Jack awoke with a jolt, his back aching as he suffered in his sleep. A result due to how cramped the car was. It was either that or sleep on a bench out in the cold.
He was about to prepare himself for the day, that is until he noticed something on the hood of his car. A small young dog, a puppy to be correct. It was smaller than the ones he'd seen the night before.
That was not all, it would seem that others were watching him. At least a dozen more of the townsfolk were outside his car, a curious look on every one of them as they made eye contact with Jack. It would seem that they couldn't resist and had been inspecting the newcomer.
As much as he wanted to ignore them, it was quite bothersome with how they spied on him. With a glare, he opened the door to meet the gathered crowd. But as he stepped out, all of them ran as if he was going to kill someone.
That turned out better than Jack thought, he was honestly glad that they at least respected his privacy, well when he wanted it at least.
A small bark caught his ears, he turned towards the hood and noticed the pup still in its place. He sighed as he realized that there was now an unsupervised child on his car.
"Hello?" He called out but was ignored. The people kept their eyes to the ground as they walked past him, others simply acted as if he did not exist.
This was quite a day to start with. If only these people did not discriminate against him with how he looked, but it is only human nature to act like such.
He lifted the child off the car and placed them on the sidewalk. From there he pondered on what to do with it as he was not responsible for it.
"Hey… where're your parents, kid?" He tried not to cringe at his own words. This was honestly awkward enough that it is. Stuck with some random kid on top of being stuck in a world not his own.
The child only barked, as if they were not capable of speaking.
"This isn't gonna work…"
"You having problems there?"
Jack looked over his shoulder and saw a familiar face… hopefully it was who he thought of. Well if he was right, then it was Maria, the first person he met in this strange world. It would seem the black cat held a tote bag of what Jack presumed as groceries. He couldn't ignore the fruits as hunger finally struck him like a flash of thunder.
Maria gave him an odd look before she followed his gaze. "Oh, are you hungry?" She snapped a couple of bananas from the bunch and handed them to Jack.
The human quickly accepted it as his stomach roared once more. Without wasting any more time he consumed the bananas. As much as he wanted to savor it, his hunger was not patient.
"You apes sure do like bananas…"
Jack froze, he felt as if he was offended but was unsure of why. With the thought aside, he gave Maria a small thanks. His hunger was sated for the morning, but now he was left with the child.
"Hey, Maria, right?" He received a small nod from the cat. "Well, I kinda need to know if this kid has any parents…" He finally mentioned the puppy.
"Cas?" Maria was surprised to see the puppy there. "Why is she here?"
"No clue, woke up with a bunch of people staring at me in my car. They ran as soon as I got out but this kid was left behind."
"Ah, well I honestly have no clue how she even got here. Those mutts would always keep a close eye on her."
Cas barked once again. Jack glanced over at her and noticed that the child was currently focused on some ants.
"Right," He sighed. "Well can you help me out? I can't exactly take this kid back to her house."
"Oh sure, she lives just a few blocks from my house. Pick her up, I don't really want her slobbering on me."
Jack nodded and went to do as he was told. He gagged as he realized that Cas was eating the ants one by one.
It was honestly quite peaceful as the two entered the neighborhood. Of course, the pointing and staring did not stop. By now at least Jack was prepared for it. The bus ride was quite short thankfully so the attention he received wasn't much. He would've of course used the car but needed to ration the gas since he had no way to buy more. Especially in this current economy.
He had Cas over his shoulders where the small child played with his hair. He cringed slightly as he felt the ants she brought crawl about. As humiliating as it was, Jack needed to bear with it.
At first, he didn't like the idea of having the child on him, but it was the only way she would behave. At least this way he didn't need to keep an eye on her. Simply just have her close so he wouldn't lose the pup.
The neighborhood was just like the ones back home, in his world. It would seem even in this reality the HOA was still tyrannical. Well, at least people were well-behaved with their lawns.
"So, you live in such a nice neighborhood." Jack commented.
"Yeah… Hey, you said that you woke up to people watching you sleep."
