Matches

Chapter 5

We sat there awkwardly, not sure where the conversation was going. I twiddled my thumbs and pretended to be deep in thought.

Ryan sighed. "I'll allow you three questions."

"Ok, uhh... where are we."

"I don't know," he said.

I looked at him questioningly. "Like, are we still on Earth, or are we in a totally different dimension...?"

"Do you want that to be your second question?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Is that your first question for me?"

He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair. "Why are we answering the questions with questions?"

I snickered. "Do you want me to answer that?" He looked at me and smirked.

"When I said I don't know where we are, I'm telling the truth. I've been here since I was a kid, and I still haven't found an actual town, or city, or whatever." He zoned out, staring into the fire.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and cleared his throat. "But that doesn't mean that were the only people here."

I bit my lip, unsure of what I should ask next. "What... what were those things chasing us when I first got here?"

"They're called griscains. It's Latin and French. Gris meaning gray, and cain meaning hound or dog. Though, they're he'll of a lot more than that." He pointed to my leg. "That injury you got is from the stinger on its tail. Griscains are super accurate and can hit a target from 50 feet away. The poison inside the barb is nasty stuff. Most people don't survive it."

"Is there a way to get back home?"

He looked at me like I was stupid. "If I knew that there was a way to get back home, don't you think I'd already be there? Like I said, I've been here since I was a kid."

"You said there were other-"

"Nope! That was three questions! My turn now." He tapped his chin. "Well, I already got your name sooooo... what were you doing when you were zapped here?"

"Well..." I thought of the woods, and the trees, and the damp bench. "I was just walking on a trail."

"Come on," Ryan said, smirking. "You've got to give me more than that! I haven't been in the real world for a long ass time! Put some details in there. Why were you walking that day? Where you bored, in a fight, running from a squid monster?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Squid monster?"

He smiled. "You know what I mean. Tell me a story!"

I sighed, and began my tale.

(432 words)