The Hidden World

Nostalgia

It had been a hot day.
No cloud had been willing to grant his journey a little cooling shadow. His feet were protesting, making him stumble after almost every step.
I'm never going to make it...
That had been the only thing echoing in his brain. He had been weak, starvation nagging on him and dehydration making his head heavy but empty.
"Hey! Where ya goin' boy?"
Hiccup blinked a few times, but his vision stayed blurry.
"G...granvi...lle" He croaked with his sore throat, tortured by dryness. The letter i was the worst, almost killing his voice entirely.
"Well! Today's yo lucky day kiddo, was about to pass that Hicksville my own." The man explained in a heavy southern accent, already too much for Hiccup in his state.
"Hop on boy. I throw ye off when we get there."
Slowly Hiccup dragged his weak bones onto the van. Was he a life saviour? Hiccup wasn't too naive. He expected to be raped or killed before he actually landed in Granville.
"So you're out there on your own?" The foreigner questioned but it was more like a statement.
"No. You forgot to say hello to my invisible friend." It took much more to destroy Hiccup's sarcasm. The only thing that had been killed was his voice. Now these words came out completely emotionless and serious, almost not audible.
The stranger looked a little bit shocked, but Hiccup made no sign of clearing the joke.
"Ehm..." He cleared his throat.
"Hello invisible friend of-"
Hiccup started laughing, stopping the stranger before he could make a mistake of mentioning Hiccup's name although he had yet to ask.
"I knew you were kidding!" The man joined in the laughing.
After a while Hiccup placed his head against the cold seat. He had a monstrous headache.
"You must be dehydrated. Want something to drink?" The stranger asked. Hiccup glanced annoyed and distrustful at him. As if he would accept water from a stranger. Did he really think he was this stupid?
"Oh. Forgot that." The man answered honestly. As if he had been so comfortable around Hiccup that he forgot they were strangers.
He took out the bottle and with that a great sip.
"There? Convinced you?"
Hiccup wasn't, but he took the bottle. He waited a few minutes, observing the stranger carefully. When nothing seemed to happen to the man, Hiccup finally placed the bottle on his dry broken lips. He downed the bottle immediately.
"Damn you thirsty!" The foreigner laughed.
"What is a young man like you doin' out here alone anyways?" He stared for Hiccup's wellbeing too long at his direction.
"Look at the street." Was his only answer. The man was already chatting to much for Hiccup who usually only talked when necessary. There were no other reasons for him.
"As ya wish." The stranger sighed... disappointed? Why would he be? His only goal was to throw Hiccup out of the van as soon they reached the city. Something was off. Hiccup didn't know many people, but his gut definitely told him something.
This man's dangerous.
Get away!
Immediately!
Hiccup sat silently.
"You don't wanna tell me what you're up to in Granville?"
"No." Hiccup answered laconic, his gaze indifferent and emotionless outside the window.
The strange man was curious and definitely not satisfied with Hiccup's answer.
"Why not?" He pouted playfully. Hiccup frowned.
"None of your business." He hissed almost angrily. The stranger wasn't all too impressed.
"Cuse me, who's doin' ya a favor?"
Something in Hiccup immediately snapped.
"I walk."
Without bothering the van was driving 50km per hour Hiccup opened the door. The driver immediately slowed down, the seat belt cutting into Hiccup's shoulder and chest.
"You crazy?!" The man yelled when the car came to a forced stop.
"Thank god the door's still on..." He muttered quietly, meanwhile Hiccup opened his seat belt.
"Wait wait! I was joking!" Hiccup glanced distrustful at the man, realizing for sure what the man was forgetting.
"I don't do jokes." Hiccup deadpanned.
"Ok. You don't have to tell me anything. I won't molest you, promise!"
Hiccup observed the stranger's hand carefully. He had never been offered a promise in his life before.
"Pinky promise?" The man added with a dorky grin. Hiccup groaned unnerved but closed the door with a strong bang.
"Awesome!" The foreigner cheered, Hiccup fastening his seat belt again.
The next following minutes remained silent. The foreigner kept his promise and left Hiccup in peace. As Hiccup had enough time to sorten his mind, he categorized two odds.
"Why do you insist on taking me to Granville?" Hiccup asked out of the blue. The stranger startled, but smiled, happy the talking was back in the game.
"I know you are pretty distrustful regarding the circumstances-"
"Pretty?" Hiccup asked with a sad smile. It wasn't only the circumstances that Hiccup was at the mercy of a complete stranger. Hiccup trusted nobody. Saying he only trusted himself and intended to keep it that way.
He was taught like that 18 years long, one moment wouldn't ruin that castle.
"Well, immense would suit better." The stranger laughed. Hiccup agreed with a silent nod.
"But I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm not like that. I'm a pretty nice guy if you would bother to get to know me-"
"No." Hiccup decided certainly.
"You are a hopeless case, aren't you?" The stranger smiled. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm not here for therapy, but I get the point." Hiccup answered casually.
"Well, believe me or not, but I do care for you. And I'd rather bring you to Granville myself than risking you to hitchhike with some real criminal who won't hesitate to kidnap you."
Hiccup scrutinized the man. Strange. He seemed honest.
"Thanks. I'll think of that as soon I'll feel safer." He grumbled, his eyes focusing back on the outside.
"May I... Ask you-"
"No." Hiccup defended himself of the shy answer. He wasn't being fair. The stranger had answered his question without protests. On the other hand, he had promised not to molest him.
"It's nothing personal. Nothing that helps me tracking you or anything if you fear that." The stranger assured. Hiccup didn't want to anyway.
"Fine."
He could see the victory on the other man's smile. Hiccup wasn't even certain he would answer the following question. He owed him nothing.
"You are so distrustful and... Scared? It's almost like you fear to get kidnapped or raped by me."
"No offense, I don't trust anyone at all. That's my nature I guess."
But that wasn't the driver's point.
"Why do you still hitchhike?"
Hiccup was silenced. Good question actually. Did he even have an answer for that?
"I... I need to go. I don't really have much of a choice if I want to get on time." He stuttered to himself. The stranger didn't believe him.
"There are also other ways to travel. Much safer than by foot let alone hitchhike."
Saying he had no money would be a lie. He had saved more than enough. He could travel forth and back with the train. Not that he even want to. The reason he took the way by foot and stole for food was simple. He needed the money for the university. It may seem stupid. Running away to go to school. His personality would only get him bullied again.
"I need to keep moving. I can't go back where I come from and Granville is the only destiny."
He didn't want to land in a diner again. He wanted to study hard. Get a high ranked job, well paid. Not that he could command other people, but that he could finally relax. No one would torture him anymore if he had the ability to fire them.
"That doesn't really answer my question." The foreigner stated. Hiccup ignored him.
"I go by foot because I have no alternative. I hitchhike because I need to be on time.
I understand the danger very well. I have just reached a point in my life where I don't care. I'm willing to risk anything to achieve my goal. And if it happens not like I hoped for, I have no regret left."
The stranger scrutinized him confused, especially his sorrowful smile.
"You see, anything would be better than where I came from."
The stranger shook his head. Couldn't he believe what Hiccup was talking about? Probably. Did he think Hiccup was mad and belonged in a psychiatry?
Most definitely!
Hiccup decided to cool his head at the window just for one second, ignoring the head bangs he received.