Chapter 2 :Day in the jungle

"So where am I going?", Aki asked

" Ah I can't tell you that~~ hehe " though Maya was trying to sell her smile as a kind one, there was a hint of suspicion that didn't hide from Aki.

" What? Why?", he felt weird about it. Not wanting to trust Maya's smile." And WHY are you smiling like that?"

Dismayed at his comment, Maya couldn't help but ask;

"Huh? What's wrong with my smile?"

"It looks really suspicious.... but nevermind that, why can you not tell me where I'm going ?"

"Well that's cause, it's a surprise... you will know when you will get there." ,Maya still has the same smile on. The distrustful smile, it was starting to creep him now.

"Then atleast tell me what I'm supposed to do there?"

Maya:" ahaha, that's for you to figure out too.... " She laughed for some reason.

Aki Couldn't believe her at all. Was she for real.

"Then why did you even brought me here? Was it even necessary at all or are you just that bad at this?"

Maya:"shut up, will you! I have never done this before so I made a few mistakes."

Aki had a frown on, clearly showing his disbelief and distrust in Maya. He definitely had a mindful to say, but he stops himself from saying anything else.

Instead all he said was;

" you are really stupid, aren't you? "

That comment flustered Maya alittle more than it should have. Even if she didn't want to admit it, it was somewhat on point. Or at the very least she felt that way.

Her face was as red as a tomato when she yelps;

"SHUT UP...", she waved her had while continuing, "And leave already"

With that Aki started fading slowly. It freaked him out as he still wasn't prepared

"Huh?HuHh? HUHHHHHHHH? Alreadyyy??!wai... wait a minut-"

Suddenly the bright and peaceful morning sky turns dark. The calm and surreal plain was replaced with darkness ctoo, as his eyes hadn't adjusted to the sudden darkness. The tranquil chirping of the birds was replaced by buzzing of different inscets.

It was almost deafening to him as he never knew cricket like bugs could be so loud. It was nothing like he had ever seen before.

Totally different from the city noises. The sounds of crickets and bugs were least of this worries, as he could clearly hear growls, grunts and roars.

As his eyes started adjusting to the darkness, Aki could see trees that covered the whole area. Unlike the plain he was in before, here he could see nothing but trees, in the minimum light the place was getting.

"Trees?", Aki mummers, still disoriented from before.

There were weeds and plants all around him, that seemed to stand taller than him.

Before Aki could oriente himself, what light present dissappears too.

The place was cast into pitch black darkness.

Now, Aki had never been the bravest person, specially when it came to: the Dark, insects and snakes.

And as it turned dark, in the place he concluded to a forest, all three of those found him. As he felt something slithering around his legs.

Aki wasn't really wearing a forest friendly dressing. He was in his pajamas that he wore before going to sleep. It failed to cover nothing more than half of his thighs.

His tank top like tshirst shield nothing not even the cold.

On top of being grossly underdressed to be in the forest, Aki was bearfoot.

So when he felt something slithering, it was directly in contact with is skin.

Aki didn't wait to find out what it was on his leg, as he kicks it without even looking and starts running in the opposite.

All the while thinking, cursing Maya;

" that old haggggg.... that stupid old hag.... I hate you ...."

Scared and creeped out, Aki's eyes filled with tears. But his still didn't stop running or cursing Maya

When he did eventually stop to catch his breath, it was near what seemed like a perfectly normal tree.

He slowly leans on the tree to rest a little, and that cause a vibration to course through the tree.

As he started catching his breath, it started to rain a little, or atleast it sounded like rain.

The pit-pat sound of water hitting the ground and the dead leaves. It was peaceful until the rain started falling on Aki.

The drops didn't felt wet like water, it was cold but not wet. And what more, the rain drop started crawling on his skin. It felt itchy everywhere the rain fell, so to inquire Aki tries to catch one of the crawling rain.

It was only when he looked closely at it that Aki realised, that the sound he thought to be rain was actually bugs and worms, raining down the tree.

It was the sound of them falling on the ground and the dead leaves.

Instantly chills went down his spine, and Aki Couldn't help but let out a scream.

He has never been able to stand insects, and now that it was crawling on his body, Aki was close to crying.

Still keeping himself together, Aki brushing the bugs off himself. Getting away from the tree he starts running away, now cursing Maya more than ever.

This time when he started running, he didn't stop at all. He blindly kept running.

Tears filled his eyes, as he kept running and running. His chest started hurting and he was running out of breath. Yet he didn't dare to stop. He just blindly kept running without any idea about where he might end up.

He kept running until his legs gave out, and Aki falls face first on the ground. Luckily nothing seemed to be broken when he sat up. And only his throat felt like it was burning from trying to hold back his cry.

He felt like sobbing, but again he contained himself.

He stood up, this time to observe where he was. Aki knew he wouldn't last long in that jungle, he knew he had to get out of there. Yet when he did, he found himself in a much denser part of the forest. It felt untouched by human civilization. Aki could barely see the already darkened sky.

Up until now Aki had been holding himself back. He knew he was too old for tears so he tried saying strong. But when he found himself in the denser part of the forest, his reason, his courage, all of it just left Aki.

*Sob*

Feeling like a lost kid, Aki starts crying. He squads on the ground as his leg gave out again.

" Aaah that ... freaking idiot... OLD hag...."

Aki yells throught his sobs.

"You know..", a familiar voice rang through the forest, that continued taking," its not very nice to call others 'old hag' behind their back." Her voice kind yet taunting. Aki instantly knew who it was.

"Do you want to get Hit again?", she said.

"Maya-san~~~~", Aki looks around to find Maya ina semi translucent form. She had her form but was see-through. Normally, aki works question her about it, but right then he had too much on his plate to worry about her form.

" help meeee will ya~~", Aki pleaded

Maya stares at him for a little too long. Her face had a smile one, which Aki finally had the time to see. Though she was smiling, she looked pissed.

Maya:" Hmm that was what I came here for... but seeing how you think of me as nothing but an old dumb hag.. I changed my mind."

Aki was left dumbfounded. He didn't really meant what he said. Infact he only said that cause he was angry.

"Ah... that's .... I'm sorry about-"

Before Aki could finish talking, Maya dissappears.

As she did, she says something else;

"Survive this night and I'll help you out"

Aki;

"Huh?"

"Huhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!!"

***to be continued ***