Linked Beyond Existence

Chapter Three

Later that evening I tried to teach Saoirse the basic things she needed to know in English. We stayed on the log and I gestured to her.

"Me," I said as I pointed to myself. "You. You." I finished and pointed to her.

"Me, uh, ah!" Her eyes widened and she clapped her hands joyfully. "And-a you!"

"Yes! Exactly." A few hours later, I felt a little tired. As she was saying made-up words my eyes started drooping and close enough, my head dropped on the log. I gestured to her that I'm getting tired by rubbing my eyes and yawning. She took the sign well and pointed towards another log buried inside the hut.

"Heres." She said and pulled me towards the log.

"On this? It's way too uncomfortable." I complained, sounding a bit spoiled. As I was staring at the log in pure frustration, my eyes lit up at the idea I had. I gestured to Saoirse to stay in the hut and I rushed outside and aimed for my backpack. I rummaged through it impatiently, throwing out all the clothes until I found what I needed. I had two thin but long scarves in my backpack and I thought to use them as covers. I admit it won't help much but it's better than nothing. As I was stuffing all the thrown-out stuff back in the backpack I stumbled upon the couple of hoodies I had and decided to use them as pillows. I rushed back into the miniature hut and showed Saoirse (who was sitting on the ground) the stuff I brought back with me. I placed one of the hoodies on her log and one on mine. I gestured for her to climb onto the log and lay down so I could put the scarf (also known as covers) on her. I smiled at her and asked her if it was a bit more comfortable.

She signed a 'yes' to me. "Ya."

"Okay, um, goodnight then." But as soon as I said it she was already fast asleep and I just stared at her and then after some time walked over to my log. I climbed up on it and sat on it and looked around and sighed. As soon as I laid down I cringed. It was so uncomfortable and almost all night I shifted from side to side muttering curses in my sleep. Towards morning, my hands were shaking and sweaty and my forehead was pouring with sweat from the night I dreaded. But something unusual happened a few hours before morning. I suddenly started hearing a blasted voice in my head, spitting out hurtful words.

'You think you're so smart, huh? We'll see how you make it, idiot.'

"Stop. Stop..." I mumbled in my sleep.

'Your parents? Ha, they don't care about you. Dead or not, at one point or the other, you'll die.'

I cried. "That's not true! My parents love me. Just– just leave me alone."

'Why? What, am I scaring you? Oh please, you little weakling. No one's gonna help you now. You're on your own and you will never escape me...'

I gasped. I jumped on my bottom and looked around shaken. My eyes started watering and I stared at my trembling hands.

"Wha– what? What's happening! Who are you?!" I shouted out in the hut but I only heard my echo and a few birds screeching.

Of course, I won't survive, I thought. Why is my life such a curse? I end up in an unknown forest and meet a cave person who doesn't know a bit of English.

I covered my face with my sticky palms and grieved. I don't know how long I stayed there, but when I woke up from my awful dream, I was very hungry. But when I came back to my senses I noticed that Saoirse was nowhere. I jumped off the log and looked around the hut. I pushed the branch-made door and covered my face with my hand from the bright sun that almost blinded me. I looked around the clearing and saw no one there.

I thought about the backpack. "Oh no, oh no, oh no. Did she take it?!" I ran to where I last saw my backpack but I saw it was staying there untouched. That's when I started freaking out. "Where would I go if I was Saoirse? Ugh, how the heck am I supposed to know?" I walked around the hut hoping to maybe find her digging up some dirt from behind the hut.

"Saoirse? Saoirse!" I called out. "Saoirse, where on earth are you?! Saoirse, if you don't come back now I swear– and I don't say this often, but I swear I'm going to kill you! Saoirse...!" I ran back into the hut and collapsed onto the floor. A few hours later, I heard someone talking outside the hut. I stood up and walked out. There was Saoirse talking to some small animals who were hanging around her feet. I stared at her for a bit, perhaps expecting for her to say something– rather an apology. But as soon as she finished her encounter with the creatures she smiled at me and walked past me and entered the hut as if nothing happened. I stomped angrily into the hut and crossed my arms.

"Well?" I asked, repeatedly stomping my foot against the ground impatiently.

"Waas is it?" She asked, sounding a bit scared.

Ugh. Seriously, is she that dumb? "Where. Were. You?" I said slowly and pointed to the branch-made door.

"Waas is it?" Ignoring my question she opened her palms and in there were a few unknown berries and she placed them cautiously on a log coaster. "Eazt!" She said showing me the berries.

"Er, no." I waved my hands, my anger vanished. "I- uh- I have food." I ran out of the hut and walked over to my backpack. I opened it and took out some snacks from the train. I ran back inside and showed her the pile of bags of snacks that I have. "You- you can have some of mine." I offered but to my surprise, she shook her head and started eating the berries.

"Wait!" I suddenly shouted. I slapped her hand from eating any more and I put all the berries in my hand and tossed them outside on the ground. "No, you don't know– maybe they're poisonous."

She stared at me.

"Uh, bad." I corrected myself trying to help her understand.

She stared at me sharply.

"Uh, haha, you could have some of mine." I stammered.

She looked at me and then suddenly roared and jumped on me. We fell to the ground and I thought my life was over, she was going to kill me, that's it. It's over. As I closed my eyes ready for whatever was going to happen, I just heard a loud bang and when I opened my eyes, I saw that on the branches that hold the hut together stood a spider, a big one, and it looked very similar to a tarantula. Before I could shriek, Saoirse leaned in and pressed her hand against my face gesturing for me to shut up. My eyes widened and Saoirse with her other hand picked up the spider and stared at it carefully. I thought she was going to eat it, but she just stood up, (me finally gasping for air), walked out of the hut, and threw it on the ground. When she walked back in she muttered something to herself. I didn't know what she was saying, so I asked what she said. She didn't understand what I asked and just shrugged and turned back to the log.

"Ma fooz. Waas diz yuo do-a?" She asked seriously.

I stood up and walked over to her. "I'm sorry, I–" I looked over at the bags of food and leaned down and grabbed them. "Look. Uh, fooz. Eat." I gestured for her to sit down on the ground and I sat down next to her and I unzipped a bag of chips and handed it over to her gesturing for her to eat it. She gingerly stuck her hand inside the chip bag and took out one. She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue to feel the chip. The moment it touched her tongue she closed her mouth and stared at me. I didn't know what to expect, but she just smiled and hugged me tightly.

"Sank you." She whispered in my ear.

"No problem." I stuck my hand in too and grabbed a couple of chips. I ate them hungrily and looked over at her and she caught my look and giggled.