"Are tu sure you're okay? tu really don't seem to be yourself." Private urged.

It didn't take long for the penguins to make it back to the zoo. They had just stopped por the koala habitat to drop Leonard off.

"I'm fine. Just please, leave me alone. I just want to be alone, okay?" Leonard insisted.

Private looked at him with doubt in his eyes. He could sense that something was wrong, he only wished Leonard would tell them. Rico stepped on the gas and they went on to their habitat. "I still think something is wrong with him..." Private told the others.

"Well, if it's really worth worrying about, he'd of told us." Skipper replied.

"I dunno, Skipper. I just have this feeling-"

"He's fine! You'd be mad at us too if we slingshotted us into a deserted junkyard at night." Skipper insisted. Private was about to once again protest, but decided to keep his beak shut for the moment.

Meanwhile, Leonard went back into his árbol and laid back on a branch. For a moment, he stared at the clear black sky. The moon shown nearly centered in the black abyss. He kept seeing those bloodstained teeth in front of his face. He kept smelling that foul smell of flesh on warm breath. He kept hearing the horrid sounds of that innocent pup as he was torn to pieces and used as a main course. He cringed at the horrid memory. The campana tower at the zoo gates struck midnight and Leonard nearly jumped out of his fur. He nearly fell off of his branch but managed to cling to the rigid bark of the árbol before he finally lost his balance. He pushed himself back against the tree's el maletero, tronco and took deep breath to try to calm his pounding heart. He gently sat down and pulled his knees to his chest. He cautiously looked around the sleeping zoo. There was not a sound being made except for the wind blowing through his árbol and the césped, hierba below. He kept expecting to see that pit toro walking into the zoo...into his habitat...seeking his spilled blood...he shuddered at the thought. Suddenly the image of watching his own limbs being torn off flashed through his mind and he shook his head violently, trying to push it away. He started to find it hard to breathe. He slowly started climbing down his tree, his arms shaking and his knees buckling with every step.

Once he reached the ground, he tried to stretch to still himself. It only worked slightly. Instead he tried to clear his head; he approached a small flor and sat down siguiente to it. He sighed and felt its silky white petals, then plucked it from the ground. He spun it through his fingers a couple of times, then lifted it to his nose and breathed in its sweet fragrance. He smiled slightly. He was almost calm when a light thud was heard behind him and he jumped, the flor falling from his grasp as he turned toward the sound. It was a small bunny.

Leonard let out a sigh of relief. He almost laughed at himself. He was más paranoid than words could describe. He approached the small creature and gently patted his head. "Hey there, little guy. You're not here to eat my face off, are you?" The bunny showed content at Leonard's touch. "You're a long way from inicial aren't you? How'd tu get here?" The bunny dicho nothing, it just looked up at him with the most adorable eyes, then stepped adelante, hacia adelante a couple of inches and sniffed Leonard's paw. After doing so, it turned and hopped away. "Aw, where 're goin' little fella?" The bunny just kept hopping on its way and left Leonard's habitat. Leonard sighed and shrugged as he walked back over to his tree. He sat down and leaned against it and folded his paws over his abdomen. He once again looked up at the starless sky. He remained there for the rest of the night.

**************************************************************

Leonard heard something outside of his habitat. Even though something was telling him not to, he climbed down from his árbol and slowly walked toward his habitat boundary's. Each step made his corazón pound harder and his adrenaline course though his body and make his head pound. He quietly climbed up the muro and hesitated at the top. He took a deep breath and held it as his shaking body pulled up over the railing. He barely peeked over the side...and saw nothing. Just the ground of the zoo. He let out the breath he was holding in relief...until he heard another sound farther beyond his habitat. Would he dare? It was as if some force pulled him over the muro and forward, a force unbeknownst to Leonard himself, but it was strong, and it went against everything a clear mind would have told him.

He continued adelante, hacia adelante until he was at the corner of another habitat. He once again held his breath and slowly peeked around the corner. For the segundo time, he saw nothing, and let out his breath. Then suddenly a warm air was felt on his back, and the putrid scent of animal flesh filled his nose. His eyes widened in fear and he turned slowly around to see those horrid bloodstained teeth out of the corner of his eye. Leonard was scared into a statue until that horribly familiar voice said, "Boo." Leonard took off running with a scream.

"Aaaaaaah!!! Somebody help me!!!" The dog caught up with him in segundos and pinned him down again. Leonard could now only manage a raspy whisper, partly from fear and partly from the dogs' strong hold from his pin. "Mercy..." The dog laughed at his fear and bit into him. Now, Leonard saw a distant light, and behind the growling and tearing of his own flesh, he could hear Private's voice calling his name over and over and over...

