The Runaway

Chapter 34

After the longest time of staring at the plain wall, I decided to work the television.

Now, I stand here, on this great land of hotel floor, with the little weird box in my hand, wondering why there's no sound. I keep pushing the channel buttons, but the volume won't change.

My goodness, I broke their television.

"They're going to throw me in their dungeon."

He faces me like I'm a nuisance.

"Tough luck."

"I'll die."

"From the clear stuff you drank. I told you; I'm going to live longer."

"No, you're old so I'll live longer."

He shakes his head, gets up, gets next to me and takes the little, strange contraption from my hand. He inspects it for a while before pushing a button. The television makes noise again, quite loud. He hands me back the contraption, putting his hands over his ears. I push the one button to make it quieter after pushing the wrong one and making it louder.

Whoops.

I sit on the edge of the bed, pushing the channel buttons to see what will happen. Does it run out? This is too confusing. How do humans build such things, yet have ugly buildings and no plants?

"Eat marshmallows with me."

I turn around and hold the bag out to him. He pushes my hand away.

"You don't know what it is. I'm not eating it."

"It can't be bad; the humans love them."

"They eat animals, princess."

"I told you. These don't look like any animals, though."

"Baby rabbit."

I open the noisy bag and grab one.

"It's not a baby rabbit."

I hold it in front of him and squeeze it. He watches me for a while before grabbing my elbow and pulling me closer. I fall on the bed at a weird angle.

"No thanks."

"You're evil."

I sit back up and make sure my arm is still attached. Once it is fine, I eat the marshmallow that almost got me killed. It's... how do I describe this?

"Try one."

"No."

"Put fruit on it then."

"I'm not wasting perfectly good food on whatever that is."

"You know that the fruit is different from ours. Everything here is different."

He nods. I get the honey and put it on another marshmallow. It is much different now. I'm sticky. Ew. Whatever these white things are, it's like I'm not even eating them. I eat it and it disappears from my stomach. It's a trap.

"They dry out my mouth."

"Then stop eating them."

"I can't. It's weird."

He sits up beside me and hits my hand with the book. I drop the bag and look at my poor hand that now hurts.

"Why'd you do that?"

"You can't eat them if you can't hold them."

"You buffoon."

"You oddity."

"Is that your favorite word?"

"No."

"Then why do you say it so much?"