Strangers of the Woods

by Mathias Kekse

John wasn't a popular boy. The closest friend he had was his older sister, Jane. When summer comes one year and Jane starts working nearly daily John is left to his known devices. But perhaps it won't be as lonely as it seems, as the teenager meets people in the woods who will change his life - for better or for worse

2. Chapter 2: ninja men are vauge

"~The way is clear, the path is good, I have no fear nor no one should. The woods are just trees, the trees are just wood~" I sang softly under my breath as I picked my way through the forest, an attempt to calm my nerves. In my backpack was another bottle of apple juice, the hammer and a bag of doritos. At the picnic spot I set these things out and waited. After a few fear-filled moments, I cleared my throat.

"Uh, hey, mystery thing, I got some more apple juice for you."

Something darted out from a tree, and while it was fast I could make out some features. The figure looked like a human boy, which was a relief that it wasn't some messed up monster. If the streaks of white, black, red and orange were anything to go off of, then this guy apparently had white hair, possibly black glasses (or he was a freaking demons, but whatever), an orange jacket or something around his waist, a red t-shirt and black jeans. The multicolored blur scooped up the juice and chips… and the ipod I had in my hands.

"Wha- hey, give that back!" The blur climbed up a nearby tree, hiding in the foliage. Best part of it all? I don't have a passcode. Apparently nobody thinks I'm interesting enough to steal my ipod and dink around on it, so I never really had much of a reason. "My dad'll kill me if he finds out some random hobo in the woods stole my ipod!"

I was more than a bit surprised when said object was thrown towards me from near the top of the tree. I just barely managed to catch it, thanks to a few things I learned in my little league days. I immediately turned it on to check and see what this guy had done. I was connected to some wifi called TDhotspot and had a new app called PesterChum. Sitting innocently in the corner of the app was a 2.

- turntechDiety [TD] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 11:12 -

TD: sup

TD: this is the hobo above you

EB: uh, hi

EB: thanks for giving my ipod back, i guess

EB: why aren't you just talking to me? you're only like 15 feet away from me.

EB: also, what's your name?

TD: technically it's turntechdiety but i like dave better

TD: so dave

TD: and im trying to keep an air of mystery here since my family would totally disapprove of this

TD: talking with a normal kid

TD: not to mention the irony

EB: uh, okay. my name's john egbert

TD: i know

TD: i used to watch you all the time

EB: why?!

TD: i was bored dude

TD: stayin up late gets boring pretty fast

EB: great, what are you exactly? are you nocturnal or something?

TD: yeah, nocturnal or something but im a human

TD: bleed red blood and all that

EB: okay but have you been watching me

EB: for like

EB: my whole life?!

TD: eh most of it anyway

TD: youre not extremely interesting

TD: and neither is your sis

TD: but thanks for the aj

TD: we don't get it in derse

EB: what's derse?

EB: and your welcome

TD: derse is where i live

TD: all dark and purple

TD: gothic place

EB: okay…? want to elaborate?

"Meow." John looked up from his ipod to see a small black cat with white markings above its eyes climbing the tree Dave was in. There was some shifting of leaves, then another message from Dave.

TD: sorry dude, gotta go

TD: TS wants me to get some sleep

TD: won't be able to text til tomorrow

-turntechDiety [TD] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 11:16-

More rustling overhead, the sound becoming more and more distant as Dave went to wherever this 'Derse' place is. The meeting had been brief, nothing more than a few typed words exchanged between acquaintances. Yet it felt like something… more was developing. Not love, I was heterosexual, but something more akin to friendship was forming between them. It was something that I didn't feel very often. I wasn't exactly popular at school. In fact, I'm probably more likely to have my head shoved in a toilet and be bullied than to have a group of friends that hung onto my every word.

I glanced at my ipod. The wifi was gone, which was to be expected. I'd never heard of pesterchum before. I was interrupted from my thoughts by some more rustling as the kitten from earlier landed in front of me. The two white dots made it look like it had 4 eyes. It sniffed me a bit and I reached out and scratched it, causing it to purr loudly.

"Are you some kind of messenger cat or something?" I wondered allowed. I'm not sure if I was imagining it or not, but it looked like he nodded to me. Fastened around his neck was a strip of leather. Picking the kitty up, I looked at it to see a name written on it. "Mutini huh? Well, for a name like that you sure are cute." I pet him one last time before putting Mutini down and heading back home.

DAVE

"Ah, there you are TurntechDiety. If it was any other Dersite I would ask where you were, but I have gotten very used to you slipping off. Usually I would let you deal with the consequences you'd be faced with tomorrow night, but your brother was looking for you." My best friend was waiting for me at the entrance to Derse, arms folded across her chest. But she wasn't angry, simply amused. "Where do you run off to?"

"Places. Places is where. Thanks for the warning. Can't have my bro all over me. I'm a growing angsty teenage boy who needs his privacy." I flash-stepped to the large building in the middle of town. The building of the Heroes. It was a place I had called home for all 15 years of my life. Knowing it like the back of my hand allowed me to go faster than I did when I ran around the forest. Of course, not paying attention to your surroundings was also reckless. Before I could make it to my room a foot went out and I tripped over it in a totally uncool manner.

