Worlds

XXXIII

Kila watched the back of Ezra's head as they walked through the dense forest, something tugged at the edge of her mind, but it never completely made it there. She looked down at her feet and watched as her black boots took step after step. She saw something move to her right; she glanced over quickly, and then ran right into Ezra's bag and falling backwards onto her butt.

"You could have said something," Kila huffed up at him; he looked down at her with his finger covering his lips. Kila stood up, brushing the dirt off her butt. 

"What's wrong?" She whispered to Ezra. Ezra held up a hand his eyes darting around the trees. Nothing met her eyes, just more trees, and tall grass.

Ezra jumped about a foot in the air and knocked Kila back onto her butt, as a tiny white bunny came running out of the tall grass and ran near him then darted off towards the trees again. Kila started laughing.

"What," She gave him an innocent look, "You afraid it's going to bite your noise off?" Ezra looked over his shoulder at her, a very un-amused expression playing on his face.

Kila started to stand; brushing the dirt off her but, when something knocked her off her feet again. Her chest hit the ground hard; all of the air in her lungs was forced out. She took a sharp breath in, and opened her eyes, then pressed her back harder into the ground.

About two feet away from her face was a large lady bug, she was pretty sure it was from the day before. Its mouth was right next to her face making an odd clicking noise. Kila tried to press her body back further so she could a footing, but nothing budged.

Kila heard a growling noise coming from her right, she glanced over. The tiger cub had its back arched with all the hair standing on end. The lady bug looked over at it before looking back down at Kila.

"Ezra!" she felt herself scream. The lady bug made a screeching noise as it started flapping its wings and turned. Kila looked over to where Ezra had been standing but he wasn't there anymore. Kila waited until the lady bug had lifted off the ground enough before she rolled out from under it. She looked around. Ezra was on top of the lady bug. Kila went to stand but the white tiger cub jumped in front of her and started growing at the lady bug.

Ezra seemed to punch the lady bug though its upper shell and it let out a wailed, he moved his arm and Kila saw the katars retract into his cloak and he jumped off landing on the ground softly. The lady bug started flying in a circle before it seemed to spin out and crash into a tree. Kila watched in horror as yellow liquid squirted the surrounding trees. The lady bugs legs twitched for a second then they were still.

Ezra's eyes found Kila's, his expression changed, he took a step forward. The tiger didn't growl but he put his ears back and took a step backwards towards Kila. Kila caught Ezra's eyes and gave him a stern look as she crossed her arms. The tiger took a few more steps back, looking up at her. Kila laughed inwardly; she wasn't afraid of him at all. She held out her hand, holding it just a few inches away from the tiger's noise.

He looked at it for a moment, and then touched his cold nose to her hand, breathing in. There was a pause then the tiger cub rubbed its head against Kila's hand. She grinned and started scratching behind its ears. Kila grinned as the tiger cub started to purr.

There was a crack and the tiger's eyes opened before it turned and bolted off into the forest again. Kila looked over at Ezra, who shrugged.

"That was mean," She said giving him a look.

"Why are you making friends with a tiger anyways?" He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow.

"Because it's cute!" Kila giggled a little. "I've always wanted a cat, but my mom's allergic. So I never got one." Kila smiled at Ezra, who seemed to stiffen a little.