Flag-faces (Countryhumans Story [CH AU])

A Strange Man and a Harmless Kid

When we were organised into our groups, I ended up being with Ukraine and Uzbekistan. I cannot guarantee that Uzbekistan was the nicest, but I could guarantee Ukraine was. We have actually gotten along quite nicely; I hope that we can see each other soon.

But, there was one thing that made the day a huge disaster.
An absurd question from a strange man.

It was around 2:15 pm, and we were doing our orders: find anything hinting where UK, my father, might've disappeared off to. I know that we looked like some crazy adults being idiots, shoving each other to the edge of the pavement, but I don't think that was what caught that weird man's attention.

He was all the way on the other side of the road, smoking a cigarette. He looked quite ordinary and casual; at first, he didn't bother me at all. Then, he crossed the road, cigar still in hand as he exhaled. Normal.
He walked in our direction. A little suspicious.
He went up to us and said, "Hey, I think I might know you."

What. In. The. ENTIRE FLIPPING UNIVERSE AND ALL THE OTHER ONES????

"And where did that question even come from?" I asked, hands on my hips.

"My brain, little one," Yes, he was taller than me, but what he called me just made my heart leap out into my throat. "I'd like you and your friends to come with me."
His tone was demanding, his answer feeling eerie, and I was scared to mess with him. But Uzbekistan wasn't.

"Look, Mr Idiot. Nada, Uki and I don't want to have a raggedy, suspicious man dragging us to our torture, so go away before I beat you up," he jabbed a finger in his direction. "You got that or not?"

"I don't stupid." With that, he grabbed Uzbekistan by the shirt collar and started choking him.
"You think you can mess with me? Well, I'm taller, bigger and stronger than you, so don't think you can take on me - OW!"

My mind was too busy panicking about how I might get beaten up by the whole of Uzbekistan's family if I let him die here, so I didn't know the cause of the man's cry of pain.

I heard more thuds, Ukraine's cry, and felt someone jump on top of me. I felt something trickle down my head.

Fight! Fight! DO SOMETHING!!! My brain called to me.

But, I was frozen in fear, too petrified to move a limb. Something hit me in the head, and everything I saw faded away from me.

I woke up on someone's lawn. It was a strange place to be, but here I was. I tried to get up into a sitting position, but the sudden throbbing in my head forced me to set myself back down. My memory was fuzzy. All I remembered was Uzbekistan trying to fight that strange man and myself being the coward I was, standing there and doing nothing.

I tried to feel for the place where it hurt, and I brushed my fingertips on something crusty. I quickly picked on it and saw some red stuff fall onto the ground.
Red. Blood.

I jolted and jerked my head up too quickly.
"Oww..."

Carefully resting my head back on the ground, I strained to recall what the man looked like. Dark brown, dishevelled hair, a tangled beard, dark brown eyes, unusually pale, wrinkled skin...

"Canada?" I heard Ukraine's voice beside me. "Where are we?"

"On my lawn."

I shot up to see who it was and immediately regretted it, groaning in pain.
Oh no. It was that strange man.

I opened my mouth to say something, but my throat was too dry.
I needed water now.

"Heh, you thought that you could escape from me? Well, you were so, so wrong," he chuckled to himself. "Your friend is inside; I think you should join him."

I had never claimed Uzbekistan as my friend - what was he talking about?

Regardless, I staggered to the front door like a drunkard and collapsed on the front porch. Ukraine followed suit but more gracefully. I felt someone pick me up and drag me to this black blob thing. He/she/they/no-idea plonked me onto it. It was soft and comfy, a very suitable thing to sleep on, which was what I did.

Yet again, I woke up, this time on the black blob thing. I cuddled it close to me, happy to be sitting on it. It made a noise that reminded me of sand.
In front of me was a little table with a mug of liquid on it, steam rising from the cup. I took it in my hands and examined it.

Seems trustworthy enough.

I raised it to my lips and was just about to drink from it when something stopped me. I closed my mouth and became confused about why my arm wouldn't move.

"Sir, you can't drink that. I think Mr Davidson put drugs in it."

I looked up and saw a boy in front of me, a stern look in his eye.

"I like this black blob," I put the mug down and patted something smooth and hard. 

"Um, the floorboards aren't black," he pointed out.

"No, this!" I smacked the black blob I was sitting on.

"Oh, the beanbag?" he asked.

"Yes. I like it."

The boy smiled and took the mug away from me.
"By the way, my name is Ervin," he nodded at me before taking the cup away with him.

Ervin. Huh, what a nice name.

"Oh, Canada. You're awake?" 

I jolted in my spot upon hearing my name.

"Eh, Uzbekistan?" I mumbled.

I heard a scoff from beside me and found out that it was Ukraine who was talking to me.

"Wow, now I'm a man - how amazing," she said sarcastically.

I flushed in embarrassment as I got myself together.

"You alright there, though? At first, you were acting all childish and sluggish to that boy," she pointed out, tilting her head to the side.

Shrugging, I sighed in exhaustion and let my body go limp.

"Well, I'm definitely tired. Could do another nap," I yawned, but just as I was about to close my eyes, I felt someone slap me.

"Ow! What was that for!?" I shot up out of my relaxed position and glared at Ukraine.

"What if that creepy man tries to do something to us once we fall asleep?" she whisper-yelled. "We should try to escape here first."

"Right," I grumbled. "Just wait for me to get myself together first."

Sorry, very late update. :( 

I have been in and out of writer's block and keep getting random ideas that don't fit for this story.

I'll try my best to force myself to write here so I can update this story!

Author S.s. :)