Into the Unknown

WHACK!

"Oww what the fuck?"  I yell as something hits my head. Looking at the ground I see what hit me... a boot.

"Up here moron!"

And sure enough, there was Kim suspended upside down in a net of vines, sans one boot.

“So are you gonna give me a hand or just stand there?" she asks, impatient as always.

“Well, it’s good to see you too Kimmy, you did always have a knack for giving me headaches." I tease, climbing up the tree.

"Well you know me, I get pleasure from other peoples pain Christina." Kim says, unamused by the nickname I gave her.

“Okay, point taken." I say as I started cutting away at the vines.

“We thought we lost you." Kim says while trying to pull herself out of the network of vines.

“So did I," I said, "what happened after... after I  ... left?"

“Well," Kim says," after you were sucked in the tree started to give way. So both Michael and I were pulled in with the tree. Next thing I know is I'm falling out of the sky and land in this tree then you showed up."

"Well you're alright, that's what’s important eh?" I ask.

"Yeah, you're right… for once." she says with a smirk. Once back on the ground we shared a hug. “Thanks for coming Chris."

"Hey, you know me. I'm a sucker for lost causes." I say, to which I promptly get punched in the shoulder.

“Heh, I can just feel the love." I say, rubbing my sore arm.

"Anyways, we better get moving. I don't like this place, and we still need to find Michael."

"Yeah, let’s go. I think he fell that way." Kim replies. Pointing further down the lake shore.

As we walked along the shoreline we noticed allot of our camping gear made it here as well.

"Hey, why don't you go ahead? I'll hold back and see if there's anything left that's still usable." says Kim.

"Sure thing, just be careful. I don't think were in Texas anymore." I tell her.

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"Kim, I don't know if I can do this. Write what happened next that is." I say. Staring down at the paper. Fresh tears welling up.

"Yes you can, what’s done is done. And do you really think he would want you to be sobbing over him?"

"No, I guess you’re right." I say.

"I’m always right, now come on. We don't have all day."

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  After about two hours of walking in the humid and mosquito infested lakefront I find something that sends a chill up my spine.  Blood. And a lot of it. It looked like something big was dragged from the water into the forest. Following the trail, I pulled out my machete that I found. Ready for anything. Or so I thought.

Taking care to be as quiet as possible I look for signs. Anything that would indicate what may have made the blood trail.

I never would have imagined what I saw… it was Michael or at least what was left of him.

The only real way I can distinguish the mangled corpse in front of me as my friend is from his hair color and the remnants of his clothing. His hair is matted with the blood from his face, his ribcage was nonexistent. His limbs are all had bite and claw marks on them.

The sight of my dear friend throws me into shock. I slowly walk over to the remains, kneeling down by his body, unable to avoid being in his blood as well.

"Michael..."  I whisper as reality slowly sinks in and the tears start coming in a steady flow. Falling onto his body.

  There were no words to describe the pain. My best friend for twenty years, laying before me in pieces.

All the memories together, all the happy, all the sad, rushing through my head. Gone. A third of our little family is gone. He did everything he could to try to save me and I wasn’t able to even try to save him. He could never blow up our campsite again and I could never repay him that $50 I owed him.

Getting up I walk a few feet away and start to dig, using the blade of the machete to dig in the soft dirt. The more I dig, the emptier I feel. Whatever killed him killed a piece of me with him.

Placing him in the shallow grave I hum a little tune, letting the tears run down my face...

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It’s dark when I make it back to where Kim is. A little known fact was that Kim is a top notch survivalist. She has actually made a lean-too built and has a fire going along with a few small fish cooking.

"Hey, looks like someone was busy." I say as I come around a tree.

‘Oh shit… she’s pissed,’ I think as she turns around and walks, well, more like stalks, towards me.

SMACK!

"Do you have any idea how long you were gone?! I was about to come looking for you two..... Chris where’s Mike?" she yells at me then starts looking even more worried.

Without raising my head I answer her, “h-he didn't make it."

Kim's eyes widen and her whole body tenses up as she now begins to notice the dried blood I wasn’t able to wash off.

“What do you mean 'He didn't make it'?"

"Kim... I'm sorry. But Michael is gone. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but he’s not coming back."

I could see the pain in her eyes as she processes the new information. There are a few minutes of silence that feel like eternity before my friend says anything.

“There is fish on the fire. Help yourself." Kim manages to whisper, looking at the ground with her body still tensed as she walks to the shelter, not bothering to eat her own meal and she was never one to pass up any type of edible food for any reason.

Walking over to the fire I sit down and just stare across the lake, thinking about what the mysterious figure said while in the void. Kim's quiet sobs heard in the background.

protect them... what did she mean by that? who was I supposed to help? As I ponder what I was told, something catches my eye. Across the lake was something, massive.

"What in the world..." I whisper as the behemoth lumbered through the forest. knocking over trees and sending birds fleeing in the night.

The only way to describe what I saw, was that it was a bear. A giant blue bear that seamed to be made out of stars.

“I don't think were in Kansas anymore...” I say as a wolf howl breaks through the night air.

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Canterlot Castle

"Sister, Are you sure they are the ones?" Celestia asks, stepping off of the throne.

"Yes," said Luna." they may not be what you wanted, but they are the best option we have. The only one in fact."

"For Equestria's sake I hope you are right dear sister. A storm is brewing and once it breaks, we may not be able to send for help again."

" Do not worry, they will be all we need." says Luna while taking her place on the throne, preparing for her night court.

Please Faust, let me be right... prayed Luna as the moon began its ascent