"I'm just saying that might be what ends up happening," says Johnny, withdrawing his hand and breaking into a brisk walk to follow. "But sure, I'd rather get out."

And okay, he likes the panther, but even he thinks that's being a little harsh. "Hey, all right," he says, stopping with them and raising a hand. "Bagheera, Dr. Happy. Nobody wants to be here, okay? Let's just chill out for a second."

But man, being the sensible one is a lot easier when his own terror, irrational or not, is spiking back out of control. He turns to look behind him, for a moment certain there's something there, looming. There isn't, but that does not make him feel better.

"Let's just - let's keep going," he says. "And let's keep the loving banter to a fucking minimum."