Green Eyes - Chapter 3

“I saw you a few days ago, when you ran through this forest. I could tell you weren’t used to the outdoors, weren’t used to the wilderness. I followed you. Mainly because I was worried for your safety, but also because I was interested. A girl like you wouldn’t run through the forest for no reason, not the way you did. I followed you, I watched as you struggled to survive in the cold and the rain. I stayed close, close enough to be there when you ran out of energy, but not enough so you would notice me. I watched you slow down, I watched you collapse. And that’s when I came to your rescue. I picked you up, carried you to my campsite and warmed you up, stayed with you until you showed signs of life. I could see you watching me, but your eyes didn’t quite focus on me, as if you were looking but couldn’t register anything. It was scary to watch, I came just in time I guess. Who knows how long you would have lasted?” he sits back on his hands and looks at me, as if he was measuring me up. His words danced, swum, sung inside my head.
Anger, confusion, sadness, happiness. I don’t know what to feel. Part of me is glad that he saved my life, but I don’t know why he waited so long. He could have helped me when I was weak, saved me nearly dying.
“Just in time? You had plenty of time. You could have saved me way before I collapsed. You could have helped me, fed me, kept me going. Why wait until I nearly die?”
“But where’s the fun in life without taking risks?” His forest green eyes twinkle at me, and I find myself getting even angrier.
“I could have died!” My voice breaks as I try yell, and I stand up quickly, the woollen blanket falling to the ground. My head aches and I sway, trembling on my feet.
“Woah, woah, steady girl. Where are you going? You’re in no state to run away,” He grabs me by the waist and I can’t fight, I have no fight left in me. I sit back down reluctantly, my body throbbing from the movement. He pulls the blanket over me, and reaches into his pocket, handing me a slab of burnt looking meat. “Eat,” he says, “You need it”
I stare at the shrivelled food with disgust. “What even is this? Looks like dog food”
But my stomach rumbles loudly and he just looks at me. I take a bite. It’s not that bad, just like a badly cooked piece of venison. I smile and finish the rest of the meat in 3 bites. I look to him, expecting more, but he just shakes his head, his eyes full of pity. I wonder where he got the food. Maybe he’s run out.
“Eat slowly, your stomach will have shrunken lately. Here, have some berries, and a drink” he hands them to me, and I finish them off just as quickly. The berries are sour; they leave my mouth feeling dry and raw.
“That’s enough for now. Have some more in a while. But for now, rest. Keep sipping on the water”
I lie back down, watching Kaia with curiosity. He’s broad, and tall, but he can’t be much older than I am. I wonder how he got into the forest, why he lives here. Where is the rest of his family? I don’t know why I trust him in the first place. Back when everything was normal, I never would have trusted a boy like him. But then, I would never have any reason to. I can’t compare who I was back then, with who I am now. Just a week, and a person can change so much. Just a week, and the whole world can change so much. I haven’t really thought about what happened at home, I don’t want to scare myself. I wonder if Kaia knows about it.
“You told me your name, but I never told you mine,” I say to him, and he looks at me with that glint in his eye.
“I don’t need to know your name. In the forest, we’re all equal; we’re all in this together. We don’t need names to divide us”
“But you gave me your name,” I say, confused.
“I never said I was telling the truth” he smiles at me, a mysterious shadow of a smile that leaves me wanting to know the full story, but something holds me back. I nod, and close my eyes. He goes back to his thoughts, and I go back to mine.