Peeking from the corner of his eye, he traced a figure of a little white rabbit hopping around anxiously. "A rabbit… gosh! That scared me." he thought relieved. The rabbit sensing Alan's presence stood before him staring surprised himself. "And… I am already discovered." he sighed speechless. Looking at the rabbit he waved his hand heading off.
The rabbit as confused as a child followed Alan hopping up and down. "And, now it's following me…" he guessed eyeing him from the corner of his eye sighing lightly. Alan looking at the trees, climbed up over one of them carefully. Standing over the tallest branch he looked around to find the entire sight shrouded by large trees and Rocky Mountains.
As if earth taken below his feet he stared baffled, "Where in the world am I…? Not a single soul and wildlife grasped far and wide. "Where in the world should I even start looking for those boys? Moreover, what if they aren't even here in the first place? What do I do then?" he asked himself hopeless.
Climbing down the tree, even the last flicker of hope had vanished from Alan's face. He stared at the ground biting his lip, his expression blackened. "Why in the world did I faint in the first place…?" he whispered blaming himself. The little rabbit tracing him dejected walked over cautiously, gently tapping his tiny hand over Alan's shoes consoling him.
Alan slightly surprised crouched before the rabbit who hopped backwards instinctively, soon coming forward. A dismayed smile covering his lips, he picked the baby rabbit in his hands. "Are you consoling me? Thank you." he thanked.
The rabbit sat in his hands leisurely. Alan resting his back on the tree trunk whispered, "You know, some bad people kidnapped my friends and threw them here or somewhere I don't even know. And now I can't seem to find them at all. I just wonder if they are alright. I really want to find them…"
The rabbit hearing his words sniffed around, jumping back on the ground. Alan eyed him surprised. The rabbit sniffing around came back to Alan pushing him from behind his feet. "Should I go over there?" he asked puzzled as the rabbit sprinted in the same direction.
Alan alerted yet testing his luck followed behind. "I don't know what he might show me but if it leads me to even a single clue to those boys. Then, I would be grateful to this little creature for life!" Alan thought confidently once again. Sprinting through many curves, up and downs, left and right. Shortly, he stood on the same cliff where the boys once stood.
His expression widened he stared at his surroundings awed. "So beautiful… just what is this place?" he pondered around to trace mountains and valleys surrounding all four corners with stars as numerous as galaxies shining on the sky. Looking on the ground Alan eyed the rabbit which hopped over his shoulder settling down.
Suddenly he traced haphazard footsteps on the sand. "Huh?" he wondered kneeling down observing carefully. Smithereens of burning branches and footsteps of sports shoes. Alan abruptly stood up. "They were here!" he looked around. Walking away from the cliff, he eyed the trees which took the way down.
Crouching down, he once again searched for the footsteps as the rabbit sniffed around. Tracing their scent his ears perked up in a warning. Jumping up it went down the path as Alan followed behind. "Did he found them?!" he thought rushing, "They say that rabbits have their sense of smell stronger than dogs or cats. Since, they can detect smells that are 500, 000 times weaker than what humans could. It would mean I definitely have a positive chance of finding them!"
The rabbit halting on a plain field looked left and right while Alan spotted a little spring over which silver moonlight glittered. Observing quietly, he could clearly hear continuous hooting of owls. The rabbit sniffing around took Alan's attention, he followed behind closely.
Reaching towards a load of twines covering a wall, all of a sudden a shadow crept by him as he turned behind alerted. The rabbit too with his ears perked up jolted hopping over Alan's shoulder and hiding behind his hairs trembling. Alan sensing his fear gulped at the trees.
"He is afraid… that means, a predator is here!" he thought alerted, the two concealing themselves behind a bush. A loud screech ending with a hiss, two pair of blood red eyes glinted from the tree close by.
Alan tightly gripping the ball in his hand traced the figure of a black panther sniffing all over. His presence slim and eyes deadly waited for a chance. "What is a panther doing here?!" Alan thought lost, "Don't tell me he came after my scent?!" Once again hissing loudly the panther's screech echoed.
Kenzo hearing the creepy, piercing voice opened his eyes alerted. Looking at the others who were sleeping soundly excluding Helios who stood panicked, Kenzo took his bat walking to him. "What's wrong?" he asked in a whisper as Helios flinched.
"Geez! You scared me!" he replied grasping his heart while sweat dripped his forehead like beads. Helios peeking from the corner of the cage's entrance assumed, "I think a wild animal just came here and judging from the sound it's definitely a cougar or a panther."
Kenzo hearing him clicked his tongue anxiously, "Don't tell me it traced our scent?" "Who knows? But, what should we do now?" Helios questioned as Kenzo looked outside. "If it comes here then we are as good as dead. But, if it goes away then we are lucky." Kenzo guessed.
Helios grabbing his bat eyed Kenzo, "So we are taking it on ourselves right?" Kenzo nodding stood on the other side of the cave, "Of course, don't wake them up at all costs." he warned watching out, "The traps Gabriel informed me about would be activated first defending us. If it still doesn't leave then I'm afraid we have to fight it head on."
Suddenly, the panther screeched loudly, his hissing and scream echoing, the boys stood up jolting. "What was that?!" Adam freaked baffled looking around as Seraph kept his hand on his mouth stopping him from speaking.
Poseidon and Ezekiel standing up looked at Helios and Kenzo who kept their finger on their lips pointing them to keep quiet. Xavier standing up walked forward along with Gabriel and Seraph while Azazel and Heber gulped cautious alongside Ryan, Cassiel and Feng.
"What was that noise just now?" Xavier asked.
"A Panther or a cougar. It came here detecting our scents… god knows where it is or what it's up to." Helios replied.
"Then what should we do now?" Azazel asked petrified as Heber patted his back consoling.
"First of all calm down everyone and stay as silent as dead. Don't let it anticipate our presence here even further." Cassiel advised.
"And get your gears ready everyone. Once it comes in. We'll kill it!"
Kenzo claimed as Adam stared at him wide-eyed. "Kill it!? Are you out of your mind?! How are we supposed to fight a wild animal like that and kill it on top of everything…!" he asked baffled as Ryan grabbed his mouth stopping him from speaking loudly.
"And here I thought they were you family for a second…" Ezekiel whispered recalling how he said they were his family before.
"Ezekiel, it's no time to joke around. Get ready." Poseidon warned.
Gabriel looked at Adam stern, "It's not a game brat. Any of us could die a moment form now on. Either kill it or get killed. That's the only way of surviving in here." He twirled his ball heading towards the entrance.
Feng hearing his harsh response spoke, "My, my… there's no need to exaggerate it so much." Glancing back Gabriel uttered, "It's not an exaggeration. It's the bitter truth we are facing right now." Feng and Adam along with Ezekiel and Heber looked at the ground silent. It was the truth after all.
Helios looking at the panther whispered, "It seems something is obstructing his path confusing him. But, I wonder what's making him that way? Panthers, lions, jaguars and any wild animal which hunts never waits for their prey…"
"But, it does wait, for chances…" Adam interrupted seriously.
The thirteen of them eyed him back. "It must be trying to secure a perfect chance because that's what they are really good at." Adam continued remembering the fears he once faced. Cassiel looked at him restless.