Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Two - Two Words

"Well, there's only one way to find out. Isn't there?" Andrew said.

"Find out what?" Mira asked.

"To find out if Moe's pulling our leg," Karan said. "Again," he added.

"Why? What do you mean?" she asked.

"Moe should have been back about ten minutes ago," Andrew said, already running forward. Then he laughed. "That joker."

Though he passed it off in a light-hearted manner, the laugh didn't sound very real. The other two immediately heard it in his voice. "What?" Karan asked.

"You okay?" Mira questioned after Andrew hesitated.

"Well, it's just..." Andrew looked back at them, slowing down, and then back at the trees. "He promised," he said, uncertainly.

He felt a hand clap his shoulder, and he turned to see Karan jog past him. "I bet he just got lost exploring back there."

"What's back there to be explored?" asked Mira, sounding confused but also intrigued as she joined them.

The three headed around the store. They talked about his last prank; and how Andrew had played a part in that one. Laughing, they walked, calling for him. They found multiple, tall white trucks lined up by the side of the store, with different labels plastered on the side of each, so the group walked around and between them, searching for their mischievous friend.

"Augh!"

They froze in their tracks.

"Moe?" Mira called.

Silence. There was no reply.

****

"Moe?" the voice called again.

The purple snake suddenly cringed at the sound, and moved away from the teenage boy. Lowering his head, the snake could see three pairs of racing footsteps under the trucks. The reptile turned to Moe, wishing that he could do more before they came. His long forked tongue flicked over his sharp teeth longingly. Now, the wretched boy was most definitely going to tell his peers. If he was just able to kill him now. . .

"Moe? Where are you?" a male voice cried out.

Cole looked at the boy. Moe stared back, wondering the same thing he was.

Was he going to kill him, or leave him be?

"Moe! This isn't funny! Come out!" a different deeper male voice called.

No, Cole decided. By the time those scum came, it would be too late. Besides, he shouldn't worry too much if he left now. With only one witness, they might think that he was crazy. Despite the reassurance, the concern lingered.

Unless the boy died.

He had done what he did to the boy to only a few others before, and he was still not completely sure of its effects. Would he survive? Or would he be found in the obituary in the morning paper tomorrow?

Death by poison. . .

The snake made his final decision. If the boy died, then his job was done here. If he didn't... well. He'd make sure the job was finished. No one would know about his true form. He had to make sure of that.

Cole's round, bright brown eyes glinted in the light, almost making them look gold, a glimmer flashing across the royal purple of his scaly skin. He glared at the boy. "I'll be back ssoon," he hissed. He took one final look at the pathetic creature, before he slithered away into the trees.

At that exact time, the panicked group made their way around the truck; Andrew was the one who spotted their friend first. "Moe!" he exclaimed in shock, and he ran to him where he lay on the ground, by the wall of the building. "What happened?"

Moe was pale and shaking. He tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. He cleared his throat, and tried again. "A, a man. He.... he..." Moe trailed off, suddenly realizing that he didn't know what to say. He stared at the woods where the snake had slithered into the darkness. How was he supposed to tell them?

HOP, HOP. . . RULES. . .

Moe gasped as his head suddenly exploded with pain. He winced, and rested onto the pavement. He felt scared. "And... rew... hel... p...." he choked out.

"Moe!" He felt hands land on him. "Stay with me! Moe?"

ENEMIES. . . CUBES. . . COLORS. . . TELEPORT. . . .

He grimaced, and clutched his head, moaning. More random words shouted, making his head ache. He didn't know what they meant, or why he was suddenly hearing them, but he wanted it to stop. Ever since the snake.... The words echoed and pounded in his skull, ringing clear.

"Moe talk to us........ What's happ.... going on?"

"What did he........ You said........ about..... come on!"

"Where is..... he go?"

"Please......"

Unlike the words in his head, he couldn't hear his friend's words very well—but, very much like the words in his head, they didn't make sense either. Nothing made sense. He wanted to curl into a ball, and drown the sound away. But he couldn't. His ears overloaded with the sounds. His vision was being blinded by the words too. Big flashing letters played across his vision. And strangely, he thought that maybe it was his imagination, but he also saw flickers of a vehicle parked on the side of a highway, two people running to him. He could almost see their faces, with alarmed expressions. Soon enough though, the words overcame that too. His friends didn't know what had happened to him, though—he had to say something.

Moe opened his mouth. "Snake..." he managed to gasp. He faintly heard their confused voices. "Snake.... bite...." he rasped.

He tried to say more, but words suddenly amplified, and he couldn't hear himself think anymore. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain. His friend's gasps and exclamations at his last sentence disappeared completely. He couldn't do anything. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what was happening to him. His head suddenly felt light, a feeling of detachment from his body, and he knew he wasn't going to be awake for much longer.

One thing of the many topics that blared in his head lingered in his thoughts, though. It stayed long enough for him to register immense confusion, and a small recognition.

Two simple words.

It made everything more confusing, but somehow made everything make sense. He couldn't think for much longer though, and that split second didn't last. That moment, where everything became clear, but made him even more perplexed. It was the solution, the answer to so many questions, but he couldn't quite believe it.

The two simple words echoed in his consciousness, before everything finally went dark, and quiet.