He chuckled awkwardly as his cheeks flushed red. He wanted to change the subject but Maria stopped in her tracks to look him in the eyes. It would seem that she was too curious about the situation he found himself in this morning.
Jack sighed, it would seem that he had quite the curious cat in his company. And she was questioning his reason to sleep in a car of all things.
"I…" It was difficult for Jack to be honest with her. She did not believe that he was human so it would surely be challenging to confess the truth. "I'm broke… Can't afford a motel for the night as I had just bought gas recently."
Maria's eyes widened upon hearing his partial truth. "You are totally broke? Like, stranded broke? Well that explains why you were starving earlier."
"Yeah, all I had last night was a bag of chips I got from some owl. It barely helped, so thanks for the bananas."
"No problem." The two continued down the sidewalk. "I'll be honest, you seem like a nice guy."
Is there a "but" to this?
"If you want, you can just bring your car over to my driveway. No one will bother you for sure."
It was an odd offer, they just met yet Maria was kind enough to offer him a place where he could get some privacy. He was honestly tempted to take it but felt a little shy about it.
But he had no other choice, like what Maria said; he was stranded in this town. If anything, he might as well compare it to being on a deserted island. All he had left with him was his car and the junk he brought from his old place.
A thought ran through his mind as he pondered about the offer. Jack was not desperate but he welcomed any help that came his way.
So as much as he wanted to keep his pride, Jack accepted the offer.
There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. As if this was the answer she was looking for. This only concerned Jack a little more as he realized that there was something she wanted of him. As for what it was, he'd find out soon enough.
"I'll drop off my groceries over at my house, I'll take you back to your car after."
"Uh, what about the kid?"
"Just go to the house over there, that's where those mutts live." Her hand pointed to the next. "That's where Cas lives but her parents won't be home until later."
"Isn't it a bit rude to call your neighbors 'mutts'?"
"I have nothing against them if that's what you think." She then left him to deal with the puppy. "Hurry up, I'll be back in a couple of seconds."
Jack watched as Maria went further down and towards her house. It would be best if he got the kid home so he could get his car.
A quick walk to the door and a series of knocks later, Jack was now faced to face with a large mammal. A wolf with gray fur greeted him with a grunt.
Jack stammered his words as the wolf towered over him. "Oh, excuse me but I was told I could drop this one here." Jack brought down Cas from his shoulders. The two watched as the pup scampered into the house with a bark.
The wolf gave him a strange look. "Where's Vel?"
Jack mimicked the look on the wolf as he was just as confused as they were.
The wolf glanced over Jack. "Hey, Maria."
Jack snapped around to find Maria behind him. He nearly tripped on his feet from the surprise.
"Val." Maria greeted him. "We found your goblin in town with no one watching her."
The wolf named Val sighed before he faced Jack with a soft smile. "Well thanks for bringing her back then. My sister was supposed to be with her but it seems like Cas got loose again. I'm Val by the way. I'm sorry that you had to get caught with Cas over there."
"Jack, nice to meet you. And don't worry, she wasn't much of a problem."
"Well since the brat is out of our hair, let's go, Jack." Maria said, eager to leave as soon as possible.
"See you two later then! And cool costume Jack!"
Jack simply nodded as he followed Maria. There it was again, people who believed that he wore a costume. Hopefully, people wouldn't be disturbed by the fact that he was actually human.
The walk back to his car was fairly silent, he still had some ants on his head but at least Cas wasn't there to drool on him. Maria seemed to have her mouth clamped shut as if she was deep in her thoughts. Her eyes were focused on the path ahead. Jack couldn't help but notice the way she walked. There was a limp in her every step.
He kept his mind off it as he was not one to pry.
"You can go on ahead, I'll meet you there. There's this thing I need to check on first, it won't take me long."
Jack was alone again.
Maria walked off to who knows where and Jack was once again alone.
"You're not alone," Cooper popped out of nowhere.
Jack managed to fight back a scream as the owl now stood by his side.
"Sorry man didn't mean to scare ya."
