Down Come Seven (ReWrite 2018)

B A M B O O Z L E D

The earth-shattering headache that threatened to crack open my skull and consume the universe within the black hole that substituted my brain...

...is what woke me up.

That and the rough, moist sensation of something licking my hand.

...The concussion did most of the work though.

With a pitiful moan, I forced myself into a sitting position...clutching my head as agony accompanied me the entire way up.

Eyes still tightly sealed against the light, I reached over to pat the dog or whatever it was that had been licking me.

Any animal that doesn't eat me in my sleep is a friend in my books.

"...So. I live to die another day... Awesome." The fur that met my hand was soft. The animal beneath it was large. "This is totally going on the small list of things I'll look back on and not cringe."

Slowly winching my eyes open, I made an effort to survey my surrounding.

Bamboo forest.

...As opposed to a burning wreckage of space debris...

Compared to the awesome crater I could have gotten after falling from the sky in a broken spaceship... sitting on the pale, unmarked sand was...

Tranquil.

Yep. I can already feel the calming effects of green, vertical lines and nature stuff.

"Welp. This is obviously a terrible death trap from which there will no escape." I observed, watching warily as a bright yellow butterfly flutter by.

Evil lurks around every corner.

"Let's see... I've got Zen. I've got bamboo. Now all I need is..." My voice trailed off as I slowly looked over at the big furry animal I had been patting.

...Oh.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"... I just think it's a little too soon to start that sort of relationship, you know? " I confessed, wringing my hands as I blushed under the mask.

"After all... I've only known him for like... A day?"

Maybe? If you count all the time spent stranded alone on an island or a desert and now this forest...

The Panda wisely chomped on a thin piece of bamboo, giving me an understanding look.

... Or a hungry look. Truth be told, I'm not much of an expert on bear expressions.

The initial feeling of 'oh no I'm about to be mauled by a wild animal' had quickly passed when the Panda didn't immediately attack me.

After a tense moment of waiting to have my hand bitten off, I'd decided that the best thing to do was to start up a friendly conversation.

Worked last time right?

Belatedly but still.

And that is how we came to be sitting together sat, Mr Panda and I, discussing my relationship problems.

"Sure, we have a lot in common... Like how we were both abducted and forced to play a supernatural game for survival and... well, there's that at least... "

I waved a dismissive hand before the Panda could comment.

"We get along great tho! I know it might seem like he finds my presence the most annoying thing on the planet, but that's just his way of showing affection."