The Animals

Chapter One: The Camp

The Animals

Chapter One:

The Camp

-...-

At first, he felt twigs poking at his fur, and for a moment, it felt like needles. Not yet again, Jerome shifted a bit, and another realization came to him. It was really, really cold. Shortly after that, he woke up, and sat up to find himself alone. He was surrounded by smells he didn't recognize. The sun was going down, it was getting dark slowly, and when Jerome looked around, he didn't know where he was.

“Momma?” Jerome's voice was soft at first, as his chest sank. He looked around, taking a few steps forward. There was no reply.

“Daddy?” Jerome called out, this time raising his voice a little. Tears formed in his eyes, and began to shiver. There was no reply.

“M-Mitch!?” Jerome cried out, and when he got no reply from any loved one at all, the tears fell down his face, and he started to cry.

The 5 year old cried, looking around, his sobs pretty much the only sound heard other then the light wind. He was alone, scared, and he was probably hungry too. The growing darkness also freaked him out. He was out in the open, and after a moment of hopelessness, something in his head clicked. The voice of the animal inside him told him to find shelter. A place to hide from the cold and the darkness.

Taking a few small steps at a snail's pace, Jerome walked to the edge of the circle-like clearing he had woken up in. He pushed pass a bush and found himself out of the clearing. He saw more and more forest, and a slope going down just a few feet away. Scanning the area, Jerome realized that it was lighter farther into the forest then where he was now. Drawn to that area, he became hypnotized, and couldn't help but walk towards it in search of a place to be.

“Ah!”

A tiny yelp came from Jerome as he tripped and fell down the slope, something that had escaped his mind far to quickly. It had been bit more steep then he thought, and he tumbled down it, grunting and squeaking as so. When he reached the bottom, he laid on the ground, scratched up and dizzy, and he didn't get back up until he remembered the light. He was getting tired and his limbs were shaking, but like a brave little bacca, he kept on going.

Jerome walked on at a slow pace, paranoid of his surroundings, scared that something would jump out, but also hopeful that it could be his mom or dad or Mitch. Still, he passed the trees and bushes, careful not to step on anything that could hurt him farther. He crossed his arms in attempts to help the cold, but that didn't help much.

Time went on, and Jerome couldn't find any place that looked unfrightning. The light seemed to get farther and farther away, as it seemed to get colder and colder too. His crying at stopped, but tears still dripped from his chin. The sun was almost completely gone, and Jerome knew that in a matter of half an hour, it would be completely dark. His heart beat faster to the thought that he wouldn't find his way out.

Another ten minutes or so had passed, and at this point, the poor child's steps were hardly even an inch apart. His eyes were closing and he couldn't help but feel sleepy. The noises of the night started to appear, and for some odd reason, he began to feel better. There were frogs and crickets, and even though there was still the light wind, hearing other animals made him feel safer. The stars also appeared sooner or later, and looking at them made Jerome happy. Momma said they would watch over him, so he believed her.