( Dawns POV )

I had passed out. I didn't remember that I did. I looked around, but the rest wasn't awake yet. Except if they were... No they had to be unconscious, just like I had been. I remembered what had happened. How wings had appeared on my back, from out of nowhere. And how my teeth had been long and sharp. I looked at my finger. No trace of the scratch I had made with my teeth. I carefully reached up to them, normal. Had it all been just a dream. 

I got on my feet and walked up to Paul. He lay half in the water. I grabbed his arm. He was heavy, too heavy. I fell my face splashing in the mud. My eyes were full of it, and I couldn't see. Then something started pulling Paul away to the treacherous current. I pulled with all my might, got in the water and laid his arm over my shoulder. The water washed away the mud and I could see a little again. Then I started walking.

A few times I slipped, and we almost got dragged along with the current. But every time I got back up again. "Come on Dawn." I mumbled, realizing I said it out loud after I hearing my own voice, raspy from all the screaming. With the last bit of my power I got Paul on dry ground. My legs gave up, and I sat there on my hands and feet. Paul finally showed signs of breathing, and soon started coughing. I turned to him, to see if he was okay.

He opened his eyes and looked at me. "Debt repaid, Troublesome." he said and smiled.

( flashback to when Dawn fell off the canoe )

I fell. What the hell was I thinking?! The boat was going way too fast.

I prepared to get really, really wet, but two strong arms caught me, and when I opened my eyes, my face was inches away from Paul's. "You owe me, Troublesome" he whispered. I couldn't fight the blush that appeared on my cheeks.

( return to now )   

I didn't know if I had to laugh or cry, so I did both. He got up and offered me his hand. We had to get the others to wake up, and start heading back to the camp. Or at least, a place they could find us. Otherwise we might not make it through the night. I grabbed his hand, and he pulled me up. But as soon as I stood on my feet I fell again. I was too tired. I tried again, but no success. I closed my eyes, fighting the tears from frustration and tiredness. Then I felt that my body left the ground.

I opened my eyes. Paul carried me away from the cold water to the forest, and I didn't complain. I was too tired to comment, so I just closed my eyes and slowly fell asleep.

( Paul's POV )

Dawn fell asleep in my arms. I tried to wake her again, because she was soaking wet, and she could freeze to death if she fell asleep now. But it didn't work. I decided to wrap her in warm dry things, but when I tried to find some, I had little luck.

She was also wearing wet clothes, and if I would give her a blanket or something it would just get wet too. Then I found a little fire, close to the place Ketchum was laying. It was a weird fire. Big enough for a camp fire, yet it stayed perfectly on its place, even though there were enough flame-bull materials around it. I laid Dawn next to it and tried to wake up Ketchum.

He almost jumped high enough in the air for people to see him at the camp. "Only me." I said. He seemed to relax.

After a few minutes he said something to me, "My hands... they were on fire."

I too remembered how my fingers had turned into claws, and how it had made me feel powerful and helpless at the same time. I shivered.

"There has to be a scientific explanation for that, for all of this." I said and got on my feet to wake the others. I first walked up to Misty, who lay on her back, her legs in a weird position. Like they just turned into jelly and she had fell over. I tapped on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, and grabbed her legs. When she didn't seem to feel anything strange, she started moving her legs as if she was testing their realness. Up. Down. Left. Right. Stand. Sit. When she was convinced that her legs were real, she walked to the fire and just stared at the flames. She clearly didn't want to talk about it.

Then I found Iris. A few snapped strings lay beside her, and she had curled herself up. Clearly too traumatized to speak either, but at least she was awake. Gary was next. He had a few scratches, but seemed to be fine.

"What the hell was in our breakfast?" he said, and gave me a smirk.

I just glared at him, until he felt uncomfortable and started waking people as well. He freed Leaf from her 'vine trap', and she awoke as soon as she hit the ground. She just gave Gary a look that even terrified me, so I decided whatever they would say, I didn't want to hear. Serena came after that. When I tapped her on the shoulder, she pushed my hand away and got up herself. 

