Vagabondo

I haven't slept on the floor since... Forever.

I am only reminded now of how physically challenging was today. It's like someone is chewing my bones.

I guess that's the first time I've ever found sleeping on the floor comfortable.

"How can thin beds like these ones be so soft and comfortable?! And looke at this blanket! What kind of material is this? It's ertainly not whool, but it's just as warm..."

I still tend to forget that this middle aged man is from Middle Age...

Eilidth explained the events he described where from around a thousand years ago in Eastern England, so this guy - I still have some doubts... - lived in a world that was a thousand years younger than mine.

He doesn't seem to care at all! I would have thrown myself from a bridge if I was transferred a thousand years later. I swear, this whole thing is taken out of a cheap Sci-Fi novel.

It's driving me crazy...

I don't think it's a transmigration either because I am still myself and I am - at the latest check - alive... What if I'm a time-traveler myself... But how? Why? WHY ME WHO HAS PANICK ATTACKS WHENEVER MOM MENTIONS FIELD TRIPS?!!!

My head starts pounding again. I give up. These questions are too much for me. And if this man is truly from Middle Age...

"You're probably the most open-minded person the humanity ever knew... Congratulations Lucius," I tell him.

Okay, I might have a bunch of questions I really want to ask him - you don't meet people a thousand years older than you everyday, although I still have some doubts! Yet, I can't really shake off my mind those scars on his back and torso. What kind of life did he have? How can a person get those injuries?

"How is your house?" are the words that got out of my mouth whithout prior notice.

Out of all the questions I could ask... It had to be that one.

I must say I'm pretty good at putting myself into embarassing situations.

"I lived in a hayloft for the past five years. Not an interesting place, but not uncomfortable either. It's pretty warm in winter."

I turn my head to the side ot hide my grimace. SERIOUSLY... Out of all the questions I could ask...

"In my time, houses are pretty simple. There aren't even many decorations, also because they are mainly made of rocks or wood. Ah, I guess I should use the past tense now when I talk about my hometown..." he chuckles, looking pensively at the ceiling.

Granted he is a time-traveler... Or even if I'm right and he's an actor that got too involved in his role... Shouldn't he feel sorry for the family he left behind? Does he have a family in the first place?

How can he be so happy when things went so wrong?

Especially for him who comes from a time when people got massacre for free, when slavery existed and when people died of flue?

That's also another reason why I don't want to ask. Me, who have lived in the comfort of the 21st Century in a developed country in a well-off and loving family, with all the comodities offered by this confortable situation, I can't pretend to understand the struggle of living in poverty and wars. So what there is for me to ask if I can't even empathize. Why would I even try to understand?

I can't pretend to know what it means to starve when I complain because didn't eat for around 12 hours. I don't know how broken is one's heart when seeing people getting massacred while my soul tears apart at the only thought of that dead girl. I don't know what it kind of torture can do those scars on the skin when I have been merely bullied by some idiots at school.

There is no point in asking him.

"How can you even be happy after all that happened to you?"

I guess I'm super tired. That's why I keep saying all those things I shouldn't say.

My eyes are burning now, and the headache doesn't go. Better go to sleep. We should wake up early tomorrow so the backroom is free by the time she opens the pub.

"Hey son, turn around a moment," Lucius tells me.

"I'm too young to be your son..." I snap at him and give him the shoulder, hoping that is enough to persuade him that I'm too tired to talk.

It's childish, I know.

"Come on! Turn around. It's not polite to give your back to people when you talk."

And he DARES pull me from my shoulder to lay on my back. That's...

"AND IT'S NOT POLITE TO..."

He makes a sign with his hand to lower my voice. Right, they are sleeping upstairs but nothing guarantees that the walls are isolated...

This man is so **** ****...

"Okay, what do you want to ask me?" I resign. This guy is more persistent than advertisments on websites.

"You had a tough day, right?" he asks, head sitting on his palm.

