"G-Gone?! But where would he go?!"

Fone rushed into the apartment, a sickening feeling filling him as he made his way through the empty kitchen, living room, and bedrooms. The television still blared, some strange late morning show playing, filled with static, due to the rainy day. It filled their home with a foreboding feeling, as though it were practically shouting that Smiley's departure had been quick and unplanned. A hundred possibilities shot through Fone's mind, though all perfectly logical. Smiley might have just gone out for a stroll. In this whether? No. No, he supposed not. He might have been kidnapped, but that seemed unlikely. Smiley had Bartleby with him, and it would be quite a feat indeed to get by the rat creature and get to Smiley. That was when Fone Bone realized that Bartleby was gone as well. Things just weren't adding up!

"Where could he have gone to?!" he asked again, to no one in particular. He stood in the living room, heart pounding as one horrible answer came to mind. "Oh no...No, he wouldn't..." He turned to Phoney as his cousin joined him, looking dazed. "He wouldn't go to the Valley!"

Phoney shivered, even though it wasn't cold in the apartment. He felt like something was watching him, that same dark force that had been present there the night before. He felt his stomach drop uneasily, gazing at the television without actually looking at it. At Fone Bone's exclamation, he nodded. He knew that was it. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. Smiley had left for the Valley.

Fone slapped a hand to his forehead in frustration. "Why would he do that?!" he fumed. "He knows how I felt about going! I told him we needed to wait!"

"Why?"

Fone turned sharply to Phoney, caught off guard by his smaller cousin's soft question. His mind froze as he realized he really didn't have a good answer. "We...Well, what if...Phoney, we can't run off across the desert every time something weird happens here in Boneville!" He let his frustration seep into his tone, angry that he didn't have a better explanation than that. His face slowly went from an expression of anger to one of concern. "He knew that. He knew we couldn't just up and leave. He knew." He knew, so the question was, why had he gone anyway? Fone closed his eyes, reopening them with a frustrated sigh. "We're going to have to go after him."

"Are you crazy?!" Phoney's usual continence returned with a jolt, which, in a way, was a relief. Fone didn't like the frightened, unfocused version of Phoney he had seen all day. "You just said we can't just up and leave!" But it could also be a very tiring continence that got on Fone's nerve far too quickly.

"Well, we'll have to now, won't we?!" Fone growled, his angry tone breaking at the end into one of fear. "He's out there alone!"

"He's got Bartleby."

"Oh, that's great!" Fone threw his hands up above his head, waving them ecstatically. "He's got a rat creature with him who's nearly as inexperience in survival as Smiley!" He blinked, seeming to realize just how loud he had been. He noticed how uneasy Phoney had become, once again losing some of his usual gruffness. What was it with Phoney lately anyway? Every time Fone thought he was back to himself, he'd shrink inward again at the drop of a pin. Fone gave a shuddering sigh, lowering his eyes to the carpeted floor. "Alright, Phoney. I'm sorry. Okay? I'm just so worried about him, you know? We can't just stay here and do nothing."

There was a long silence between them, in which Phoney also lowered his eyes to the floor. Part of him wanted to stay where they were, a feeling of doom-like foreboding growing in his heart. He couldn't understand why Fone Bone couldn't feel it. His cousin had always been so sensitive to stuff like that in the Valley. The other half of Phoney felt as though it were being tugged to go. Pushed. Drawn. In fact, the more he tried to fight it, the more desperate the second feeling became, until he couldn't even feel his reluctance anymore, he only had the memory of it. Blinking slowly, Phoney came forward, almost apologetically. "Fone Bone..." He paused, wondering why he was going to agree to this. His experiences in the Valley had not been as pleasant as his cousins' time there had been. Oh, they all shared that same horror for the parts they had all been through together, but Fone and Smiley had also had good times. Phoney had had less of that, and more of the other. Most of his memories where not fond. Then why did he feel he needed to go so badly? "Fone Bone, if we're going to go, we're going to need to be more prepared than before. We need supplies."

