Time Bound

heys and hellos

"what are you wearing?"

Huh?

That's the first thing he asks to a stranger in the forest? What about hi? Hello? What's your name?

"Clothes? I'm wearing clothes yes." I replied. I didn't have the luxury to chat around so I walked towards him.

"Right clothes. They're rather..odd." the stranger replied, still scanning me. I felt very 'teenager-esque' for some reason. I mean we looked like we were the same age. Was I being judged in the middle of a damn forest?

"We'll I'm sorry about that. If you could very kindly help me return to my house now? That would be great." I said with a snark. I was hungry, thirsty, ratched looking and fatigued. I had no energy for formalities and so this man, whoever he was, will have to deal with my attitude.

He didn't say much but started walking away from the clearing. And that was what I thought was my cue to follow. I quickly caught up with him because this town was small enough for 'accidents' to go unnoticed.

"So what made you wander into the forest this late?" I bravely initiated the conversation. "Work" he replied blankly. I said nothing more.

We walked for about 15 minutes when we reached the lakeside, where I had started my trail. But it looked peculiar, in the sense that it looked rather rural.
The street lights were off and the paths were covered with gravel and not the usual concrete blocks I was used to.

We continued walking beside the lake and as I was soaking things in the stranger spoke up, "why were you in the woods this late?". "I came for my usual walk and I lost track of direction." I replied vaguely.

"Mikhael" he said. I've never known a Mike leave alone a Mikhael in our town.

"Hi Mikhael, I'm Audrey. Are you new to this town?" I asked him trying to keep the conversation going. He stopped and looked at me with a confused look on his face. "New? My forefathers built this town." He replied.

Okay. What? "Right" I laughed. But his expression told me it wasn't a joke.
There was an awkward silence looming over us and I didn't want to say something unnecessary to keep the small talk going so I kept shut.

We were slowly reaching the main town and i noticed that none of the street lamps were on. Infact there were no street lamps. A sudden chill passed down my spine. The houses were different, the concrete- no scrap that, there was no fancy newly set concrete! No grocery mart, no shitty drive in theatre, no stupid laundry service and not even my highschool.

I couldn't move because it was too much to comprehend. The man, Mikhael must've sensed that I stopped and he grew even more suspicious when he saw my face. Plain and white with horror.

I wasn't scared that I was suddenly in a place that looked nothing like my hometown but was my hometown, but it was the fact that I was in a place that looked nothing like my hometown but was my hometown AND I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

Mikhael looked so close to just sending me to jail and I had no idea how or why this was happening.

My breathing quickened and i started sweating. Things were going double, and the dizzy spell hit me. I fell to the ground, partially blind to whatever was happening around me, breathing like a turbo machine. The fatigue was too much, I was scared and I just wanted to go home this instant. Nothing was making sense.

But then I felt a hand to my mouth. It was Mikhaels. I think i started hyperventilating. I was on the ground, in the arms of this beautiful man and i just wanted to die.

_________

I didn't die. In fact I recovered rather quickly from that. This Mikhael guy knows his first aid.

"Are you better now?" He asked. I nodded my head but I still didn't have the energy to get up. He placed me properly on the ground and started inquiring.

"You must have gone into a shock. Are you from around here?" I nodded again.
"Do you live in this town?" I nodded.
"Which house do you live in?" He asked. I looked in the direction of what should've been my house but all there was was an empty ground.

He must've caught on to my panic because he stopped asking questions and helped me to my feet. It was a rather easy task for him. We slowly walked towards his house that i couldn't figure out the location of.

It had the same kind of kerosene lamps he was carrying and was well lit and looked welcoming.

The next thing i remember is waking up inside that house the next morning. All I could recall from the previous night was Mikhaels big hands.