I shift so that here is only the ceiling in my visual field and I let my brain make a quick summary of the day.

...

Saying it was "tough" is an understatement.

Definitively.

I am exhausted. I want to go home. I want to wake up on my bad, have a fight with Eliza over a pancake, then go to school and get picked by Malcom and his minions or simply skip it and go back to the library where that girl would be on the other side of the desk well and alive. And this time, I'll read her name tag.

That's what I want, but the truth is that I'm not even sure that I'll be alive tomorrow.

Someone has to teach this caveman some manners... I can feel him spit air as he chuckles beside me. Disgusting.

"Sorry, but you making such a serious face is so funny. You did really well for someone who was suddenly thrown in this chaos," he says, although I don't think what's funny into being serious about serious questions. Seriously!

"Don't keep things inside. If it hurts say it, and if something bothers you talk about it. But don't keep things for yourself."

Well, I never thought that a man I've only known for one day would say what those around me didn't say in a lifetime. Funny, isn't it?

"Why would I bother a total stranger with my personal existential issues?" I say.

"Because I wish I had a someone I could talk to when things went south."

'You too?' I ironically think, although it makes me feel a bit upset.

"I am still confused. So many things happened at the same time. And I'm not even used to face danger so often. I'm not use to face this situations AT ALL. I'm still hoping this is all a dream, but everything we've been through keeps proving me wrong. What do you think?"

"I think it was a long and tough day, but thankfully we found this blessed place. If you stay here, I think you'll be safe. They have food, water and light. by the way, I should ask Milady to explain to me where the light comes from..."

I close my eyes, the eyelids are getting too heavy. He says I could stay here, but where would he go?

"Aren't you goign to stay here too?"

"I want to understand what happened to me, and what is this place. Maybe I'll come back one day with an answer."

"Then..." then, in that case, "I'll come with you," my spirit is already drifting off, but I think I can feel a hand patting my shoulder...

** * **

"So, you're leaving us like this? Don't you want to stay a little longer?" I can see she's a bit disappointed although she smiles. "I can understand you need to figure thhings out, but I thought you could have some rest and recover before going back to the field. Unfortunately we can't leave this place."

"We already tried to get out of the neighborhood but keep truning 'round whenever we reach some point. We're stuck in here 'till new order. But it's different for you two. The answer you're looking for is located outside," Idriss says, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Did you understand something about how this world works?" I ask him, trying to untangle little Kheira from my legs, but he only laughs and takes her in his arms in a swift movement.

"I wouldn't say I understood how it works, young man. Only that the situation is different for each one of us. Could only mean one thing... We need to find our own answers."

It's even blurrier than before.

Having a fridge that refills itself during the night is cool though. If we stayed, we wouldn't have to worry about food, that's for sure.

Well, we can come back anytime... Maybe that's Eilidth's pub role. I wonder is they really exist in my world.

Lucius is filling the bags with Eilidth's help. I hope he doesn't try anything weird with her. She clearly said one ex-husband was more than enough for a lifetime... And we're in a weir place to start anything so please, stop with the poetical language is nauseous! She's clearly going to bottle him. Man, don't trust women's polite smile!

"Lily, we've got some visits..." Idriss says.

He gets up from the chair and Eilidth drops the bag on the counter while Kheira goes hiding behind it. There are noises coming from outside, and two wobbling shadows are coming to the front door.

Two ugly stinking men with a grey face. Clearly high.

They kicked the door open, began swearing they wanted a bottle of whisky.

Idriss takes a combat position and Eilidth takes a rifle from behind the counter while Lucius draws out the kitchen kife fron his belt.

Everything happens so quickly.

And... There is me, standing between zombie brothers and a rifle, a kitchen knife and a stick. Just like this.

My heart is racing and I feel droplets of sweat dripping down my spine.

I'm screwed for the umpteenth time.