"This is all a prank of you guys, isn't it?" she said. I just rose an eyebrow as she yelled at me. "Do you think this is funny?!" She didn't wait for an answer, and instead walked past me, looking like we had insulted her with this. How could she possibly think anyone would see this as a joke?

Drew. I walked up to him. He lay with his face flat on the ground. I turned him around, and he woke up. He was panting. "What... the... hell." he said, and looked around like he saw the world for the first time. I wasn't someone who was going to ask if he was okay, so I let him do his thing. 

"Where's May?" he asked. I frowned. I didn't see her anywhere here. He got up, supporting himself with a tree. "May?!" he shouted. No answer. He walked to the tree Gary and Leaf were still fighting by, and closed his eyes like he needed to concentrate. Suddenly he turned around and ran the forest. In a few minutes he returned, May in his arms. On her head was a small wound. I didn't question how he found her. We brought her to the campfire and tended to her wounds.

( Iris' POV )

I still remembered the stringshot that had wrapped my world in darkness. Now it was getting really cold, and I missed the warmth of the strings. My tummy rumbled, so it must be at least past lunch time. One look at the sky and I knew it was way later. The sun was nowhere to be seen, and the shadows were getting longer. It was already dinner time.

Then I heard a sound. I got to my feet, so I could hear it clearly. It came from the water. I started running towards it, without saying anyone what I was doing. "Wait here." I heard someone say. I ignored it.

When I had followed the river for at least ten minutes, I found the lake. There were people all over the shore and a motorboat in the water. They were looking for us.

"Here!" I screamed. Someone saw me and started running in my direction. It was officer Jenny.

"Are you alright kid? Where is the rest?" I barely heard her, and started walking back to the others. She stopped me and said I needed to rest. I would, as soon as I saved the others. "Downstream." I said with all the strength I had left.

Officer Jenny looked at the river and then turned to me. "Do I find the rest of you kids if I follow the river?" She asked. I nodded, and she walked away.

Someone brought me to the beach. I didn't saw who, and I honestly didn't care. I got a warm blanket and a cup of tea. I was getting sleepy, and when my eyes were almost closed, I saw it. A shadow in the night. Bright brown eyes, and a lot of hair. It looked at me and smiled. Then it was gone.

But I couldn't sleep anymore. When all the others were found and we were dragged over to the police station, I still couldn't shake the feeling that that thing, whatever it was, was watching me. 

"Hey Iris." I looked up at Serena. "Thanks." she said.

I hadn't really liked the girl at first, but I remembered how she had screamed when her body started shifting. She had been the first one to fall to the ground, not knowing what the hell was happening. What was wrong?

"No problem." I said and gave her a weak smile. She was okay now.

( Misty's POV )  

When we arrived at the station, May was brought to the first aid chamber. Drew had demanded he'd go with her, but they had just ignored him and closed the door in his face. Now he was standing in front of it, walking circles and then returning to his post, like a doggy waiting for its master to come home.

I sighed and laid my hands on my legs. They were legs. This was real. Whatever I thought I saw back there was an illusion. Real. This was real. I didn't realize I had grabbed my legs in a tight grip, until they started to hurt. I stood up.

"I need some air." I said to my friends, who were still waiting anxiously for news over May.

I walked outside of the police station, and looked around. We were in a small town, with a few houses and few people on the street. That was at least a little luck. The last thing I needed now were people all around me. So I breathed in the cold night air, and started walking. My legs were tired, but I was glad that they were. It felt great, knowing that with every step I took, my legs were still there.  

"Hey Missy." someone said. Oh no. Not him. Not now.

"Rudy," I said. Trying not to sound too surprised.

"Come on, I'll buy you a drink. You look like you need one." he said.

"No, you don't get to do this." I said, way angrier then I actually was.

"Chill." Rudy said.

"No you left, let's just leave it to that, shall we?" I said, and walked away. This was the last thing I needed right now.

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Wow chapter 4 is finished. This is officially the longest book I have ever written. But what do you think?

Who is the mysterious cloaked figure? 

What is Misty's history with Rudy? 

And most important: What happened in the woods?

If you wanna know keep reading. Please comment and if you liked it vote.

Thanks!

Squirtlesaur4ever