Travelers
(AN- Will you look at that. Turns out I'm not dead after all. Im experimenting with a writing style I particularly enjoy writing, so if you would, tell me what you think.)
Chapter 1:
This is a world where parental guidance strictly stops twelve years from the birth of a child. In those twelve years the child would be prepared for the many years that follows the twelve years of nurturing. But on the twelfth day of the twelfth year the child must already be on the road, bidding farewell to their birth parents, forever. From that point on the once child now controls his or her own life, and no one could tell them otherwise. And this is how the world worked for millennia, and no one protested for a different life.
It was accepted, and the world was happy.
Once there was a boy. This boy wasn't particularly different from other teen boys. He was average build, average height, average- well, everything really. He had brown eyes, probably the most average color of eye there was. His hair was a scruffy dark brown, bangs that unevenly fell over his average eyes. But there were differences, differences that were 'unaverage' per say. These differences could not be seen on the outside, nor would any human being truly notice these differences if they just laid their eyes on the boy. No, what would cross their mind would be something along the lines of, "Wow, look at that tremendously average boy." Followed by not one single further thought about him or his life.
As average as this boy was on the outside, he had many peculiar differences on the inside, separating him from the average class. For instance, the average boy doesn't prefer to play the flute –technically it was a piccolo, a half-sized flute, but no one really appreciates the difference. The response was always, "Nice flute." So in the end the boy had given up and called it a flute ever since– or walk barefoot everywhere we goes. Nor does the average boy laugh at jokes that no one tells, or notice things that no one else does, yet doesn't acknowledge said noticed things. But most of all, by far the main difference that separates this boy from the average class, no average boy spends his life following the wind, roaming wherever his feet may take him. No, the average boy spends his days at school, or on the family farm, or in some other line of work. In this fast growing society, no average boy stops to admire the wonderful outdoors as this one does. They simply don't have the time, and other excuses they make up.
This average looking, extraordinarily different boy chose a different path to take in life. This extraordinarily different, average looking boy's name was Humphrey.
And Humphrey was happy.
Once there was a girl. This girl prided herself in being extravagant. Very different from your average teen girl, yet sharing many of the same qualities. This extravagant girl had bold sun-gold hair that fell around her shoulders perfectly, no matter how she fixed it. This beautiful girl was slightly taller than your average teen girl, about the same height as an average teen boy. Her eyes were a fiery hazel, with tints of green in her stare. This girl had a slim build, her chest stare-worthy. Her hips swayed as she walked, and not one wandering eye stopped her from being bold, nor did any stray words. Many stray words were flung at her by those who were jealous and bitter. This extravagant girl was all too used to the whistles and the hooting and hollering from the boys as she walked by. It no longer made her feel good, but never once made her feel bad. But on the inside she craved the attention, even though it did get boring day after long day.
On the inside this girl enjoyed the fast life. Being one who has been on her own for six years now, this girl developed a since of independency. No one told this girl what to do, and thats how this girl liked it. But although this girl lived the life that many other average girls envied, she felt empty. There was a giant hole in this extravagant girl's heart. One that couldn't be patched with her good looks or her influential power over others. She unhealthily craved adventure.
This extravagant, beautiful girl had chosen to live life as it was given to her, on a silver platter. This beautiful, extravagant girl's name was Kate.
And Kate was unhappy.
But one day there was a moment, just a mere second, that changed these two very different people's lives forever. For the time it took for two fiery, hazel eyes to lock against two brown, average eyes, two fates took very drastic turns. Some might say that these two very different person's fates were sealed from the beginning. But not even fate could have predicted the drastic changes, nor were they prepared in the slighted for such a change. No, such a change was much too grand for one's destiny to know in ahead of time. It just wasn't coherently possible.
The day began like any other for the girl, Kate. Kate woke up, smacking around her alarm clock in doing so, and resumed with the many other routine activities she played out every morning. For instance, she brushed her teeth before taking a shower, but only if it was a day of the week that started with a T, such as Tuesday or Thursday. If any other day than those two, her shower would always be after her teeth brushing. But all of this was offset in the months of November through February, and July, where the order was reversed. It was a Wednesday in December, the fifteenth day of that month, so she would usually brush her teeth before her warm shower. But none of this really mattered due to the full moon last night, which provided a whole new set of conditions, usually merging two conditions, or offsetting the original conditions entirely. So in the end she brushes her teeth in the shower instead of following the order of which goes first.
