The Thing in the Bush by bluescorchio104 |  |
"Pidres?" called Anatol, in a high, frightened voice.
"Pidres, where are you?" Anatol looked around frantically, but all he saw was
the normal surroundings of his Neogarden. He gazed around even harder, scanning
every Heartfruit Tree, Song Flower and Large Thorn Growth, till his eyes rested
on a huge, purple bush, its large, spiky leaves adorned with numerous purple
berries. "Oh, no!" Anatol whispered, his eyes locked fearfully on the bush.
Everything from his large spiked tail to the tips of his wings trembled in fear.
Even his large horn, which distinguished him as a Scorchio shook, his eyes still
wide and horrified. He backed away quickly from the bush, towards the safety
of his NeoHome, his mind still flickering from the bush to the possible fate
of his Donksaur, Pidres.
As it lay there, covered by the green and
purple leaves and well camouflaged, it wondered lazily why it was there. It
didn't particularly like this new environment. Where were the familiar smells
of home? Why couldn't it smell any prey nearby, apart from a strange new scent,
quite unlike the ones back in the forest. Sleepily, it wondered what this new
creature would taste like, and settled down once again, baring its huge, sharp
fangs in anticipation. Well, it couldn't be worse than the creature it had caught
earlier that day, it thought. All tough skin, bones and fat, not to mention
the thick, stringy tendons. Stifling a yawn, it closed one of its eyes, leaving
the other wide open on watch. A few moments later, and it drifted off to sleep,
engrossed in dreams of hunting a strange, new creature...
A chilly wind blew through the garden,
rustling the bush's leaves, causing a few berries to shake alarmingly, coming
excruciatingly close to dropping onto the grass below. That was enough for Anatol.
He scurried into the NeoHome as fast as his sturdy legs would take him, and
slammed the door shut, breathing heavily, a bead of sweat meandering down the
side of his face. He locked the door, and then rushed into the well-furnished
living room.
"Tarsate! Tarsate!" he cried shrilly,
looking for his Chia sibling. Tarsate, slightly annoyed that his game of Sakhmet
Solitaire had been interrupted, turned to face Anatol, who was sobbing inconsolably.
"There, there" soothed Tarsate, his annoyance
instantly evaporating. "Anatol, what's the matter?" Anatol continued sobbing,
and Tarsate quickly guided him to the Tiger Sofa, where Anatol promptly sat
down.
"Now," Tarsate said gently, after handing
Anatol a tissue, "what in the name of Fyora is the matter?"
"It's Pidres," said Anatol through his
tears, "I told him not to, but, but, but..." At that point, Anatol promptly
had another sobbing fit, the large teardrops plopping onto the sofa.
"You told Pidres not to what?" said Tarsate,
trying to get some sense from his younger sibling.
"I told him not to touch those berries!"
Anatol cried out. "I mean, they looked so tempting, and all, and Pidres was
so greedy! I should have known better!" Anatol had another weeping fit, his
hunched shoulders quaking.
"Anatol!" shouted Tarsate, grabbing the
Scorchio by the shoulders with both paws. "Stop it! Right now, you understand?!
If you keep crying like that I'll never find out what happened!"
Anatol wiped his eyes one more time,
trying to curb his sobs. "Oh, oh, okay, Tarsate," Anatol replied a little unsteadily,
still sniffing a little bit. "Now tell me what happened, clearly and slowly,"
Tarsate said, looking Anatol right in the eye.
"Okay," answered Anatol, no longer sobbing,
but his eyes still looking a little red. "Well, it all started when Pidres wanted
some fresh air. So, I took him outside and let him wander around. I strictly
instructed him not to go near the bush."
"What bush?" interrupted Tarsate.
"You know, the bush you bought last week,"
said Anatol "Anyway, I told him not to go near the bush-"
"The bush I bought last week?" Tarsate
butted in "Do you mean the one you're scared of for no good reason whatsoever?"
"Hey, I'm not scared of it" insisted
Anatol.
"Yes you are!" interjected Tarsate, snorting
derisively.
