Midnight Wonders

3.4.2. The Light of a False Moon

Luc opened his eyes. He didn't remember closing them. He didn't know where he was.

Kay was there. "Satisfactory sleep?" he said dryly. "You seem to have little sense of safety."

"What?" said Luc, sitting up. He hadn't been lying down; he was leaning against a tree, and he didn't remember putting himself there. The open fields had disappeared and they were deep into a forest. Chocolate and Milk were wandering aimlessly about, their coats stark against the green of their surroundings. He could hear the sound of running water nearby, and it reminded him that he was thirsty.

"You fell asleep," said Kay, who was stoking a fire in front of him. The smell of smoke could hardly overpower that of the damp earth.

"Oh," said Luc. He felt a bit dizzy, and his mind was muddy. "Sorry."

Kay looked at him. He had undone Luc's tie; it was hanging loose around his neck. His hair looked different. It took Luc a moment to realize that was because it was wet. The curls had clumped together, and the color looked darker. He thought, briefly, that it had rained, and touched his own hair to check if it was also wet only to realize that he wasn't thinking properly and it probably couldn't rain in Under-The-Green-Hill. Kay was giving him a quizzical look, so he tucked his hands away and ignored what he had just done.

"Where are my glasses?" said Luc.

Kay presented them from his hand. Had he just been holding them the whole time?

"Thank you," Luc said, inspecting the lens. It looked like Kay had cleaned them. He put them on.

"Why didn't you tell me you were tired?" said Kay.

"I didn't know I was."

"How does one fall asleep without feeling tired?"

"I thought it was..." Luc paused, thinking it would be rather embarrassing to admit that the sound of Kay's voice was as comforting as the blanket of sleep. "I might have fainted. I haven't drunk any water since..." Since he had returned home to find Cora gone.

"Oh," said Kay. "I should've..." He looked off into the distance, towards the sound of water. Then he looked back at Luc. "There's a stream that way. It's not too far; just walk straight. You can drink, and you can bathe."

"From the same stream?"

"It's not like it'll be the same water," said Kay. "The stream flows, you know."

That was right, and it didn't seem like there was any other option for water. He started to get up, then stopped. "Is the water safe to drink?" They had no filter, nor even a pot to boil the water.

Kay shrugged.

"What does that mean?"

"I drank it and I haven't died."

Luc narrowed his eyes. "You're not from outside."

"Water is water. Go take care of your business, now; don't you want to get going?"

It was a bit irritating how Kay knew that would sway him. "All right," Luc said, standing. He was suddenly aware of how sore he was; his whole body. His legs felt hardly able to support him, but he made his way down the direction Kay had indicated, following the sound of the water. He looked back at one point and saw that trees were standing in the distance, hiding Kay and the horses. It made him feel terribly lonely, and he was almost tempted to shout and test if Kay could still hear him. But of course he could; he could hear the water where he was, after all.

Luc found the stream. It was larger than he'd expected. He went up to the edge and bent to touch the water. It was cold. His fingers tingled with the sensation.