"Y-you didn't scare me, I was just startled. What are you doing here?"
"I'm a day owl," He explained to Jack, he was strangely calm just like before. "I like to walk around in the sun when I'm bored."
"That's not what I meant…"
"Anyway man, how you been?"
"Ah, well, a lot of things happened… met new people, and was offered a place to stay at… -ish."
"Bummer man, you broke?"
"Yeah, spent it on gas last night. Anyway, I need to get back to my car and wait for Maria."
"Dude no way, you know Maria?" Cooper smiled as soon as he heard. "She's great, Maria and I were friends in high school back in the day."
"Oh that's cool, she's very nice."
"Most definitely," Cooper agreed with Jack. "Maria was always the type to help out people, especially if they can help her with something else. She likes to have others owe her something so she could cash it in if she needs it."
That was certainly something for Jack to keep a note about. Guess Maria's kindness is not without a price. Well hopefully it would just be some favors and not something big. Jack doesn't exactly have a multitude of skills.
As he continued to wonder about his new acquaintance and how she worked. He noticed something odd happening to his car ahead. Slowly he quickened his pace as dread started to grow in his chest.
As he grew closer Jack realized that the passenger door was open. And in the seat was a hooded character.
"Hey, that's my car!"
"Oh crap." Cooper cursed.
The one on the seat looked over at the two. A couple more heads peeked over the car. Once they realized that they were caught, the three made a run for it with some boxes.
"Hey!" Jack chased the thieves.
Cooper sighed as he walked up to the car. "Good luck man, I'll keep an eye on your car."
Jack couldn't exactly hear Cooper as he was already too far from the owl.
Although his property wasn't valuable enough, it was all he had left from his past. It is his belongings that those thieves took, and Jack doesn't take kindly to those who take what's his. Who in their right mind would even allow this?
No one.
As much as he wanted to let go it was hard to ignore.
Especially when it was in broad daylight. What crook in their right mind would even do such a thing? That wasn't important, Jack wanted his junk back even if they were worthless.
As he chased the thieves, the people of Whispering Woods split apart to make way for them. All unsure as to what was happening of course.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The three entered some alley, best of all it was a dead end.
"God damn it Knife you lead us to a dead end!"
"We should've split up like I said so!" The one Jack presumed as Knife spoke. Knife waved his hand at everyone else.
"Then what, let one of us get caught!?"
By now it was clear that two of these three were female which left Knife as the only guy in the group. And now that he had a good look at them, the three were just a bunch of teenagers. They were shorter than Jack.
"Vel, you said he'd be distracted by Cas!"
Jack gasped. "Vel?"
One of the teens groaned. She then revealed herself to Jack as another wolf. The second one he met today of course, as well as the sister of Val. "Sheesh, so much for being incognito."
"You're in so much trouble, kid!" Jack snapped at them.
A pair of familiar golden eyes glared at him. The third teen, the one who spoke first. It would seem she was the leader of this gang. She took a step forward and placed herself between Jack and her two friends.
"Back off, freak! You don't want to mess with us!"
"I'll back off if you give back my stuff!"
She smirked at him, this was a reason to be worried as it was clear that she had something up her sleeves. "Don't say we didn't warn ya!" From out of nowhere the teen pulled out a gun and threatened Jack with it.
Though he was shocked to be placed in such a situation, he couldn't help but notice how familiar that gun in her hand was. Then it hit Jack like a heavy punch, it would seem that he had forgotten to lock the glove compartment after he left the car.
"Woah kid put the gun down, you don't know what you're doing."
"Where the hell did you get a gun, Stella!?" Knife questioned. It would seem that the two other teens were equally as shocked as Jack.
"Shut up!" She snapped at him. "Found it in this loser's car, should've left it somewhere safer!"
"Just put the gun down and then we can talk this out."
Stella hissed at Jack. "As if, you're on my turf, freak! Now give us your wallet!"
"I don't have any money…" He confessed.
"Stella, please drop the gun!" Knife pleaded.