I slowly turn to Lucius while the newcomers start swearing, and he makes a sign with his head toward my bag. Oh, the 'pink' knife. No thanks. Three armed people among whom a scottish woman with a rifle is more than enough. That might sound egoistical, but I don't want to be made fun because I pretend to fight with a pink kitchen knife, while I don't even know how to fight. And even is these two are evil junkies, it makes no difference. I may as well get stabbed while trying to defend myself!

"Oh, so that's how it is... Hey bro, wanna teach this b**** how to handle guns?"

"'ve been thinkin' the same bro" the taller of the two gets a gun out of his jacket pocket. We're dead, I swear we're dead. "Gotta teach these fools how to properly shoo-"

A shot. Who shot? Fork me for closing my eyes... Wait, why the junkies are screaming? The guy's leg is pissing blood. Disguting...

"You thought I wouldn't dare shooting, you rubbish?" Eilidth? Of course. I had this feeling this woman was as strong as grandma... Wait, he dropped the gun. This is the moment to get it.

"What an interesting canon. It's the tinest canon I've ever seen in my life. Is it a pocket version of portable canon milady?" Lucius says while taking the gun from the barrel. That was the last thing we needed now...

"DROP IT!"

"Oh, oh..."

"******"

"GIVE IT TO ME!" I snatch it from him and I handed it to Eilidth from behind.

"YOU SON OF *****! WHAT DID YOU DO?! HE'S BLEEDING!!! YOU F****!..."

There was blood all over the floor. The other man drags the injured one out while keeping making the list of insults longer.

I still have to get used to these kind of things. I think it would have been easier to deal with unarmed people, but I guns... I hate guns. And I can't shake it off myself how useless I've been. These two are even more hateful that yesterday's stealers...

Why do I follow them outside? I keep doing things I don't even know the reason.

He's even making that sign with his finger. It's so frustrating. How dare they go and threaten people like this?

"Hey, son! What are you doing? Come back in!" Lucius is calling me son again... I need to have a word with him. I'm too young to be his son...

As I am about to turn, a giant lion bites the two of them and takes them away.

...

I can't move.

I need to take some breaths.

I need to calm down.

"Are you alright?" Lucius is by my right, looking at me with concern.

"I call him Fury. He doesn't attack just anybody. If you feel you blood boiling, take one step back. He won't eat you." Idriss comes outside accompanied by Eilidth and Kheira following them from behind.

So I just witnessed two people getting eaten by a giant beast.

"I'm so sorry for the mess. Sometimes people like them show up because we are the only premise open in the district. Just like in the real world!" She shakes her head and sighs. My chest tightens... I wasn't able to do anything useful once again.

"Do not worry for it is not you fault. Thank you for the three of you for everything you did. I will certainly come back to visit you. But something deep inside my soul tells me it is time to go." Lucius says. "You can stay if you want. I'll be fine by myself. It wouldn't be the first time," he tells me.

"Nah, I-I'll come with you. And just as he said, we're going to visit you again, maybe with good news," I try to smile to erase those worried looks that are all focused on me, but Eilidth carresses my shoulder. It's the first time I feel attached to strangers, and I can't help and wonder if I'll ever be able to meet them once in the real world.

"Mmh, you know, you look like someone I've met before. A teenage girl with golden eyes, does it ring you a bell?" Eilidth asks as she scrutinizes me.

My heart is racing. Eliza. She met Eliza before.

"Oh, anyway! I won't keep you if you want to go. But don't forget your bags! It might be a bit heavy but here is everything you need."

"Sure Milady! What a wonderful woman, don't you think so? She even knows how to handle weapons."

"No Lucius. She's out of reach. Just admire her for afar..." Wow, I might be the initiator of chivalric tales in England if he really comme back to his timeline.

We all head back. Kheira complains about the how we'll have to clean everything and Eilidth tells her that she's no the one who's going to clean it. We all burst out a leugh. My body is so light now. I'm amazed how I can easily forget my anguish these times.

But this world is not the one I belong to, and this makes these happy moments all the more sad.