A World Buried By Lies

03

I watch as he ambles off in the opposite direction of the highway I came from. I feel reason and emotion battle each other as I watch him leave, conflicted.

Her voice finds its way into my head, much to my dismay. You're supposed to leave now. You walk the other way and spare him no more thought. It'll only take you down dangerous roads.

But dangerous roads that lead somewhere must be better than safe ones that never end... right?

My heart urges me to run after him, to beg him not to leave, anything except the never ending solitude.

Panic rises as the time period for this improbable decision quickly shortens. He's nearly out of view now, about to disappear into the trees of the distant woods.

Very suddenly, I jump to my feet.

"Wait!" I shout, before I can stop myself. He stops, his feet going still. He doesn't turn around.

"Are you coming?" He shouts.

The way he says it catches me off-guard. Coming... with him? He says it like it's expected of me, like he knew I would cave and beg to come with him. I'm not sure what I expected when I shouted for him to wait. I'm just not ready to be alone again. Seeing him feels like a fresh drink of water, and after so long without, I want more than just a taste.

"I..." I start, merely a whisper, words unsaid left only for my ears. He can't hear me, he's much too far away.

In a spur, I grab my bag off the ground and run after him.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, she tuts.

He twists his head to face me as I near him, a light smile playing at his lips. Every step towards him, I feel as though I might tumble and fall out of this dream, trip and sink back into reality just to look up and find this beautiful, yet terrifying, human being gone.

I come to an abrupt stop a safe five metres away from him. He turns his body to fully face me and reaches his hand out. I freeze. He's... offering a handshake?

"My name's Ravi."

The words hit me like a blow to the chest, like a final determinant that this is real. A person, a boy, a name. This isn't one of my fantasies, this isn't created out of my own mind.

"I..." I start, but stop. "My..." but the words seem catch in my throat.

What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? She teases.

He seems to take my lack of response as an act of stupidity. "Here. It's simple, you just place your hand in mine." He takes a few steps forward and reaches out as if to grab my hand, but I step away, almost involuntarily.

He stares at me for a moment before shrugging. "Or not," he offers simply, before turning and continuing to wander in the direction of the trees. I stumble after him stupidly.

"I..." I continue to stutter. He just keeps walking, indifferent to my muttered words. "Where... where are we going?" I finally manage, breathless.

We?

He cocks his head to look back at me and it's hard to read exactly what his expression means. Uncertainty?

"Not sure if you've exactly earned that knowledge yet, thief. Everything costs something. Even information." He seems to decide on after a moment, "so as far you know, we're just... walking." And I might not be able to read human expression like I once could, but his nerves are evident.

Okay then.

"You really don't plan on telling me your name then?" He continues, before I can press on the matter.