A Lonely Loveless Lad(Government Cheese is best in dip form)

Jerarme awoke, ash on his tongue and ringing in his mind. There was something off… why was it so… comfortable? Jerarme sprung up from his sleep, his drowsiness leaving him. The blanket slipped down as his torso rose.

He looked around in panic, his red eyes widening. It was a small room, wooden walls, and floors. A chair placed, facing the bed. A single window directly to his left. A simple, wooden table right beside him. Placed on the table were an unlit lamp and an array of what seemed to be medicine and bandages.

His heart beat rapidly, where was he? Wasn't he supposed to be on the road? Why was he in a room? Jerarme's hands shook, lips thinning. 'There was someone… I remember!' Someone had come up to him. Wanted to help him.

Something shook in him.

"Clack, click." Noises that sounded like footsteps entered his hearing.

His eyes jumped to the door, heart starting to pound.

'What to do, what to do… ' Jerarme gripped the tan blanket on his form. 'Pretend to sleep! Just do it!' He laid down once again, covering his upper body with a blanket. Just so very flustered in what to do, he avoided it entirely. Rapidly, he forced himself to relax, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

"Click, creak." A sound came from where the door was located.

"Click, clack, click, clack." The sounds of footsteps became louder.

Jerarme panicked internally.

"Scrape, creak." It seemed to be the sound of the chair, and someone right beside him.

Unknown clattering filled the room, the being beside him worked silently.

He wanted to take a peek, see how they looked and what they were doing. The pros and cons weighed in his mind. 'Will they notice? They definitely will.' Frowning in his mind, ideas ran through him. 'What about if I looked out with my left eye? Still too risky, what if they're actually staring right at me when I do it?' More thought jumbled through his mind, until…

'What if I use [Appraisal]?' Would it work without sight? Since he did use [Appraisal] in the dark. But wasn't there a specific need for a targe? 'No use in wondering, just test it out.'

He focused his mind on the being beside him as used [Appraisal].

[Large Human]

It worked! Hiding away his delight, he observed the words in his head. '[Large Human]?' He squinted at those words internally. 'So they are humans. Does this mean they're really big? Or is it for something else?' His curiosity for a glimpse of the being increased.

"Clatter!" He could hear the clattering of something, he didn't know what it was. He concentrated his mind to… whatever it was.

[Appraisal]

[Small Medicines] [Small Bandages] [Medium Tools]

'Multiple answers?' Jerarme pondered. Was it because he wanted to see the source of the noises?

"Creak!" Another sound coming from the door. "Clack, click." Another set of footsteps?

[Appraisal]

[Large Human]

It was another human, the sound of footsteps sounded lighter. The second human got closer and closer.

"Clack, click." It stopped right beside the first human.

"Julian, how's the boy?" The second human asked. Voice soft and high.

The clattering stopped. "He's doing better than I expected. His wounds aren't much'a problem, but his body is still malnourished and quite sickly." The voice replied, Heavy and low.

"It's so sad, how could anyone treat a child like this?" The second human said, voice sharp.

"Life, Maria, even if you're poor, rich, weak, strong, or even blind. Life is fair because it's so unfair."

Blind? Blurry memories surfaced. 'Didn't I say I was blind or something?' His imaginary eyebrows scrunched. 'This voice sounds familiar… Oh! That being that helped him!' The corner of his lips lifted in his mind.

The second human laughed. "Hate it when you say something that sounds wise."

The first human chuckled. "Nah! You know you love it!" The clattering stopped. "Aye, Maria, since your here won't you help me out?"

"Sure Julian. What do you need me to do?" The voice sounded closer.

"Just wash his wounds out for me will ya?" The voice replied. "The water's right there."

Slowly footsteps faded and came back at his side. The sloshing of water.

The methodical steps of cleaning his stinging wounds.

He barely reacts. A boon perhaps. It reminds him of wings and sharp talons.

The two humans talk, muddled words about the day and its catch. He wants to cry.

It's the always that he had wished.

When there was a boy in a silent field of books.

But it was not his. He had come to the others always because he had killed. Murdered a living with no regard. He had killed the day he had been set free. Was it not the definition of destiny? Perhaps he is evil, Cursed.

"And I'm telling you! The fishes talk! Solis, was I surprised!"

Jerarme snapped out of his thoughts, the first voice loudly stating their findings. The second one laughed, floorboards creaked.

"Julian! You know that fishes can't talk! Where did you hear this nonsense?"

There was idle joy radiating from the two speaking. He felt like a monster, listening to such good people. Pretending to be asleep, tricking them.

"Why of course! Right from the fish's mouth! They were having a full-blown conversation about their scales!"

The second voice laughed again, crystal clear and breathless. It made him want to be happy with them. Yet at the same time, the lung-crushing tides of sadness drowned him under.

He struggled for air, swallowing for a single breath to keep afloat. His chest rose and fell stuttering in time with his breaths.

The conversation trickled away until only the desperate dragging of air could be heard.

"Julian? Julian, is he alright?" The second voice asked, worry in their tone.

The creaking of a chair. Rough hands placed themselves on the boy's head and checked over his wounds. They withdrew.

"I… I think it's just memories. Nightmares. It would be expected to have some few scares if he went through those injuries."

The ocean could not be contained in the small vessel. Few slipped through the cracks of the stained windows and dripped out.

His tears slipped behind his ears as his heart pounded. The road made by the first was followed by others.

"Oh the poor boy, he doesn't deserve any of this." The second voiced said, a voice whispered in the air.

Yes, he doesn't deserve any of this. Any of this kindness, when he had only sinned. His thoughts spin webs and wings.

They wipe away his tears with a cloth.

He cries more at their kind actions.