Psychosis
Chapter Four: The Search
I do not own the Ninja Turtles
"Dude, little dude, come on, I know you're here somewhere!"
Shouting into the dense forest, my plea was met again by the silent melody of leaves rustling in the wind and birds singing their tunes. It has been almost a week since I jumped off that building in hot pursuit of the teen. Three sunsets and sunrises since that portal swallowed me up, spitting me into this unknown realm. Sighing, I continued walking forward, scanning my surroundings for anything that could be suspicious.
There was nothing; this forest was the picture of perfection.
The sun's rays penetrated the thick branches of the trees just enough to provide a comforting light, but not too much as to make it hot. Everywhere I looked was overtaken by lush greenery, which was breathtaking in comparison to the cement jungles of New York. Flowers, plants and animals gave the mysterious green canvas life and color.
"Come on, dude. I just want your help. I want to get back home!"
Silence.
Man, this was starting to suck. My feet were hurting, I was tired, and worse of all; I was hungry. I can't believe I survived three days without a decent meal! I have eaten everything from roots, leaves, and some mystery thing that resulted in some serious bathroom problems. The worst however, was the moss. Not only was it disgusting, it smelled like Raph's feet after an intense sparring session. Looks like I will never take any survival advice from Man vs. Wild ever again.
Thinking about food, even if it was nasty food, made my stomach quiver with hunger.
Well, I guess now is a more appropriate time to eat than ever.
Sitting down on a nearby rock, I let my body relax while I fished out some berries from a makeshift leaf bag I created. Popping one of the bright red spheres into my mouth, I grimaced at its bittersweet flavor. The small fruit that I found wasn't bad, but don't get me wrong, it wasn't a deep dish pizza with extra cheese either. For now, it was the only thing that I could stomach and that was good enough for me.
While sitting on the smoothed rock thinking about the deep dish pizzas I left behind, I started to feel homesick. My mind drifted to my father, brothers, and friends. Did they miss me? Were they looking for me? I didn't exactly leave on good terms.
I could still see the three forms of my brothers surrounding me as I pathetically sat on the floor; their features and voices all held a slight air of accusation. Maybe I did play a lot of video games and maybe I wasn't sleeping as much as I should have, but the world of Kingdom Hearts needed me, heck how could I expect Goofy to defeat the Heartless with just that wimpy shield!
Looking around at my surroundings, I suddenly felt a wave of guilt and accountability.
"Who am I kidding," I sighed while staring down at my feet, a red berry plummeted to the ground, "My brothers were right. This is my fault. If I wasn't up all night playing video games I wouldn't have been having these headaches and I would have been alert enough not to run and jump off a building in hot pursuit of some random kid into the middle of nowhere."
Dropping my head into my hands, I ignored the wet, sogginess of berries being crushed as the weight of my head flattened them out. Thick, wet liquid seeped through my fingers and ran down my arms,landing randomly on the rest of me and the lush grass below. I sat motionless as the semi sweet, sticky liquid began drying in the air, attracting a dense wave of ravenous insects in search for an easy meal.
I was too bummed to care.
Buzzing filled my ears and insects brushed against my face and nostrils. The flying creatures coated my exposed sticky flesh and for the first time since I fell into this forest, I felt a little hopeless.
How long will I be here and would I ever find that teenager?
As I sat on that rock, sulking and being eaten alive by hungry little pests, a deep rumble erupted above me. Slowly, I dropped my hands from my face and I hesitantly looked to the sky.
Dark, ominous gray clouds were slowly inching their way to the clearing.
The heavy grey nebulas were greedily creeping towards the exposed sun as if it was a meal for their rapidly growing hunger. A low rumble was building up in the chest of the billowy beast, growing louder and stronger after each passing second. Whether it was some sign of my impending fate or not, I watched helplessly as the last glimmer of sunlight was devoured. As if the sky was filling the same overwhelming sadness and hopelessness and I was, tiny trickles of rain drops began falling, crashing into the fertile lands like tears from heaven. They were slow at first and I let them hit a few moments however, they quickly began picking up speed and volume and I knew then and there that it was time to find shelter.