"Oh, sorry, didn't see you there. In fact, I haven't seen you all morning. Going out to kiss some human chick awake?" Bro was leaning against the wall, shades across his eyes and expression blank as usual. Man, he was so cool.

"Nah, just going out to pick some daisies. Maybe make them into flower crown and skip around in the sunlight with the Prospitians. Frolic around like a freaking deer. Get tan and crap." I picked myself up off the ground, making sure to be as smooth as possible. This was the delicate process of getting out of trouble.

"Dude you'd burn to a crisp in the sun. You're more pale than baby's butt. Anyway, we have a new mission in two nights. Sneaking around Prospit. Get new intel. Be the awesome Heroes we are. Regular crap." Yeah, that seemed about right. "Go get some shut eye. We can't have you giving out on us halfway through just because you fell asleep."

Who knew how long we'd be gone. I probably would need the sleep, in all honesty. But I didn't like to dream. Being a Derse dreamer, my dreams were usually filled with dark, monstrous gods wrapping unearthly tentacles around me and begging me for… something. I don't know, I don't speak blobby monster. My best friend does, but she doesn't usually talk about it. This time, however, I came to on a black and white plane, a bright blue sky above full of fluffy white clouds. Sweet.

Across the plane, laying down and looking up at the sky, was a blacked haired girl with glasses. I looked up too. They say that you can see things in the clouds of the dream world, Skaia. The past, the present, the future. My brain only half-processed that the girl had disappeared, seeing as it wasn't all that surprising. She came from Prospit. She should've woken up hours ago. Settling down, he looked skyward.

Images passed by him. A cloud in the shape of a gear. Images of the exchange that had happened between Egbert and I not too long ago. I picture of my friend, standing in front of Egbert holding something in her hands, though it was hard to tell what it was as the scene was dark, then quickly disappeared. Another cloud held an image of a teenager walked into Derse holding a bundle in his arms and looking like the world had fallen down around him long ago.

Dreams in the Skaia realm always passed in this slow, passive manner. It was a huge difference from dreams on the Outer Rings. The dark gods sort of creeped me out, so I spent most of those times trying to get as far away from them as I could. Another cloud floated by. A nerdy boy walking through the crowded halls of some building. His belongings are clutched in his arms as he tried to avoid getting them knocked out of his grasp. There were little doodles all over his belongings. That was John. Guess he was just as popular as he looked.

JOHN

-turtechDiety [TD] started pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 08:30-

TD: dude

TD: wake up

TD: i need you out here now

EB: can't I sleep in?

EB: it's summer

TD: yeah, well, i have a favor to ask

TD: and not a lot of time

TD: so get over here like someone just lit you on fire

TD: and the only way to put it out is to perform some creepy ritual right here

TD: while my bro and i dance around you in our hero pajamas

EB: … what?

TD: just get over here

-turntechDiety [TD] ceased pestering ecotBiologist [EB] at 08:32-

I groaned and rolled over. I had been aquantices with Dave for not quite a day and already he was asking something of me. Early morning meetups didn't sound strange at all. But Jane always teased me on how gullible and ice I was, and she was right. In the end I put on my robe and slippers and headed out. No way he was making me get dressed. Both dad and Jane were eating pancakes for breakfast. I glared at the Batter Witch's evil box of flour sitting on the table. Not eating those pancakes today. Jane asked where I was going. I gave them some excuse about fresh morning air. Jane seemed a bit suspicious, but dad seemed to buy, nodding and wishing me a good day. They'd both probably be gone by the time I got back.

At what was starting to seem like our usual meeting spot I could see branches shaking. I knew I was in his hotspot when a few chirps came from my ipod.

- turntechDiety [TD] started pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 08:43 -

TD: nice robe

TD: what are those weird squid things on it

TD: some type of octopus

TD: or a cute version of the Eldrich gods

EB: they're called squiddles

EB: my sister got it for me

EB: what is it you want anyway

TD: follow me

I rolled my eyes. Not really how I wanted to spend the morning. Nonetheless I followed the rustling leaves. They twisted and curved through the woods and at times I had a hard to keeping up. I mean, I wasn't fat or anything but I wasn't exactly what somebody would call fit. Any ways, we kept like that for a while until eventually Dave stopped over some bundle or what looked like sheets.

TD: see the sheets

TD: i need you to take it north to lowas

EB: what?! why me? what is it anyway

TD: look im busy

TD: my bro and i need to pack

TD: super awesome mission stuff

TD: way more important than risking running into the golden a**holes

EB: ugh, fine, but only because i have literally nothing else i'm doing today

EB: and there's no way i could abandon this little thing

EB: she's so adorable!

EB: or is it a he

TD: i have literally no idea

TD: kay, adios amigo

TD: try not to die out there

-turntechDiety [TD] ceased pestering ectoBiology [EB]-