It was only about an hour and a few minutes when Asai had been gone to get food. Leaving me to wait for his return.
Soon he returned through the waterfall, holding a big load of fruit in his arms.
I was surprised to see him smiling slightly.
"Welcome back....that's a lot of fruit." I look down at his loaded arms.
He was holding bananas, mangoes, apples, and coconuts.
"Food." He grinned. He proceeded to walk over to me and push the food in my face.
I watched him arrive with a big load of fruits in his hands, smiling and clearly excited. Upon seeing him, I was swept up in his cheerful expression and reached out instinctively, grabbing a fruit without paying attention to which one it was.
"Thank you." I say quietly, pulling the fruit to my chest.
After I got a fruit, he dumped the rest aside, squatted down beside it, and quickly began to chow down on one of the mangoes.
As he took a bite of the delicious mango, the juices spread everywhere, covering his lips and dripping down his chin.
I kept looking at him, finding the sight of him chewing the mango a bit alluring, even in his messy state without any regard for good manners. Something about the idea of someone enjoying their food so gleefully, regardless of how they seemed to be doing it in a somewhat unattractive manner, was strangely attractive.
Wait! What am I thinking?
I quickly caught myself from thinking that sort of way and turned to look down at my own hand. It was indeed an apple that I had grabbed, a green one at that.
Biting into the apple, caused a crunching sound. I tried to stay as quiet as possible as I chewed on it, but the loud sound made it impossible for me to be anywhere near as silent as I would've liked.
I had just taken another bite of the apple when I heard an unexpected deep and throaty laugh. My ears became immediately drawn to the sound, and I couldn't help myself from turning to look toward the source of the laughter.
I decided to speak up after hearing his laugh for a second time.
"Are you laughing at me?" I asked him, feeling a little embarrassed about what might've caught his attention.
Instead of giving me a proper answer he just laughed again.
"F-forgive me, you funny."
I feel my cheeks heat up again so I turn away.
"I just couldn't figure out how to eat this without being too loud."
He stops laughing and a smirk plays his lips. "You like Allo?"
My head goes to him. "Allo? What's a Allo?"
His face scrunches at my confusion. "In hand." He points at the apple in hand.
"Oh you meant the Apple. Is that you guys call this, a Allo?"
He nodded as if it was obvious. "New York words are weird."
"You mean different, and I could say the same thing to you."
His smile grew and I finally realized something. His teeth weren't yellow or gross, but actually white and nice. They weren't flawless, and he even had sharp canines on the side.
I set down the apple and leaned a little closer to him to speak to him. "How are your teeth so clean?" I asked him, not meaning to offend since it was an honest question due to our varying levels of technology.
He pursed his lips at the word 'teeth'.
I pointed to my own teeth.
His eye brow rose in understanding. "Far away there is erm fruit...helps teeth."
I clasp my hands together. "There's fruit that helps your teeth stay clean?"
He slowly nodded. I think he understood most of what I said. "Fascinating, another amazing discovery."
He lowered his eyes at my expression then turned to the waterfall. "Getting dark...we should sleep."
I followed his gaze and sighed. I hadn't even noticed how much time has passed.
The painful reminder of what had happened today flashed in my head and I couldn't avoid thinking about it even if I tried. I didn't want to sleep either as I feared I would relive those horrific moments, so I quickly shifted my focus to a different topic.
"You're wet! Sorry, I was only thinking about myself, but you must be cold as well." I saw his still-wet skin and drenched hair and realized he probably was chilly, but he didn't seem to care about himself right now. "Do you have any more covers?"
He glanced at the two cloths he gave me earlier and shook his head. "I ok...I had worse."
When he said that last sentence it sounded so dark and sad. Just what has this man been through?
"Well I'm not...w-we can share the blanket if you want?"
I am completely aware of myself only in my black underwear and he is still a stranger, but he not only saved me from his tribe but he also gave me shelter and food. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if he caught a fever.
As I waited for his response, I noticed that his face was slightly red and he started to pick at his nails to avoid looking at me.
I guess he was just as nervous as I was.
"I just don't want you to get sick." I hurriedly added as he began to look confused. "You've been in and out of this waterfall, and you got wet, just like me. So I'm trying to say-" I tried to explain but realized the situation I was in as I blushed and started tripping over my words.
He stood up and I found it difficult to get my point across as I stuttered.
When he started stepping towards me, I got even more nervous and realized that I might be in trouble. I tried to keep my composure but it was difficult to do so with this muscular man right in front of me.
"You know what I mean...right?"
Face still read and breathing a little uneven, he extended his hand out. "I...understand."