"It's not worth it!" Vel added.
"Shut up!" Stella snapped at them both. "This was supposed to be quick but this freak just had to come back at the wrong moment!"
"Come on kid, you don't have to get into any more trouble." Jack tried to take a step back but froze when Stella pressed her finger on the trigger.
Before Jack could even try and talk Stella out of it, something walked past him and straight towards Stella. In just a blink of an eye, this stranger grabbed Stella's wrist and lifted her off the ground.
"Maria!?" Stella exclaimed.
It was Maria who came to Jack's rescue. His first friend in this world held the scariest scowl Jack had ever seen in his life.
"Maria, let go!"
A loud slap echoed in the alley, and Jack and the other two teens cringed after Maria struck Stella with the soft side of her hand.
Maria glared at Knife and Vel, a silent command was said and the two dropped everything and ran off. They feared whatever punishment Maria would have if they had not listened.
There was an awkward moment as Jack stood at the mouth of this alley, unsure of what he should do by now. Maria took the gun out of Stella's hand and shoved the teen towards Jack.
"Apologize."
There was a quick mumble from Stella, but it was a clear "sorry".
It wasn't enough for Maria, she pulled Stella's hood down and forced her head into a bow. Then it started to dawn on Jack that she was related to Maria. No wonder Stella's eyes were familiar. Both of them were identical, with Stella just being a smaller version of Maria.
"Louder, and don't try anything."
Stella grumbled, but then she relented. "I… I am sorry for robbing you earlier, and I'm sorry for calling you a freak…"
Jack wanted to stay silent, but the moment he looked over at Maria he was caught with a sense of guilt. As much as he wanted to teach Stella a lesson, Jack couldn't just ignore Maria.
"You… You're forgiven."
Maria smiled, it felt like Jack had made the right choice.
"Go home, Stella." Maria said.
Stella glared at her before she ran off.
"I'm really sorry, Jack, I didn't think my sister would do something like this."
"It's fine, I got my stuff back at least."
"I'm so very sorry…" Jack wanted to say it was alright, but the look in Maria's eyes stopped him. "My sister wouldn't do something like that, she was scared. She's not one to hurt others, Stella is kind at heart. If you don't want to forgive her for that, then please don't tell anyone of this. I'll do anything."
"You don't have to do anything, it's alright, and no one has to find out about this." He assured her.
Though he and Stella were not on good terms with each other, Jack wouldn't want to harm anyone. Especially Maria. He'd keep his lips sealed about this for her only. If it was any other time, then maybe he'd have a word with Stella.
Maria apologized once more before she suggested continuing where they left. Before the whole little thievery.
The two carried Jack's items back to the car, and throughout the short trip, Maria had yet to ask about the gun. Even if she was curious about it, Jack noticed the look on her face. As if she was deep in her thoughts about the moment with him and her sister, Stella. He wanted to assure Maria that there was no bad blood but opted to keep quiet. There was no point anymore, it was better to just get back to his car as soon as possible.
He did not exactly trust Cooper not because Jack expected the owl to be a shady character. No, it was just crystal clear that Cooper was not in the right mental state.
But much to his surprise, Cooper was seated on top of his car. The owl kept a glare at any passerby as if he was the guardian of this metal box. Once he realized that Jack and Maria were back, a small smile appeared on his beak.
"Jackie!" He hollered.
"Cooper, thanks for watching over my car."
"No problemo my man, I wouldn't let anyone near this baby. So did you and Maria catch the thieves?"
Jack coughed into his fist. "We did, but they got away. At least I have my stuff."
"Well we would love to stay and chat, Coop', but Jack and I better get going." Maria said as she went towards the car, only for Cooper to stand in her way.
"So he's going to crash at your place?" Cooper asked.
"He'll be living on my driveway until he can afford a place of his own." She answered.
"Yeah, I am broke as of now…" Jack muttered aloud.
"Dude…" Cooper placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "You can totally sleep at my place, Trusty wouldn't even have an issue with it."
"Trusty?"
