The Naturalistic

CHAPTER 2

"What do you mean by the dead can't die?" I ask him scared now.

"They aren't living people like us or some shadow monster you call them, they are the spirits of dead soldiers." He answers and that sends a chill through me.

"What's going on?" I mutter softly.

"Well you don't remember anything about this place, it's okay to be scared."

"Wait, what? About this place? This is earth right?" He laughs on it but I'm serious and scared and alone with some stranger.

"Yes this is Earth," he replies.

"Thank God," I reply. "Umm. . . Would you like to tell me your name?"

"Rick." He says.

"That's cute." I smile.

"My sister used to like this name too." He tells me.

"Looks like you love her," I say.

"Yeah," He says. "I loved her."

Loved. The word hangs around us. I don't know what happened to her and I don't want to. "I'm so sorry," I mumble.

"Thanks," He replies with a small but painful smile across his face.

"So. . . Where are we going?" I try and change the topic.

"There's a base camp ahead." He answers. "My friend Gloria would be waiting there for us."

"Okay, lead the way," I say and he lends me his hand to help me onto my feet.

"Look there she is." He says pointing straight. I see her approaching towards us with a great wide smile across her face. She looks like a mid-aged woman.

"Your friend?" I ask grinning.

"So what?" He replies.

"Nothing," I answer almost laughing.

"Hello, Evy," She says coming near. "I hope it was a safe journey here."

"Yeah well, I wouldn't exactly say ' safe ', but I do agree it was adventurous though," I say.

"Really? At least you are alive." Rick says.

"You pushed me off a cliff," I reply.

"Enough for the day people," She says. "Let's go in, you must be tired."

"Yeah, and hungry too," I add.

"Of course," she grins.

Walking towards her manor I take a few glances around here. We all are surrounded by deep dense dark woods. As it's autumn, they reflect a warm orange-reddish glow. Between these woods is the camp I suppose with the innumerable tents so I give up counting and her manor is right in between of it which looks pretty vintage.

She opens the door and let us in. As we enter, the smell of wood spreads all around me and it calms me down. There is a dining table near the window and on it is a bowl of cookies, the site of them lights me up and I grab a couple, it clicks me after a second. . . Where the hell are my manners?

"Sorry," I mutter, "But these are great,"

"It's all right Evy," She smiles, "Thank you."

She told us that she would prepare something to eat, till then we can freshen up ourselves and she handed me some clothes to change. Yeah, I needed them because my dress was torn from sides and all covered with dirt. Thanks to Rick.