[I saw someone else write a tiny fanfic and my over-competitive mind thought "I can do better". So here we are.]
"Why are we here again?" I asked, nodding to my Servine to use cut on the small trees which blocked our path.
"For treasure, you dummy!" Barry sang, hopelessly trying to cut away the brush with a dull machete.
"Oh right. I forgot." I said sarcasticly. But Barry must have missed my condescending tone because he kept hacking away at the underbrush surrounding us.
I sighed and decided to at least play along. "Please tell me you at least brought a map."
"Who needs a map when you can smell the treasure?" Barry exclaimed, taking a deep inhale through his nose. I swear he looked like he was drooling.
"Oh great. We're lost, then." I groaned, signaling to my Servine to take a break.
Barry waved his hand at me dismissively before gasping.
"What is it? Did you find the big red X painted on the ground? Is it all you ever dreame-"
Barry clamped his hand over my mouth and stuttered unintelligible words that I couldn't understand. However, I could understand that Barry was feeling a wild panic and this wasn't the time for sarcasm.
I softly extracted Barry's hand from over my mouth to assess the situation. "Where's the threat?"
Barry lifted a shaky finger to point through the trees. My eyes followed his gaze and I had to stifle a scream.
A single pair of glowing eyes were watching us through the trees. They appeared to be lit with a ghostly flame and the entire body was enclosed in shadow. But they didn't look evil. They looked...lonely.
"Wh...what is that?" Barry squeaked, digging his nails into my forearm.
"First of all, how am supposed to know. Second of all, please let go of my arm."
"Oh. Sorry."
I felt Barry release. Suddenly, everything became cold and I felt a haunting chill run down my spine.
"Brr. Please put away your Glaceon, Barry. He's making this forest feel really cold."
I waited a few moments for him to reply before realizing that the chill hadn't come from an ice type. "Barry?"
Barry wasn't anywhere to be found. He might be a total scaredy cat, but his type of defense is to curl up into a ball and make himself look small. He wasn't capable of running from danger. Besides, I would have heard him tearing recklessly through the woods screaming bloody murder.
The chill returned a second time moments before I was plunged into darkness. Is this the end? Am I dead?
"You're not dead, human. I am simply borrowing your soul for a little while." A distant voice echoed inside my head. All I could see was darkness. I even tried lifting my hand to pinch myself, but they felt like they were chained with shackles. I couldn't move my feet at all either and I felt like I was floating.
"That's not much better!" I cried into the darkness. "Tell me where Barry is right now!"
For the longest time, I didn't get an answer. It felt like days and it very well could have been, but it was more likely a couple minutes.
"You're friend has already been eradicated."
I wanted to sink to my knees in defeat, but my legs wouldn't respond. No. Barry couldn't be dead. The dolt owed me money! Besides, this is all too crazy to be real.
"I assure you that it's all very real, Justin Henry Craft. It won't be long before it's your turn."
With those last few words, my mind blacked out and I became a part of the darkness that had consumed me.