"No, I'm not! And even if I am, there
is a perfectly good reason for it," objected Anatol, a little put off by
Tarsate's tone.
"Yeah, what is it then?" said Tarsate,
obviously not believing Anatol's not-scared statement. "Oh, yeah, I remember.
Wasn't it something about a thingy wotsit living in there?"
"It's not a thingy wotsit! It's a MONSTER!"
yelled Anatol, flapping his wings for emphasis.
"Yeah, sure. A monster," said Tarsate
disbelievingly.
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"There's no such thing!"
"Yes there is!"
"No there isn't!"
"YES THERE IS!!!" shouted Anatol at the
top of his voice. He stuck out his tongue at Tarsate, crossed his arms defiantly,
and said, "And that's that."
"Well, back to the point," Tarsate interjected,
rolling his eyes. 'So, what exactly happened?'
"Well, like I said, I told Pidres not
to go near the bush. You see, then I go off to water my Song Flowers, turn my
back for a second, and he's gone!" Anatol looked worried, wringing his paws
in distress.
"How do you know Pidres didn't wander
off into the street?" questioned Tarsate.
"All the gates were shut!" wailed Anatol.
"And besides, even if they were open, Pidres wouldn't wander off."
"Uh, are you sure?" said Tarsate. "I
mean, Donksaurs aren't the brightest Petpets around, you know."
"Hmmph," snorted Anatol, "well, Pidres
is different. Besides, I saw the look on his face when he looked at those berries.
There was that pining, longing look."
"Like you when you've lost your teddy?"
Tarsate laughed. "Okay, supposing Pidres did walk over to eat those berries.
So? He might be snoozing in the bush. You know how big that bush is. It's practically
a miniature forest. There's plenty of room for ten Donksaurs in there."
"Well, I think the Monster grabbed him,"
pouted Anatol defiantly. 'And if you won't help me get him back, I'll get him
myself. Who knows, he might be dinner by now!"
"I'll help you rescue him from this so
called monster," sighed Tarsate. "Even if it's only to shut you up and prove
there is no monster."
"Oooh, thanks Tarsate!" squealed Anatol.
Tarsate rolled his eyes, wondering just how his younger brother, a nearly full-grown,
huge, red, tough-looking Scorchio, could squeal and end up sounding exactly
like baby Kacheek.
***
Tarsate sat bemusedly watching Anatol lug a huge, wooden chest down the stairs
from the attic, dust swirling lazily into the air, causing the occasional sneeze.
Once Anatol had finally heaved it onto the Blue and Orange Rug, he struggled
with the lid, and eventually prised it open, it's rusty, unused hinges creaking
loudly. An unexpected Spyder, shaken from its place inside the chest, crawled
out, annoyed at this unexpected intrusion. Anatol yelped, and fell backwards,
while Tarsate, shaking his head at his brother's irrational fear of a tiny Spyder,
carefully captured it as it scuttled across the floor with a nearby Red Pot,
placing the decorative container upside-down over the eight-legged creature.
Anatol hauled himself upright again, slightly ashamed, and then excitedly peered
into the chest. Inside was an array of various weapons, from a huge and heavy
Sword of Domar, to a slender, antique Wand of the Air Faerie. There were also
various pieces of Scorchio armour, including a horn guard, wing guards and chestplate.
"See, I told you they were in there!"
said Anatol with a mix of pride and excitement. Tarsate rolled his eyes again,
and got up to look.
"Hmm, not bad," commented Tarsate, after
quickly assessing the weapons. "You're lucky Great Grand Uncle Portott was an
Scorchio, you know. Otherwise there wouldn't be any Scorchio armour. Could do
with a bit of a polish though."
Anatol waved a paw in a dismissive manner.
"Who cares if they're dusty? As long as they work okay, they'll be fine." Anatol
eagerly started putting on the Scorchio armour, while Tarsate looked on. "How
do I look?" Anatol asked anxiously, after carefully arranging the armour.
Tarsate personally thought that Anatol
looked quite the part of a Scorchio knight, but he wasn't about to show it.
