Word

"What's the word, Darius?"

"We stay here until things die off and I get answers."

"What would you like to know?"

"Just the normal. Who, what, when, where, why, how? Who's chasing you? What are you running from? When did it all start? Why did you dogpile me, and how are we going to stop…..whatever is happening?"

"Who said something is happening?"

"Let's just...Darius, we'll answer later. For now we need to go. All you need to know is Jacklyn is on our tail and we have to get her off our tail."

"If it doesn't have a tail, it's not a monkey. If it does have a tail it's not an Ape."

"Huh?"

"How'd you grow a tail?"

"I don't have....what?"

"You said you had a tail, now you don't? I may be just a Kid but I've never been chased. Did you do something?"

"Jacklyn says I did."

"That's not what I asked."

".........We all make mistakes, but they don't define us."

"You're right. They don't define.........They are us."

"Where are you going?

I don't care what you did or didn't do, but from my perspective, as I said we have never been chased. Let's just handle this one step at a time."

"You don't like me anymore?"

".........Wind has stopped. We should move again before it picks up. Come on, girls."

"Darius, shouldn't we…."

"Go, go, go. One at a time."

"Darius, again, I am sorry."

"We'll meet by the Water...….not to wash our hands."

"Understood."

"I'll cover our trail, you all move on ahead."

"Do you even know what you're doing?"

"I've never been chased either but there's a first for everything."

"Hopefully a last to."

"Ruby, what do we do now?"

"As Darius said, get to the river. Ariel, I trust you will help us cross."

"Where are you going?"

"....To help Darius......before it's too late."

"Uhh…..girls?"

"Not now, we need to decide what to do."

"I think you really want to see this."

"Ruby, we'll wait for you by the River. Good luck."

"If neither me nor Darius arrive in twenty minutes.....cross without us."

"Don't worry….we trust you'll come back."

"..........AND WE WON'T LEAVE UNTIL YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Evelyn?"

"What? I was just yelling so she could hear me."

"So who could hear you?"

"I just.....Da….da….Darius?"

"You seem surprised to see me. Did I do something wrong? Do I have a pimple on my face?"

"No, no, it's just...You can't be here."

"Why not?"

"Cause if you're here......."

"Then who is with Ruby?"