My face remained red and my cheeks felt warm as I reached out and took his hand. The realization that I had basically invited him to bed with me sent a shiver of embarrassment up my spine, but for some reason, I wasn't willing to let go of his hand right then.
His head snapped to our hands intertwined with an even redder blush.
"W-what?"
"Madisons hand in mine." He choked up.
I lean a little back. "Isn't that what you wanted? You extended your hand."
"For...For blanket." He murmured.
I blinked twice before releasing our hands and swiftly taking the blanket off to shove it in his face.
He was only trying to get the blanket!
"Sorry! I made a mistake! Here take the blanket!"
The situation was still pretty awkward with us both laying down under the same blanket, facing away from each other. Asai was lying at the far end of this cave while I faced the direction of the waterfall. The blanket did provide warmth as the temperature had dropped quite a lot since it was getting dark.
My concern was more about the fact I was lying with a six foot tall muscular behemoth of a man. I was starting to feel as though I had gotten in way over my head with this idea of sharing a blanket with a member of a culture I knew next to nothing about.
Yes, I was the one who had initially suggested this idea but now that I was in that situation, I was starting to feel extremely nervous and anxious.
I peeked over my shoulder to see the slow rise and fall of his body as he must've also fallen asleep. The fact that he had gone to sleep so quickly filled me with a mixture of relief, especially after all the time I spent overthinking.
When I laid back over, I pulled out my hair from the ponytail, hoping it would provide a little extra cushion for my head.
Peering into the waterfall I recalled everything that happened.
Dr. Lan, Mrs. Sinclair, John and Derrek, everyone I knew and cared about were gone in the blink of an eye. Although Derrek ran away like a spineless coward, I still found myself feeling some level of concern for him and the situation he might've found himself in. I hoped that he too had not met the same fate that all of my other friends had encountered.
A shaky breath leaves my body as I try to fall asleep.
I couldn't quite shake the feeling of unease from all that had happened up to this point, but all I could do was hold out hope that tomorrow would bring a better and brighter day.
It was indeed a brighter day with the sun shining and the temperature rising. I found myself dressed again and my hair was back in its ponytail as I walked through the forest with Asai.
I couldn't help but notice that the forest felt a lot warmer than it had before, as though we were in the middle of a scorching heat wave.
I was wiping my forehead constantly to try and stay cool from the extreme heat that was starting to affect me more than before. Asai seemed fine as he walked over the sticks and rocks scattered across the ground, making me realize how much he was used to this blistering environment.
"Hey, Big guy? Do you have any Idea how longer this is gonna take?"
"Had to take long way...so Haluk and Tribe don't find us." He quietly said.
I noticed his English getting a tad better. "Understandable, but that doesn't answer my question?" I added, pushing a huge leaf aside.
He seemed incredibly lost in his own thoughts, perhaps trying to work out what he should reply or how much he should attempt to speak English.
Deciding to drop it I looked around. I saw a toucan, a green snake blending pretty well in the trees, I saw some more interesting birds and flowers.
As I walked along, I suddenly found myself tripping over something that wasn't quite like the usual sticks or rocks that I was used to stepping on. I looked down to find a tortoise, one larger than I originally expected, looking back up at me. I didn't know whether to be delighted or shocked by my encounter with the tortoise, but at the very least I stopped.
I took in how vibrant the tortoise's shell was in the sunlight, noticing the various shades of dark and pale green that it comprised of. I had never seen a tortoise with such a colorful and vibrant shell before, and it almost took me aback by how pretty it looked.
It slowly tracked my movements with its head and I watched as its eyes blinked in a very slow and deliberate manner while I continued to inspect the tortoise. Its black eyes were rather small but still interesting to look at and I couldn't help but think that it looked rather adorable.
"Pst, Asai, Asai!" I harshly whispered.
He reached me pretty quickly and I couldn't help but notice that Asai had a worried expression on his face when he came to where I was crouching.
"I never seen a tortoise so pretty before."
His eyes trailed me up and down before paying attention to the tortoise. "It's a Tortla." He mumbled.
"A Tortla huh...It's cute." I grabbed a piece of fallen leafage. "So this Tortla is friendly?"
He caressed the Tortoise shell, while it bit into the leaf I had. "Very."
"We don't have this kind of Tortoise back home...in fact we don't have any of these sorts of animal in New York."
"New York has Animals?"
"Sort of, if you count big fat rats." I cringe.
I nervously laugh at his furrowed brows.
I push myself up and look into the bushes. "Sorry for the distraction, shall we keep going?"
After walking through the forests for a bit longer, we finally saw the stone temple in sight. We walked a little bit more carefully now as Asai made sure to place me behind him and peer through one of the bushes in an attempt to see whether or not he could spot anything of danger.
