08. Kidnapped

"I am serious Fredrick!" Clara spelled and also she only calls him 'Fredrick' when things are getting too serious.

After some thinking, Fredrick finally recalled what happened at the night. He eventually hugged her. Clara was even surprised by his sudden emotional outburst.

"Mom said you got kidnapped by a monster." He raised his head looking at her. "Was that true?" RICKY asked.

"Yes, I got abducted by a monster but I was Lucky it didn't harm me" She told him.

Upon Ricky's reaction she felt guilty for thinking the rest of her family hated her. "Did mom and dad go looking for me?" She questioned.

"I don't know, I slept off so I don't really know what happened after that." Fredrick told her.

" Really? We need to find them." She tried not to think about their parents being attacked. Pictures of the creature ripping them apart came to her. She quickly shut her eyes and decided to find peace with herself, However on the corner of the tent were; all their items parked. Then they saw a white note.

When they opened it:

[ My love, I and your father are going to find Clara and we promise to get back as soon as possible. But if it didn't go that way and for some reason we couldn't return, I will urge you to go your way. I left you an emergency phone that you can use to contact your uncle call him as soon as possible.]

Clara also noticed her father's handwriting on the back of the sheet.

[ Don't listen to your mother, she is just scaring you to death. We will return by tomorrow with or without your sister.]

After she finished reading her father's message for the first time she was smiling like a normal kid. "Funny"

Nevertheless, at the bottom of the page were words writing boldly, "Don't ever search for us after 34 hours. Move on with your lives"

Move on? Clara started thinking, why would their parents leave a note telling them to move on. Are they planning on a death mission? The note had stated that they should never come after them meanwhile the word "don't come after us" Will be the same reason why they will follow them. Why would they tell them to move on? Rich parents and being overprotective. Just a single thing and you are surrounded by bodyguards so Clara never took the note seriously.

Three hours had already passed, mother and husband had not returned yet. Clara began to feel tense. She thought about her abduction and how lucky she had become but she couldn't process that the next victim would be spared. They sat there for a while before they eventually went after them.

The two kids went out yelling and searching for their parents, they'd searched for more than thirty minutes and received no success. The whole searching thing was not on their bucket list today. They had no idea this search would turn out this intense!

They had left their comfort zone, probably didn't bring any food or water with them and now everything seems bizarre. Their strength was fading, they wanted to return but they had gone too far. They went on to searching the entire place except with the deepest part of the jungle.

"Are you sure you want us to go there?" Ricky tensed.

" You can stop if you like. Go back and rest. I will bring mom and dad." Clara persuaded but that kid didn't easily accept her offer. Ricky had promised not to sleep until he found his parents. His father was the one he missed the most. Ricky vowed not to go back.

Clara, knowing the dangers of the forest, tried to stop him but it didn't work. With no option left he followed.

They had walked a total distance of about 31 kilometers. Ricky couldn't move his legs. He was currently crawling on the ground with all his clothes in sweat. Clara felt pity for her brother for the first time and rested before they continued.

Strangely, they managed to reach a campsite, there was about a total of 14 tents. They moved forward hoping to meet people but they received none. No one was around. But still their hope wasn't lost. As long as they continue to live they were still some hope left. Clara thought to herself.

Then a soul crashing sight destroyed the little hope they had gathered up.

Four men wearing black uniforms with military tags were all lying dead with some part of their necks or body parts missing.

It was as if it was a predator that had massacred them limb from limb making their bodies unattractive for even vulture's to scavenge on.

Immediately Clara's legs felt numb.

Ricky on the other side started freaking out.

To be continued........

[Just lying..hehe ..continue reading, ]

Clara and Ricky held each other as they moved forward. They were not going to accept the possibility that their parents may be among them. Luckily they weren't. They passed away from that place. Finally their fear was gone. Their parents weren't part of them. 'I was a fool to think that they were dead,' She thought.

The blood and all the stench didn't allow them to even grab anything useful from that campsite.

Luckily for them they had appeared on a road. Clara's heart settled while a smile appeared on Ricky's face while they walked.

But their happiness soon vanished when they discovered two jeeps crashed against a tree. Clara's heart boiled seeing that the car looked just like the one they had brought to the jungle.

As they moved forward. Three more dead bodies lay in front of them.

"This can't possibly be mom."

Clara saw a woman with blonde hair just like hers but she ignored and went on. However when they neared the jeep, in front of it were both of their parents dead!

The two stood there motionless after seeing the face of the dead bodies. Uncertain whether what they were seeing was real or not they approached. The side of their neck was bitten off just like the military men at the campsite.

Instantly, Ricky falls to his knees in front of his father's body "No...no, This can't happen. You were alive yesterday.

