A Darkening World And A Sleepy Protagonist Chapter 3 (Unedited)

“A bit to large..but better then being naked” Neal commented to himself as he examined the large t-shirt he wore. It was clear to see it was worn down a bit with constant use through many years. The shirt was very large on Neal, going halfway down his thigh while the collar of the shirt stretched from shoulder to shoulder exposing his right collar bone.

The pants were out of the question, far to large to be kept up on his waist. So he decided to not bother trying to keep them up on him. 

He had found the clothes in the bag the man had dropped, containing two outfits and a few biscuits. 

As annoying those men had been, it was rather lucky for them to drop this bag here. He simply took the clothing as compensation for disturbing his rest.

Once he finished dressing he grabbed the plants he had gathered and put them into the bag before pulling it tight. He gripped the string tightly in his hand before tossing it over his shoulder and continuing on his way. 

He didn’t want to stay much longer in this uncomfortable area. He wanted to find a bed and get some proper rest. 

–

It wasn’t to difficult to find the exit of the woods, using the footprints of the two men from earlier at least.

Taking a step outside of the woods Neal looked off towards a clear path on the ground. The path lead towards a few small cabin like buildings. It was hard to say how large they truly were due to the distance making them look no bigger then his thumb.

Deciding these little buildings were his best bet of finding a comfortable bed, he ventured on, heading down the path with a unhurried pace.

–

A young girl with long locks of dark hair tied back in a braid skipped along the path cheerfully as she headed towards where the berry bushes lay. Excited to taste the sweet fruit she had been waiting for a long time to become ripe enough to pluck.

Her steps slowed suddenly, the cheerful skip becoming a hesitant step forward as she noticed a strange thing laying on the path.

As she got closer she saw that this thing laying on the path was a persons body! She gasped, eyes wide as she grips the straw basket in her hands tighter.

“Hey..um..um are you..are you okay?” She didn’t want to assume this to be a dead person right off the bat. Since it was possible the person could have recently fallen from something such as sunstroke or dehydration, and was not dead. She kneels down, the baskets handle now hanging off her forearm as she reached out and placed a finger under their nose.

A warm air brushing against her finger had her instantly relaxing as she sighed in relief.

“Hey! Are you okay? Hello?” She gently shook the person after placing her hand on their shoulder. Trying to stir them awake.

As she called out to them and gently shook them, she could now look at this persons face a bit better. 

Taking in the light hair and only a large shirt on the thin body, the girl wondered, was this a pretty little girl who had been abandoned or lost? Perhaps recently escaped from a slave trader?

The looks were very pretty, almost fairy like. Even with the dirt coating her skin here and there. The big shirt was obviously a mans, their was no way this shirt belonged to this girl. Many possibilities ran through the girls head, all resulting in her heart swelling with worry and pity, along with eyes filled with endless curiosity. Left in the middle of the road coated in dirt and wearing a mans shirt, surly none of the possibilities was good! She honestly was not sure of the gender, but surely no man was this pretty, nor delicate looking. At least from what she has seen in her village!

Such was life, but seeing it right in front of you was a very different thing then hearing about it!

She gently shook the girl once more, jumping in surprise as the girl’s eyes suddenly shot open and locked right onto her.

Dark purple eyes that were hard to read, popping out against her light colored skin.

The girl was glad the girl woke up, now she could see just what her story was! Although what was most important right now was to give the girl some water incase it was something like sunstroke or dehydration that had her laying here. If she died how could she hear her story!

“Are you okay? You are laying in the middle of the path….are you feeling okay? Would you like some water?” The girls sweet words barely reached Neal’s ears. To busy with stretching his arms and legs as he grabbed his bag and stood up.

The sun felt so warm against his skin, he really could not help but bathe in it and drift off to sleep. Despite having gotten so much sun, his skin had not received any kind of burn. Yet at least.

“Water?” She was offering him water..that was very sweet of her. “If it is not a bother..” He was thirsty, and why deny what was offered?

Suddenly the girl gasped, worry clear in her eyes.

“You’re hurt!”

I am?

Neal looked down to where her eyes were locked. His knees which has various scrapes and a few forming scabs.

“Oh..that is from when a tripped, nothing to worry about.” His knees stung but he paid no mind to it, instead looking back up at her, as she was now standing, with a tired gaze. This girl was taller then him, and reminded him of a cute country girl type.

“Tripped? Did you trip here and get knocked out and that’s why you were laying here?” The girl asked curiously, eyes gleaming as if excited by uncovering the reason behind him laying here.

“Ah..no, well yes…but no. I tripped and once on the ground was to lazy to get up, the sun was so comfortable and I was so tired…I fell asleep.” He stated, reaching down to brush some stones and dirt off his knees. Would they get infected?

“Your not serious are you?” She clearly did not expect that answer, lips pressing together as her eyebrows furrowed in her confusion.

Neal gave no reply, wondering why she thought he was lying or joking. To him this was normal, although to this extent this behavior was not normal in any place really.