As I squinted my eyes and tried to see whatever it was it that he could see, I ended up noticing something rather gruesome. I spotted a bloody stain upon the dirt where John bled out. I froze upon seeing this and quickly turned my head back away, finding this too gruesome.
My face grew more saddened, the more the thought of John and his son came to my mind.
All he wanted to do was to get back home and be with his son, and to think that the indigenous people took his body away meant that there was no opportunity to even bury his body. I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with guilt.
I was filled with so much guilt and regret as I heard my own words echo in my head. I had told John that he was going to make it home and that he would go back to his son, but now that he was dead, I felt responsible for him thinking that lie. It was a weight on my shoulders that I didn't want to bear, but it was a burden that I had placed upon myself.
My own breath hitched when I felt Asai's hand touch my cheek. His eyes poured into mine and that small gesture made me tear up.
"Do you...feel guilty?"
He said softly, remembering the words I had asked him before. I remove his hand off my cheek and held it in my hands. "Yes..."
I then let them go and folded my arms. "I feel lots of guilt."
It seemed as though he wanted to ease my guilt. He looked back out to the bush and told me in his own way that I should not feel guilty, that the tribe had gotten their hands dirty with John's blood and not me.
I found it rather compassionate that he continued to try to soothe my regret, even though I couldn't help but feel that he didn't entirely understand the full implications of what I felt guilty over.
"Thanks." I whispered.
Asai had made sure that the area was clear before he went walking out of the bush, wanting to make sure that it was safe before proceeding. He was being extra careful and observant as he examined the area, checking for any potential dangers that might arise. Although I didn't feel like he was in as much of a hurry to proceed, I did share a similar sentiment and was also being rather careful and observant.
I waited in the bush, watching him bend down and touch the ground.
"Tribe have not come..."
I poked my head all the way through the bush. "They haven't been here since yesterday?"
He turned his head around, "Yes, Safe now."
Following Asai's lead, I emerged from the bushes as well and did a quick scan of the area to see if my satchel was still there.
So weird...I could've sworn this was the last place I saw it.
I walked alongside the temple. "Do you see it? It's red and has one strap."
Seconds went by before he responded with a no.
"Hey Asai, what's with this temple?"
His voice was a little far as he called back. "Erm sacred place for tribe. Been here for many years."
I peek over the side of the stone wall. "Ok but what does it mean?"
He approaches beside me. "Place for vines. Many years ago tribe worshipped this temple. Tribe not come here anymore."
Upon hearing his reply, I looked over at him and felt slightly intrigued by the temple. It was evident that it was quite sacred to them, but I still couldn't help but feel the urge to ask more.
"Why did the tribe stop worshipping this temple in the first place? Did something happen?" I asked him, hoping that he would be able to shed some light on the situation.
He frowned. "Temple holds s-secret of vines. Outsiders can not find Temple."
I stop and turn to him. "Can not or should not?"
Right I have to explain it more. "What I mean is are Outsider allowed to be here?" I pointed to the ground.
He started to flex his veiny hands. "No."
I turned my head to the forest, seeing some broken sticks and bushes. Recognizing this is the path we took to escape. I had a feeling that my satchel fell off me there.
I took a moment to look around as well and saw some broken sticks and bushes off in the distance. I looked a little harder, recognizing that this was the path we had taken to escape and feeling increasingly hopeful that my satchel was somewhere in that very area. I felt like this was a good place to start looking for it.
It was a little obvious to me that Asai seemed rather apprehensive to let me go off on my own to look for my satchel. He wanted to go with me, wanting to make sure that I was safe, but I quickly tried to reassure him and told him that I wouldn't go so far that he couldn't see me.
I tried to make him more comfortable by telling him that he would still be able to see me at all times while I was looking for my satchel.
In the end he did but not before telling me if I need anything, that I should call for him.
I felt very pleased with myself, having successfully convinced Asai to let me go look for my satchel alone without worrying too much about my well-being. I even began to believe that I was doing a fantastic job at handling the current situation and all the circumstances that it had thrown at me.
To my surprise, I quickly spotted my red satchel hanging on a tree branch and felt a rush of relief wash over me. I was thrilled that my search hadn't taken too long and I was already starting to feel more at ease now that I had found it. I grabbed my satchel and looked it over, making sure everything was still inside of it.
Sunscreen check, bug spray check, snacks check...Hey! Even that walk-in talkie and most importantly phone check!
"Asai! I found it!"
Its weird how the bag ended on that tree though...
When I called out to him and didn't receive a response, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of uneasiness wash over me. It was indeed strange that he hadn't responded to my exclamation, even though he had previously indicated that he would go if I needed him to do so.