Please don't leave us like this. It was as if you knew you were going to die"

Body: (silence)

Ricky: "I never imagined this would happen, not to you. You were stronger, more resilient than anyone I've ever known. You could survive anything, I thought. But this... it's too much. It it's too unfair. "

Body: (silence)

Body: (silence)

"I can't imagine living without you," Ricky continued.

Clara was standing there paralyzed, her eyes unsure of what she was seeing. She had opened her eyes several times but it wasn't a dream. 'Mom and dad are dead!' Everything around her slowed down. 'How did this all happen? Did that monster attack them?' She imagined still standing unmoving. 'It was definitely that monster'

Ricky was still kneeling in front of his dad. He didn't utter a word he didn't move. He was just staring at him as all the games he had played with dad flashed in his memory.

" Dad. Get up, You didn't read the poem I wrote with me." He started reciting it.

*The path I took was the road to success.

Happiness is the key against darkness..." He kept on reciting it.

" Dad" He slapped him on his chest. " Get up and sing with me."

Body: Silence

Ricky: "Please !!"

Clara was standing there all the time but said nothing. She was just watching. She didn't know what to do.

"Clara, can I ask you something?"Ricky paused his crying .

Clara adjusting her tone before answering. "Yes Fredrick, you can ask"

" Are we orphans?" He asked.

Her pretty face died hearing that.

"Let's get out of here." Clara exclaimed without answering his question. Ricky uncontrollably hugs the body for the last time, before slowly getting up and turning away to face the jungle.

****

Benjamin Reeds watched both his hands again. They were covered in blood. He found himself nowhere in the middle of the jungle "Why do I keep on blacking out?"

'How can I just forget something that I have done with my own body?' It was real pain. The blood on his fingers made him worried the most. He recalled getting inside that tent. Watching that girl sleep. He recalled covering her with his blanket. Then nothingness blackness. "This is all?"

Out of frustration he slammed his fits against the ground. He stood up again with his hands trying to smash his own head. "How can I just keep on forgetting?" Right after he said that, His mind revealed what Clara had told him after he was found him naked in that mucus. That a monster attacked her.

'How the hell did I got there? Was I also abducted by a monster?' He wondered stupidly.

"Urh" He stood up abruptly and walked around. It was working gradually, some blurry picture was constantly playing inside his head. Few minutes passed then it became clear.

"Her again!" The first thing he saw waking up was the face of that blonde girl offering him a hand to get up. "This is pointless" He headed into the deep.

Then out of nowhere he appeared Infront of two dead couples. "What is this?" He kneeled against the side of the body.

Benjamin watched them keenly then he eventually felt the pain that had been buried inside. The feeling of loss. The pain grew till some of his Memories started playing in his mind. At first he was just seeing the blue ocean then fire! He saw men firing guns towards the ocean and As the video continued to play on he saw many Mermaids floating on the water with holes inside their bodies. He watched clearly as he saw himself mourning beside a woman. He watches as he laid beside the body for days until a familiar girl approached him out of the ocean and took him with her. He recalled touching her hands. Then everything became clear to him.

"Vanessa!" He remembered yelling that name after that he stabbed himself with a sword then nothing else…

***

Clara and Ricky were walking towards a road when they encountered a path blocked by bushes. As they made their way through the bushes, they found a pool of blood and a man and his wife lying dead in the blood. Clara saw a boy with his face buried in their blood. She went on to tap. Eventually the boy woke up from his sleep. He helped him stand up.

"You!!" Clara finally saw his face. It was the same boy that left her alone inside the tent the other day. He is the reason why she didn't approach their parents. He was the reason her parents went out to search for her. She wasted her time trying to save him. Because of this her parents got killed.

Clara wanted to slap him. She was about to, then she shared a look with him. She saw the distress in Benjamin's eyes as well as the tears. 'He is hurting' She decided.

Benjamin saw Clara wanting to punch him but she eventually stopped. 'What changed?' He wondered. As he stood there he realized he had been crying throughout his sleep and how everyone might think he was mourning the couples instead.

Clara didn't look at him anymore she just walked passed him pointing out that the road that would lead them to a campsite.

Benjamin went with them.

They walked for hours but did not find any campsite. The sun soon changed its shades from bright yellow to orange-red, then its glory turned darkness. They decided to rest under one of the trees.

"Who are you two!" Benjamin broke the silence after they had been sited..

"We are supposed to ask you this same damn question. What is your name??" Clara asked.

"Am Benjamin Reeds..." It escaped his lips before he realized. Then he pauses "you?"

Ricky didn't talk so Clara had to do all the talking again. " I am Clara and this is my brother. Ricky" Clara told him.

Benjamin noticed that her voice was down unlike when they first met.

"We're those your parents?" Clara instantly asked without holding back. She needed to know.

"Yes."

