Love Next Door

Chapter Eighteen- Trouble

They walked silently along the street. It must have been about eleven in the morning, but there was still only a few people walking around and standing outsides their houses. They all looked normal as far as Jay could tell. Except, they seemed to speak in strange rhythmic languages which did not sound anything like what he had heard back at the airport.

They walked for at least twenty minutes in silence before the houses began to dwindle and more trees appeared around them.

"Was that the whole town?" Jay asked. The sun was beating down on them almost harshly.

"No, there are other precincts back the other way and much further along this road. Illytrea is a big place, just very spread out."

After more walking, and as the houses faded into meadows and forests, they took a right turn down a dirt track. In the distance, he could see expansive hills covered in flowers. He was beginning to see that Ash's mother was right, the landscape was like nothing he had seen before. It was then as they walked in the continued silence that Jay decided to broach one of the subjects he was curious about.

"Why did you change your name?"

Ash didn't answer for a while but he seemed to walk slower. He raked a hand through his hair.

"I just never liked it. It wasn't me." He sighed. "As soon as I left here for the first time, I dropped it. But as you could tell, they didn't. It feels like I'm being mistaken for someone else, someone who I used to be."

"I think I understand."

Ash looked at him quizzically, but Jay didn't elaborate. It wasn't the right time to reveal some of his deeper, darker secrets. He wanted to get Ash back first, make sure he was the same person as before. He didn't even want to entertain the thought that his 'mission' might fail and he would return empty handed, and with an empty heart.

The breeze rustling through the trees hit them like a cool wave. It was the relief they needed. Jay thought he saw deer running through the forests on either side of them. He could hear distinct rustling amongst the tall trees. As they approached the path to climb the hills they passed a lone farm with cows, seemingly normal looking, except the cows were an off yellow instead of white. He didn't bother questioning it.

The hill ascent seemed quite steep, with a pathway which inclined and was layered with rocks. He hadn't exactly been prepared to hike anything and so the path made him slightly nervous. He quietly voiced his concern, but Ash assured him it wasn't far up and not too difficult, plus the view was spectacular. Begrudgingly though, he had to help Jay to get up some of the steeper rock steps which were obstacles on their ascent. Jay blushed every time he had to grasp Ash's hand. He wondered if Ash could feel the almost electrifying way their skin touched each time. His hands grew quite sweaty with the action.

Finally, after twenty or so minutes of walking and climbing, they reached an area where the dirt began to flatten out, and flowers began to increase in their spread. They were beautiful in themselves, soft pastel blues and pinks and yellows which filled any patch of grass visible. He felt the urge to pick a bunch of them and just hold them in his hands.

Ash climbed up the last rocky ledge and walked ahead. Jay followed, staring at the other man who stood with his back to him, his blue hair flowing in the breeze. With a pang of recognition, he thought of the unfinished painting back home.

With a small smile beginning to paint his face, Jay looked on for a moment from afar, at the view. The landscape was dotted with villages and meadows, the sky a very light blue, delicately weaved in places with translucent white clouds.A painting come to life. In some areas, the clouds cast a dark shadow on what was below it, and in others, the sun pointed down like a halo of light. He thought that in the very distance he could see water.