"Trusty, my cousin." He clarified.
"It's fine," Maria claimed. "You know what? You don't have to sleep in your car, Jack, we got a spare room in the house you can use."
"Woah, Maria, isn't it a bad idea to offer a room to a stranger?" Jack reasoned. It was true, the two had only known each other for a day now. This also applies to Cooper and his offer. It wasn't like he didn't trust the two, but Jack didn't want to impose. "I can just stay in the car, not like I'd mind…"
Maria ignored him and focused her attention on Cooper instead. "Listen, Cooper, I appreciate you looking out for Jack, but I got it covered."
Cooper raised a finger at Maria, Jack felt that he caught himself in a situation. One that he should most definitely not be a part of. Yet there he was, just a third cog in a machine without a purpose.
"Maria, what exactly do you want?" Cooper questioned. "I'm sure I can help out if it isn't that much of a problem."
"Jack, get in the car." Maria pushed Cooper aside and hopped into the car. It would seem that Cooper struck a nerve there, and Jack was not in the loop to understand.
He gave Cooper a short goodbye and rushed over to the other side. The owl kept a stern glare on Maria. For once in Jack's life, he disliked the way someone looked. Not Cooper's appearance, but that scowl on his face was something Jack was uncomfortable with. Didn't sit well with him at all.
As he drove the car, Jack could still see Cooper in the mirror. It wasn't long before the owl shoved his hands into his pockets and marched off in the other direction.
Silent, that was how the ride went as Maria stared out the window. It would seem that her encounter with both her sister and Cooper had left Maria in a bad mood.
"I talked with Cooper…" Jack told her.
Maria flinched in her seat. Yet she kept her eyes on the passing scenery.
"Are you," He caught himself, with no idea how to approach this, Jack was fearful of the consequences that may happen with the wrong words. There was a short pause before he finally found the courage to continue. "I don't really want to be rude but Cooper said that you just want something from others when you help out. So I was just wondering that- I don't want you to see me wrongly but… thing is,"
Jack just continued to stutter, he couldn't exactly find the right words that wouldn't hurt Maria's feelings. He wasn't exactly made for these sorts of situations.
"Right, well I just want to say that I appreciate what you're doing for me. Thing is though, Cooper said that you help because you want others to owe you something."
"And you're curious about what I want from you…" She finished for him. Maria faced Jack with a sad look in her eyes. "It's just that…" She sighed. "I kinda need your car,"
"Oh, to pick up your bike?"
She shook her head. "I need your car to go back to that spot where you found me."
"Ah, well, I can let you borrow my car-"
"No!" Jack nearly swerved off the streets from Maria's sudden outburst. "It's just that, I can't drive."
"I see, so you basically need me as your chaperone?"
She chuckled a bit, a beautiful smile graced Jack's presence. "If you'd be willing, yeah…"
Jack returned a smile, it wasn't as pretty as hers but it was a nice smile. She even complimented it.
For once, Jack was calm and clear-headed.
It was not long before the two arrived at Maria's House. Jack tried to convince her that he was satisfied sleeping in his car instead. But it would seem Maria was set on giving him a roof to rest under. She wouldn't take no for an answer.
So with that in mind, Maria decided to help Jack move his boxes into his new room.
Maria was such a nice lady, Jack was glad he met someone like her, especially in his current situation.
Though he hoped that he may come to understand why he's even in this world. Still stuck with questions that no one had the answers to. For now, he'd just ride along with this reality.
Jack stopped to admire the room given to him. It was small, with barely any decorations. He found himself in such a bland room. Well, he couldn't complain.
All he needed was a bed and some space for his property.
"What are you doing here?"
Jack turned on his heel and made eye contact with Stella. She stood under the doorway with her arms crossed.
"Oh, well Maria kinda offered me a place."
"Yeah, she talked about it with me."
"No, why the hell are you even in town, freak?" She hissed. "Bad enough I got in trouble with my sister, now I have to see that ugly mug of yours until you leave."