If Benjamin was to tell her they weren't his parents, she might ask him about how he ended up there and a whole lot of questions so Benjamin decided to lie, thinking He would later tell her the truth after he had fully acquired all his lost memory and so he thought.

"I am sorry." She told him.

'Are your parents dead too?' Benjamin nearly asked that question. "Are you searching for your parents?" Benjamin made sure to rephrase his statement so that it wouldn't sound so obvious of what he wanted to know.

"They are dead!" Ricky spat before he turned away.

Benjamin stood up straight after hearing this. Perhaps maybe I am the cause of it. "Get rid of me, I am dangerous. Wherever I go a curse follows and that's why my parents are dead right now" At that moment Benjamin wasn't even sure he trusted himself or not. The fact that he keeps on blacking out made him draw conclusions.

" Stop it Benjamin, we've all been there and it is not your fault, our parents are dead and It is not your fault." She said stupidly. Hearing this Benjamin was a little bit settled by her.

But Clara wasn't. She said that only to calm him but her suspicion about him only grew.

Hours passed and they fell asleep. Soon it was day break and the very thing that woke them up was the churning sounds Benjamin's stomach was making. His stomach growled the second time and that was it. They all got out of their sleep.

"I want food '' Ricky stated.

" There is no way we could find food in this part of the jungle. So let's manage the hunger. It will soon disappear. Clara didn't finish then her stomach growled louder the storms.

After sleeping with their distress yesterday, they planned to search for food as a distraction from thinking about their losses. "Okay we need to get something to eat,"

So as it was decided, the three kids went on searching for food. They went through and under trees but they only found leaves. They finally got some fruits but sadly they were not meant to be eaten so they had to throw them away.

Benjamin, and the others walked a little further, their stomachs growling like crazy, their strength failing they continued to walk deeper and deeper until their legs began to hurt. Their thirst grew along the way and Benjamin had no idea where they were going. He felt like dying at that moment.

Benjamin and the rest, continued to walk further until the reached a blocking on their path.

It was a giant tree that had blocked the little path. Angry, Benjamin charged forward to push the branches away but when he was about to push it away, he tore through the leaves falling on the other side.

"Guys!" Benjamin screamed. "You need to see this" He ended. Without any hopes left the two, had no option but to obey that creepy boy's demand.

When the went through the leaves, a bright light blind folded them as the walk outside the forest.

Immediately, Fredrick kissed the ground and Clara also danced. Benjamin was also.. just staring.

"We have reached the main road!"

"We are going home!" Someone yelled. but Benjamin didn't like that sound of it.

While they were busy dancing a black saloon vehicle came to pass by. It was then they noticed that there were many cars on the road. Clara instinctively came to stand by the road side waving her hands. She waved then a van slowed down as it neared them. As it was about to stop it drove off suddenly.

Provoked, Clara spotted the second car coming in the distance, and she started waving his hands immediately, this time the car didn't even stop, it just went by.

"Come on everyone, gather around so they will know we are looking for help." Clara knocked some sense into her Benjamin.

However when they all stood by the road, it wasn't long then a convoy of vehicles started coming from the hill. The three didn't even bother to stop them, instead they were fidgeting like crazy while the cars passed.

It was about one minute then another car was coming at them, this time they all started waving to stop it, the driver didn't even see the kids because of the speed and went by.

Benjamin Reeds gave up and sat on a rock while Clara continued waiting for the next car that was coming. It was a jungle cruise. "Hey we're here, hello!" But the driver didn't hear because of the music he was listening to.

That car also passed.

"Come on Benjamin, see? I almost stopped a car alone. Now get your ass up here and help" He got up and came to stand by her side.

They stood there trying to stop cars until the sun soon changed to noon.

None of the cars picked them.

A bus opened the door waiting for them. Immediately Clara pulled Ricky and Benjamin rushing them to the door. As they were about to enter, the bus driver spotted the blood stains and the tattered clothes Benjamin was wearing. The driver panicked with suspicion and drove the bus away.

They sat there for what seemed like hours Fredrick(Ricky) soon passed out. Clara placed him on her lap waiting for help.

Benjamin lost count of all the cars that passed without helping them.

Benjamin Reeds stood there watching while all the strange moving objects moved. Then finally a jeep stopped by their side. He almost pulled away but reversed.

"Where are you going?" The driver asked rolling his glass.

"Home. We want home." Benjamin hurried to say.

He opened the door as they entered.

Ricky was still in coma and Benjamin was just sitting by the side of the glass watching the trees while they moved.

As they moved the driver looked at the kids once again before he tossed them some snacks. "Here. We will reach our destination soon." Clara hurriedly fed his little brother with enough food until Ricky was able to wake up.

They've been in the car for almost 20 minutes until all of a sudden the driver's phone rang. They moment he picked it a Loud voice echoed throughout the car.

[Did you get those two kids?]