[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

Umeme quickly looked at Kasi, who simply shrugged back. "Well, that's great!" She said, "all the more to help us out!" She hugged Muroki, feeling even more optimistic than before. She then looked at Lina, who grinned back.

Kasi felt embarrassed by this and cleared his throat before speaking. "Yeah, well, we're family," he said, trying to find an excuse, "so it's really nothing..."

Moto returned Fadhili's nuzzle, feeling better by her reassurance. "What's done is done," he said, "so now we should concentrate on getting him out." He pulled himself away from his mate so that he could address everyone again. "I'm planning to go to the police with Muroki again tomorrow morning," he said, "Muroki's going to tell Delano what we are planning to do, and I will figure out how. When I will find that out I will come back here so that we will all know what to do."

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina couldn't help but smile at Kasi when she saw his embarrassment. "Ooh, come here!" she said, knowing that Kasi was just trying to not act all sappy as she gave her childhood friend a hug. He might have been acting rather annoying lately, but he was still the same caring friend she remembered. Muroki who was returning Umeme's hug couldn't help but chuckle.

Fadhili nodded. "Alright, sounds like a plan." she looked towards the sun which would soon be out of sight. "We should probably get some sleep now."

[DGFone]

Kasi turned red but still went over to Lina. "I really don't think that's necessary," he muttered, but didn't argue too much, knowing that he won't win, and that Lina needed all the help she can get anyways. He quickly returned the hug she gave him before separating himself from her.

Moto also looked at the darker sky and nodded. "That would be a good idea." He got up and followed Fadhili inside the den, Dakari and Laini right behind them. He grinned slightly when he saw that Muroki and the others were still up. "I thought I told you all to go to sleep," he commented, "don't make me force you to."

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki was about to say something when Moto and the others came back inside. Figuring that Moto was right and that they should all get some sleep, Muroki in particular since he needed to go to the police again first thing tomorrow morning, he exchanged a short smile with Umeme before lying down in their usual spot with her. Hopefully they'll really be able to finish with this whole nightmare soon.

[DGFone]

Umeme settled herself next to Muroki. "Good night," she whispered, smiling back at him and giving him a small lick before closing her eyes. She nuzzled him and left her head next to his as she slowly fell into a peaceful sleep.

---

In the blackness, Delano sprang awake from yet another nightmare. His eyes darted around the cave, but he didn't see anything. His heart raced as he tried to calm down, but this time he simply couldn't. For a long time he grew so afraid to sleep that he would almost fall unconscious, only to wake up soon after, sometimes screaming, sometimes not. His eyes hut from an almost constant crying, although by now he had stopped shedding tears.

This time was worse, for instead of his usual nightmare that first lead him to think that he did indeed betray everyone, he was no longer the traitor, but the executioner.

Delano squeezed his eyes shut, trying to erase the memory from his mind. He dreamed that he had gone to the den, and promptly started killing everyone. He couldn't stop himself, and they were powerless to stop him. The cold, accusing stare of Lina's lifeless eyes were the last hing he saw before waking up.

Despite his dry throat, Delano could't take it anymore. "Help..." He muttered, trying to find the strength to raise his voice. "Help!" His voice crackled and it hurt, but he crawled over to a wall, hoping that it was closer to the entrance. "Help! Somebody!" He waited, but didn't get any response. "Anybody? Help!" He continued calling out, trying to get some sort of reply.

[TheWhistlerify]

One of the guards' attention was caught by Delano's weak voice. He was there the entire time since Delano was brought in, and as much as he could tell that Delano was innocent there was nothing he could do about it. He had guarded many prisoners before, and he was easily able to tell when they really were guilty of whatever they were accused of or not. As much as he wanted to do something to calm him down, he knew that he wasn't allowed to talk to him.

[DGFone]

Delano continued to call out, but eventually gave up. No help was coming, and it hurt too much to shout longer. He collapsed on the ground, knowing that he was left here to die. Once again, the image of Lina as he killed her flashed through his mind, and he recoiled back, whimpering. At that moment, he no longer knew if that really happened or not.

He slowly got up to his feet, wobbling slightly as his weakened limbs tried to support his weight. He had to see that Lina was alright, that he did not really kill her. And to get out of here.

Delano charged forwards as quickly as he can, aiming for what he thought was the entrance. Instead, his head collided hard with a wall, and he fell over from the impact. After a while, Delano forced himself up again, ignoring the pain, and what felt like blood, that now covered his head. Unable to see where to go, he felt around the walls until he was certain where he was facing.

Without a second thought, he charged again out of the cave.

[TheWhistlerify]

The guard's attention was again caught when he heard Delano collide against the wall. The next thing he realized was that Delano was again running, this time in the direction of him and the other guard. Technically their orders were to kill him if he tried to escape, but the guard just couldn't get himself to do it, not after he was sure that Delano was innocent. It wasn't hard to stop Delano considering he hardly had any sleep and that he had no food or water for 2 days now. The two gaurds forced him back inside.

[DGFone]

Delano struggled as much as he could against the guards, but he was quickly forced back inside the cave. He whirled around, lost and confused. In his attempt at a dash for freedom, the cave suddenly became even more foreboding.

Unable to let himself stay in the cave, Delano ran out again, determined to make it through.

[TheWhistlerify]

The two guards didn't expect Delano to actually make a run for it again, so when he did the two weren't prepared and he managed to run past them. The guards knew that if any other lion saw him then they wouldn't be able to avoid having him executed on the spot. Then again, except for the guards all the lions had either gone home or gone to sleep. Delano was so determined to get out that he was actually able to run faster despite the lack of food and water. Now the two guards were also in trouble because of that.