The Lost ( A Sequel To The Forgotten )

Roars In The Plains

It's been two days since we were stranded here. The trees are definitely getting closer, and they're similar to the trees around the Collections House. Maybe they're even the same trees... but maybe that's just hopeful thinking.

Last night, we were all scared half to death when a faint wail began. It sounded distant. After a few seconds, it turned into a cry, and that turned to screaming. Not human screaming, just a horrible, piercing noise. We were all running around, completely spooked. After a while, the screaming stopped. We all tried and failed to sleep that night, and while lying awake, Person shot me a knowing look. The roars. Whatever was making that noise, I didn't want to know what it was. But the roars/screams weren't the only things that happened.

In the morning, I wake up, and everything is white. I stand up and rub my eyes to clear the white, and yell in surprise when I can't feel my own hands. I slap myself in the face a few times, and there's only a faint buzzing feeling. I stop panicking when I realize I've been here before. I saw Ray here, and the Collections House, and that axe that I made appear. But why am I here this time? Maybe I should be asking, what has been the same all of those times? I just can't seem to find anything. So I need to ask a different question: Why am I here? Well, I think I can answer that one. Each time I've been here, I've seen something important. The Collections House led us to the riddles and the P.A.T.H. I saw Ray here, and he was fine, even though in the real world he'd been babbling nonsense. The axe was necessary to prevent any other accidents. So I'm here to see something, probably. I just have to find out what. I sit and start waiting.

While I wait, I look at my surroundings. There's not much to see. The ground is completely flat and a very light gray. The rest of the world is white. I look down at my skin. It still has its regular color, but a much paler version of that color. And then something moves. Rolly is walking towards me quickly, like he's doing something urgent. He keeps looking over his shoulder, but there's nothing behind him.

"Rolly," I call out. "Rolly, over here." But Rolly continues to walk, not even glancing at me. He doesn't seem quite solid like I am. He looks the same as the Collections House did, like an illusion. I stand up and follow Rolly. He seems nervous as he travels, and suddenly he stops. So do I. Because somewhere not too far away, I can hear wailing. Which turns into a cry. Which becomes a scream. Or maybe a roar. Rolly looks around and wrings his hands together. The roars get closer, but Rolly doesn't move. The roars are definitely steadily coming closer, and I try to talk to Rolly again.

"Rolly, we've got to get out of here." Rolly gives no sign that he heard me. The roars are extremely loud now, as if a hideous creature is standing right in front of me, screaming. But there's nothing but sound. Then I feel a bit dizzy, and the white world starts to sway. I fall to my knees as my legs give way. The roaring fills my ears as everything turns blurry. The world seems to spin around me. I reach out to Rolly, trying to help him in this sea of horrible sound, but he stays put, looking nervous but not really scared. He must be unaware of the roaring, that the roars are coming for him. The world turns black, completely black, and the roaring fades. Wait, no- the world isn't black! My eyes are closed. I open them, expecting to see Rolly being ripped to shreds by a terrible beast, or maybe an army of terrible beasts. But all that greets my eyes is a lot of grass. Green grass. I can feel the grass and the wind. I'm back in the real world. I scramble to my feet. Rolly! Where's Rolly? I sigh in relief when I see him sleeping, just like Person, Shawn and Cass. He's fine. But he might not be for long. These weird vision things have all come true. So Rolly still could be surrounded by that terrible sound. I wonder about sharing this vision with the others. I don't think it's a great idea. After all, the Collections House made a lot of trouble.

Everyone else wakes up, and we begin our daily trek toward the trees. The warm breeze and blue sky should be refreshing, but I feel like I'm in a cold sweat. All I can see, all I can hear is Rolly, surrounded by roars, completely unaware that he's surrounded. I've been asked three separate times if I'm okay, and each time I mumble a reply about how I'm fine. But I'm not. None of us are, as the roars close in on Rolly in my mind.