Chapter 9: The Chase

Through the thick forest Rei trudged on, grumpily blaming his 'wacked-out' senses. 'Maybe they're on overdrive because of stress' Rei thought. 'yeah that's probably it, I mean, I really liked that tuna dammit.'

All of a sudden, an unexpected rustling was heard from behind. He whirled around. Nothing.

Slowly and more cautiously Rei walked onward towards the camp, ultimately taking a detour in order to find out whether or not he was going insane, or whether their really was something out there. Or someone.

'Oh my god what if it's a wolf!' Rei tensed, his thoughts ran away like the river he was following. 'A big ass dog that likes to eat kitty chow. I don't want to be dog chow, I like my life! I like my fish, my tuna, I don't wanna die!'

A rustle. Then, it got louder and louder, immediately following he heard a thud, then footsteps and more rustling, crackling. Alarmed, Rei broke into a run, his hair trailing urgently and silently behind him. Apart from the rustling, he didn't hear a thing. No breathing or tired panting as a result to running. 'I'm going mad,' Rei considered. Turning a sharp corner Rei decided hiding was his best bet. And up. He'd go up.

Racing for what felt like his life rushing away from him he climbed and climbed and climbed further and further upwards. Up and up he didn't stop until the large violet flowers at the bottom were now dots. The tree was sturdy, and the view was wide. But he could see no sign, no implication of any entity that had been there.

"Boo."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

And then down, down, down Rei fell towards the painful hard ground. Bracing himself for the agony and the tick-crack of his bones when he'd crash head-first into the dry de-hydrated mud Rei flinched and shut his petrified eyes.

Like a flash, Rei felt a whoosh and a change of direction. He was going up. Then down and something touched his numb-with-fear feet. Amidst the clearing he saw Kai smirk.

"A bit of a flashy arrival Rei."

"YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER BASTARD!"

Wide-eyed and unable to comprehend what the hell Rei was yelling about, and why it was his fault Kai creased his forehead and raised his eyebrow.

"Well, I know I'm not the most liked person in the world but what's brought on this sudden exclamation of my character?"

"You know very well what?! You scared me half to death! Chasing me in the middle of a freaky wood when I'm alone and making me fall and then catching me and then dropping me here and pretending that YoU Don'T KNOW A THING!!!!!!!"

With a blank look that progressively transformed into utterly confused, even for Kai, Kai stared at Rei as if he'd, literally, gone insane.

"You don't know what I'm talking about do you?"

Kai shook his head in reply.

"Oh my god, Kai there was this strange person there or something I thought it was a dog and I was saying goodbye to my fish 'cause I didn't wanna lose it and then there was a whoosh oh no wait I was running and then I climbed up into a tree because I thought it was safe and then it was quiet and then was a 'boo' and I screamed and I fell and then, and then, and then…"

"REI!!!!"

"…and …then….?"

"Rei. You're hyperventilating. Now, slow down. Because I didn't get a WORD of that AT ALL."

And as a result of Kai's charming comfort Rei repeated his rant. Only, a little slower.

"Oh my god, Kai, there was this strange person there, or something. I thought it was a dog and I was saying goodbye to my fish 'cause I didn't wanna lose it." Breathe. "And then there was a WHOOSH but before that I was running and then I climbed up into a tree because I thought it was safer." Kai fanned his hand up and down in an attempt to calm and in effect cool the startled alley cat down. "After that it went quiet and then there was a 'boo' and I screamed but I fell. Something caught me and dropped me. I landed. Right. Here."

With 'here' Rei pointed specifically to said spot, where his footprints were still visible in the said place.

As if right on cue, there was an eerie, disturbing, terrifying, blood-curdling, freaky (you get the picture) giggle.

And simultaneously Kai and Rei alarmingly cried "Who's there?!"