It was late at night, I was lying in the little hut that John had made before me and Nate had started staying here. It would have been nice if it was just a little camping trip, rather than a possible place to live for the rest of our natural lives. The little cabins were coming along nicely, somewhere to have a single moment of privacy. It would be nice to get away from my brother and the crazy guy constantly talking to himself.
“I can’t believe that I let him talk me into this.” I sighed and covered my face with my hands. Nate was all that I had left, no other family and the few people I even called friends were more like acquaintances. Unless I was willing to drag Nate back to civilization I would have to suffer till he finally decided to leave. Although, secretly I also wished that I understood why Nate was so willing to trust this guy. “I mean I know he saved your life, but come on.”
Nate rolled over mumbling incoherently and proceeding to snore louder than before.
“Uhh, I need to get up.”
Walking out of the little hut I looked over at the large fire pit, we had been using for cooking. “I mean what maniac eats raw food and drinks dirty water? That guy has problems.” Thinking back to how little the guy actually had when we decided to stay, no dedicated bathroom, a tiny pit that barely lit the little shelter, and no bowls or pots.
“And he sleeps on the floor.” There wasn't even a piece of cloth that he seemed to lay down on. Truthfully I think the guy is nearly as paranoid of us as I am of him, I hadn’t seen him fall asleep in the few days we had been here.
Finally making my way out of the clearing and to the little pond that was turning into my serene little spot to relax. The full moon glinted off the small body of water and lit the surrounding forest with a dim light. Sitting at the edge, John was there staring into the moon’s reflection, sitting so still it seemed he wasn’t even breathing.
“Hello.” He answered my approaching steps without even turning to look.
“Hi, what are you doing out here at night?” I questioned if the guy ever slept at all. He worked nearly a full 16 hour day. The only time he ever ‘stopped’ was to grab something to eat from the basket of gathered food or drink from the lake. Then he wandered off before we went to bed, doing who knows what, who knows where.
“I couldn’t sleep.” He continued to stare into the distance. I sat next to the strange man, being so close to him felt like sitting next to a sleeping bear. It was dangerous and kind of stupid but up close the bear was still just another slumbering animal.
“Same here, Nate snores. I can’t wait to get the cabins finished.” Trying to make small talk with the guy was more awkward than I imagined. His sentences were short and to the point, and his movements were only ever done with purpose. He looked like a robot, made specifically to do the task at hand and nothing more.
“They will be done soon.”
“Well, thanks for giving us some privacy. I know we kinda took over your little hut.”
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“It is alright.” He turned to give me a half smile.
Sitting so close, I got the first real look into the guy’s eyes, and they were teal. Nate talked about when he carried him on his shoulders after the incident. How his eyes were almost alive, when looking into them you could just tell what the guy was thinking.
I didn’t believe him at first, I usually kept a good distance just waiting for the guy to snap. However, now so close, Nate was right, he looked at me and I felt like I was looking into the eyes of a lost puppy. He was sad and alone out here, unable to connect with another person. Just having us here probably didn’t help, me and Nate existed in our own little bubble while he just watched from the ground.
“So how did you decide to start your own little society all the way out here?” I figured trying to connect with the guy was the least I could do.
“I wasn’t the one who decided it.”
“Wait, so who started this place? I thought you were the only one that lived here?” The guy was weird, that was for certain. The short direct answers were usually nice, but sometimes they left a lot to interpret.
“I did start it. The one who decided it was someone else. Myc. He is unique.
“Unique how?”
“He is probably one of the most unique beings you will ever meet in your life. He was the one who decided to come out here. He convinced me that life out there was cruel. I knew it then but I wasn’t truly willing to do anything about it, most people aren’t.
“But this Mike convinced you?”
“As I said, he is unique. You will meet him one day, when he is ready and if you two do truly decide to stay.” He looked sad at the thought of us leaving, his eyes dulled over for a second.
“Well, it is nice out here. But living out here for the rest of our lives is a big commitment.”
“I am not arguing that. Just make sure that you are sure when you do choose.”
“What does that mean?” I wasn’t sure it was a threat, it kind of sounded like one. However, the look in his eyes betrayed the tone of his voice.
“I wasn’t really given a choice when I met Myc. It was sudden and both of us nearly lost our lives. However, Myc and I were alone. He saw something in me and decided to stay with me. I wasn’t sure at first but he convinced me that together we could be so much more. That coming here and building something would be hard and dangerous, but the end result could change the world.”
“The whole world?” I was skeptical, I mean a little society built in the middle of some woods in Arkansas was going to change the world, come on.
“You will understand when you meet Myc. He is the type of person who will change the world.”
Hmm, I’m not sure if I was convinced without actually meeting this Mike guy. It seemed nearly as sketchy as some stranger in the woods carrying a white ax. Although the determination that passed through John’s eyes told me that he believed it at least.
Although the moment passed quickly, his smile faded and the light in his eyes dulled again. Until I was staring at a man still seemingly lost in the woods, scared and alone. “So how are you doing? This must be an adjustment from living alone?”
He turned towards me, the same teal eyes stared at me. They seemed to glow and dance across my vision. “Things are different. But this was always the plan, maybe a little earlier than we had planned. Gather enough like minded people and create our own little slice of paradise.”
His eyes turned gentle again at the thought of creating a society this far out in the woods. A smile formed on his face and he chuckled a short laugh. “I suppose we will eventually need a name for this little place. Although I don’t think I am the one to name it.”
He looked back out onto the water seeming to fall back into old memories of this Mike guy. As he looked away I found myself missing the gentle look in his eyes. It was strange really, like looking at them allowed a connection between two people. I suppose everyone sought a connection with someone else, whether it was through love, friends, or family. That connection was instinctual, we as a species were pack animals, it is what allowed us to survive.
“Well, I am sure you will think of one.” We sat there together, the night was quiet and only the occasional cool breeze disrupted our little gathering. It was nice, I wasn’t sure when I fell asleep but I awoke in my spot in the hut. Opening my eyes to Nate sprawled out over the floor, and the soft sound of sawing. I got up and saw John making some of the last pieces to the two cabins.
He looked over with a soft smile and a quick nod, even from here you could see the light dance across his teal eyes. Before he looked down and got back to sawing the last few pieces of timber that were sitting near him. “Hmm, maybe this place could be something more.”