All Things End: Part 30

Chapter 30: A Forest Of Fears

“Courage? Where are you?”

The voice was unmistakable. It was Muriel!

Courage darted off deeper and deeper into the forest, following the sound of his beloved owner's voice. He couldn't believe it! She had actually come all this way in the middle of a storm just to find him! Word of his escape must have gotten to her not long after it had happened. He didn't care about that anymore though, he just wanted to jump into her arms and go home! She could take him back to the vet later if she liked, he just didn't care anymore. He wanted to be with her for a little while longer. He wanted to be warm, happy, and dry. He hated this forest, he hated Computer, and he just wanted to go home. He wanted to have everything go back to normal.

“Muriel!” He called out, panting as he ran. He didn't care if he aggravated his condition. He just wanted to get to Muriel. Nothing else mattered.

“Courage?” Was the response. Her voice echoed through the trees, making it hard to gauge where she actually was.

“Don't worry, Muriel! I'm coming!” He called out to her. He dropped down onto all fours so that he could run faster. His tongue fell out of his mouth as he panted, but he didn't care. He didn't care about how tired he was, he just had to get to Muriel.  

Finally, he broke into a clearing. Lightning lit up the sky above him and gave him a general idea of where he was among the mass of dark forestry. He could see his beloved owner's silhouette in the darkness and waited for another lightning bolt to prove to him that it was who he thought it was.

His eyes lit up with joy as another flash of lightning lit up the clearing. It really was her. He almost couldn't believe it. She really had come all this way just for him. She really did care about him that much!

“Muriel?” He asked, walking up to her. He couldn't keep himself from smiling. It was so good to see her again after being forced to deal with someone like Computer for so long. Now he could go home and-

Suddenly, she whipped around, grabbed him by his arms, and drew him upwards. She began shaking him as hard as she could, shocking him into dead silence.

“How could you be such a naughty dog!” She yelled. “You worried everyone! Do you have any idea how long we've been looking for you?”

His ears drooped as she shook him. “M-Muriel.” He choked out.

She threw him to the ground and he let out a yelp. Guilt welled up in him far worse than anything he had ever felt these past few days. Of all the ways he could have hurt Muriel, why had he run off and left her to look for him? How could he have left her to worry like that?

“How could you, Courage?” She asked, mimicking his own thoughts. “You made me look for you in a dangerous place like this. What if something bad happened to me? Don't you care about me more than that, Courage?

He crawled forward on all fours. His ears were all but plastered to his back with guilt. He knew he probably looked like a pathetic little puppy, waiting to be scolded for having done something bad.

“What happened to you, Courage?” She asked. “You used to be such a good dog! I thought I taught you better than this!” She sounded like she were about to cry.

He let his head fall further until his nose almost touched the ground. She was saying everything that he had always feared that she'd one day say. That he were a bad dog, that he wasn't living up to her expectations, that she was the one to blame for his delinquency. How could he have let this happen? How could he have disappointed her so badly?

He clamored forward and wrapped his arms around her leg. He wished she'd take him back up in her arms and let him go home with her. He wasn't a bad dog, he knew it. He wanted her to forgive him. He wanted to prove to her that she didn't have to be sad.

“Let go of me!” She snarled, kicking him away.

“M-Muriel...” He whimpered out.

“I'm done with you, Courage! If you want to be a wild dog then you can just stay here and be one! What happened to that wonderful little puppy I knew? It's because you got sick, isn't it? They said you'd change! I didn't want to believe it, but they were right! You're not my Courage anymore!”

“I-I'm not any different.” He said to her in a small voice. “I-I'm just Courage. I've never been anyone else.”

“Then you don't have an excuse!” She snapped. “I saw what you did to that other dog before! Beat him down like a raging wild animal! You aren't the Courage I know anymore!”

He crawled back over to her, desperate for her approval. He had to prove to her that he hadn't changed! That he hadn't become a bad dog!

