The place you left behind

The unknown place pt. II

"This have to be dream", she said throwing her hands up to her head.

They'd been walking for at least one hour, although for Kumiko it felt like an eternity. They hadn't shared any words between them since they started walking nor they held hands again after she let go for a moment to tie her hair up.

Umi was a few steps ahead and he didn't stop or turned back to look at her when he heard her speak.

"Luna... she is going to die of hunger or dehydratation if I don't go back soon".

He stopped at that. He turned his left leg along his upper body.

"Your daughter?", he asked and Kumiko could see a bit of concern on his face.

"Yes, my cat", she replied pouting. 

He rolled his eyes back and turned back again. But Kumiko hold his left arm with her two hands and kept talking as both started to walk again. He just let her hold him without questioning.

"I always leave some food for her just in case, so I wasn't that nervous about it until now. But now I'm miles away from home... No, no. 'Years' away from home. And I won't be able to go back and she will run out of food and out of water and she will die in less than a week"

"Did you tie her to a post?", he interrumpted without looking at her, "She will just hunt some birds and go look for some puddle or any stream to drink water. There's a lot of water sources in this world".

She stopped without realising his arm making him stop too. He then turned back again to see the reason why they stopped. Behind him was the face of a girl pouting with teary eyes.

"She won't be able to get out of the house", she sobbed, "And if she did, she doesn't even know how to hunt a fly". 

She started crying as she was ending to talk. She let go of Umi's arm to rub her face with the back of her hands.

"Shh", Umi suddenly seemed desperate, none idea to know what to do in that kind of situation. "That won't happen, listen-"

"I have to lift her up to help her hunt the flies", she interrumpted her, crying every word that got out of her mouth.

He looked perplexed at her with the words still in his opened mouth. He heard as she babbled about how useless her cat was and how she was totally dependant like a baby.

She was running out of breath when he decided to lay one of his hands on her back. He gently rubbed it in short up and down movements. She slowly started to calm down, now gasping from so much sobbing. He tried to think of any solution that could help her ease her mind at that moment.

"Is there anyone that lives near you that would go to check on you if they don't know anything from you in some days?"

She lifted her head and look him right in the eyes. Her brown pupils were so humid they sparkled. From his view, she looked like a lost and scared puppy.

"My friend", she mumbled almost inaudibly, looking down again

"Who?", he asked in case he didn't hear right.

"My friend", she repeated clearing her throat.

"Oh, are they a good friend of you?"

She nodded.

"Do you think they will go to your house soon?"

She nodded again. Using his free hand, he hold her chin with his thumb and index finger, and then lifted her head. They locked each other's eyes. Hers were shaking as his eyes looked at them steady. Her face was once again red and warm. Her eyes suddenly looked away at his lips and then got back at his eyes, and then back at his lips. He slightly opened his mouth and she diverted her vision going back to his eyes.