It was about a month later. My leg had healed enough for me to walk on, and I wasn’t so afraid of my companions. The rat, Splinter, was still the one I talked to the most; I guess I needed some elder to talk to. All during the month I had watched silently as the others ran in and out raving of some ‘Silver’ gang, or some guy named ‘Bone head’, or about the ‘Rank’ and a ‘Dr. Queese’… I decided not to ask who these people were.

Late one night, while everyone else slept, I stayed up reading a magazine when I noticed Raphael sneaking around. Quickly, I shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep. While I had my eyes closed, I felt someone’s presence right above me; I waited until the feeling was gone before I reopened them. When I did, I saw Raphael walking away from me and towards the ladder.

"Raphael?" I whispered trying not to awake anyone else. "Where are you going?"

Raphael stood rigid and turned to look at me in bewilderment. "Aeval! You’re awake!"

"Yeah, I guess I am. Where are you going?"

"For a bike ride…"

"A bike ride? What bike? Where to?"

"On my hog… I’ll just be out for awhile…"

"Oh," I replied with a sigh. "Well, see you…"

"Wanna come?"

"Well, I’ve never really ridden on a…"

"Yes you have," Raphael interrupted. "How do you think I got you here? I didn’t carry you for three miles."

‘Three miles?’ I thought. ‘Geeze where did he find me anyways? Well at least he did find me, or I might be…’ I didn’t finish my thought… instead a cold shudder ran through me like water through a thin cloth. "Raphael…"

"Raph. Call me Raph."

"Raph, do you think you could take me to…"

"To the place I found you?" Raphael, or should I say Raph, finished. "Okay, sure… Come on… Let’s go." Raph turned to the ladder and began to leave. "You coming?"

"Of course," I answered after a small hesitation.