Despite her short stature, it felt as if she towered over him. Her golden eyes pierced his chest like a spear. Jack felt vulnerable on the spot as she sized him up.
"If I had it my way I'd left you in the damn streets, creep."
"Listen, I think we got off the wrong foot here, you won't have to worry about me at all, I promise that. Just need to get back on my feet then I'll be out of your hair soon enough. I won't even bother you two on anything. Shelter is all I need."
Jack held a gasp as Stella pressed a finger on his chest, her claw pricked him through his shirt.
"Don't know what my sister promised, but I assure you that once she's through with you, she will toss you aside like a wet rag."
Before he could even retort, his stomach made itself known much to Jack's embarrassment.
For a moment the two stood there in awkward silence. The boiling rage on Stella's face now simmered down to a confused look. Once enough time passed, Stella scoffed at Jack.
"Lunch is on the table, but don't get your hopes up for a good meal, Maria doesn't cook."
Stella huffed as she turned on a heel. Finally alone once more, Jack thanked his stomach which saved him from a useless argument. As much as he disliked the girl, Jack did not wish to ruin his chances. If he wanted to survive then he'd need patience.
Once he found a way back then he'd be out of their hair, and out of this strange world.
Sadly his current objective is to satisfy his stomach.
The meal he had was a simple one. Pizza was all they had as of now. Jack was just honestly more disappointed that they ordered one with bananas. As much as he appreciated the thought he'd tell Maria what he wanted next time.
Once he was filled, Maria called for Jack from his car. It would seem she wanted him to pay his debt despite not owing her anything. Jack simply felt as if it was his way of just being friendly. Anything to help Maria out, and Jack was willing to pitch in.
A short ride on a familiar road later, but thankfully the weather was much better this visit. Jack was honestly in awe of the scenery. Mountains in the distance, a long border of trees, and a very creepy forest nearby.
But the view wasn't what the two were there for. Jack popped open the back of his car for Maria's bike. He sighed as his vehicle was dirtied by the muddy object. There will of course be time for him to clean it once he gets back to town.
"Come on, I still have something to do," Maria said as she carried her shovel. A fact that Jack seemed to have missed during the ride.
Perhaps this is the part where Jack gets murdered. A hilarious thought that surely wouldn't happen. Hopefully.
"So… Can I ask why you have a gun?"
Jack chuckled a bit. "Well, I don't exactly trust the world so much. Not like I want to hurt anyone, but being ready doesn't hurt as well."
"I hear you," Maria swung her shovel around, a few bushes in her way were cleaved with a single strike. It was then that Jack saw the sharpened end of her shovel. Somehow the idea that he was about to be killed in a forest felt like… a possibility. "If I'm being honest with you, I trust myself with a gun more than driving. Easier to control, no worries of accidentally crashing, and the fact that one day you could get caught in a tragedy in the streets. Prefer it if I was given responsibility for having something like this shovel. Just you, your hands, and a heavy tool."
"I see, that's an interesting thought process."
"Don't do much thinking honestly, I have a lot of things to be worried about."
"Like your sister?"
Her shoulders drooped. It would seem that Jack's choice of words was not wise. "Yeah, she needs me more than anything these days. I just wish she would listen to me. Just try not to antagonize her, it's bad enough that she tried to rob you."
"Maria, it's alright. I…"
"You're a good guy, Jack. Just hope Stella warms up to you."
The two went silent as Maria led him deeper into the creepy forest.
What Jack discovered wasn't what he expected. A strange construct was erected in the forest covered in twigs, branches, and leaves. He would've missed it if it wasn't for Maria's guidance. No matter what angle he looked at it, the thing was practically invisible. It reminded Jack of something he'd seen before but he couldn't put a finger on it. It was at the tip of his tongue, yet he barely could bring up an answer.
She welcomed him into this strange construct and inside was a whole different story. Sandbags were the primary materials that were used to build this little Fort along with some logs. Likely taken from this forest unlike most of the things used to build it. What a good observation for Jack.
"Make yourself at home."
"What is this place?" Jack finally asked.
