Digimon Universe (Digimon 01)[Indefinite Hiatus]

Ch. 14: High-Class Meal

WARNING: 1) This chapter delves into sensitive issues regarding depression, and will continue to have such issues sprinkled from this point on throughout the story. Please proceed with caution if you are easily triggered. 2) Minor horror elements ahead, beware. Nothing too severe, but enough for me to change the rating to "T" on Fanfiction.net.

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Chapter 14

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*Marie's P.O.V.*

I weave around the trees carefully, breathing heavily as I tune in and out of my empathic searches to find the other kids in the wilderness of this wacky digimon-festered world. I can't tell if I'm getting close to anyone or not- and those that I do sense are digimon that are strangers to me.

Where am I even going? I wonder, pushing myself to run around some more trees. Somehow, the Numemon have out sped me, so I don't even know where they are in relation to where I'm running. For all I know, I could be running in the complete opposite direction of where everyone else is. I should have stayed by the vending machines...!

I come across an opening in the trees and jump as I nearly run into a dangling piece of wood caught in a large spider web I almost walked straight into. I stagger momentarily and proceed to maneuver around it, senses on overdrive as I search for the digimon responsible for the web.

...There's no one else around me. This web is obviously abandoned- that or the resident digimon living in it has gone off to gather food before returning. Perhaps small organisms that suit it's tastes.

I take a moment and glance down at myself, right before looking back at the much larger web in comparison and turning to leave the vicinity post-haste. The thought of being on anybody's menu is horrifying- I never had to worry about becoming anyone's meal back at home...

You had worse things to worry about, isn't that right?

Leave it to my brain to taunt me when I'm out all by myself.

...!

My head snaps up when something sparks my senses, prompting me to speed up my walking pace to a run so I can follow the familiar signature emotion of what feels to most likely be-

I run smack into the side of one of the other kids, however since it's so sudden, I can't immediately tell who it is until I jump back and feel the gloved hand of the individual wrap tightly around my wrist to keep me from losing my balance.

"Marie!" This particular voice causes a clench of my heart as I register who it belongs to in the back of my mind.

My eyes fly up to find Tai staring at me wide eyed, only for him to then throw a glance behind himself and start running with me in tow next to him as Agumon joins me on my other side.

"Come on, we gotta run!" Agumon shouts, giving me no chance to say anything or ask what's going on. Unless... Are the Numemon still chasing them?!

Where is everyone else? Why is it just Tai? Did everyone get split up?

Either way, I run along with Tai anyways, making an effort to keep up with him and Agumon as I feel the Numemon catching up to us. For having an appearance akin to that of a slug, they sure move fast!

I let out an irked shout of horror when I spot a splatter of digi-poo hitting the ground near us.

Just like that, Tai, Agumon, and I are motivated to pick up the pace.