She kicked him again and he was sent flying backwards. He gripped his muzzle and began to sob.

“I'm sorry, Muriel.” He whimpered. “I'm so sorry.”

“How dare you!” She yelled. “I don't want you back! I don't ever want you back! You're an awful dog, Courage! I let myself believe that you were better than what you really are!”

He continued to sob, still gripping his muzzle. He was completely crushed. Muriel had never hurt him in his entire life. Not ever. Not physically or verbally. She had never once kicked him and the shock of it was almost too much to bear. How could she not love him anymore? He hadn't meant to make her angry. He just wanted to be loved again! He wanted to prove to her that he was still Courage!

“How could I ever love a dog like you?” She spat. “I will never forgive you so don't bother crying! You won't get any sympathy from me!” She crossed her arms and glared down at him. Even behind her glasses he could still feel the intense hatred emanating from her.  

...And then something struck him as strange. Why had she come all this way just to yell at him? Why on earth would she brave a terrible forest like this, in the middle of a storm to boot, just to tell him that she didn't want him anymore?

He stared up at her, her face still etched with anger. A fog seemed to lift over his mind. This wasn't right. The Muriel standing before him wasn't right. Everything about her felt wrong, eerie, and made his skin crawl with distress. The Muriel standing there seemed to...to radiate fear. With the fog over his mind gone, he could no longer look at her without his heart beginning to pound in terror. She just wasn't right.

Suddenly, everything went dark. The lightning had let up for a moment, leaving both him and that thing in total darkness.

“You aren't Muriel.” He said to the black void in front of him. It had taken every ounce of courage he had just to speak those words.

The thing that wasn't Muriel did not reply but the crushing atmosphere was getting worse. He could still feel Not-Muriel's intense gaze upon him. It's oppressive aura was getting so strong that his fur was beginning to stand up on edge from fear.

Lightning crackled through the sky again. What Courage saw next sent him reeling backwards, too frightened to even scream. Whatever it was, it was anything but Muriel. He had only seen it for a brief few seconds, but what he had seen had left him mortified. It was like the creature had been exactly what he had feared it would look like. Massive bloodshot eyes, pupils so small they made the creature look even more horrifying, teeth...there had been teeth everywhere, rows upon rows of teeth, and a massive, horrifying smile that complemented it's sharp, vicious fangs.

He continued to back away in the darkness, only to slip on another mud puddle. Why had the lightning chose now to stop flashing? He blindly got back up onto his feet and ran. He didn't care where he was going or why, just so long as he got far, far away from that thing. He could hear it growling behind him. Was it keeping pace with him? He did not dare look back to find out.

“I need to find Computer!” He gasped out between ragged breaths. He was getting far too tired to run. If he had an attack right here, well, he didn't want to think about it. If he could just find Computer, he'd know what this creature was and hopefully find a way to stop it.

“Does this thing turn into what you're afraid of?” He asked himself. “It looked like Muriel until I realized it wasn't her, then it turned into the monster I thought it would look like! What did it turn into to scare Computer like that though? What could he possibly be afraid of?”

He tripped again, this time being knocked over by yet another root. He immediately got back up onto his feet and grasped at the air around him, trying to feel for the monster. Thankfully he didn't touch anything, much less a massive row of dagger sharp teeth. Where was it then? Was it still out there in the dark? Was it still following him?

He got his answer in another flash of lightning. He once again came face to face with that leering, demented face. It had been standing there right in front of him the whole time, just out of arms reach.

“RAAAAAHHHGGGGG!” He screamed, turning and running away.

He had to find Computer! He had to find him before it was too late! He couldn't keep running like this! Screaming at the top of his lungs, he delved deeper and deeper into the forest, trying to shake off whatever it was that was chasing him.

He could hear it laughing. It was a kind of coughing, choking sound, and the worst part about it all was that he could hear it right behind him. He couldn't get away! It was managing to stay right behind him! He couldn't get away!  

End Of Chapter