Forever Lost

Chapter 15 - Gone

"What disappearances?"

Bdubs dangled his feet above the air, trying to free himself before the Gunadae got to him first.

"Don't pretend you don't know. Why are you doing this to us. How did we deserve this. I want my wife back!"

The Gunadae infront of him broke down in tears. It's pale hand rose up to cover his face, a beautiful silver bracelet was wrapped around the wrist. None of the hermits would do this. Mumbo couldn't have done things to this many Gunadae since we got here? Could he?

"I'm so sorry...your wife is gone? Do any of you know what happened?"

"I'm not falling for that. Tell me where she is!"

The man infront of him jumped down from the branch and pulled a sharp spear out. Once the Gunadae got close enough, the spear was pointed at his chest. The two of them paused for a moment and looked at each other. Bdubs took this distraction and used his free legs to kick the man off of him. The vines that held him against the tree had snapped due to the sudden force against them. He scrambled off the floor and nearly ran into a tree.  

After catching his balance, Bdubs ran. His legs sprinted into any direction as fast as they could. He wasn't even sure about where the Gunadae was, or even if it was following him. The light seemed to dim down and the air seemed almost dirty. Small rivers were replaced by bubbling brown water, and the sound of Macaws and Toucans were now frogs that could be heard no matter where you were.

"Hellooooooo?"  he called out, seeing if any other souls were there with him.
Bdubs walked along a dead tree log that was bridging over a small trench. It was difficult to tell if being lost in a dark murky forest full of mud and frogs was better than being back in the awkward room in the treehouse. The thought of going the way he came kept flowing through his head. He missed Etho. Who caused the disappearances? At least being alone gave him a chance to try finding out what was causing this.

After walking for a couple hours, Bdubs ended up spending most of his time singing and messing around with the sticks. His imagination was always a downside to places like this. To him, a small dirty pond full of lily pads and logs were like an ocean of imagination.

"And then he slayed the Pirate King once and for all!"

Bdubs ran around the pond and cut down all the leaves around him with the sword- like stick in his hand. He stopped under a broad leaf. The leaf bent down from weight and poured rainwater on him. He was so in his little world that he never realized it was raining out. The raindrops were warm against his skin. He looked down at his hands to try and dry them off then find shelter, yet his eyes froze at what they saw.

The water that dripped onto him hadn't been water. Rainwater couldn't have reached landing on that leaf, it was under to many other branches. His hands were painted red. Blood dripped from above him onto the grass under him. His heart stopped and fell to the floor. Bdubs took deep breath and opened his elytra wings. In the middle of the tree, there was a small lookout platform, with two body's laying on it. Two Gunadae guards were dead on the oak wood. Red cuts were formed on their throats and were still liquid. The bodies were fresh, and they smelled awful.

These were the disappearances that the man had talked about. Someone is killing these poor people, and for no reason. None of the Hermits could have done this, none except Mumbo...

It was hard to think of one of their closest friends slaughtering people like this for no reason. It was so unlike him to be so terrible. He felt sick to his stomach. Looking back to one of the Gunadae, it was a woman, on her wrist there was a beautiful silver bracelet on her wrist. The man the cornered him earlier had had the same thing on...this was the man's missing wife. That man lost his wife and had hope of her being alive. If a Hermit went missing and was dead without anyone knowing....it was a terrible thought. This all was terrible. He could go back to the Gunadae town and warn them about what might happen, but that would be against what he was fighting for. Bdubs looked back at the other side of the pond where he came from before.