As you can see, Kate tends to get bored at home.
Kate finished brushing her teeth and places the toothbrush on the bathroom counter, and resumes her shower. She was in the middle of massaging her shampoo in her hair before she began brushing her teeth, verifying the fact of brushing her teeth in the middle of her shower, not just after she had washed up. So once she finished her teeth brushing and had set the tooth brush on the counter outside the shower, she finished running the shampoo through her long, golden hair.
Kate, with her right hand, reaches to grab a bottle that rested in a small metal basket that hung from the base of the shower head. The warm, but not too hot, spray of water hits Kate's legs as she obtains the bottle. In this bottle in Kate's right hand was a body wash, 'Wolf's Instinct for Women'. Kate was particularly fond of this body wash's fragrance, and so was everyone around her. At least no one complained, for they were too busy staring at her body and smelling the remains of the body wash on her light tan skin. So Kate squeezes a glob into her left hand, puts the bottle down, and begins working the thick, light blue liquid into her skin. Starting with her right arm, wrist up to shoulder, then her left arm, wrist to shoulder. From both her shoulders she rubs the now bubbly substance across her two round globes, twisting both of the nipples at the end, just for a touch of amusement in her morning shower, but not much. She continues massaging the bubbles under her chest and down her abdomen and sides, coating her body with the scent of her preferred body wash. Down her body she goes, over her hips, between her legs and around her thighs. She bends down as she goes further. Past her knees, past her calves, and finally she bends all the way over to wash her feet. Standing back up tall, Kate sits there for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of the mass amount of bubbles popping and resting all over her body. The moment was long and played out, before she took a step forward under the jet of water. The soapy residue slides down her body as would foaming waves when they pull back into the ocean after crashing to the sandy shore. The shampoo and soap alike seep from her hair down her shoulders, past her hips, down her legs and from her feet to the shower bottom, where they flow towards the drain and out of sight.
Her light tan skin glistened from the water, and Kate rubbed the rest of the soap out of her hair and off of her slim body. Now, in this point of time, Kate remained in the shower although she was thoroughly clean. She leans against the cool wall of the shower and closes her eyes, inviting the warm spray of water to soak in. The feeling was rather comforting to Kate, and she remained for as long as she could. But any longer time would have become an issue, so Kate releases her grasp on the comfortable jet of warm water and turns the nozzle to off, cutting off the water flow. Kate shivers and wraps a towel around her waist after her wet feet slap against the dark tile floor.
Staring through the reflective glass that spans across the entire length of the counter, Kate watches herself drip. The water droplets would run off her shoulders, over her chest, and down her stomach until they stopped against the towel, and the towel would soak up drop after drop after drop. Kate contemplated these small water droplets. Imagine the journey these little spheres of dihydrogen monoxide have gone through just to end up on her skin. Starting from a cloud that happened to be above the right place in the entire expanse of the Earth's atmosphere in order to fall into a reserve. From there the water must have gone through many filtrations systems, and from there into the main pipe that led to her town. From there, another filtration system would rid of any other foreign extremities, and then the water would go through many pipes. These select droplets went to the one pipe that led to her house, then straight up to the water heater in the attic. From there they were heated up, and awaited the release of some sort of valve to open so they could flow. Not only did these droplets come from so far, they managed to be timed perfectly as to land on Kate's tan skin as the rest of the flow was cut off, saving these droplets from returning to the cycle of the drain. Now, they travel downwards and into the towel that rests on her waist, disappearing from sight. What an adventure!
Kate shakes her head. There is no time for silly daydreaming right now. So Kate removes the towel from her waist and begins drying off, ridding her skin of the adventurous water droplets. Running the towel through her long hair, across her back and down her legs, Kate finds her mind wandering to the many other journeys the items in her bathroom must have gone through just to be in this very room with herself right now, it was all very exciting to the young woman. For instance, the towels! Once they were merely seeds of cotton before they grew and were harvested, and then spooled into string, then finally weaved into towels to be shipped off to stores. Or the toothbrush! Or-
Kate just couldn't keep herself together. "I must fulfill this dreadful craving of mine before it takes me over completely." She thought aloud, watching her reflection voice her thoughts in the mirror that lay on the wall.
