We Are Forever

Chapter 11

"JUMP!" I yelled. Ariel let out a small squeel, leaping up and over the endless whole in the Earth that could surely have led to her death.

"Oh thanks Elsa. I almost lost my life!"

I laughed, pulling her along behind me whilst we ran as fast as we could to the next obstacle the outdoors was trying to throw at us.

Partner training was by far the hardest to get through. If you didn't make it to the end with your partner, you had to restart. Pain was trying to teach us that we were all in this together by sending us all off to different areas of the town to get back to base best we could.

Before dying.

"LOOK OUT!" I felt Ariel grab me by the vest. I hung forward, getting a firsthand view of the gigantic snake before me. I gulped, slowly backing away. "That's a g-good snake."

The animal hissed, it's tail shaking and making a rattling sound. I leaned toward Ariel and whispered, "What type of snake is-"

"Rattlesnake. It's a rattlesnake!" She gripped my wrist, running as fast as we could in the opposite direction. It was hard to breath and extremely hard to see with all the scenery around us. What the heck was a rattlesnake doing in the woods! And how is it still alive? I know for a fact that's not where it belongs.

"We should be safe here." I comforted Ariel who was panting with her hand held over her chest. I looked around, taking in our surroundings. None of this seemed familiar. There was clearly no way we had gotten any closer to base.

"I wonder if Pain sent us the farthest out cause she wanted us to die." Ariel sighed, dropping her head into the palm of her hands. I had no response, choosing to just sit on the floor.

Maybe that was her intention. But she couldn't have set a death trap for us, right? There was no way the government would allow that.

"We need help." I snapped my finger, standing up and looking around at the sky. "Come on Jack."

".....Jack?" Ariel wondered, unclear of what I was saying. To her I must have looked crazy standing around and calling for help from the sky. "Who's Jack?"

"He's...a friend." I replied, biting down on my lower lip. I really did hope that he could hear me. He probably couldn't. We did have a mind link, but I'm sure that it doesn't work when he's too far. Especially since he always seems to be zoned out.

"Think think think." I said to myself, walking back and forth. "If I were Jack, what would get my attention?"

"Um Elsa..." Ariel waved her hand in front of my face, trying to get my attention. I chose to ignore her. If she wants to get out of here, I needed to concentrate on what's important.

She seemed a bit frantic as she kept glancing back at something behind me. Ariel shook my shoulders. "Elsa quickly we have to go."

"What?"

Rattling. Behind me, I heard rattling.

"Oh sugar biscuits." I said in despair, turning my head slightly to see the rattlesnake as fierce as ever. While having a staring contest with it though, I had a brilliant idea. The whole plan seemed to be playing on repeat in my head.

"Ariel, hiss at it."

"What! Are you crazy!?" She grit, holding her hands close against her cheeks.

"Just trust me."

Ariel watched me for a second with a very hesitant look. When she realised I was 100% serious, she averted her attention to the scary creature. Ariel took a deep breath, before letting out a loud and annoying hiss, much like an actual snakes.