He hasn’t reappeared yet. I’m still waiting.
I don’t know why but I’m looking forward to it. I wonder if it’s the loneliness getting to me. Maybe that’s what draws me to him. I wonder where he lives. It doesn’t seem like he uses any of the other houses in the settlement. He’s a strange one.
I got the pipes in the bath area working. I checked around the back and apparently, they were just disconnected. Maybe I’ll go get firewood tomorrow morning then try and take a look around in the cave again.
Glad to note that no dead bodies have washed up. They’ve either all survived, or gotten eaten up. Which it is, I don't really know.
3
Sho stood at the entrance to the cave, peering into the darkness. He was told not to go back in but that only piqued his curiosity more. Using a piece of the sails’ sheets, Sho wrapped a few apples in it and brought it with him to leave in the cave. He remembered the stranger’s delight with a mere apple. Hopefully, this would be enough to appease him if he got upset over Sho’s defiance.
Why it mattered to Sho, he did not know.
What Sho did know, though, was that he was going into the cave no matter what.
Tightening his fist around the bundle of apples, Sho squared his shoulders and headed in. He carefully manoeuvred around the slippery rocks and put a hand on the wall to guide him as he approached the knoll that led up to the open area where the trinkets were.
It was not a taxing hike, but the humidity in the cave clung to Sho’s skin and clothes, drenching him in perspiration by the time he arrived at the clearing. There was a hole in the ceiling that let light into the cave, allowing Sho to venture this far in without the need for a candle. Any further and that might be necessary, but not today.
The clearing still looked the same. The same low, table-like structure was there, the same trinkets were lying around, though in slightly different positions. The compass was still there too. Staring at it as he approached the table, Sho felt the urge to reclaim it again but he resisted, instead simply placing the apples next to it. His re-entry to the cave was already a big enough transgression.
A small voice in the back of Sho’s mind questioned again why he should let that bother him. Pursing his lips in annoyance, Sho smothered the voice away and looked to the back of the cave, trying to see if he can go in deeper.
The path ahead had a gentle decline that led into darkness. Swallowing his uncertainty away, Sho put his hand on the wall again and started walking in with cautious steps. If he fell in here and broke something, he might never see the light of day again.
Moving away from the clearing, Sho soon found his vision plunged back into impenetrable darkness again. It felt as if it was closing around him, enveloping him, making it harder for him to breathe. Logically speaking, it was probably just the humidity making his lungs work harder. Being able to see would make him feel much better though. Hopefully, there was another light source concealed inside, like the hole at the clearing.
It was hard to tell how long Sho had been wandering around, following along the wall, but it felt like ages and it seemed like he wasn’t going to find any end nor light if he went on. It was getting harder and harder to breathe as well, more so than before. Sho decided that he should turn around. He would be better off coming back another day with the candles.
As he turned, Sho began to find his ears being filled with the deafening sounds of his heart racing mixed with the echoes of his feet shuffling around on the gravel. He forced himself to slow his breathing and his heartbeat, taking in long, deep breaths despite the difficulty. It would be a bad idea to panic now.
The way back seemed to take less time and within moments, Sho was back at the clearing on the knoll. He sat down on the sandy ground, under the spot of light that illuminated the otherwise dark cave. The air felt less oppressive here. Maybe it was due to the presence of light.
After taking a short break, Sho started to make his way back to the entrance when he threw a glance at the table and felt his heart stop. The bundle of apples were unwrapped and there was one less apple now. He smiled wryly to himself, half glad that the stranger has accepted his offer yet worried about what he might have to say about Sho’s intrusion. Until the stranger confronts him about it, though, there was nothing Sho could do about it. That is if he even shows up again.
Hand to the wall, Sho descended the knoll, heading back to the entrance of the cave. When he made it back into the open air, the sun was just beginning to set and water has crept back up towards the shore, submerging the rocks at the entrance. Sho didn’t expect that he would spend such a long time in there but it was hard to keep track of time in the darkness.
Sighing, Sho resolved to take better note of the tidal patterns. Perhaps he should bring the watch with him the next time he goes in. Keeping his mind occupied with improvements to his plans, Sho hurried back to the house, eager to go indoors before the rising tide forced him to try and swim his way back.
By the time Sho made it home, his body was worn out and his skin felt sticky from the perspiration and salty wind. It’s a good thing he had prepared for a hot bath. After lighting the hearth in the front of the house, Sho fired up the boiler for the bath and as he waited, he sat on the walkway outside, crunching on an apple as he watched the sunset.
When the moon began to glow, Sho had bitten the apple down to its core. He dropped it into the rising water and watched, expecting it to float back up but it never did. He frowned. Weren’t apples supposed to float in water? Staring at the water for a moment more, he scanned the surface but saw nothing that resembled the apple. Giving up, he shrugged to himself and went back inside. Perhaps it was too dark to see.
Stripping his robes off, Sho hung them over the folding screen that separated the bath area from the rest of the house and rinsed his body before slipping into the warm water, sighing as he felt his muscles relax. Submerging himself underwater, Sho let the water work into his hair which has now grown past his shoulders. He has yet to decide if he should cut it short or just leave it to keep growing. Resurfacing for air, Sho was in the midst of wiping the water out of his eyes when a voice reached his ears.
“Did you think a few apples were enough to appease me?” the stranger asked. His voice sounded light and teasing like the last time they met.
Sho made a startled noise and kicked away from the direction of his voice. Raking his hair back and out of his face, he stared wide-eyed at the stranger who rested his head on his arm which he put on the edge of the bath as he watched Sho’s reaction with amusement. The stranger’s long dark hair drew a sharp contrast against his shimmering robes.
“Ever heard of knocking?” Sho sputtered, offended by his intrusion.
“Did you knock?” the stranger returned the question.
Sho stared for a moment. “How do I knock in a cave?”
“How do I knock at a house with no doors?” The stranger replied with a question again, his smile growing wider at Sho’s flustering.
“I…” Sho was at a loss for words. Breathing shallowly from apprehension under the stranger’s gaze, Sho eventually said, “I needed to ask you something. But you weren’t showing up.”
The stranger’s eyes crinkled as his smile grew. “Miss me already?”
“Uhn?”
