sparrow and lion

Chapter 7: separation, Part 2: the repeating

In retrospect, Wren recognized the folly of his actions. He had, after all, only recently started a fight with a bear. Fainting at the sight of a raccoon was considerably less understandable in comparison. Fainting at the sight of a raccoon and collapsing face first into a bog, however, was probably not the best course of action for a child who had only recently used up all his luck against said bear and been consequently maimed by squirrels.

But perhaps his misfortunes since then had brought around his next bout of good fortune. For, when Wren awoke, he was still alive. He was also very much no longer in the marsh. An old man sat across from him. The raccoon sat next to the old man.

"Where am I?" Wren asked.

"You're alive," the old man said. He seemed surprised.

Wren sat up. He was in a cave. "How did I get here?" he asked. He looked outside. The swamp was nowhere in sight. Nothing looked familiar.

The old man pointed an accusatory finger at the raccoon. "He brought you," the old man said.

The raccoon was just a raccoon and didn't say anything. Wren stared at it doubtfully. It wasn't even a big raccoon. He wasn't sure it could have carried him here. "Oh," he said.

"Yes," the old man said.

Wren stood up. He was dirty, but nothing hurt. "Do you know how I go home?" he asked the old man.

"If you do not know where you are going, neither can I," the old man said.

Wren had to admit he probably had a point. He thought for a minute. He had gotten lost in the woods, but if he could make it back to the road, he could ask for directions. "Can you take me to the road?" he asked.

The old man smiled. He had no teeth. "Oh, no," he said.

Wren didn't know what to do. Leo, he was sure, would have known what to say. But he doubted that Leo would have gotten lost in the first place. And she definitely wouldn't have been attacked by squirrels. "Why not?" he asked.

"What?" the old man said.

"Why can't you take me to the road?" Wren asked.

"Oh," the old man said. "No."

"What?" Wren said.

"What?" the old man replied.

This was going nowhere. He stared at the old man for a long time. The old man smiled cheerfully back. Wren looked at the raccoon. The raccoon blinked at him. "I'm going to go," Wren said.

The old man didn't reply.

Wren left. He was back in the middle of the woods. Fortunately, there were no squirrels. Unfortunately, he still had no idea where he was. The trees were too tall for him to see the sky and everything looked the same. He didn't even know what time it was. What if it was nearing evening? Wren knew he didn't want to be lost in the woods at night. He was only eight, but he wasn't stupid. It would be best to stay the night in the cave with the old man and the raccoon. He would leave in the morning.

Wren turned around.

There was nothing there.

It seemed like he had only taken a few steps, but the cave was gone. Wren ran back the way he'd come. Maybe he had taken more than a few steps. But he knew he hadn't made any turns. Nothing. It was like the cave had never existed. Wren had gotten lost from being lost. Was it possible he was loster than before? Was he lostest? Was that a word? When he got home, he would find out. If he got home. It was already getting dark. He needed to find the cave.

"Hello?" Wren called. No one answered. "Old man?" He waited, but no reply came. "Raccoon?" he called. The only sound that answered was the echo of his own voice.