"Hmm, you look okay," answered Tarsate grudgingly.
"Okay? I look great!" cried Anatol, admiring
himself in a Tiger Mirror.
"My ever modest brother" mocked Tarsate,
poking Anatol gently in the tail. "Hurry up, already!"
"Aren't you going to pick any weapons?"
asked Anatol in bewilderment. "What happens if the monster tries to eat you?"
"THERE IS NO MONSTER!!!" bellowed Tarsate.
"Do I have to spell it out to you?!"
"Well, you didn't have to shout," said
Anatol, sulking. "And besides, if it does get you, don't come running to me."
***
"Anatol, is this sneaking around really necessary?" Tarsate questioned, crouching
behind a bush.
"Of course it is, we don't the monster
to spot us!" hissed Anatol, his back pressed flat against a tree trunk. "Come
on, move out!"
Tarsate sighed resignedly, then began
crawling along the ground towards the next bush, which was about the length
of a full grown Tonu away from the alleged monster bush. Meanwhile, Anatol dived
towards a Large Thorn Growth, rolling clumsily the last few metres, in the process
making a good deal of clanking and general noise, on account of his cumbersome
armour. "Okay, Tarsate, this is it. On the count of three, we charge the bush,
and force the monster to surrender Pidres."
"I know, I know," said Tarsate, wondering
how he ever got into this situation in the first place.
It lay there motionless, sensing prey nearby.
Now that strange new smell was joined by yet another, even more strange scent.
It grunted, and would have smiled in anticipation if its fangs had allowed it
to do so. It silently rose up onto its haunches, ready to pounce.
"Okay, now one-" Anatol whispered.
"Two-"
"THREE!!!"
At this, Tarsate burst from his bushes,
and rushed towards the purple bush, feeling a little ridiculous. Anatol jumped
over the Large Thorn Growth, with the intent of shouting a war cry, and promptly
fell over flat onto his face, his heavy armour snagging on the overgrown thorns.
Looking around to make sure no one had seen that embarrassing spectacle, he
charged towards the bush, a little behind Tarsate. Tarsate, upon reaching the
bushes, stopped his wild charge, only to have Anatol unceremoniously ram straight
into his back. Tarsate tottered for a moment, then fell forwards into the bush,
the large green and purple leaves closing over his head, with a small cry of
surprise.
It bared its huge fangs, tensed its powerful
legs, and prepared to leap, thoughts of the thrill of the hunt and the kill
running through its mind. It relished the thought, adrenaline pumping through
its veins, sharpening its senses and muscles. Its tail twitched ever so slightly,
correcting its balance by that slightest, minuscule amount. Just that little
bit closer, and it would strike...
"Uh, sorry, Tarsate," said Anatol sheepishly.
"Here, let me help you up." Anatol offered a paw, and hauled Tarsate up, the
latter grumbling a good deal.
"See, there is no monster! If there was,
it would have eaten us by now!" Tarsate shouted angrily. "And another thing,
if you ever do-"
"Ssshhh, Tarsate!" whispered Anatol,
interrupting his brother's tirade. "Look!" Anatol pointed deeper into the bush,
his pointing claw trembling ever so slightly.
"What?" said Tarsate a little uncertainly,
thoughts of a potential monster running briefly through his mind.
Anatol drew his Wand of the Air Faerie,
using it to probe further into the bushes, his forehead wrinkled in concentration.
He slowly drew a Telescoping Claw from a brown fabric pouch attached to a belt
around his waist. He extended it carefully into the bushes, the concentration
obvious on his face. Tarsate watched on with interest and a touch of fear. Anatol
pressed the button marked 'GRIP' on the Telescoping Claw, and then contracted
it. The Telescoping Claw drew its burden out slowly but surely. Tarsate held
his breath, watching intensely, as the claw revealed itself, clutching the scruff
of a small, fluffy Meepit's neck. Tarsate let out a sigh of relief, and Anatol's
face lit up with joy. He grabbed the Meepit, and cuddled it lovingly.
