The Black Box

17

"Wait, isn't that a name of a fairy in a video game?" I ask him. He also was named after a girl fairy. In a video game.

"What's a video game ?" Navi asks. I forgot they live in a place where there doesn't seem to be any technology.

"Never mind."

"Anyway, Navi why'd you come here?" Christie asks him.

"I came to tell you that the patrol has seen outsiders near The Break. They think we are going to be under attack very soon if we don't act," says Navi.

Christie has a very stern look on her face.
"Ok," she says sternly while nodding her head, still making eye contact with her brother.

"Wait, what's The Break?" I ask him.

"The Break is where those broken buildings stand. They make a makeshift barrier from other forces that try to take us down," he says, pointing in the direction it would be in if we were above ground.

"There's more people?" I ask.

"Yes. What did you think? Christie and I were the only people here?" He asks me, facing me, looking me straight in the eyes. "There's also other attackers besides humans."

"Yeah. I only assumed that 'cause I didn't see anybody else. Or anything for that matter," I say, putting my hands up like I'm being arrested.

"He did come in contact with a Panthera uncia," she says, meaning to tell him I actually saw something living.

"It tried to kill me," I interject, pointing to myself.

"Well I guess they're getting tired of the treetops. That's a bad sign also Christie," he says.

"I know Navi," she says, rolling her eyes like she already knew and crossing her arms.

"I'm going to go back to Base. Do you and Peter want to come? He might lack skill against our enemies and competitive friends," he says, turning toward the door.

"Do you want to go Peter?" she asks me.

"Sure. If it's ok with you," I reply, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Let's go right away," says Navi, opening the door. I put my swords back on and run after Navi and Christie.

I stop outside the door to look for Navi and Christie. I think I lost them.

"Hey Peter! Up here!" I hear a voice call me to the left. I run towards the voice and see Christie climbing the rocks towards the lip of the ravine. Navi's already looking down at us.

I start climbing the rocks and realize that they're at least three feet apart. My hands got sweaty and now they're slipping off of the rocks. I'm right below the lip of the ravine and my right hand slips. I'm dangling from my left hand 'cause my feet don't have footholds. It was a stupid idea to not have footholds.

"Christie!" I yell, panicking. I look down and that was a really bad idea. I started to feel nauseous.

I see a hand reach down to grab my hand. My left hand's slipping from the rock. I can't swing my right arm with enough momentum to grab it. I grab hold of the rock with my right hand and swing my left upwards. My fingertips brush theirs and my hands falters.

I start to falter and lose grip.

"Hang on Peter!" I hear Christie yell.

I start to regain hope just as Christie lowers herself down on a rope and grabs my left hand. I start to climb the wall as she pulls me up. Luckily I didn't fall to my death. I feel so pathetic compared to Navi.

"It's about time you got up here," says Navi, looking at his watch. How can I help it if it's pitch black outside and I have to climb a ravine?

"Navi, I haven't trained him very well yet," Christie says, crossing her arms at her brother.

"You should've,"

"You're so difficult Navi," she says, rolling her eyes.

He just glares at her. "C'mon, they're waiting for us. You don't want them to get angry."

He starts to run in the direction of mutant tree forest. He motions for us to follow, not slowing down.

"C'mon Peter," Christie says as we jog towards the forest.