ARK [ Sidemen ]

Chapter 2

After ages of procrastinating, here it is :)

---

He was walking through the jungle, down a path trodden by heavy feet that left imprints in the soft soil. Trees loomed over head like pterodactyls, and circled him with venomous green leaves. The light filtered in and its glow sent a spark of warmth through him, despite the pitiful fog at his feet and the heavy frost that clung to the spear in his hand.

It was early in the morning, Vikk could tell, and, despite the eeriness of it all, he was astonished by the unique jungle he wandered through. Why wasn't he scared? Vikk could already predict the answer to that. He was not alone. The presence he couldn't see made him feel protected and comforted.

The thick treeline broke abruptly and a clearing with fewer, thinner trees and berry bushes presented itself.

With shocking realisation, Vikk realised he was in a dream! But he could feel and hear and smell. It made no sense. He pondered on the presence that he had felt near him and heard an angelic laugh that fluttered Vikk's butterfly heart. Who was the presence?

In a sudden turn of events, the laughter was drowned out by a vicious snarl. Deafened by frantic fear, Vikk stumbled away, only to be picked up and slammed into one of the thin trees in the clearing. The blow darkened his vision then it went black completely. The vicious snarling continued, only to be accompanied by screams of laughter and torture... He felt something that should have been pain (if this was real) and pounces of relentless claws rained on him.

The screams got louder and louder, until Vikk realised they were coming from himself.

Just like it had started, it all suddenly faded into a dull throb, and Vikk was able to make out a voice;

"Let him live, leave him and take me!"

Replies came as triumphant jeers.

"I promise..." The comforting presence got closer. "I love you Vikk."

Vikk's reply was instant and satisfying and perplexing. This presence, this... man, had saved him and had loved him enough to give himself up to the monsters who had threatened Vikk's life. Why couldn't he move? It hurt him mentally when he realised he had power, had no choice to change the events that were unfolding before him.

"I love you too... Ethan."

Ethan. The name popped up everywhere. Who was Ethan-?

""Vikk! Vikk! Wake up for goodness sake!"

Harry was shaking him awake brutally, and Vikk realised he was screaming out loud and wet, hot tears were cascading down his cheeks. He gasped in air, halting himself and blinked away the water that blurred his tired vision. Five faces of concern watched him.

Vikk gulped and gasped again.

"Vikk?" Josh's voice was soft, like he was scared to startle the younger man.

Vikk shook his head at their unasked questions, relieved when he felt his starved lungs full of oxygen again. He gulped and gasped, stuck in the calming habit.

"It was nothing, just a bad dream..."

-

The next morning Vikk woke up alone. The six beds around him were all neatly made (probably by Tobi) and the late day sun shone into Vikk's weary eyes. He had limited recollection of the nighttime happenings, but his memory rested on the keywords; 'Ethan', 'nightmare' and 'comfort'.

With an exasperated sigh, Vikk forced himself to sit up, only to realise that there was a heavy weight on his lower chest. So he wasn't as alone as he had thought. JJ lay with his arms crossed and head resting on Vikk's body. He was sound asleep, little snores erupting from his lips (as well as a little bit of drool). The sight brought a smile to Vikk's face. He manoeuvred so JJ now lay lower down on his lap, making it possible for him to sit upright. His hand embedded itself in JJ's soft hair. At this moment, Josh entered.

"Morning Vikk." The tribe leader greeted him with a small smile. He held a plate with food in one large hand and walked over awkwardly.

Vikk returned the smile and took the food gratefully.

"Was he here all night?" Vikk queried, gesturing to JJ while taking small bites of the salad he had been given.

Josh nodded in response and sat on the bed to the right of Vikk, "Ever since you started screaming, he refused to leave your side. Even when you fell back to sleep."

Vikk swallowed the food he had been chewing, and the two awake beings made direct eye contact.

"I had a dream about Ethan."

The single sentence was enough to make Josh freeze in tension, exactly like Tobi had done when he had mentioned something similar.

"Who told you about Ethan.?" Josh's voice had developed a darker tone, reflecting his eyes which had gotten a shade darker.

Vikk shrunk back, eyes now wide. "Tobi mentioned then name when I asked him why I wasn't allowed into the wild with you guys." He felt guilty for calling Tobi out, "I didn't think I would dream about it..."

Josh's dark demeanour then lessened at Vikk's confession, his eyes grew softer as they watched him. "What was the dream about?"

Vikk looked away, flashes of memories of the dram flying through his head. He looked down at JJ, continuing his stroking the man's hair, and pushed his food to one side.

"There was a path and suddenly a clearing. And it was all happy and light and stuff like that." Vikk stopped and shivered, blinking his eyes as he remembered. JJ must have felt the tension in the air, for he opened his tired eyes open, looking confused. Vikk carried on.

"But then there was pain and screaming and growling. It was so intense that I thought it was real, but that's when it calmed down." He paused again, collecting himself as he remembered the anguish he had felt in that dream. "I heard some words, and a reply which came in a growl, and then- then 'I love you Vikk' and I felt myself... reply!"

Josh and JJ made eye contact, something passing between them. Then JJ cautiously spoke; "What did you reply Vikk?"

 Vikk sighed, hating the hole welling in his chest. "I love you, Ethan."

However giant the whole got, it was nothing in comparison to the expressions of horror on JJ and Josh's faces.

---

Yay, more development! Poor Vikk...