With a silent glare Kate tries to intimidate herself into continuing with her morning routine. She does a fairly good job in doing so, for she quickly looks away and drops the towel to the floor, then begins in sliding her clothes on over her now dry skin. First her underwear, stepping into her light pink panties and sliding them up into place, then placing her bra on her waist, clasping it, then sliding it up into position, cupping her decent sized breasts. Then her 'a little less than modest' tank top, and some tight fitting jeans that have false jewels embedded into the back pockets which would surely draw attention to her round posterior. And this was how Kate liked it.
Now by the time Kate finished her bathroom affairs, the sun had already been peeking over the trees for quite some time now, slipping behind clouds here and there, ascending itself higher into the sky casting it's glorious rays upon the hemisphere it inhabits for the time being. This means it was roughly ten o'clock. Kate walked outside to begin her usual day as a eye catcher for boys and girls alike.
About two hours into her daily rounds of hitting the town, she meets the eyes of a rather average looking boy. The strange thing about this boy was, although he looked at her, he was the first to look away. Without a second glance towards Kate, he walks off in another direction. This baffled Kate, for she has never seen someone take their eyes off of her, especially not a boy her age. But no, this boy was different. It was as if he had no interest in her whatsoever. Kate found this rather... Intriguing to say in the least. For the first time ever she was filled with a desire to meet someone, to wonder why he wasn't following the obvious rule of 'stare at what is eye pleasing'. This desire became a burning passion, and she turns to walk after this strange, average looking boy.
This boy woke up how he was used to, by the sounds of nature. Humphrey yawns and stretches, feeling most of his joints pop from the night's sleep of inactivity. Slowly he picks himself up to a sitting position and looks up into the sky. The clouds above laid out patches of blue sky, and the rest puffy clouds. It didn't look like it was going to rain but for another week, so Humphrey didn't bother in setting up shelter for his supplies. He reaches over to grab his tattered booksack, then rises to his feet. The cool grass lay underfoot, and the entire landscape was surprisingly warm for being in mid-december, even for a southern climate. There was a slight cool breeze approaching from the east though, and Humphrey felt this as he walked into a town, looking for a place to refill some supplies that mother nature cannot necessarily provide to him by herself.
He reaches the town, all too aware of the many people bustling about. Sometime in his walk through the town his eyes met with an extravagant girl's. The girl was beautiful indeed, but Humphrey felt the breeze on his neck, urging him forward. It is about time he left his short encampment and headed further south, to escape the inevitable cold, to at least make it bearable. So he turns towards the market and places a hand on the money in his pocket. This money was earned doing small jobs with the locals of towns he'd stay by, or he'd play his flute and people would place coins on the bench or curb he sat upon. Usually he didn't have enough money to restock his supplies at each town, so he built up his small amount of funds and spent it about every four towns he passes. And, although he isn't sure of the reason, but sometimes people would hand him money! They looked upon his tattered hair, clothes, and bare feet and they would hand Humphrey money with a sorrowful glance, muttering, "God bless you." and other phrases of the sort. Humphrey wasn't poor, nor was he unhappy in his simple life. He choose this, but no one seems to think that way. They assume that the lifestyle they live in is the most opportune, and feel sorry for those who don't live it. But Humphrey stopped trying to argue his case and started accepting the money long ago.
Towards the end of his shopping Humphrey realizes that the beautiful girl has followed him. For what reason, he can't tell. Why would a girl like her affiliate with a guy like Humphrey? But this is how it happened, Kate walked up to Humphrey, spun him around, and candidly asked, "What is wrong with you?"
Humphrey was visibly shocked. "What do you mean?" Was she referring to his appearance?
"How come you don't know a pretty lady when you see one?" Kate asks, her grip remaining firm on Humphrey's shoulders.
"That isn't the issue here," Humphrey figures, "You want to know why I'm not paying you any attention."
"Yes." Kate says. "I am. Do you have an answer?" She takes a step back and folds her arms, and if she pressed up her breasts on purpose or simply how her arms were crossed, he didn't know.
"Yes, you are lovely." Humphrey says, then turns around and continues finding various supplies, only selecting the cheapest of brands.
"Who are you?" Kate asks, placing herself in between Humphrey and the shelves.
Humphrey sighs. "My name is Humphrey."
"You aren't from around here, are you?" Kate asks.
