The In-between – Part 4 of 31

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Binging time.’

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.

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Read part 1 here

Read part 2 here

Read Part 3 Here

“Hello” was the first thing Henry said to me which, as greetings go, was perfectly acceptable.

Perhaps it was his lack of enthusiasm that threw me but the best I could muster in response was a rather flacid “Hi”.

Henry blinked and did not reply, simply shuffling uncomfortably from one foot to another and fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt. I hadn’t considered clothing previously, and it prompted me to wonder whether I had any on and, looking down, discovered that I was in fact wearing a most unpleasant pair of brown corduroys and a plain white shirt. A pair of light brown moccasins and white socks rounded off the ensemble which made me look very much like my year 9 science teacher, Mr Wood.

Moments passed and so we stood staring at one another saying nothing. It could have been a few seconds though it may also have been a number of weeks. Time is a tricky thing here.

Feeling compelled to make an impression, he was after all the only other person I had met since arriving, I attempted to muster something witty or interesting to say but everything escaped me and I eventually mumbled a rather awkward “so are you new here?”

Henry nodded.

“You’re the first person I’ve seen since I arrived” I added.

Henry stared straight through me as if fixed upon something in the distance. I tried to resist turning around to look and see what he was looking at but could not. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing to be seen other than the feint silhouette of the tree far in the distance.

“The tree?” I asked.

Henry nodded.

“Just appeared” I replied.

Henry leaned to the side, peering over my shoulder, and then scratching his head walked past me without so much as a please and thank you in the direction of the tree.

I turned to watch him go and was about to follow him when another voice spoke.

“Let him go, he’s going the wrong way anyway.”