ARK [ Sidemen ]

Chapter 6

His adventure in the forest didn't get any better. Strange and creepy noises turned into growls that got closer and closer and closer. Fear gnawed at his stomach, but he didn't succumb. The noises disappeared into the shadows and he was left alone to frantically stumble through this unknown jungle.

It was horrifying. It was terrifying. But this freedom, this exhilaration, was the greatest thing he had felt in months. He was free!

The triumphant feeling vanished when he tripped over a large stone and tumbled into the bushes with a grunt. His mind told him to get up and keep going, but his hands didn't connect with the ground like he thought he would and suddenly he was rolling down a close to vertical hill. His body was spinning and spinning and his mind followed as it couldn't keep up with the cacophony of events happening all at once. The tickling bushes quickly turned into claws and assaulted his torso and legs from all angles. His spear hit something and bounced back into his head, causing a rush of excruciating pain and tears to leap into his eyes. He would have screamed if his mouth wasn't being crammed with dirt whenever he made contact with the ground.

Eventually, his adventure downhill came to a sudden halt, delivering him to the edge of a clearing. Few trees grew, but they were very tall and stood proudly in small groups. Vik would have given them more than a glance if his head wasn't throbbing and his bones weren't aching. Stumbling to his feet, an arm going to clutch around his ribs as they cracked and groaned, Vik mirrored the sounds they made and dragged himself out of the mess of branches that had broken his fall.

His bag wasn't much better.

Half of his food had fallen out which he could tell from the weight, and the other half was most likely crushed and therefore inedible. Brilliant.

Something tickled Vik's ears; the gentle sound of water flowing, and it was a small relief in the dark nightmare he was abruptly experiencing. The different sound also made him happy, as all he had heard all his life was the brash crashing of waves against Sandy shores.

Using the slivers of moonlight, that made the trees silhouettes against the clouded sky, he attempted to navigate his way to the stream. It was the only comforting presence, it made semse to get to it (plus he wanted to wash the dirt out of his mouth). Vik used his hearing as he got closer to the sound of water and, as he listened intently, he felt something stir in his memory.

An image flashed in his mind; the sound of various laughter, joyous and deep laughter that didn't portray anything other than happiness and affection. White flashed before his eyes-

Suddenly, he was standing in the brilliant daytime. The sun was high in the sky and heat engulfed his no longer aching body. The sound of the stream was still there, but now he could hear additional splashing sounds. Someone else was here?

Vik felt his head turn towards those sounds, and everyone was suddenly in front of him, all by the stream.

Vik watched them with a big smile. JJ and Josh talking animatedly; Tobi and Simon splashing around in the water; Harry diving into a deep part and splashing the latter; Ethan cautiously dipping his toes in- Wait, Ethan?

Vik couldn't control his body, it was like he was watching an act. He wanted to scream and shout Ethan's name. He wanted to cry and demand him to tell him what happened to him, where did he go, why was he not here anymore? Who was he to Vik? He couldn't ask.

The Asian boy realised in his panic that he now had a face to the name. Blonde (maybe slightly ginger) hair, bright blue eyes, big smile, round face, welcoming and bright aura. Vik's smile widened despite his panicked mind, and his heart ached.

He was running now. He ran to the deep area and jumped in without any hesitation, letting out a cry of joy and landing on Harry in the process. He heard more laughter.

He was happy, he was in love, he was-

Vik gasped. He was wet and cold, and it took him a moment to realise he was waist deep in a gentle river. He must of walked into it when he was having a vision? A dream?

Shivering, he waddled to the side and shakily pulled himself onto the riverside, then proceeded to agonisingly crawl under a tree. He tried to cling onto the delicious memory, but it slipped through his mind like water through the cracks in rocks.

Vik hugged himself tight and resisted the urge to cry.

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Hi people! I missed you and I hope you missed me (and this story) too :)

Updates will definitely not be regular, as I'm not entirely sure what is going to happen in this story. I have a few more chapters pre-written, but I need to revisit them before they are published.

Are you excited? I am :D

Make sure to give a like and a comment! (I also wouldn't mind a follow ;) )

Byee <3