There was laughing.

It spread across the clearing, sounding like bells ringing, and children's joy, all rolled into one. This laughter wasn't maniacal, it wasn't dark or cynical at all.

This laughter was made of joy and happiness, pure like the rays of sun that hit the ground with a flourish of life, untainted by the darkness that dwells on this world we call home.

Ross kept huddled.

He heard this laughing, the comforting light making him feel safe and needed, as if the light was like a comforting mother that lay her body over him like a protective blanket.

But that lingering fear...

The fear, that would make any man or animal cower...

led him astray.

He hugged himself more tightly than before. He heard them talking, and he could almost...

Sense their fear? Why would they be scared? Were they scared...

Of him...?

He jolted, when one began to talk. "So? Is he, ya know, uh..." the voice trailed off, the speaker rubbing the back of his head, disturbing his white jacket. Another spoke, this time the one with sunglasses. "We won't know until we go inside." it sounded emotionless... but any good listener could hear the hitch in his voice. The purple dinosaur nodded, with a bit of hesitation however.

The trio started to walk towards his cage, and each step they took became even more agonizing to both sides. Ross kept quiet, and tried to seem as small as he could, huddled and deathly still. With a loud crash and squeak, the door swung open as the trio stepped onto the pressure plate beneath their feat.

( HEY GUYS. I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATE LATE UPDATE. I actually have many projects and tests coming up at school, which leaves me with having to finish this story at school. Yea, as you can tell, I don't get much done. And I am not sorry about the cliffhanger. MUAHAHAH. Cough. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you this Wednesday!)