Fone Bone's head snapped up, shock slowly turning to agreement on his face. "Right. You pack some food and water, I'll see what I can find that might be useful from our rooms." He exchanged a nod with Phoney before the two Bones went to their separate tasks.

Fone entered his room purposefully, heading right for the closet in the corner. He knelt down, digging through the various objects and tossing them aside, his mind fixed on finding one, specific item. He began to panic when it did not appear, but then, under a few assorted boxes of books, he found it. He latched onto it, looking at it thoughtfully as he rubbed the fabric between his thumb and finger fondly. The knapsack was old, warn, and stained with dirt and things that he didn't really want to think too much about. It was the one he had brought with them when they had first set out into the desert before, when they had first found their way to the Valley. It had been with him through those two, hard years. He had taken it with him everywhere, one of his few possessions from home. It had been special, because, at the time, all he had wanted in his heart was to get home. But know, it belonged more to the Valley. After two years of him adventuring with it strapped to his back, it looked strange in the setting of Boneville. Just as Fone Bone and his cousins did. This battered, strained object sported just as much change as he did. And like it, he had felt out of place in Boneville. He never used it anymore; people always gave him looks. But then again, they usually gave him looks anyway. Fone often wondered if it was as easy to see the difference in him as it was to see in his knapsack.

There was still something inside it, and Fone almost reverently opened it up, revealing the scratched and bent cover of a book. Fone Bone smiled, remembering how much he had always treasured this tomb. Moby Dick had been his guide, in a way, through the troubles of the Valley. Whenever he had felt overwhelmed, or afraid, it had always been that comforting weight against his back; something real and substantial that constantly reminded him that the Valley wasn't all just a dream. That it was all really happening. He had always loved the story as well. The tale of a perfectly normal man thrust into an adventure completely out of his league. That 'every-man' character, facing total chaos, had always appealed to him. Even more so now that it actually applied to his own life.

He sat there, looking at it a moment, before moving to set it aside. But then he paused. It certainly didn't count as supplies, but Fone Bone wasn't sure if he could face the Valley without it. After a moment of indecision, he placed it back in the bag. Slinging the knapsack over his shoulder, he headed into the hall, stopping at the closet that resided there. He opened it, avoiding a few falling objects. He was certain there was some rope there somewhere. During their last adventure, there had been more than one occasion when Fone felt they really could have used some, and he wanted to be prepared this time. He also grabbed a few leak-proof water canteens, left over from Smiley's camping trip. He didn't want to be stuck out in the desert without any water, like last time. And he had a nasty feeling that Smiley hadn't brought any with him. The thought of his cousin made him double his pace. He finished there, not even bothering to close the closet back up. He walked swiftly back into the kitchen, just as Phoney dumped a load of groceries on the table.

"We want stuff that'll last," Phoney observed, sifting through the objects methodically. He held up an apple. "These are still on the hard side; they'll last for a few days, four at the most." He started placing a fair number of them in the knapsack that Fone held out to him. He displayed a potato, making a face, but tossing it in anyway. "It'll be better than nothing."

"Any meat we can bring along?" Fone asked, looking over the selection with distaste.

Phoney shrugged, pulling out a baggie of what appeared to be a few slices of precooked chicken. It wasn't an appetizing sight, but, like Phoney had said, it would be better than nothing. Fone Bone nodded and that too was thrown in the sack. Phoney groaned, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes.

"That's about all we've got."

Fone Bone peered into his knapsack, gazing at the meager parcel. He would have liked to have gone to the store and bought a few things, but time was slowly starting to press on his mind. They needed to leave. "How many days did it take us to cross the desert last time?"

"Something close to three days."

Fone nodded slowly, remembering. "Well, this should last us through that, as long as we go easy on it. We'll have to ration it out, but we've been through worse." He went to the sink and filled the canteens with cold water, capping them tightly.

Phoney smiled ruefully. "Much worse."

Fone closed the sack, swinging it up onto that familiar spot on his back, grunting slightly under the weight. It felt right there, as if it was supposed to occupy that place. "Let's leave. The sooner we go, the sooner we can find Smiley; and the sooner we can get to the bottom of all this."

