Shaggy and the Forest

Chapter 5. Afterlife

(Reader's pov)
Shaggy and Alexandria are down, Jasper and Alixia are up but weak, the tiger at full strength the ending looking close now. Jasper holds Alixia as she screams in pain for Shaggy reaching for him, Jasper now furious with Shaggy for being such a fool turns to Alixia "We have to do this together but we have to be calm." She looks at him and nods trying to calm down, they watch as the tiger licks Shaggy's blood off his claws. Jasper notices its getting dark which will give the tiger the advantage so they have to act soon or they will surely lose, Alixia slows her breathing and looks around to see if she can use something as a weapon, seeing nothing she swears, then a spear like branch as thick as her arm catches her eye. "How long can you hold him off?" She asks Jasper, "Not long your boyfriend did a number on me already." he smirks not looking away from the tiger.

(Alixia's pov) She slowly moves to the branch though her leg still badly injured, she stops when the tiger looks at her and growls, looking at the tiger she readies herself to run. The tiger starts to run at her and she takes off for the branch, she hears the tiger gain on her then stop she looks back to see Jasper on his back biting at his neck, she runs and throws her weight into the side of the branch breaking it off and picks it up as she looks at Jasper. She watches him fight the tiger and she starts charging with the branch ready to spear him, as she gets close the tiger gets a grip on Jasper's leg and pulls him from his back and throws him, but is too late to stop her and she rams the spear in his stomach, he swipes her away with a strong smack to the face. She looks up to see him trying to pull out the branch but can't, she watches as he roars in pain and she smiles standing up he looks at her in rage, she looks for anyone to help but Shaggy and Alexandria are unconscious, Jasper is out of sight, she is alone with this beast.

She tries to think.."That's it!" She thinks to herself, she runs for the top of the waterfall..she can hear the tiger grunt as he chases after her closing in slowly as she gets closer to the edge she stops for a second, she's only half way up but she jumps diving for the water. After she surfaces she looks up to see him looking down at her, he roars and turns around and steps off, she waits to see if he leaves then sees him come flying over the side her heart starts to race until she notices he's going over backwards and he's not alone, a black figure is in front of him like they pushed him off, she watches as they fly to the water hitting hard on the tiger's back. She swims up and sees the tiger sink unconsious into the water and finds out it was Shaggy who pushed him over, she tries to pull him out but she cant with her leg. She hears someone come in the water from the bank and swim out to her, a few seconds later Jasper shows up to help pull Shaggy out slowly keeping his head up.

(Reader's pov) Jasper and Alixia get Shaggy out of the water laying him on the shore. They sit next to him and Alixia looks for Alexandria seeing her not but a few yards away, she looks at Jasper and he shrugs "I carried her down before I jumped in, I didn't want to leave her." She smiles "Thankfully everyone's ok," she looks at Shaggy's wound and frowns, she could tell it was bad and now worse from the fall, she rubs his cheek and leans in to kiss him "Come back to me." She whispers. He growls "I never left." He looks up and smiles, she burst into tears and kisses him "I thought you were dead you ass!" He chuckles "I was but death couldn't handle me." Jasper gets up and goes to Alexandria and picks her up carrying her over to the rest and lays her down checking her wounds. Shaggy looks at Jasper "Thank you for helping us." He says weakly, "Shut up you ass you need your strength for the fight ahead." Jasper smirks and goes to make stretchers for Shaggy and Alexandria.

Alixia pulls Alexandria and Jasper pulls Shaggy on a long several hour walk to the cabin in the dead of night as it begins to rain. The trip was uneventful though it was raining, long and tiring after the long day before, but as they reach the cabin they both felt relieved to see somewhere sheltered. She notices as the hit the door, she was still naked from the swim and she blushes but shakes it off. They drag their friends into the cabin and get them set up in the bedroom in the bed, they redress the bandages then go to the living room and shut the door, Jasper lights a fire and shakes the water off. Alixia sits on the couch having dried off earlier, she watches Jasper and smiles, she waits till he's done lighting the fire, "So what will you do now?" She asked curious, he looks at her and goes to the door, " You know its funny you still don't remember me," he looks down and chuckles "We were friends as kids we spent everyday together, our parents thought we would be married one day." He opens the door and leaves into the rain and night. She looks at the door unsure what to do, but after some time she decides its best to just sleep, she lays down and drifts off easily, her dreams filled with memories..of her youth a shadowy figure turning solid and full of color a bright happy boy always smiling, she tossed and tuned all night that night.

(Reader's pov) The next day was full of finding herbs and caring for her friends and her leg, she was so tired she slept most of the day off and on between helping and catching food. Shaggy's wounds were bad not only deep but becoming infected from the water,his stomach was the worst, 5 punctures that go very deep and the gashes on his chest neck and face are able to heal faster, he slips in and out of consciousness during the day, the night filled with night terrors. Alexandria was in better shape mostly just cuts only deep on her arms and stomach, she will be able to move around after a few days, slowly and carefully but move none the less to help with Shaggy and cooking.

Only three days have passed, Alexandria is starting to move around slowly helping cook and change Shaggy's bandages, she worries about him at night hearing him scream..like she used to after her parents died. She was enjoying the girl time though not much talking was going on, Alixia seemed lost in her own little world, unwilling to say what's on her mind. Alixia was happy to have company after three days she still can't stop thinking of Jasper hoping he would come back, she wants to tell Alexandria but does not know how.

(Shaggy's pov) He wakes up to find Alixa dressing his wounds, reaching up he touches her cheek, watching as she looks at him and smiles, "How long has it been?" He asks softly seeing her eyes fill with tears, "Three days," she says going back to his wounds, he lays his head back and stares at the ceiling lost in thought, "Three days.." All he could think about was the dreams that turn to nightmares of a white face and a roar he will never forget. He shakes his head and tries to relax, but he knows that Alixia has gone above and beyond for him and he wants to show his gratitude but does not know how. His eyes feel like they are made of stone so he closes them, "I'll rest for a few minutes." He thinks as he drifts off, he is walking threw the trees looking for something he just doesn't know what or who, he comes to a clearing that looks familiar to him, looking around he notices blood on the ground in several spots but the more he looks around the more blood he sees, straight ahead of him in the tree line yards away in the shadows he sees a pair of eyes, eyes that tear through his soul fear starts to overcome him, falling to his knees he grabs his torso looking as blood flows from it. He looks up and yells, " LEAVE ME BE ALREADY!" Knowing he would get no response he looks at the eyes watching as the come towards him slowly a face, covered in white and black fur soaking wet filled with anger emerges from the shadows and his fear grows, the face stares into his soul tearing him down, he tries to get up but can't all he can do is watch the tiger get closer until finally it pounces at him but before it hits him someone, nothing but a blurry figure in in a torn shirt and dark pantz, comes from the side and attacks it with a weapon, it looks like a sword but looks like more than a sword almost like the swords alive flames covering the blade. He jolts awake screaming his body covered in sweat, he looks around the room black with very moon light shining in, "It must be late..who..was that?" He thinks about the stranger for awhile before finally drifting back to sleep.