"Just something I wanted," She said as she began digging at the center. "This town is nice and all that, but I want to be somewhere that isn't crowded."
Jack watched as she tossed the dirt aside. The question as to why she had a shovel that fateful night was finally answered.
He looked around the room with a sense of curiosity. There were other tools against the wall, dirty and muddied as if it was just used. Only three windows, and one entrance. There was only a single couch against the wall, to the right of the entrance. As much as he wanted to take a seat, the couch looked too withered and fragile. As if it would turn to dust the moment he sits down.
He wondered if this was even legal.
Before he could ponder more, something outside caught his attention. Jack couldn't believe it at first, he tried his best not to rush over to the window or else it would spook them.
There on a branch was a bird, not like Cooper, but an ordinary bird.
He doubted it at first, but as he stared at this winged critter, Jack felt a sense of home from this creature and he was unsure why. Must be because this was one of the first ordinary things he encountered yet.
"There are actual birds in this world?"
He didn't realize that he said that out loud. It caught Maria's attention who had climbed out of the pit she was working with.
Without his notice, Maria walked up behind Jack. She eyed him curiously as he continued to gawk at the bird. Something else caught his attention, and it nearly drove him wild the moment it made itself known. A deer had paused right in front of the little hut.
"It's a doe…" He muttered aloud. "Wow, I can't believe it… Why can't I believe it?"
Questions filled his head as he took this new information he had just discovered. Normal animals existed in this world despite the fact that Maria and the others did as well. It sounded contradictory but there were of course theories that humans were once primates. So he could actually believe that despite existing, normal animals would be present along with these people through evolution.
"So…" Jack was brought back to his senses. He turned to meet Maria with hope in his eyes. But it vanished the moment he saw her.
For a moment it would seem Jack was elsewhere, but thanks to Maria he was snapped back to reality.
They stared at each other unsure of what to even say. Well, Jack was stuck in a state of confusion with his findings. He's just unsure what kept Maria from talking.
Finally, after a long silence, Maria cleared her throat. "So, you're pretty surprised to see woodland critters."
"It's just that I didn't expect to see normal animals in this world."
She gave him the same look everyone had given him today. He just couldn't tell what exactly it was.
Was it pity? Disgust? Or are they just confused about him?
Everything was a mix of emotions, all swirled up that it was impossible to read. Jack didn't like it. The way they looked at him like he was a freak, an embarrassment. He isn't that different from these people, yet they see him as something else.
But that is probably it. They know he isn't like any of them, they know that he's some alien from another world. Or worse. They think he was a threat to their lives.
"Jack!"
He awoke from his little trance. There he found Maria with her hands on his shoulders. A worried expression on her face as she stared into his eyes.
"Jack, I need you to breathe slowly…"
He realized that his heart was racing. The sweat ran down his face as his lungs burned like it was in a marathon.
"You need to relax, you're safe here…" She cooed. "Count to ten as you breathe, listen only to my voice."
It took a short minute but Jack managed to keep himself from breaking down. Something he'd rather not allow himself right in front of Maria.
"You can tell me what happened when you feel like it, just relax and know that no one will hurt you." Her hand caressed his back gently, she moved it up and down to help him relax. "Did you see that bird? Sure was a pretty one, right?"
Jack made no sound as he steadied himself both mentally and physically.
Maria continued. "I like to listen to the sounds of this forest sometimes, but it does get pretty boring."
"I'm fine…" Jack managed to spit out some words.
With a heavy sigh, he straightened himself and gave Maria a soft smile.
"Thanks, but what was that about birds and the forest?"
"I gotta keep your mind on something, change the subject and all that. That way you get distracted from whatever anxiety attack that was."
"Sorry… it's just… I realized now how far I am from home and…"
"Shush, it's alright," She led him over to the couch where she helped him get comfortable. "Relax, I'll get us something to drink."
As she claimed, Maria had brought out some beer cans from a cooler that was tucked behind the couch.