"Nope. I travel." Humphrey simply puts it, and waits patiently for the conversation to end so he can continue on his way.
"Where do you live?" Kate asks, seeing possibilities of adventure in this boy.
"Wherever I stand." Humphrey replies, "Now can I continue?" Humphrey gestures towards the shelves.
"So you travel out in the wilderness wherever?" Kate asks.
"You could say that." Humphrey says.
Kate eyes shone. 'This boy must be so filled of adventure!' She thought. "Who do you travel with?"
"I travel alone." Humphrey says, fiddling with the coins in his pocket.
Kate took a step back in shock, almost knocking off items on the shelf. "Aren't you lonely?"
"It depends." Humphrey shrugs.
"Why don't you stay at my house for today." Kate proposes, wanting to know more about this strange boy Humphrey.
"Fine. I will if I can just finish my shopping!" Humphrey says.
"I'll pay." Kate says, grabbing her money.
"Oh please, you don't have to-"
"I'm paying." Kate says, much more forcefully.
Humphrey nods, knowing he cannot change her mind. "Who is this girl taking me to her home?" He asks her.
"Kate, and feel special. Many people want to follow me home, and you are the first to." Kate says, grabbing his bag to go pay.
Humphrey rolls his eyes. This girl, Kate is full of herself. Humphrey walks behind Kate's swaying hips to the register. Humphrey's eyes never stray, and when Kate looked back to see if her bedazzled bottomed jeans had caught his attention and found him staring straight ahead and not at her sparkly bum, she frowned. This boy wasn't following the simple understood rule for boys, always stare at round butts. It was if he had no sexual desires or thoughts at all. He drained all the fun and point of even wearing such tight jeans. For all its worth she might as well wear sweat pants around Humphrey! Has he no heart! Kate fought the urge to spin around and yell, 'Stare at my ass! Just do it!'
Yes. Kate is now quite positive that this is no ordinary boy. No ordinary boy would make someone like Kate to beg for attention. Someone of head turning gorgeousness to beg for someones else's eyes to scan her own body. Just the way he seems to not notice is starting to drive Kate mad. 'I will get him to stare at me.' Kate promised herself. 'No matter what extremes I must face to do so.'
The cash register was a young lady, about the age of 26. Her dark brown hair fell past her shoulders messily as she passes the items across the scanner, a slight beep each time an item rings up. "Going camping?" She asks, looking at all of the items that relate to wilderness survival.
"Of sorts." Humphrey says, smiling politely.
The young woman gave Humphrey a knowing look, misreading the situation. "Well then, I suppose it is my duty to you two young'uns to throw in this." She tosses a box of condoms into the bag with a wink.
Kate's face burns bright red, but Humphrey's cheeks remain the same color they were. "Thank you." He says, not understanding what the purpose of the contents of the box was.
"No problem. It's best to stay safe." The brunette says, and hands Humphrey the bag as Kate fumbles with the money to pay. Humphrey looks at her and wonders why she is so flustered. The nice lady gave something to them for free. Is she not used to receiving complimentary items? That's no reason to be so discombobulated as she is.
Kate places the payment in the brunette's hand and the duo walk out of the shop. Kate's face returns to it's normal color. "My house is this way." She points down one street. "It's not too far away. If it were I would at least have a bike."
Humphrey nods, walking alongside the extravagant girl towards her house. Humphrey notices people's heads turn, then they'd mutter things like, "Who's this hot shot?" And other semi-jealous remarks. Was this town really swayed by Kate as she said it was?
Nevertheless, Kate strays from the road and walks up a driveway, and up to a door. She pulls a key from her tight pocket and slides it into the lock, and with a twist she pushes open the door. With a wave of her hand she welcomes Humphrey. "Welcome to my casa." She says, "Make yourself comfortable." She walks into the kitchen to prepare the two of them a drink. 'Perhaps something harder than he is used to?' Kate smiles as she pours two glasses of Chardonnay.
Humphrey takes a seat on the floor and goes through the bag. He wanted to know what the strange box held, and how it would help him outside. Opening the top he dumps the contents onto the carpet. What falls to the floor are square packets, with what looks like rubber circles inside. He peels off the wrapper of one and unrolls the rubber, genuinely confused as to what this strange thing is.
Kate walks in and almost drops the two glasses. "What are you doing?" She asks Humphrey, who sits messing around with a condom.
