The Essence of Water

NEW VERSION Chapter 15

The cabin smells like meat and sharp spice. It's lovely none the less because it's someone's home and I've been invited inside. The cabin is one large room except for the small closet sized bathroom. The stranger throws a couple of logs onto the fire and sits down in his chair, putting the gun against the wall next the hearth. "Should I close the door?" I ask.

He looks up at me. "Is your friend coming?" he asks and I shrug in return. "Then go ahead, it's unlocked if he changes his mind. No reason to waste heat."

I do as he asks and look around; there is loft where the bed is near the roof. Steps lead up to it and shelves are built in underneath them. They are lined with books and jars of food. Everything is made of wood that looks like it's been carved by hand. The kitchen is full of old appliances and there is something heating on the stove. I catch a whiff of spice when it hisses.

"Don't just stand there, come sit and get warm by the fire. I don't bite." I sit on a little wooden stool by the fire and place my bag between my feet on the floor. The fire kisses my face and chases away the cold in my nose and ears. It's the warmest I've felt in months.

"I recognize your face," he says slowly.

I open my mouth to answer but the door slams open. We both turn to see Aiden standing in the doorway. "Let's go," he says. "Right now."

"No," I tell him firmly. I'm just starting to get warm.

"Are you both Misfits?" the stranger asks and Aiden glares at him.

"Right now," Aiden says without looking at me.

"Either come inside or leave, but could you please close the door? You're letting the cold in."

Aiden hesitates a moment but then he steps in and closes the door but he doesn't move towards us, he stays with his back to the door, ready to escape at any moment. I turn back to the man. "The answer to your question is yes," I tell him.

Aiden chokes on his breathe. "Adie," he hisses a warning then sucks in another breath, realizing he's just given my name away on top of it all. "Damn it," he swears angrily.

The stranger chuckles, "You've got nothing to worry about from me. I knew the answer before I asked."

I look him in the eyes and study his face. He's eyes are surprisingly light blue and his silver hair is hidden under his red baseball cap. His flannel shirt and jeans are worn but taken care of. He's relaxed despite the fact that he was shouting at us with a gun in his hands not ten minutes ago. "How did you know?" I ask.

The stranger lifts his hands and outlines my body in the air with his pointer finger. "Because of that," he says.

"What?" I ask looking down at myself. I wonder if we are so easily recognized because of our clothes or our faces.

"You're connection. It glows like the noon sun, plain as day," he looks at Aiden. "Yours too."

I remember the mist I saw around Aiden when I first encountered him. I look at him now, but there is nothing there. He's just pale and stiff at the door. I turn back to the stranger. "Does that mean you're like us?" I ask. "A Misfit?"

A soft smile touches his lips when he looks at me and then a blue aura pushes away from his body, it's the same mist I saw surrounding Aiden but it's fainter, like it's barely holding onto him. Then it disappears again and Aiden steps closer. "Who are you?" he demands.

"My name is Doug," he says simply. "It's nice to meet you."

"My name is Adie and the asshole by the door is Aiden. How are you here? How have you not been picked up by the Handlers?" I ask astonished. He must be at least fifty and yet he lives in his own little cabin without harassment. Somehow he must have found a way to keep them off his trail.