"You are a what?" Alex asked in astonishment.

"Half-Goat, if you want it to be easy." Zar said.

They both were now in Zar's car.

"Who was he?" Alex asked, "and where are we going?"

"It much more important for you to know who YOU are."

They heard a screaming sound from nearby.

"Can't talk much. I think he is nearby. I will take you to the nearest safe place. It would hardly take an hour."

Zar knew it won't take time. They were heading south and he just passed the board:

Oakland Hills

05 Miles.

"Who are you?" Alex asked again.

"I am a faun. And I think you hardly know who you are."

"I am Alex D'Way, son of Leonard D'Way. I am 14 years old and my dad is busy in serving the nation." these were the same words he always spoke whenever a person asked about his family or about his own self.

"If this is all, you don't even know a single truth!"

"Who am I?" Alex asked.

"You will get to know about it soon."

"So you aren't tell me now?"

"No. I think we will lead to the..."

The environment filled with screaming and shouting sounds. Alex looked back and saw a group of monsters, just like Mr Simon, chasing them. Zar made the car go wild. He was driving the car at the pace of 100. Still, the monsters were nearby.

Zar gave Alex a small brown clay ball. "Throw it at them!" He ordered. Alex did as he was told. He threw the ball at the monsters.

What could a ball do against such monsters?

He thought.

The ball dissolved into mud and instantly a bunch of small plants grew at that point.

How could this happen!

He thought, even after he was sitting next to a person who was a goat from his lower part.

A monster jumped on them. The monster's sharp nail got in contact with the car's tyre. The tyre burst. The car skidded, both Zar and Alex fell off the car.

Alex landed harshly on the rough ground.

"My birthday clothes!" he shouted.

Thanks to the clay ball, Alex got enough time for observing the scene. There were four monsters, including Mr Simon, and Zar was lying on the ground trying to get up.

Alex rushed to help him. After Zar was on his feet again, murmered to Alex, "Find the tunnel."

"What tunnel?" He asked "Where?"

"Near the main Caldecott Tunnel."

"Let's go." Alex said as he helped Zar to make a move.

They were still getting chased by monsters.

"How long?" Alex asked Zar.

"Just a few meters more."

Then a pipe came at them, flying.

They ran for a place to hide.

"Alex, where are you?" this was Mr Simon. "Alex where are you kid? Come out and I won't fail you in your physics test."

Alex wasn't going out. He knew that talking rubbish was Mr Simon's speciality.

"Alex come out and I will tell who your mom is, Cupcake."

This hit him hard.

"Alex, what is better than a son meeting his mom on his birthday?"

Ouch! He wanted to meet his mom.

"Fourteen years Alex, fourteen years. All these years of pain, separation, anxiety, grief and sorrow. What did your father give you? He didn't even come to see you. Come with me Alex, retrace your life."

Alex was going to come out. His mom was his weakness. He just wanted to meet his mother, only once.

"Alex! That tunnel, ahead, it's the way! It will lead you to the safe place." Zar brought him back to present. Alex looked at the tunnel he suggested. It looked quite ordinary, beside that, he wasn't sure how that tunnel was going to save them.

"Are you sure?" Alex asked.

"A hundred and one percent."

"Alex come out cupcake" Alex heard Mr Simon yelling.

"OK then."

"At my count, run with all the energy you have. Three... Two...One.. Go!"

They ran with all the might they had. The monsters saw them and stated running after them like loons.

They entered the tunnel. The tunnel seemed old, as if about to break. But something told Alex that he might be safe there. Zar was still facing difficulty in walking. Many times it happened that he was about to fall.

One of the monsters shooed fire from it's mouth. As a result, the temperature inside the tunnel began to rise instantly. "Steamed food. Yum." the monster said.

Just a few more steps

Alex thought as he saw the end of the tunnel. The place beyond it was full of light. He wanted to stop, to rest and to relax as he started feeling exhausted.

Alex and Zar came running out of the tunnel. There was something special about that place. There was a small river flowing all around that place like a milestone, a protection. Monsters were still behind them but none of them, Zar and Alex noticed it at all. Alex felt something hit him hard on his head. He visualized it as a log as he fell into the river.