"You drink?" She asked just before she offered it. And to answer her question, Jack grabbed the can eagerly and popped the pin as soon as he had it. "Glad to see you're calming down."
She took a sip from hers before she sat down next to him.
"So… You're actually human?"
"You're starting to believe me?" A glimmer of hope sparkled in his eyes.
"Either you're right, or you're just a lunatic. And you're already crashing at my house with my sister. I'd rather not believe the latter."
He chuckled a bit. The beer he received wasn't cold at all, it was warm. And by the looks of it, it had been in that cooler for a while now as it was completely soaked in water. It dripped slowly onto the soil as he held it past his legs. The only thing that mattered was that it helped calm him a bit.
"Right, well yes, I am human. And if I'm being honest with you Maria, I'm more surprised that normal animals exist."
"What do you mean normal, Mr. Alien? Are you saying I'm not normal?" She jabbed a finger at him.
"It's not like I'm saying you're not normal, it is just that you and your kind don't exist back in my world. Not that there's something wrong with you guys, it's just that you all are pretty special compared to regular animals-"
Maria burst out laughing. She couldn't hold back as she watched Jack turn red from being such a fool.
"Easy Jack, I'm just pulling your leg here!" She wheezed, so much so that she nearly spilled her drink.
"Right, funny, sorry about that. Just feeling stressed today."
"Well if I was in your shoes, I'd freak out too. I mean, just can't believe that I'm sitting here on this dusty couch, and next to me is an actual human!" She faced him with gleaming wonder in her eyes and high expectations. "Is it true that you guys don't grow fur even in winter?"
"We don't, that's why we have to wear layers of clothes or else we'd freeze." He paused for a moment as a thought ran through his mind. He noticed that it had been cold even at noon. The skies were clear and the sun was really above him. "It's kinda cold here now that I think of it." He commented.
"It's warm…"
"Well it makes sense honestly," Jack concluded. "Since you guys are covered in fur, then the temperature is far colder here than back home. Guess global warming isn't much of an issue here."
Maria was about to say something but she made an audible "Oh" before she dug a hand into her hoodie's pocket. There she fished out a roll of newspaper and handed it over to Jack.
"This is what I bought when I left you alone earlier." She told him. "Since you don't have any money on you, and it's honestly a fact now considering your predicament. So I bought you this local newspaper to help out with job hunting."
Jack felt his eyes widen. Another kind gesture by Maria, the second time this day as well. "That's actually awesome! But I don't exactly have any skills that would help out."
He said as he skimmed through the newspaper.
"Know anything about cars?"
"Nope."
"Can you cook?"
"I'm no chef, but the best I can do is soup."
"How about some construction work? Riley would appreciate some ape- Ah, sorry about that…"
"It's alright, honestly don't feel bothered anymore." He chuckled dryly. "Oh? This place sure is offering a steal for janitors."
Maria took a closer look at what caught Jack's attention. She nearly shoved Jack aside as she peered at the newspaper, unaware of how far she pushed Jack against the couch.
An advertisement looking for a janitor for a place called Happy Town.
"Well of course they'd pay janitors that much, Happy Town is a very popular amusement park just north of town. Trust me, Jack, that place is gonna eat you up with all the work. So it's better to look somewhere else."
He smiled confidently, her words did not convince Jack at all. "Some hard labor doesn't sound too bad if I'm paid for it. Besides, this one at least sounds fun."
She admitted defeat and simply retreated into her seat. "It's your head on the line, not mine. Just don't be surprised if you lose your soul working in that place."
Jack chuckled as he relaxed on his side of the couch. He said nothing and simply finished his beer as the two enjoyed the silence.
Though there was a moment of weakness on his part, Jack was just happy that Maria was there for him.
There were plenty of jobs that could help him out with his situation. But the pay that Happy Town offered was something he couldn't ignore. He would consider the others if he cannot get the job tomorrow.
For now, Jack and Maria would simply relax in this little hut of hers, where no one would disturb them.
And though he was starting to accept the truth, Jack was still determined to find a way back. And hopefully, it wouldn't be long until then.