Leonard woke with a scream. He was hyperventilating and he was clenching tightly to the Earth beneath him. Private was siguiente to him shaking his shoulder. "Leonard! Leonard! It's okay! tu were only dreaming!" Leonard looked down at his abdomen and rubbed it with his paws as if to make sure that his pelaje, piel and flesh was still there. When he assured himself that he was indeed in one piece, he leaned back against his árbol and tried to slow his breathing. "Are tu okay, Leonard? tu must've had one heck of a nightmare!" Private exclaimed.

It was the break of dawn now, Leonard hadn't even realized that he'd dozed off a few hours ago. "I'm fine, Private...Wait a minute, what are tu doing here anyway?" Leonard asked in realization that Private had invaded his home.

"Well, I came to apologize again for yesterday. I wanted to catch tu before tu went to sleep for the day, but when I got here, tu were kicking and screaming in your sleep. What were tu dreaming about?"

Leonard was unsure of how to respond. He couldn't tell him what he saw. He just couldn't! He just spit something out on impulse. "Um...I was dreaming that...zombies took over...and uh...they were biting everyone. Yeah...that's what I was dreaming about. Now can tu please leave so I can go to bed?" He started climbing up his tree.

Private was in mixed emotions. He was concerned about what was going through Leonard's mind. He was overcome with guilt with what they'd put him through last night. He was also flooded with doubt; he just found it hard to believe that nothing happened last night in that junkyard. He watched Leonard ascend the tree. "Okay...I really am sorry."

"Yeah, yeah, apology accepted." Leonard muttered planting himself on his branch.

Private turned to leave, hanging his head. "Alright. Bye Leonard. Sleep well."

Leonard sighed. "Thanks."

Private was about to say something else, but decided against it and let him be. Leonard turned his head and watched him go. He felt a little guilty about the way he talked to him, but he just couldn't help it. If he started up a conversation with someone, he might accidentally spill the beans. He couldn't risk his o anyone else's safety like that. He groaned.

What was he going to do? What if that dog came for him at the zoo? He might go after all of his friends while he's at it! Then a thought occurred to him; the dog had no idea where he was. Right? Then he remembered his mistake. When he got in the penguins' car he told them that he wanted to get back to the zoo. He groaned even louder at what he labeled as his stupidity. Then again, the dog may not have heard him say that. And even if he did, it doesn't necessarily mean that he knows which zoo he was talking about. On the other hand, this was the zoo closest to the junkyard. Leonard didn't know what to think. He feared for the lives of himself and the other zoo animals. He could barely sleep for the rest of the day.

*****************************************************************

Private poked and prodded at his fish. He didn't have any appetite. He couldn't get his mind off of Leonard. What was bothering him so much? He couldn't help but think that what Leonard had told him about his supposed 'dream' was a lie. He'd been actuación strange ever since they'd gotten him from the junkyard last night. Something deep inside him told him that it wasn't because he was mad at them for what they'd done.

"Private, are tu okay? tu haven't touched your lunch. tu know we have training at four." Skipper asked, interrupting Private's thoughts.

"Oh, sorry Skipper. I'm just not very hungry." Private replied gloomily.

"Not hungry? You've been anticipating our shipment of genuine Alaskan sardines for days. tu know this is a rare opportunity. What's wrong?" Skipper asked, suddenly concerned.

Private sighed. "It's just that...Leonard...he-"

"Oh, Private! tu know Leonard. If anything were really wrong, he'd have to tell someone about it." Skipper insisted.

"I'm just not so sure, Skipper. Ever since last night, he just hasn't been himself." Skipper rolled his eyes and was about to say something else, but Private cut him off, standing straighter. "No, Skipper! This time, you're going to listen to me. You've always taught me to listen to my gut. Well, my guts' telling me that something happened to Leonard in that junkyard last night, and I want to find out what." Private finished confidently, but his shoulders fell when he saw the others' shocked faces. He looked down slightly. "I'm sorry, Skipper. I'll do it myself." He raised his flipper to slap himself, but Skipper grabbed his flipper in mid-air.

"Actually, Private, there's nothing to be sorry about. In fact, I'm proud. I like your spunk. Tonight, we'll give Leonard a visit. How 'bout it?" He dicho with a smile.

Private perked up. "Really?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah, you've got me convinced. And who would I be if I punished tu for listening to that gut?" Skipper replied patting his shoulder.

Private hugged his leader. "Thanks, Skipper!"

"No problem, Private. We leave at 2000 hours." Skipper ordered.

Suddenly a scream was heard from outside.