Thoughts: Italics

Caught

Blackness encompassed them, and their heads spun, colors swirling violently.
Kia, Dio and Dusty all fell, hitting the ground hard and rolling. The soft grass cushioned them, but Dusty managed to roll further than the others and crack his head against hard packed dirt. As his vision fuzzed, and his ears rang, blocking out all sound, he became tremendously well aware of an all too familiar coppery smell lingering in the air.
He shook his head to clear it, and looked around, finding his companions sitting across the hill from him.
"Damn it!" he yelled, recalling the last words he had heard before arriving here. He had known that Hekari character wasn't a good guy. He pounded his fists into the ground, and the whole earth beneath him shook.
Shocked, he fell over backwards, and stared at his his hands. Surely he hadn't done that... so what had? He began to finally notice his surroundings.
There was a lake nearby, a clear, crystal blue lake, which was in turn surrounded on the three sides not facing him by tall, thick, strong, leafy trees.
'Last time I checked, there wasn't a lake or a forest in that factory...' Dusty stared up at the others in shock, forgetting his wounds.
They had no idea were, or when, they were, or if in fact, the machine had done what it was said to be for.

Slowly, Dusty stood, and stumbled toward his companions. He found himself short of breath, and pressed his hand to his chest, only to find a reminder of his wound. Blood still flowed freely from it, and the pain was sharp and constant. His fingers trembled as he pulled them away, covered in the slick, crimson liquid. He blinked a few times, unsure if what he saw was real.

Kia dashed the short distance to Dusty's side, and took his shoulders in her hands. "Dusty?" She spoke softly, startled into fear by the blank expression on his face. She gently shook him, as she took account of all of his major bruises and cuts. He had the long and deep looking one running nearly the length of his body, a few minor scrapes on his arms and legs, tearing through his pants, and a good bruise on his chin.
Apparently, these grown men have no qualms hitting teenaged guys. A wave of anger hit her at the injustice of it. Surely none of them believed that anyone would just go with them because they SAID so...
And who was that man who had brought them there... Her eyes widened in shock as her mind replayed the parting words.
"Hekari..." She whispered angrily, her soft violet eyes narrowing in hatred.

Dusty shook off his glazed look at the mention of the hated man's name, and he finally noticed Kia holding his shoulders. He blinked at her quizzically a few times, and then looked back at his wound, and winced in pain. He sharply drew his breath through his teeth with a whistling sound, and jerked his shoulders from Kia's grip.

Dio paid no attention to the two, looking for signs of identification. Where were they? There was little by way of anything remarkable as far as landmarks went, and there were no people in his range of vision. He grunted his displeasure, and then faced the others. "I don't know where we are, but where ever it is, judging by the 'time machine' it should be somewhere in the war. Though, I don't see any wars here..." Slightly puzzled, Dio stopped paying them any attention and went back to staring across the horizon.

Dusty glared up at the dark haired male, and still attempted to shrug off Kia's worry.

Kia stared at Dusty, hurt hidden in her eyes. He didn't want her help, that was obvious, but she also knew that if his cut wasn't looked at, it might become infected, or he may bleed to death. Why are males so STUBBORN? She thought to herself, as she turned away from Dusty and followed Dio's line of vision.
What was that great black thing running at them.

Dio turned to his left, again staring out at nothingness. Something was confusing him, and what was that sharp animal noise he kept hearing.

Dusty felt himself beginning to weaken, and the hot blood leaking from his chest was beginning to slow and cool. The sound of a dog barking caused him to lift his head, which was becoming heavy in his weakened state.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Dio turned to see the black dog. There is no WAY. He thought to himself, yet it was hard to deny when the canine thrust his front paws and entire body weight upon the boy, knocking him to the ground breathless. The slobbery licks the dog was placing all over his face grossed him out and made him ecstatic at the same time. Here was his Dog, his best friend, and the perfect companion. He threw his arms around Dog's furry throat and hugged him.

Kia watched as the two friends were reunited, a smile playing on her lips. She thought of her sisters, and wondered how her mother was, and whether they missed her as much as she missed them. She sighed, and watched them again.

Dusty stared at the dog, wondering where it came from, where they were, how a time machine could possibly work AND the dog could be here, and why his head was swimming...

Kia, turning just in time to catch Dusty's head before it hit the ground, let out a startled cry, attracting the dog's attention, and with it, Dio's.

"Not again." Dio muttered.