“That is…um well why don’t you follow me back to my village? I can help you clean up and get into some proper clothing.” Her words were kind as she offered this to him. Her pity filled eyes and interest in her gaze unnoticeable to him as he gave a small nod.

“If..that is alright.” He felt rather lucky to meet someone so kind and willing to help him out.

Meanwhile the girl became even more curious about this person, she couldn’t help but be curious of all those who didn’t live in her village. Those who she did not grow up along side in diapers.

–
This..how far in the country was this? None of the buildings had any structures familiar to him, more like little huts or perhaps closer to a shittier version of a cottage. Before entering the village it had been endless fields of crops. Various things planted and being worked on by sweat coated strong looking men.

Neal was not sure hot to take this, but at least it was not as weird as the area he had woken up in. At least this place he could take in a bit more familiarly.

“Here, this is one of my old dresses. It should fit you alright.” The girl who he learned was named Mariam held up a long sleeved dress with a puffy skirt. It had some age to it, but looked alright. Similar to the dress she wore but a bit smaller, in the chest area at least.

Neal looked to the outfit, taking it from her silently. Beggars can’t be choosers…besides his mom used to dress him up often when he was younger in dresses and such. It certainly was better then what he had on now at least.

“Thank you” He almost seemed to hug it to himself as he held it closer.

Perhaps if he had spoken up the girl would have at least had a bit more thought on whether her assumption was correct or not. But seeing as he accepted it, she felt ever more confident in her evaluation of him.

“No problem! Now quickly hop into the washing barrel before all the water I gathered gets cold! Here let me help!” She had decided to treat the young girl with a special warm bath. Since who knows what the girl has been through! She would defiantly need something like this to feel better and warm up enough to her to tell her, her story!

“Ah…no I think I can manage by myself…” Neal dodged her stretched out hand, heart rate picking up as he worried of her seeing him naked. This girl was a bit to nice, perhaps even..perverted? The dress now this..this made him wonder if she really knew what she was doing right now, or if it was something normal to her.

“Don’t be shy! I insist. Just let me..” No matter how much she tried to take the shirt off he managed to dodge her. Despite him being a very tired looking boy, he certainly didn’t lack the energy to keep avoiding her advances.

“I..would like some privacy…if that is alright. I appreciate you doing this for me but..this is a bit to far. I’m not sure if I really had to ask this but, I am a boy you know. ” He said this with slowly reddening cheeks, looking at her whos hand finally grasped onto a piece of the shirt he wore.

“Wait…your not a girl?” Her eyes widened, cheeks flushing as she quickly let go and hurried to the other side of the room. “Sorry! It is my fault for assuming…I will give you some privacy” She then quickly left him alone in the room. Wondering how someone so pretty could be a boy, were many outsider men so good looking?

Now alone Neal could toss off the large shirt and hope into the barrel filled with fairly warm water. He could not help but melt into the water, the dirt surprisingly washing off with ease. He thought back to that girl and wondered if he really looked so strange she assumed him to be a girl.

Anyway, he better wash off quickly before he fell asleep in the tub and risked the embarrassment of the girl returning and seeing him naked.

–

The girl returned, folded clothes in hand as she gave a quick knock, waiting a few seconds before entering.

“Here, I brought you a better set of clothes. Are you finished washing…” She walked in on the fairy like boy wearing the dress she had brought to him before.

Her first thought was how cute he looked in it, her second thought she wondered how it was he was so embarrassed of her helping him bathe yet put on that dress without batting an eye. Was he a boy or just a really shy girl coming up with an excuse for her shyness?

The reality was Neal didn’t care what clothes he wore as long as they were comfortable.

“What are you doing?” She asked him. Walking over, clothes in hand, and lightly tugging on the sleeve of the dress. Her cheeks were red, still embarrassed of her mistake. The dress a reminder of this, yet she still had a hope she was not wrong. “I’m sorry I thought you were a girl so I grabbed you some of my old clothes. Instead have these that my brother left behind before he headed off to travel the world” Her voice was soft as she held the clothes up higher to show him what she was talking about.

He would have said he was fine in the dress, but that big shirt and those bottoms sure looked comfortable. Besides it was really…breezy down there. Those bottoms would fix that, plus would make his legs warmer.

“Oh, thank you”

He takes the clothes from her, feeling the fabric of the shirt for a moment before giving a small nod to himself. She then left him to change once again.

–

While he changed the girl grew curious about the small sack he had with him. She gave a glance to the room she left him in before over to the bag he left by the front door. Crouching down and being careful not to be too loud as she peeked inside.

“This..this is..” Mariam’s eyes widen as she stares upon something she never thought she would ever see in such abundance right in front of her. 

These magical plants that could only be found in that dangerous forest! Some she didn’t even recognize, but she could tell they held great power.

She looked towards the room, pressing her lips together while her eyes sparkled. Her curiosity grew towards the stranger.