They left the apartment, locking it securely. Who knew when they would be back. It wasn't much, but it was home, and though the Bones didn't own anything of value, Fone didn't want anyone waltzing in and taking what few things that belonged to them. Phoney stood in the air-conditioned hall, gazing up and down it nervously, lest they be followed. He waited as Fone Bone locked the door, handing the key to him so that he could throw it into the sack as well. There was no other place to put it.

They sneaked out of the building as quietly as possible, smiling kindly at anyone they happened to meet on their way out. Their nerves were on edge, the feeling that they were being watched constantly prickling at their senses. They exited the apartment building lobby, mildly surprised to see that it was dusk. The sun had set, and darkness was beginning to descend on the city. It was odd, since it felt like they had just awoken that morning, but they supposed that it actually had been quite a while since then. They had spent most of the day at the Council building, and when they had left they hadn't really been paying attention. The day had gone by so quickly. But it was good, in a way. It would be easier to leave under the cover of night, unseen. It was truly a blessing, even if it was a wet, drizzling type of night. But that would thin out over the desert; then they would wish that they had the refreshing cool and moisture.

They made their way through the city, coming at last to stand on the very fringe of the desert's sandy expanse. It was strange, how quickly cement gave way to grit and beach-like terrain. It was as though Boneville had been built with love and care until it reached that point, where it sort of faded into nothing. No one lived on the fringe, which was fine. That simply meant that no one would see them head out on their journey.

"Well," Fone Bone breathed, mustering his courage, "Goodbye Boneville. Hello Valley." With that, he took the first step. The desert felt cooling under his feet, and wet from the rain water, like the edge of an ocean beach were the cold waves have licked the sand. It shifted slightly, making it feel like a step backward rather than one forward. It was then that Fone Bone realized just how much work this was going to entail. But it was worth it to find Smiley...Wherever he might be ahead of them. Fone could feel Phoney following behind him, and he slowed slightly, so that they could walk side by side. "You alright?"

"Yeah," was Phoney's uneasy reply. "It's just...Fone Bone, I've got a bad feeling about this whole thing."

Fone nodded, looking back up at the darkening horizon. He wished he could have given some comfort to that. He wished he could have been the very essence of optimism. But he couldn't. He was worried. He was scared. And, most of all, he was confused. Just what was going on? Why was Smiley acting like this? And, for that matter, why was Phoney acting strangely as well? Fone didn't know. He felt left out in a way. Not that he wanted to go through what they had the last few days, but he just wished that he could understand it. He shook his head sadly, setting a steady pace. "Neither do I, Phoney. Neither do I."

Far behind them, though being careful to keep the two cousins in sight without being seen, a small figure matched their pace, stepping into the sand with only a moment's hesitation. He had no supplies, or any idea of where he was headed, but Lathan Baldwin Bone was not about to let that stop him. Already the Bone Cousins had provided him with enough material to keep his business running for weeks. He could only imagine what he would get if he continued to follow in their shadows.

Smiley stumbled forward, wading through the increasingly difficult drifts of heavy sand. The sun was baring down on him, bringing back memories from two solid years before. Only then he had been with his cousins. They had been on the run from the townspeople, and had at least some water. Smiley also recalled that he had been virtually unaffected by the sun's rays then. Not that he hadn't felt it, but, back then, he hadn't cared. Everything had been a joke then. He had been a free-going soul who didn't have a worry in the world. I foolish tramp, who's only purpose was to make people laugh and annoy Phoney as much as possible.

But not anymore.

He had changed so much, and now, in this situation, he could really see it. He felt wilted and tired, the heat beating down on his shoulders. He wasn't smiling, and his eyes were half closed, trying to see against the glare of the early morning light. It was only a few hours after sunrise, and already the warmth had turned into a blistering heat. It burned at his pale skin, making him all the hotter. But that was nothing compared to the burning questions in his mind. He had awoken, as if from a dream, standing in the middle of the desert. He couldn't remember getting up from the couch, and he couldn't remember leaving Boneville. In fact, the only thing he could remember with certainty was when Fone and Phoney had left him to go have audience with the Council. After that, everything was a blank. He was disturbed and frightened by this, but not nearly as much as he would have been if he had snapped out of his weird trance and found himself alone. He had Bartleby, and, at the moment, it was the greatest comfort he could ask for.

