Escaped | Countryhumans Story

Chapter 25

Australia's p.o.v

"Γειά σου (Hello)?" The man said as more of a question, obviously wondering why I sat next to him.

"No-uhh...English. Do. You. Speak. English?" I ask slowly in case he couldn't. He just chuckled in response. 

"I know how to speak English, kid." The man smiled warmly, petting one of the curled up cat on his lap. "What brings you here?" He asked staring at the purring cat.

"Oh uh, I don't really know, it's just, no offense, kind of weird that you have that many cats." I say shyly. He blinks at me before laughing.

"Oh don't worry. I get questions like that all the time. To be honest I don't really know why they hang around me, they just seem to like me." He smiled peacefully. Every time he spoke, though his words used it his voice and tone lacked excitement and emotion for that matter. "She's a cutie, what's her name?" He asked referring to the cat in my arms.

"She?" I asked out loud.

"Oh sorry, is it not? I've been with cats so long I can usually tell right away." He said, again his words used empathy but his voice and face lacked it, it confused me.

"No, it's okay, I don't actually know their gender so you're most likely correct." I reply smiling.

"Oh, what's her name?" He asks.

"Uh...Bell...a...Bella!" I say, Bella just meowing. I named her after the bell on her collar, yeah I know I'm clever. He smiled in response. "My name is Australia or Aussie for short, you?" I ask.

"Greece, it's nice to meet you." He replied, I repeated his name in my mind, what an odd name. He sighs and enjoys the sunlight, though most of it was covered by the shade of his straw hat. The cats around him were bathing in the sunlight.

"So why are you here by yourself?" I ask.

Greece's p.o.v

"A lot of reasons, kid." I reply half-smiling. He gave me a disappointed look, showing he didn't like that answer.

"Sometimes old people like me are alone, we've gone through everything and now everything's gone." I say.

Aussie seems to make a hum sound.

"I've got a lesson for you kid, don't spend your money willy nilly, save it for things that matter most and spend time with those you love as often as you can, you don't know how much time you have left with them." He nods. He fiddles with the strap on his hat before opening his mouth.

"Since you've been through a lot and stuff, could you tell me a story, that's okay if you can't! It's just that I'm lost and it would be nice if you could tell a story!" He bursts out nervously.

I laugh. "Okay, I'll tell you the story of the sad prince." Aussie scoots closer, interested. The cats swarm him and rub against his body as he pets them.

"The sad prince wasn't always sad, he had all of his friends and family. The sad prince loved them very much. All of his friends were royalty from other kingdoms, and their parents got along quite well. One day sad prince and his two friends, god princess and strong prince. Strong prince was mad at god princess for being more powerful and popular. So he cursed god princess with a curse that would make her sleep forever. Sad prince was so sad that his friend was gone, soon after his mom had fell ill and had passed away. Alone and confused sad prince spent all his kingdom money on things to make him happy again, nothing worked. Sad prince's people people were now poor and mad at the sad prince, the kingdom became very poor. Desperate, sad prince asked other kingdoms for help, no one wanted to waste their own money until one. Strong prince. So sad prince made an offer with strong prince who helped him but made him under his control. Now even more upset, and still with a poor kingdom he backed away from the offer and made strong prince mad. They fought until sad prince won and spared strong prince's life. But sad prince was alone again with still angry people and a very poor kingdom. He asked other kingdoms once again and one started to help him. The prince was so happy he ignored the other part of the deal. So just like that sad prince started fixing up his kingdom and helping his people, but when it came time for sad prince to repay the other kingdom, he didn't have enough. Angry the person informed him that the other part of the deal was to repay. "I just don't have enough!" Sad prince cried but the person didn't listen. They cursed him with external debt and the worst thing of all, always be lonely." I told softly, lulling myself into a daydream of the story.