Mau5in' Around

Chapter 23

While traveling, there came wind. And with wind, came a rain. This cold, bitter rain that she was very familiar with...

“Such miserable weather…” she recalled from a song.

On, they traveled. Psycho hopped, his powerful legs sending him in great bounds. Just as they left the city limits of London, they entered up in huge rolling hills. They came up to the highest point of the countryside, just to meet with the last sight of stars. Psycho let out a tired pant and slowed down at the very top. Raven too felt miserably tired. They had traveled all night to ensure they would be safe from being seen. Now that they were in the security of emptiness, they were ready to collapse and rest. The kangaroo slowly waddled over to a large tube that sat nestled in some tall grass. A tube used at most construction sites, which had been abandoned here, would serve as their shelter. Raven held on to Psycho with the little strength she had left. Once he had crawled into the tube and plopped himself down, did she let go and easily slide off next to him. Her body ached with exhaustion. She looked over at her kangaroo companion, and stroked the top of his head and ears. He let out a shuddering snort, reflecting his dreariness, but a soft suggested smile crept on the corners of his mouth. He closed his eyes slowly, resting his head down on the cold pavement of the tube. His body had recovered from the electricity… and the deep bite in his neck started to scab over, the blood on his fur now dry and flakey. He was weak, tired, and still very sore from his previous combat, but he felt content… satisfied that Raven was back and safe with him.

Raven also felt thrilled to be back with her old friend, and sleepiness helped numb away the guilt she had felt before… but only temporarily.

She lay down next to Psycho and rested her head on his exposed belly. His scaly body wasn’t at all very comfortable, but she didn’t care… the security was enough to knock her out. Both the human girl and her mutant pet slept deeply in the tube, safe from the cold rain, the wind and the eyes of the world.

Raven had slept all day. Her body refused to awaken until her strength was completely restored.

She felt her body fading in and out of consciousness several times. In between moments of sleep, music echoed in her head. Familiar rhythms, beats, sounds… and words…

A crystal voice of a woman. 

“I remember~”

Her eyes flashed open and she gasped out loud. “Mau-“ she almost began. No… he’s not here. Not anymore.

Raven then looked around frantically. Her memory came back to her. She had fallen asleep in this cement tube… had slept through the entire day… and awakened in the evening.

But… where was Psycho?

He had fallen asleep next to her, but as she sat there wide awake, she did not see him anywhere.

“Psycho…” she called. No answer. “Psycho,” she said a little louder. Still nothing. All she could hear was the chirping of a lonely cricket nearby and the drizzle of rain on the tube and the earth.

“Psycho!”

At that moment, the kangaroo came bounding into view. Raven closed her eyes for a second, gasping in relief. Her friend hopped into the tube and hunched over. In his jaws, he held onto a plastic package. She blinked up at him as his jaw twitched and his head bobbed up and down.

“Wot’s that, boy?” Raven asked, holding out her hand under his mouth. Psycho opened his mouth all the way, and dropped the package into her palm.

Raven brought it down, flattened out the crumbled wrinkles in the plastic and examined it. She smiled. “Food.”

The package contained crisps that were salted. Good ol’ Salt n’ Shake… Raven eagerly ripped open the package and popped a crisp in her mouth. She didn’t realize how hungry her stomach was until food was right there in front of her.