Hey guys, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Rain leaned against a tall tree breathing hard. He slid down the trunk of the tree and sat at its base. His stomach ached with hunger. It had been a day since he had run away, but now he wished he could go back. He didn’t know what he had been thinking, this was a horrible mistake. He hadn’t eaten in a whole day and his stomach wouldn’t let him forget that. His throat was so dry that it hurt to swallow and his head throbbed from the lack of water. His feet hurt from running and he wanted to turn around and go back home. Back to his bed, food, water, and a roof over his head to keep him cool, but he knew he couldn’t go back.

If he went back there was no telling what his Momma would do. If he went back his Momma would make him go back to school. If he went back everyone would laugh at his foolish mistake of running away. Not only those things, but he would never get to see his Father or Jed again. He sighed as he got up, his sore feet protested, but he ignored the pain. He had to find his Father and Jed, but most importantly he needed water before his thirst got the better of him.

Rain looked around and saw Newcity just ahead, it was beautiful. Its bridges crisscrossed in the trees and houses hung in the trees like giant bird’s nest. He couldn’t even explain it. It was the prettiest thing he had ever seen before.

When he reached the steps, he took a deep breath. Then climbed up and up and up. He looked over the railing and gulped at the dizzying height. It was a long way down. The green ground seemed to be miles below him, then it started to move in circles. He looked away and walked off on wobbly legs, resisting the urge to retch. He walked on trying not to look down. How could anyone live here, it was so far off the ground, too far for his comfort.

When he finally reached the top, he was thankful for the room so he didn’t have to walk by the railing. Rabbits were everywhere, rushing around like chickens with their heads cut off. They pushed carts of vegetables of all kinds, even fruit. They worked at food stands yelling at the top of their lungs that if you bought one you could get another free. Children ran around and played as their parents ran after them yelling at them to slow down. Rabbits pushed past Rain, pushing him into other rabbits who glared at him. It was all overwhelming.

Rain didn’t know what to do. He stood on his tiptoes trying to see over the traffic, but he was too short and he kept getting pushed. He tried asking rabbits as they went by if they knew where his father was, but they did one of three things. Which were:

“Sorry, I can’t help you lad.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

Or they simply glared at him and walked away. Rain sighed as he walked on. He paused at a fruit stand and looked down at a large barrel of shiny red and green apples. His stomach growled, his mouth watered and he looked around. No one was looking so he very carefully grabbed an apple from the barrel and bit off of it. He had never thought something could taste this good. He sighed with relief as the juice from the apple quenched his dry mouth. But then he heard a voice that stopped him in his tracks.

“Hey, are you going to pay for that?”

Rain didn’t move, he didn’t know what to do? He didn’t have any money, all he wanted was one apple was that too much to ask. He turned around slowly and looked at the shopkeeper, who was at least two heads taller than him. Rain gulped.

The shopkeeper stepped closer. “I said, are you going to pay for that?”

Rain shook his head and said his voice trembling, “I don’t have any money.”

The shopkeeper glared at him and snatched the half-eaten apple from Rain’s hand and said, “No money, aye?”

Rain nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat as the shopkeeper threw the apple aside. “Well, you little thief! You’re gonna get what’s coming to you.” The shopkeeper raised his hand and Rain closed his eyes and waited for the pain to come.

But before the shopkeeper could strike him a voice rang out. “Hey, stop this. Don’t ye know never to hit a child?” The voice asked.

“This child is a thief!” The shopkeeper said.

“No, he’s not,” the voice said.

There was a pause then the shopkeeper spoke. “You know this kid?”

“Sure, I do. Now if ye will let him come with me, I’ll be on me way and I’m real sorry about this. He won’t do it again.”

Rain opened his eyes in hopes that it might be his Father, but it wasn’t, this much he could tell. This buck was older than his Father, with white fur and wild green eyes. He had rings looped through holes in his ears and wore so many layers of clothes that you would think he was getting ready for a blizzard.

The shopkeeper nodded. “Okay, then be on your way, and I never want to see this brat again.”

The white buck grabbed Rain’s arm. “Okay then, thank ye. Come along Fred, let’s go,” the white buck said, pulling Rain away.

Rain was so confused, who was this rabbit? And why in the world did he call him Fred? “Who are you?” Rain asked, jerking his arm away.

The buck looked at him and smiled as he said, “I’m Bob, with an extra b and a very unnecessary e.” The buck was quiet for a minute, then he waved his cane at Rain. “And you are?”

Rain didn’t know what to think, finally, he said, “I’m Rain, listen can you help me find my dad?” Rain didn’t know why he had asked this buck, Bobbe, to help him?

Bobbe thought for a moment then said, “Sure, for a price.”

Rain huffed, then asked, “What kind of price?”

Bobbe smiled bigger. “Perhaps a friend like ye.”

Rain was shocked. “And why should I be your friend?”

Bobbe looked down and said, “Because I don’t have friends. Ye see no one wants to be friends with a crazy old buck like me.”

Rain sighed as he thought about it. He had nowhere to go and no one else would help him. He had never had a friend of his own either, it could be fun. He put his hand out. “Sure. You help me and I’ll be your friend. We can sorta be like…” Rain thought for a moment then smiled as he said, “Unlikely friends, how about that?”

Bobbe looked up and shook Rain’s hand as he said, “Yes, I like that. We shall be unlikely friends.”

Rain smiled; he was finally going to find his father and Jed, while at the same time helping Bobbe. “Unlikely friends,” he said to himself, “I like that.”