Right or wrong, the decision needed to be made. But Kris did not want to go off the path, especially with Allen after what happened before. He looked at Dom. It was his first time here and Kris did not wish anything happened to him either. But if those people were still alive, they deserved to be safe. For a moment he looked confused, and then turned away.
Kris had a habit of distancing himself from others and swinging his body to the right and left slowly when he hesitated. Allen and Dom had noticed and learned to take advantage of that. Watching Kris hesitated, Allen approached him and argued, “No time to waste, Kris! Right, Dom? Hurry up!”
The question startled Dom. ‘Why do I get involved in this?’ asked Dom to himself. He looked around, trying to find an answer. “Just do what you gotta do, Kris,” he said.
‘The problem is I don’t know what to do!’ Kris screamed from the back of his mind. He was stressed out enough right now. “Shit!” Kris cursed under his breath. “Ok, you two wait here…”
“No way!” Allen protested and shouted before Kris could finish his words. “What happened to ‘don’t-go-into-the-forest-alone? No way we are letting you go alone there.”
Kris bit his lower lip hard. Allen was not wrong about that. These two older people had been giving him a headache to his already headache-head. Not wanting to waste any more time, he just agreed and let these two follow him. “Alright! Alright! Come with me fast,” Kris grunted in response. He grabbed tape and told Allen and Dom to do the same. “Hold the tape but don’t pull it. Stay close behind me. Watch your steps.”
They followed Kris’s lead closely and carefully, trying to keep up with his long strides. Allen remembered this was how it looked back then. Only this time, he was with Kris and Dom. It should be safer for him now when Kris and Dom were with him. But why did he feel nervous like someone was watching him?
“This is the end,” said Kris as he stopped and turned to face Dom and Allen. Allen lost track of time again. How far were they walking? How long has it been?
There was a tent nearby but there was no sign of any living person here. Kris and Dom went to check in the tent and looked around while Allen just stayed still on the same spot. “Looks like it had been abandoned.” Dom concluded in a controlled tone.
“Maybe whoever it is went back already,” Kris tried to stay positive. He nodded at himself and his gaze strolling over Dom’s face absently. “We should head back too.” His tone suggested impatience, but his expression gave no clue as to why. Dom nodded and said nothing.
Kris and Dom were about to head back, but Allen still stood still. “Allen,” called Dom. “What’s wrong?” He gazed at Allen with an alarmed and inquiring look.
“I-I t-think…” Allen stuttering. He seemed uncertain and scared, though. “I-I think there is someone in there.” He pointed further in the forest.
Kris and Dom slowly turned and looked at the direction Allen pointed to but saw nothing. Both of them did feel nervous and uncomfortable too but said nothing about it. What are they scared at and of whom are they afraid?
“I think we should…”
Before Dom could finish his words, Allen immediately ran to the direction he pointed before while shouting, “I saw someone!”
“WAIT!” both Kris and Dom shouted in unison. They hesitated but still went chasing after Allen.
And they lost him. Dom cursed himself silently. “What’s going on in this forest?” asked Dom.
Kris shrugged, not knowing what to say. His worst nightmare had come true again. For the second time, Allen had lost under his care.
While Dom and Kris decided what to do after they lost Allen, Allen was running, running and kept running like a mad man. Until he tripped and fell.
“Aaahh!” Allen cried out. He slowly raised his head from the ground and looked around him. “Oh God! What did I do?” asked Allen after realized he did not know where he was and he had lost Dom and Kris. He wanted to cry thinking how stupid he was to repeat the same mistake. He knew he was alone but he felt like someone, something was standing behind him.
“Hye!” said a familiar voice. Allen froze.

The voice… That voice. Allen did not remember who the voice belonged to, but it just feels like home. His heart skipped fast as soon as he heard it. He missed the voice. He missed the sound so much. Slowly, with his heart beating faster and faster, he turned to face the voice’s owner.
“Do you lost again? Hehehe. . .”
- END -