The rat creature in question was very worried, his large eyes watching Smiley with concern. He had been relieved when Smiley had finally come to himself. He had explained as much as possible, answering Smiley's frightened questions about why they were in the desert. He had given as good an explanation as he could, which, in reality, wasn't very good. He was just as much at a loss as Smiley. And just as frightened.

A little color had returned to his friend, which was really saying something, since Bones were always a pure, milky white. But, like any other skin tone, one could always see that flush of color beneath the surface, that told of the blood flowing beneath it. Smiley had been upset, which was understandable, and had wanted to return home, but, unfortunately, the two had no idea which direction led back to Boneville. The wind had erased their footprints from the sand, leaving all around them a frighteningly clean slate. But now, Bartleby was more worried about the immediate problem. Smiley was becoming weak, he could tell. It reminded him again of that time in the Valley when Smiley had collapsed. Afraid to have a repeat of that history, the rat creature stayed right by his side, hoping that his fear would not come true. This time there was no one to help Smiley if he fainted. Bartleby would not have a clue what to do.

As if on cue, Smiley tripped, falling to his knees in the sand.

Bartleby gave a hiss of concern, lowering his head to his friend's level. "Smiley?! Are you alright?!"

"Yeah," Smiley breathed slowly, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah, I just need to rest a minute." He let his eyes wander the horizon, taking in the large world of sand that spread before them as far as the eyes could see. He glanced behind him, then to the left and right, finding the exact same thing. He scrunched his eyes shut, lowering his head with a heavy sigh. "What have I done?" he moaned. "Why did I leave home? Why can't I remember?" His voice became distressed. "I'm sorry, Bartleby...I've been nothing but trouble lately!" He lowered his head into his hands, his headache worsening with the bent posture. But he didn't care. He was miserable either way.

Bartleby blinked sadly, moving up to lean against his friend comfortingly. "I do not think you are to blame," he said slowly. "It was very strange how you left...I...I think you couldn't help it."

Smiley nodded, too tired to argue. He looked up again, starting to rise back to his feet. Bartleby gave a hiss of disapproval.

"What are you doing?"

"We have to keep going."

"Not before you have rested."

Smiley groaned. "Bartleby-"

"No. Rest. Then go."

"Bartleby we can't. The sooner we get going, the sooner we might reach the Valley, or Boneville, or wherever we're facing." Smiley sighed. "We have to make it before...before my body decides to...you know. Give out on me."

Bartleby flinched at his friend's honest admission to how badly off he was becoming. The rat creature himself was feeling a little uncomfortable in the heat, but, apparently, his kind could last far longer without food or water than a Bone. That was something he had learned long ago about Smiley. With a hissing sigh, Bartleby nodded. "Alright. But you have to ride on my back." That was something they hadn't done since the Valley, but it seemed the most logical choice of action at the moment. That way they could both be satisfied; continuing on their way, with Smiley getting a little bit of rest.

Smiley paused a moment, just focusing on breathing. Then he nodded, again too tire to argue. "Alright. But let me know when you start feeling tired and we'll go back to the old way. Okay?"

Bartleby beamed, knowing that his strength was practically endless. "Okay!" With that he shifted Smiley onto his back and the two continued on their way as the sun rose ever higher, and the desert became ever hotter.

"How big is this stupid desert, anyway! I mean, does it really even have to be here?! Don't we have the technology to, I don't know, sweep it under some universal rug?!"

"Phoney, for cry'n out loud, will you shut up!" Fone Bone refused to even look at his cousin. Oh, he had been glad that Phoney had slowly returned to his usual state, but now he would have given anything to have left the badgering, sarcastic chatterbox behind in Boneville. Last night had been alright, but ever since the sun had risen, Phoney had launched into a long tirade of complaining. And Fone's reaction wasn't helping.

