sorry. I yelled at Tess for a bit when I came around cause I though this was a prank. Itsnot, sorry."

"No, it's okay, I just figured, someone has to know what's happening." Kyle said.

Tessa looked at Kyle and asked, "Where is your friend?"

"Right back here. I'll show you."

Kyle led the way back to Rosaria with Tessa right behind him, holding Spencer's hand, and Ian bringing up the rear. It took some of the longest minutes of Kyle's life to get back to her. What if something had happened and she had... Or if he got lost and couldn't find her.

But all those worries were gone when he reached the small clearing.

"Rosaria! I found some people!" he called.

But she didn't respond. He was running towards her before he knew that he was moving. Wory coursed though his body. His hands shook from fear as he checked her pulse. It was still there. He looked up at Ian, wishing that the tall boy had some power to fix whatever was broken.

"She's alive."

They all breathed a sigh of relief, but with the inhale they realized the gravity of their situation. I n unfamiliar woods, with no clue how they got there, no food, water, or shelter. The sun was setting and they were all exhausted.

Kyle looked at all his new friends. Their chances of surviving looked very slim from his vantage point. He just hoped he would get to see the sun rise.