4

Chapter 4

She stared down at him silently, her brown eyes boring straight into him, causing him to shrink down slightly in response. After sitting in silence for awhile, she spoke again. "Did you sleep well?"

The stranger nodded once more, "I did. Thank you for letting me borrow your bed." he smiled slightly. Although he had no idea what the conversation between them had been like last night, there was definitely something that had occurred between them during their brief talk. The fact that she had offered him a place to stay made his heart race, which caused him to blush slightly despite having no skin to show off, not even the slightest bit of freckles that were sprinkled across his face.

"No problem. Come, sit," she beckoned to him, indicating that she wanted him to follow her as she made her way towards the dining room table. He hesitantly sat down across from her, glancing up at her every few seconds as she cooked.

When the meal was done, she grabbed his empty bowl and started filling it with water. Before doing so, however, she poured it back out onto the floor before placing his plate on top of it. Once she had placed that down next to his, she sat down next to him, crossing her legs together in front of her.

After a minute or so, she spoke up again, "So how long will it be before you can return home?" she asked.

"…How long do we have?" he asked nervously.

"About six months, depending on how many storms come in over time. The weather will change quite often in our country," she informed him.

Six months, huh? Six months? That meant…

Six months was a long time to be stuck outside. He didn't want to be stuck in the woods by himself forever, especially since he really had no clue where he was or where he was headed in general, other than somewhere nearby. In the future he might not be able to get back home, so why would he want to waste the precious years he had spent here?

But still, that didn't explain how he ended up here… in this time… or why the monster had attacked him. Had this man been chasing him, or was it simply a random monster that had caught sight of him walking alone through the forest? Either way, it was impossible for him to know what kind of situation he was currently stuck in.

"Do you live here in town?" he inquired hesitantly.

"Yes, I'm the daughter of the village head. My father is very busy with the village affairs so I spend a lot of my time here working. We rarely leave the village though, so it's difficult sometimes."

"Ah… I see…"

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, almost seeming as if she had read his mind. "What?" she asked playfully.

"Nothing, it's just, I always thought it would take longer for kids like us to be able to travel to other places."

"Don't say that! Traveling is amazing, believe me. There are plenty of wonderful things out there, but traveling is only part of it. There's also magic everywhere, even underground. Some stories tell of people who have experienced the supernatural. Those who survive become legends, people who are able to see spirits or gods. But most stories don't end well," the woman said solemnly, looking down, staring at the table instead of at her son. She sighed softly, rubbing her temples slowly, "...But the truth is that even when we experience supernatural encounters, we never truly forget about it. We carry it with us until our deaths, and in some instances, they become a burden as well."

Her son watched quietly as his mother continued to speak. Her expression was sad yet stern as she recalled a certain memory. Eventually, after a while, she looked up and met his eyes, smiling gently.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you and look after you until you find a way back to your own time,"