OffGun One-Shots

KhaiThird - The Forbidden Garden

I've always wondered why my mother was so strict about me going out in the garden. My whole childhood I never stepped a foot in the back of the house, I could look at it from my window, but soon a tree was put underneath to grow and block the view.

Had I known I'd meet such handsome men there, the day I finally decided to encounter the forbidden.

They almost all ran back to behind a couple trees and had disappeared when I arrived at the spot.
So I went for this little one, looking as old as me, and we starred at each other for a few secondes before he ran away too. I couldn't say anything, but somehow, I felt even if I had, he wouldn't have understood me.

It was not long after that I went back, using the time my mom takes out for grocery shopping to run to the forbidden garden. This time, less of them ran away, and I got closer to this one guy from last time.

I said hi, raising and waving my hand at him, but he got scared so I quickly backed up a little and tried being more reassuring. He clearly was not speaking English.

I got to get closer and offered my hand, palm to the sky so he'd see there's nothing wrong with it. He grabbed it all of a sudden and pulled me towards him abruptly. I could feel him grow, like in growing, height growing. He all of a sudden seemed to age and in a matter of seconds looked 20 years old, not 14 anymore.

I was shocked and it was now my turn to run away. I quickly understood they were not like me, like, not human beings. And maybe my mother was trying to prevent me from meeting them, maybe they were dangerous? Or maybe she wanted to keep them to herself like she's used to do with her orange flavored chocolate.

I didn't go back the next week, still afraid and wondering what the hell happened there. But then I missed a couple occasions — school stuff to buy during groceries, school trip to Seattle, and my mind ended elsewhere.

After years, it was my mom who talked to me about the Garden.

"Gun sweetheart, I decided that I'll accompany you to the garden, but you need to promise me you are never to talk about it, to anyone anywhere." she coldly and dead seriously said looking at me in the eyes.

My eyes wrinkled a second before I could remember, and all this pressure I ever had before had disappeared, but I remembered it and got curious so I nodded and followed Mom to the back.

Quickly, the human-like creatures aligned before Mom and said some "Hoerdiven, Maharshvera".

"They say good afternoon masters, answer “Gabdibam, aekoyris”, it means you too, helpers" mom said to me as if everything was even normal in this situation.

But I followed and answered, they almost all bowed immediately after, scaring me. But this was without counting on that one from before.

He hasnt changed a bit, still looking 20, still probably not understanding me, still as handsome as a god.

But then I realized my mom's eyes trying to pierce through me, so I slowly got my attention back on her.

"You were really foolish enough to disobey me and come in here! Here's proof of it!" she started screaming all angry, the creatures ran away to the disappearing spot, but that same one again, only backed up a little and kept staring at me.

"What are you talking about mom?" I said, trying the foolish act as only resort.

"He reached his mastered appearance! He was way too young to be serving!" mom argued, not making any sense for me.

"I don't even understand what you mean! How would I know if I am responsible!? " I replied, even tho I got she was talking about that sudden weird height and age growth from couple years ago.

"Then approach him, if you are not bonded, he'll run due to his age."

I accepted and started waking towards the creature. But I stopped.

"Does he have a name at least?" I wondered and ended asking.

"No, but if you are bonded, you'll have to name it." mom answered.

So they go without names, potentially theirs whole life?

"OK. But also... What do you mean by.... Bonded?" and here I started getting nervous, I mean he is attractive and kind and mysterious and doesn't seem to be violent, but I don't know anything about him.

So I slowly got closer, and closer, and closer to him, and he kept his eyes in mine, until we were close enough and he grabbed my hand and left a kiss on top of it.

"What's your name, buddy?" I asked, in hopes he may understand something out of a sentence and try answer me.

He only looked a me, head tilted.
So I tried to sign, pointing him first then myself, and I said Gun, pointing at me again.

Then I stopped and did exactly the opposite, and he did answer. I wasn't sure if it was his actual name or if he was saying something else. So I kept walking, past him, and said what he just told me

"Khai! " I shouted. He turned around and smiled, I could feel it was his name.

I then saw my mother's face, she was stunned, I could tell she didn't want it to be true.

I got back to her side, and Khai actually followed me. I smiled to him, his presence actually makes me feel in peace, calmer.

"So, mom, what is that bond you talked about?" I asked, trying to be confident in front of her, but also trying not to disrespect her.

"Their species is really special and rare, actually, they lost their way a hundred years ago and ended here, so my grandmother gave them shelter and food. She learnt their language and some of them can understand ours." she paused, looked at both of us in front of her, and continued.

" Their species works on bonding, they grow when they found a partner, or stay with a young appearance. They base it on first love." another pause, where she stared at Khai.

"So, he saw you and fell in love, and I guess you've hugged or kissed but it was the contact who made him grow." the pause she marked there was longer and she started back on a deeper tone, signifying the gravity of the situation in her point of view.

"You were bonded at that moment, and now it is dependent on you. So, because you disobeyed me, now you have to take responsibility. You'll teach him English and society manners, and it'll live with you." she said, ending the explanations like that.

I looked at Khai a moment, and turned back to my mother.

" I'll do it, I'll teach Khai and take care of him." I said, at the same time reaching for Khai's hand and holding it.