The Fly took off at a fast pace branches parting as he went through, waving at me to follow.
Up I jumped and ran after him, the forest was thick and I didn't want to loose sight of him, I wasn't sure I'd find him if he dropped far from sight.
On and on we went for what must have been hours. When we stopped the forest had changed and was now the trees were a lot thinner, the sun shone bright to the wood floor and it felt cooler. I had no idea how far we'd come but the sun, although still up, was not as high in the sky as it was when we'd left.
I was thankful The Fly had stopped and rested on a rock, it mean I could catch my breath but strangely I found I wasn't out of breath at all. The Fly must have seen my puzzlement as he smiled and winked.
"Now they'll be here any moment and you're about to see the consequences of impulsive actions."
I was stunned how could they have got here so fast, we'd been going at a right old rate and although I'm sure Purlean would have been able to keep up I didn't think it possible the witch or Bob would move at such a speed.
"What do you mean consequences of impulsive actions?"
"Shhh, watch!" The Fly pointed over to where Bob was now standing.
"Look," he called back over his shoulder, the witch and Purlean not far behind.
"There's a crossroads clearing up ahead, maybe it's that way?" Bob carried on a hop in his step, a smile all over his face, optimist.
"Oh bless you Bob I am grateful for your help I'm so tired." The witch contorted her face, agony from every crease except her eyes, glowing red and her mouth a sarcastic smile.
Bob turned back to look at her.
"Why don't you wait here, I'll run ahead and see what I can see."
The witch looked down at Purlean, sitting at her feet, quiet as before.
"Little pest, I hate Pixie's, cheerful little...people!"
Purlean continued to look back her face stony.
"Still he's a good entrance ticket, what luck we happened across him."
She bent down and brushes a finger under Purleans chin, which lifted slightly before the rusting of bushes on the other side of the pathway distracted every ones attention.A twig cracked and a cat jumped out and headed straight towards the witch. Quick as a flash she picked up a branch from the floor, pointed it towards him and hissed. The cat disappeared in mid air and the faint cry from somewhere behind the bush wailed out;
"No!"
The Fly leaned towards me, "Don't worry, that was me."
His face hadn't moved from the witch standing smiling and Purlean still sitting at her feet, face set, no emotion. Bob was still happily walking off in the distance, he'd not noticed or heard a thing.
I was flabbergasted and whispered to The Fly.
"What just happened?"
"That was from one of my previous experiences. Tiger his name was, not sure why he came here but he did, mostly it's you Witches Familiars that we get on this experience. He wasn't in control of his emotion. Saw red, leap and bang gone."
"What gone, gone?"
The Fly nodded; "Gone, gone for good, bang, that's your lot, ta ta! I told you it may be in the past but it's in your present, times alive and if you go, then you go, no coming back! Tiger's gone and no one will ever really know what happened to him. There one day gone, wiped off the face of the earth the next! Interacting means you really are interacting. Now come on we need to get going again, we need to get prepared for this evening."
"Why," I shrugged my shoulders at The Fly.
"Because tonight David, you'll get to hear Purlean speak, if we make it in time!"
My heart jumped, I couldn't wait, I was curious, I just couldn't work anything out about Purlean and I so wanted to.