"Oh, Tarsate, isn't it cute?" squealed
Anatol, tickling the Meepit underneath its chin. "Can we keep him? Can we? Please?"
At this, the Meepit gurgled happily, waving small paws in the air.
Tarsate looked doubtfully at the Meepit.
"I don't know. Spooky Petpets are never good news, you know."
"That's not true!" said Anatol angrily,
stamping his clawed foot into the ground.
Tarsate, slightly annoyed, replied "Well,
you're certainly not going to be allowed to keep it if you talk to me like that."
Tarsate folded his stubby arms and crinkled his nose at Anatol.
"Please, Tarsate? With Negg Cream Cookie
with a Strochal on top? Pleeeeaaaasssssse?"
"Oh, fine then. You don't have to whine,"
said Tarsate grudgingly, looking at the small Meepit. Maybe that Meepit won't
be so bad after all, he thought. It'll certainly take Anatol's mind off Pidres.
"Oh, goody goody goody!" cried Anatol.
"I'll feed him, and love him, and take care of him, and love him, and take him
for walks, and love him, and -"
"I get the idea, Anatol," Tarsate interrupted.
Personally, he thought getting gooey and lovey-dovey over a puny little rodent
was going to make him sick.
Anatol rushed back into the NeoHome,
talking to his new Meepit all the way. "Goochie goochie goo! I think I'll call
you Kipef, you little cutie, you." Once inside the NeoHome, Anatol dumped all
of his armour and weapons untidily next to the coat rack. He then sprinted up
the stairs to his bedroom, already making plans for what he and his new Petpet
would do tomorrow.
It was not happy. It had missed its chance
and now the prey was gone. The thought of missing a lovely dinner of those strange
new creatures enraged it, but it consoled itself with the thought that it would
get what it wanted soon enough. It would have to exercise patience, one of its
weaker virtues. The rumbling of its three stomachs didn't help. Even worse,
it felt a tugging at its soul, if you could call it that. It felt something
was desperately missing, but couldn't quite figure out what. It felt partly
empty, like a chunk had been taken out of it. It settled down once more, trying
to figure out this puzzle, and quell the rumbling of its stomachs.
***
A few days since the arrival of Kipef, and life was continuing as normal at
Anatol and Tarsate's house, albeit that of now instead of having a clumsy Donksaur
stumbling around, a quiet Meepit slept in the corner. Tarsate occasionally had
an attack of the jitters about the quiet, cute, yet somehow menacing Kipef,
but always shook himself free of the bad vibes, his logic reasoning that such
feelings were completely irrational. Also, he had the feeling someone, or something,
was stalking the NeoHome, and every gust of wind, every crackle of disturbed
leaves almost scared Tarsate out of his wits.
But every time he privately berated himself
for being scared by Anatol's supposed monster story, and after a while, he stopped
hearing the noises, and soon forgot all about them. Anatol, on the other hand,
couldn't have been happier. He was back to his happy, carefree and slightly
immature self, convinced that there really was no monster, only that cute little
Meepit hiding in the bush. He never stopped to think just how Kipef had got
into the bush in the first place, or how he had stayed inside there for so long.
That night, a mere week after the arrival of Kipef, Anatol was in bed, snoring
his head off, and Kipef was sleeping in a small wicker basket in the corner
of his bedroom. Tarsate, on the other hand, was about to start his twice daily
floss and brush routine, in preparation for sleep. It was then that he heard
a slight scraping noise against the bathroom window, and he instantly scampered
backwards, all of his old forgotten fears returning in a flash. After a few
minutes, the noise was still continuing, and Tarsate, gathering his courage,
flicked aside the bathroom curtains, and was greeted by the sight of a branch
brushing against window, propelled by the slight breeze.