"Asai?" I called out once more, hoping for some kind of answer to come through but hearing nothing but silence once again.
I was now in between the forest and grounds of the temple. He wasn't anywhere in sight.
He hadn't replied when I called out to him and there were no signs of him anywhere. I began to grow extremely concerned that something might've happened to him, and I started getting the horrible feeling that I was all alone once again.
Did he get hurt? Is he alright?
"Asai!" I called out, feeling a drop in my stomach as he still didn't reply to me.
I took a step out into the temple grounds. He was still nowhere in sight.
Upon hearing the sound of a broken tree branch, my body instantly responded by turning towards the source.
"Asai?"
My thoughts and plans were suddenly cut short as I was grabbed by two pairs of strong arms and immediately pushed down to the ground. I felt completely blindsided and the weight that fell on me made me feel as though I might be crushed at any moment. My heart skipped a beat and I felt helpless as the suddenness of the surprise caused me to let out a small scream.
I kicked and pushed the large person who attacked me.
"Madison! Madison it me, Asai!" He grabbed my face forcing me to look at him.
It was only at that point that I realized who it was that grabbed me. Those brown eyes with green speckled. Those enchanting eyes that always made the world feel like it stopped.
My breathing was shaken and uncontrolled. "Are you crazy, why would you-"
My heart jumped into my throat as I was suddenly lifted to my feet. I was about to attempt to resist his attempts to lift me but was suddenly stopped as I saw an arrow fly past my face. My entire body froze as I realized the severity of the situation and how close I had been to getting hit. I stayed still, allowing Asai to grab my hand and lead me forward.
"Trap! Tribe found us!" He hollered easily dodging the trees.
"Yes, I noticed!" I duck my head as another arrow hits the tree next to me.
It took all of my effort to keep up as Asai pulled me along with a firm grip on my hand. I was amazed at how fast this giant of a man was able to move around despite his size, as well as the incredible strength that he showed by not losing his grip on my hand. It was remarkable to witness and made me feel relieved to be in his care, as the speed and strength that he demonstrated made me feel like he could protect me.
"Asai, stop running!" Shouted out Haluk from somewhere behind us. The instant I heard that voice and realized they were nearby, I was almost taken aback as I tried to keep up with the sprinting pace that Asai set.
Was that...Haluk?
I felt desperate as I continued to follow Asai, staring at the back of his head in panic. I tried my best to keep up with the pace he had set, but my body just wasn't at his level.
"Asai, Stop running and we'll talk to the tribe. We'll let you come back. You'll be apart of the village again." Haluk called out.
As we ran and I heard the voice of Haluk again, I became alarmed by Asai's sudden pause and turn to the left. I nearly fell over as he turned suddenly, but my body quickly worked in autopilot to prevent me from falling over.
Suddenly, he stopped and pressed my body against a tall thick tree, catching me by surprise. I was immediately struck by a sense of confusion and concern as the suddenness of his action and the proximity of his body against mine made it difficult for me to breathe.
As the adrenaline started to pump through my veins and the heavy breathing began to overtake me, I was left feeling dizzy and discombobulated. I struggled to maintain my composure and focus as my entire body felt overwhelmed.
"Asai..." I breathed out.
Asai instantly looked down at me, he seemed to understand that I was exhausted but that we also couldn't afford to get caught. He proceeded to lower us both down into a bush below us and pressed a finger to his lips, indicating that I should keep quiet. We both needed to keep ourselves as silent as possible to avoid detection, and he looked at me with a fierce expression as if he were willing to risk anything to protect us both.
It was likely because of the heat of the moment, but I couldn't help but grip onto Asai's arm. My hand couldn't wrap around the entirety of it yet my fingers held on tightly, gripping with all of my might as I felt a sense of reassurance.
I tried to slow my breathing and take some deep breaths, gripping firmly. My grip was likely tight, however, I was too panicked to really care about how tight it was, only focusing on my hold and on trying to feel slightly calmer.
I needed him. I needed a way to calm down, otherwise we'd both end up on the end of a spear.
"Asai! Bring out the Outsider! Why try to protect her? She's just like the rest of them!" Haluk angrily yelled.
"She'll betray you...they always do." A bustling sound was heard behind us on the right side.
We could both hear them tearing the forest apart to find us.
"So why don't you give her to uuusss." Another fallen bush fell. "And we'll tell Chief Tale that you were innocent, that you didn't kill Cain."
I glanced at Asai's face hoping to get an answer to what Haluk had said, but his face had betrayed any comfort that I was hoping to find in him. Instead, I could only see fear and anger plastered across his face, making me feel even more uneasy and terrified of the whole situation.
What did Asai do?