Woken

Chapter 6

The boy remained on the bed as Jeremiah cooked whatever kind of creatures and fresh smelling spices he had boiling inside of his pot for his own food. 

He watched with quiet interest as Jeremiah stirred in the mix of contents and used a wooden spoon to lightly sip at it. His delighted noise of , 'Mmmm,' let Johnny know it was probably good to his tongue. Johnny could already assume it was delicious, his delicate nose could pick out every flavor, review it, then move onto the next.

He sighed. Gently, quiet enough so the man would not hear.

He had never heard somebody say those words. They were odd words to him. He knew he had not been taught that. Back in the darkness he had come from, things were much different. Nobody, not even a human perhaps lost in their side of the world, would say such a thing.

'Everythin is just tryin to survive.'

By Jeremiah saying that, Johnny knew that he was wise. He was a wise, and old fashioned man. The sort that believed in equality towards everyone once survival was brought into play. Or maybe the sort that held such strong beliefs whether survival was brought into the game of life or not.

Whichever it was, Johnny knew the old man would never hurt or kill him, even while knowing what he was.

'You said...You said you lived near Capita..? What is that...?' Johnny asked, hesitant, he wasn't sure if it was the kind of thing he should be asking Jeremiah.

'Oh there sonny, Well its really just a lil village. Its the furthest one in the northern parts of this chunk of ice.' He said this, absently, still stirring, with a slight chuckle hanging on his breath.

'When I first saw you down there in that deep snow kiddo, I knew you werent from around here because of how you look.'

A look of confusion spread on Johnny's face as quickly as butter spreads on bread. Johnny knew the way he looked was different, all of it was designed to be flawless, perfect. But the old man didn't seem to be directing his thoughts to his design.

'See there sonny, I saw your blonde hair,' He said nodding towards it.

'Everybody around here, and in Capita, has very dark hair.' Jeremiah said, tugging on his own. 'You kinda stand out a bit. Not to mention you have blue eyes, Im sure half the darn population has never seen a blue eyed person before. Less they travel or somethin.' He said grinning.

Johnny contemplated what Jeremiah said quickly.

Everybody has dark hair. Nobody has blue eyes. Half of them haven't ever seen something remotely close to a nightwalker before, at least up close, he assumed.

How could he live among humans if he didn't look anything like them? 

They would know what I am in a heartbeat and kill me...or send me back. The last thread of this thought scared him the most, he could never go back. He could never live in such a nightmare again. Where only darkness thrived, and you thrived off of it. Where all you knew was blackness. There was no such thing as green, or blue, or red, or white, where he came from. 

'Your very quiet.'

Johnny smiled, he knew Jeremiah meant it in a light hearted way, though he knew he was sometimes a quiet person.

'Im a little overwhelmed I guess.' He said honestly. 'Do people from Capita come here?' He asked quickly, a hint of fear covered the thickness of his curiosity of the human's part of the New World.

'Ohh heck yeahh, I have a granddaughter, and my two kids livin there, they visit sometimes, and I do trade with the village. When the winter gets real harsh up here, see the temperature drops alot when there is no sun light, I usually stay in a place I have inside the city. Its alot safer, mind you.' He paused, then continued.