Tarsate breathed in relief, and made a mental
note to prune back the branch the next morning. He finished his floss and brush
routine, and went to bed on the upper of the two levels of the NeoHome, in his
bedroom, conveniently situated next to Anatol's bedroom . Later that night,
Tarsate was awakened from a nice dream involving him growing to the size of
Chiazilla and chasing Lupes, by the sound of feet padding softly on the house's
marble floor. Tarsate sat bolt upright, and gripped the Rainbow Gun he always
left on his bedside table. Still holding the Rainbow Gun in his right paw, he
opened the bedside table drawer with his left paw and slid out a gleaming, well-maintained
Lightning Gun. Tarsate then slipped out of bed, pushed open his bedroom door
with the muzzle of his Rainbow Gun and stepped out into the hall. There, in
the shadows cast by the soft, shimmering moonlight, was a small shape, sitting
motionless.
With some difficulty, Tarsate flicked on the
light switch with the muzzle of the Rainbow Gun, instantly pointed both of his
weapons towards the shape, shouting at the top of his voice, "FREEZE, TURKEY!!!"
At this the shape, now revealed to be Kipef, squeaked and ducked underneath
a nearby Wooden Drawer. Tarsate breathed a sigh of relief, just as Anatol stepped
out from his bedroom, still half-asleep and still wearing his stripy duck patterned
pyjamas.
"What's goin' on, Tarsate?" Anatol asked sleepily,
rubbing at his eyes.
"Oh, nothing, Anatol," said Tarsate, in
a relieved voice. "It's just that I thought-" It was then Tarsate froze in mid-sentence,
staring at the floor.
Oh, no, he thought, scanning the floor,
noticing the clawmarks gouged deep into the solid-marble floor. There is
no way a Meepit could make those marks. That could only mean....
In the instant he realised something was terribly
wrong, he yelled at Anatol, "Quick, Kipef, get Kipef!" Anatol, still slightly
groggy, stumbled into action. Grabbing Kipef, he walked slowly back to his room,
asking Tarsate, "Why did ya want me to-"
It was at that moment that Anatol realised what
was wrong, and he shook off his sleepiness, and rushed back towards Tarsate.
Too late. A horrible creature leapt out from behind a corner, baring its fangs.
It was a four-legged beast, the fore legs equipped with huge, curved claws.
Its face was mainly composed of large, dark eyes, serrated teeth and a huge,
fiery gem embedded in its forehead,. Perched on top of its head were two big,
intimidating protrusions. Its short, round tail twitched menacingly from side
to side, a menacing spikes sprouting from the ball of fluff. Its broad, furry
back was covered in rows of sharp, yellowing spikes, each as sharp as a Super
Ice Sword. Tarsate took a step backwards, aiming both his Rainbow Gun and Lightning
Gun at the creatures chest. The beast, using its powerful hind legs to propel
itself through the air, leapt straight over the powerful blasts, landing only
inches away from Tarsate's nose. Tarate hastily stepped backwards, and fell,
landing hard on the marble flooring. His head made a dull thud against the marble,
and the last thought that passed through his head before he passed out, was
how much the beast looked remarkably like a Cybunny. The beast stepped nonchalantly
over Tarsate, and headed for Anatol, who had hidden himself inside his bedroom.
The monster ripped the door off its hinges and sniffed the air hungrily.
It was very near its prey. All the time,
it could feel the missing part of itself coming closer, and with every inch
closer it came, the desire to be one with it increased tenfold. It lumbered
around the room, ripping everything apart, till it came to the bed. With one
claw, it flipped the bed over, revealing a very scared-looking creature, clutching
to itself a small pink animal.
Anatol closed his eyes, and clutched
Kipef even closer to himself. He was so close to the monster that he could smell
his breath, an unpleasant combination of rotting meat and decade-old fish. The
monster bent down, and with one move, knocked out Anatol. Then, unseen by anyone,
it raised Kipef to its forehead, touching the Petpet to a large, scarlet gem
embedded there, and in a flash of brilliant light, the Meepit was gone. The
monster, its hunger to be whole sated, hopped out of the room, and into the
night.
It was whole once again. Now that after all
that time, they were together again as one being. It hopped out into the dark,
pitch-black night, to search for its original home in the exotic forest.
The End |