"It's hot!" Phoney whined, giving a cough for emphasis. He glared up at the sun, squinting as its rays beat down on them. He hurried a few steps to catch up with his cousin, poking the knapsack with a finger repeatedly. "I need some water!"

Fone couldn't keep the contempt out of his voice. "You'll have to wait a little longer!" He had not let up on his pace since they had left the city, moving at a steady walk straight into the desert. He was in no mood for Phoney's impatience, the heat robbing Fone of his own. They had been walking for hours without stopping. Unless you called that three minute water break a rest of some sort. Boneville wasn't even visible anymore, and the only thing for miles was an occasional cactus. Fone knew he had to remember that Phoney was smaller than he was, and that he couldn't move as quickly or as far because of it. But, annoyed as he was, Fone Bone ignored that fact, pushing on ahead mercilessly. He heard Phoney give a grumble under his breath. "Don't give me that!" he shouted in answer over his shoulder, even though he had no idea what Phoney had said. "Gosh darn it, Phoney! Sometimes you act like such a child!"

"Well, you treat me like one!" Phoney shot back heatedly. He was limping slightly, after hours of walking. He was exhausted, but would never admit it. He hadn't slept in two nights, and it was catching up to him. But he would never tell Fone Bone that. He'd die first. "I'm the oldest of us three! I can take care of myself!"

Fone Bone gave a harsh, scoffing laugh. "Sure! That's why you're always in trouble! That's why you can't seem to do an honest day's work to save your life, without getting caught up in some scheme or other! That's why you're so annoying! Why your the most hated individual in Bonev-" He stopped himself right there, biting off the last word with a gasp. He came to an abrupt stop, knowing he had gone to far. None of that was true, Fone knew. Yes, Phoney still got in trouble from time to time, but not nearly like he used to. His scheming had diminished, and he had really changed, considering. A work in progress, but he had definitely taken steps in the right direction. Fone Bone winced mentally when he heard nothing behind him but silence. He turned slowly, his face filled with regret, finding that Phoney had stopped almost a total of seven paces behind him. Phoney's shoulders were slumped, and his eyes were fixed on the sand at his feet. His impatience and anger was gone, replaced by genuine look of hurt. Fone Bone felt his heart twist at once.

"Phoney...I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean any of that."

The smaller cousin nodded, still not looking Fone in the eye. "I know."

Fone Bone scratched the back of his neck in frustration. "It's the heat. It's making us irritable."

"And tired."

Fone looked at him, remembering suddenly how little sleep his cousin had had of late. He instantly felt guilty. Retracing his steps until he stood beside Phoney, Fone shrugged off his knapsack. He knelt down, sending Phoney a worried glance as his cousin remained standing. "We'll rest a bit. Take a little nap maybe. I know we have to reach Smiley as soon as possible, but it's no good if we kill ourselves in the process." He took out one of the canteens. Uncapping it, he held it out to Phoney. "Here."

Phoney took it carefully, now feeling rather ashamed of how he had acted. Sometimes he had to wonder if he truly was hated. If not by his cousins than certainly by the rest of the world. There wasn't even anyone in the Valley who really liked him. Fone Bone and Smiley were the only ones, and sometimes he wondered if he was too much for even them to handle. Sitting down into the sand, he took a small sip of the warm, but refreshing, water. But only a small sip. After his display, he felt he didn't really deserve it, and so he allowed himself only just enough to get by on. He handed it back to Fone with a quiet, "Thanks." Then he curled up on his side. Thankfully, the sand was still moderately cool from the night, not yet the baking grit it would become later. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. A nice, gentle sleep, unlike the nightmare-filled one of before.

Fone Bone recapped the canteen, setting it beside him as he lay down himself. He sent Phoney one more guilty look before his tired eyes closed. They wouldn't want to sleep too long. Not with Smiley out there alone. Well, not alone; he had Bartleby. But those to were so innocent. So young. Fone Bone closed his eyes tighter.

He hoped they were alright.

Yay! Another chapter! I'm really enjoying writing this, especially now that we're out of Boneville. Don't get me wrong, writing Boneville was fun, but I almost couldn't wait to move on! ;)