Three Eleven Thirteen

Chapter Thirty

Hi. Sorry it has taken over a year for me to update this book

I wouldn't be surprised if everyone forgot about it

But also I think I'm finally out of my writing slump for it, so that means updates will come a lot faster :D

Chapter Thirty 

Never have I ever been so grateful to live in such a secluded area. Forests and farmland surrounded our little town, which was easily the route I chose to keep Ellie away from as much civilization as possible.

I remember complaining to my father how I'd prefer to live in the city, but he would scold me for not taking the greenery and clean air for granted.

I'm now taking it for granted.

Ellie and I have been walking on an old country road for almost two hours now. Fields surrounded us for miles ahead, and miles behind. I didn't even care, so long as only a few cars would pass by every hour. Ellie seemed to contain himself well enough anyway.

I even wondered if I should have taken him out here months ago. He seemed to love the nature aspect of our little journey. Sometimes he'd stop, pick up an ant on the road and examine the little creature like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Currently he was examining a bird feather, I wanted to tell him to drop it for it could contain God knows what kind of diseases, but then again, I didn't think he got sick like normal humans do.

"Look at you." I said, biting back a laugh as I beckoned to his dirt-covered hands, "You're like a toddler."

He glanced at me, "A toddler?"

"Your hands are absolutely filthy from you picking up every rock and bug off the ground in the last eight miles."

He seemed not to mind, "Are only toddlers curious about things?"

I pondered, "I suppose not."

He was silent for a long, long while. I had retreated back to acknowledging the scenery, thinking that our conversation had ended.

And then he spoke, "I'd like to meet one, one day."

I glanced at him, "Meet what?"

"A toddler."

My heart warmed at his words, "One day you will."

"No," He said, a look on his face that I couldn't decipher, as he focused on the feather in his hand, "No, I don't think I could."

"Why is that?" I shouldn't pry, I noticed how upset Ellie gets when he talks about himself.

His inner demons, as I call them.

He dropped the feather, watching it glide in the air before it gently hit the dirt road. "I am different."

I stared at him, hoping he'd continue, but he didn't.

I sighed, "Ellie we are all a little weird-"

"No, not weird." He was staring at me now, his eyes locked on mine, "I am not weird, Ripley I am different. I think I understand that now."

"Well, that applies too." I tell him, "There isn't a person on the earth that isn't different."

"I am not a machine."

I stepped over to him, and intertwined my arm with his, "No, Ellie, you are not a machine. You and I are living, breathing human beings."

"Living."

We stayed quiet for a long, long moment. I didn't want to say anything to Ellie, he seemed to be in such a fragile state of mind. I noticed he has been questioning everything -even more than usual- which has left me questioning things too.