I need to pee but the sound of a snoring man outside the cave entrance is making it difficult. I bite on my nail as I see the outline of his head resting against the ground. His head is the only thing that I can see. From this angle I can only make out dark hair.
"Hello?" I call.
The man doesn't stir. If anything, his snores get louder. I nudge myself closer to the entrance, cringing as I directly move underneath a giant spider web. I go slower and slower as one of the spiders starts to drop downwards. It's huge. I hold my breath as its long legs reach down for the ground and then it starts running at me.
I push myself up and I scream as I run out of the cave. I pat my whole body down as I stomp erratically onto the leaves.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"
The first thing I notice is his smooth British accent, the second thing I notice is his lack of clothes. My eyes trail over his bare torso as lays flat on his stomach.
"Oh my god, you're naked."
"Yes," he says, in an obvious tone. "Have you never seen a naked man before?"
I swallow and glance away, turning my body in a different direction.
"Oh, you haven't. Wow."
"Who are you?" I demand. "Why are you following me?"
"Why were you making those screeching sounds?" he asks back.
"A spider ran at me."
I hear his laughter and I glance over with a scowl.
"You woke me up because of a spider? God, humans are so annoying."
"Can you please put some clothes on and explain to me why you are sleeping so close to me?" I say.
"Does it look like I have clothes on me?" he says.
I point towards the cave entrance. "There's a quilt in there. Use that."
"Alright. Hopefully the man-eating spider doesn't get me." He puffs. "Girls."
I pace a little as I wait for him to return. He walks out of the cave with the quilt wrapped around his large frame. For the first time, I look at him. Really look at him. I can't stop staring. Not just because he's incredibly beautiful with dark hair, a short beard and alluring green eyes but because of the scar that is slashed across his right cheek.
"Does it scare you?" he asks, touching his scar. "Would you like to know what did it to me?"
"No," I say. "I want you to answer my questions."
"Alright." He takes a seat on the ground. "Ask."
"I already did."
He grins to himself. "You want to know who I am and why I'm following you?"
I nod.
"You seemed pretty helpless and clueless out here," he says. "I thought I'd offer some help."
"Why?"
"Because otherwise you'd be dead?"
"Do you live out here?"
"Yes," he says.
"And the wolf? Where is it?" I look around the woods but I can't see it.
"The wolf is sleeping," he says, half-smiling with amusement. "He doesn't like daylight."
"So he's yours?"
The man nods slowly. "He's mine."
"So you are the one that left me the water and food," I say.
"And the quilt and the clothes." He looks over me with a smile. "They suit you. That dress was. . . wow though. It's a shame you had to ditch it."
I swallow uneasily. "Thank you. You saved my life."
He shrugs. "I haven't seen any humans out here in years. You're lucky. My wolf confused your blood for a wounded animal, it was very close to attacking you. Once they catch a scent of food, it's hard for them to stop. But I managed to call him back."
"Oh," I mumble. I think he's talking about the first night when I met the mysterious black beast, the night that I was dying from various kinds of issues. "Did you. . . give me a blanket that night?"
"No, why?"
"Nothing. It doesn't matter."
"What are you doing out here?" he questions. "I sort of got the sense that you're hiding from something given that you ignored every single trail that leads back to the road."
"Something like that," I mutter.
"I know the way out of here if you want me to-"
I shake my head immediately and he narrows his eyes. "I can't go back."
"To the world?" he says, cocking an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I just can't."
"You can't stay here."
"I can and I am," I say confidently, sitting down next to him. "When I reach the mountain, I'll be able to get a direct water source and I'll find better shelter."
He looks at me worriedly. "The mountain? Look no offence or anything but you were dressed like you've just ran away from a pampered life in a mansion, you have zero survival skills when it comes to the wilderness. You got lucky with the wolves the other night, there will be much bigger predators hiding up there."
"Like what?" I whisper.
"Lions. Bears. Coyotes." He laughs to himself quietly. "Take it from me, they are feisty bastards. Be realistic. Go home."
"I can't go home," I say.
"What is so bad about a pampered life that you would risk death to escape it?"
I sigh. I know how crazy it must sound to an outsider, it sounds crazy to myself. I never got a chance to think this through properly, I honestly didn't believe that I'd survive this long. I just needed to run. Run far and fast. But now I'm here, I don't know where to go. I don't know where I belong.
"If I die out here then I die but I am never going back."
He sighs deeply as he looks over my face. "You're stubborn. I like that."
I smile. "Do you have a name?"
"Thorn."
"Like the bush?"
"Hm."
"I'm De. . . Davina. My name is Davina."
"Really?" he says. "I wouldn't have guessed that. I'd have pegged you for a Susan or a Katherine. One of those strong pampered names."
I laugh. "Please stop saying pampered."
He clicks his tongue as he looks away. "You would have died without my help. I call that pampered."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Why do people say that? Obviously I am going to say yes. Just ask it."
"Where the hell are your clothes?"
He laughs out, his green eyes sparkling as he trails them down my body. "You're wearing them."
I pull at the long shirt. "Oh."
"I usually bring underwear but I was in a rush."
"What?"
"What?" he echoes.
"Why would you bring underwear? You'd just wear it."
"Oh. Right. I live my life a little differently to you, princess."
My nose crinkles. "Don't call me that."
"Touched a nerve, eh? Come on, I'll take you to my camp, it's not far."
"Camp?" I say.
"Do Americans not say camp? Uh. . . bunker? My home made out of wood?"
I laugh as I stand up, hesitantly moving towards the cave to retrieve the bottle.
"Don't worry about the water, I've got more of them."
I follow him down the path. I can tell that the quilt is annoying him but he keeps it around him anyway, probably so he doesn't freak me out. I still need to pee but I'm embarrassed to go in front of him. I decide to wait until we reach his camp, hopefully it has something more private that I can use.
"I can't believe you just live out here," I say, scrolling my eyes around the high trees. "I officially don't feel as insane anymore."
Thorn turns back and stares sharply into my eyes. I catch my breath. "Just wait."