Standing up stiffly, I squinted my eyes, trying desperately to seek out something I could use for temporary shelter from the unforgiving rain. Raising my hands to my brows to prevent the quickly pouring rain from entering my vision, I fought to see through the blankets of heavy raindrops that were falling from the sky. As my eyes scanned the sopping wilderness, they landed on a rocky formation about a quarter mile away that unmistakably looked like a cave.
Looks like that will have to do for now.
Swiftly, I gathered up my few meager possessions. Clenching them to my chest, I silently raced away to the rocky structure that will serve as my temporary home till the storm passes. As I ran, the grass transformed. It went from being slightly wet to extremely swampy, and every footfall of mine was swallowed up by the earth only to be yanked and replaced rhythmically in and out of the mouth of the soppy forest. As the cave drew nearer, a small part of me felt as though I have seen this particular structure before. I quickly shook off the feeling, letting it roll off my shell like a steady wave of raindrops. Rocky formations had the habit of looking like other rocky formations.
When the caves opening was in my sights, I slowed my steps. The loud wet sucking noises of my feet making contact with the grass filled the air. Entering the cave, I was relieved to feel solid ground. The earth's loose soil ceased pulling me down to the cold and murky depth below. The rain no longer fell on my body like a wave of liquid bullets, and the chaotic sound was now behind me. Walking further into my temporary hideout, I found a spot a sunk to the floor.
Pulling my knees to my chest, I shivered as the cool damp breeze of the cave tickled my moist and tender skin with icy and delicate gangly fingers. This was not the place I wanted to be, and I knew that I had to leave it somehow. Moving my legs to an outstretched position, I began noticing just how wet I actually was. Sliding a finger up to my face to wipe away stray water droplets, I stopped at my mask; it was drenched. Carefully, I slid it off of my face, as well as my other damp items and placed them on a nearby rock at my side. I didn't need anything else adding to the cold.
After a moment of sulking and feeling totally helpless in my bleak situation, I decided to try and make the best of my situation. The constant crash of skywater connecting with the lush yet thirsty terrain was showing no signs of letting up anytime soon.
"Well Mikey old boy, it looks like you're stuck in a rut...er cave...for a while," I whispered out into the dim cavern I was currently staying in, "I guess I should take a look around to get familiar with my new pad."
Standing up slowly, I quickly stretched out my legs and began walking further into the cave. The rocky ceiling of the cavern was rather low hanging, and I was able to touch its roof with a flattened hand without having to strain too much. Loose boulders stood still like hibernating animals along its seemingly endless sides, and as I progressed further, I smiled at how soft the earth was beneath my feet. Running a tender hand across the grainy surface of the wall, I suddenly stopped as something so familiar, yet so foreign and out of place at the same time caught my eye.
Artwork. Various aged drawings, paintings, chalkart, and charcol figures covered the wall like a long forgotton secret mural. The light was too dim, so I could not see the images clearly, but from what I could see, they were made by the hands of a child. The lines were rough and heavy handed, the shading was unevern, and colors were used gernously, but other than that, the works of art were impressive. Whomever this child was, he or she had a creative and active mind. Reaching out a curious hand, I placed it on the outline of a heart which I could vaguley make out.
There was love here, why else would such a shape be drawn. This cave served as a form of refuge for whomever used its walls to portray their feelings, hopes, desires, and innermost thoughts. Perhaps it used to belong to that troubled teen when he was a child and in a different place in his life that has long been forgotten.
Sliding down the wall that was immediately facing the bulk of the artwork, I smiled at the familiar. I have been in this unknown world for who knows how long and the unfamiliartiy was begining to drive me crazy. These new sights, sounds, smells, and sensations were so different, but this artwork offered me something familiar and recognizable. Feeling my eyelids begining to fall due to exhaustion, I slowly began moving to my side. Rest was important, and I needed every ounce of energy if I were going to continue my search for that young dude. Just before I feel asleep, I glanced back at the heart that was painted on the wall. hugging my knees to my chest, I fell asleep.
No one was going to harm me here.