"How is this supposed to keep me safe as the clerk said?" Humphrey asks.
"You've been alone since you left on releasing day, haven't you." Kate breathes.
"Before that. My parents... Were lost two years before, so I started early." Humphrey says, then shrugs.
"Well..." Kate grabs the rubber from Humphrey's hand. "Do you know... Know about the birds and the bees?"
"Sex." Humphrey snorts. "Of course I do. I'm not that oblivious."
"Well, this little device helps protect from the natural happenings of sex." Kate says slowly.
Humphrey slowly nods his head. "Oh. It keeps the sperm fro-"
"Yes. Yes, you've got it." Kate interrupts. "It is supposed to protect from pregnancy."
"Supposed to?" Humphrey raises an eyebrow.
Kate shrugs. "Sometimes it may fail."
Humphrey stares a the rest of the packets. "So the cashier thought we were..."
"Yep." Kate says, then hands Humphrey a glass.
Humphrey takes it. "I guess we won't be needing these then." He says, scooping up the rest of the packets and dropping them back in the box. He hands the box to Kate for her to throw it away.
Kate takes it and walks to the hall. Instead of throwing it away, she tosses it in her top drawer of her dresser. 'Just in case.' She told herself. Secretly she hoped she would need them.
She comes back into the living room, where Humphrey was looking into the glass. "What is this. It's good, don't get me wrong." Humphrey says, taking another sip.
"Wine." Kate answers.
"Hm." Humphrey grunts, taking another sip.
Kate sits on the floor next to Humphrey. "So how is it?" She asks.
"What, living outdoors? It is peaceful, I enjoy it when others really wouldn't." Humphrey sips from the glass.
"Do you run across any adventures?" Kate asks, also sipping from her cup.
"Every now and then, I guess." Humphrey answers.
The two sit on the carpet, sipping from their glasses. Until Humphrey pipes up. "Would you mind if I took a shower?"
"Of course not." Kate replies, "The bathroom is the last door on the left." She points to the hallway.
"Thanks." Humphrey walks down the hall and to the bathroom. Soon the sound of the shower running hits Kate's ears.
Kate sits on the floor alone, every now and then bringing the glass up to her lips, drinking in the wine. With each sip she gains the confidence to make Humphrey stare at her. She plans on storming in the bathroom and getting naked. What else would make him stare at her quicker than that?
One more sip and Kate puts down the glass. It is now or never. She walks down the hall and reaches the first door on the left. Twisting the handle quietly she slips in. She can hear the water hitting Humphrey's skin, and sees the pile of clothes resting on the bathroom counter. She settles in position and watches herself slide out of her jeans in the mirror. Is this what she wants? Yes. It is, because something about Humphrey draws Kate to him, and there isn't anything Kate can do to prevent these feelings. She can only fulfill these desires. So she slides off her top, tossing them onto her crumpled jeans on the dark tiled floor. Her hands move to her back, unclasping her bra to release the hounds. Sliding her thumbs on the inside of the waistband of her panties, she slides these off also. With a deep breath she looks herself over in the mirror, and places her hand on the shower curtain. Slowly, as to not startle Humphrey, she slides the curtain to the side.
It was Kate's turn to stare.
Never in her six years of independence has a boy entered her house until now. Yes, she knew what... they looked like, but the pictures in the books made them seem smaller. Humphrey casts a sideways glance at Kate, only looking into her eyes. "Ya joining me or something?" He asks, not bothering to even acknowledge the fact that they are two teens in a room, alone together and without clothing.
Kate's insides heated. Here she was, naked, presenting herself to him and he still doesn't take the time to soak it in. How dare he! She now has no idea what to do to get him to notice her. But Kate, caught in the moment, timidly nods and then steps inside the shower. Soap suds drip down Humphrey's shoulders as he scrubs his chest. Here Kate was, face to face with Humphrey in the shower. He still doesn't scan Kate's body. In fact, he closes his eyes and washes his face. "Could you get that spot on my back I cannot reach?" Humphrey asks, turning around and pointing to the middle of his back.
"Sure." Kate says quietly, bringing her hands slowly up to rest on Humphrey's back. Softly the begins to rub in the soap, feeling his wet skin.
"Thanks." Humphrey says, then sticks his hair directly into the jet of water, the shampoo leaving his brown hair a bit shinier than before. "That one spot always annoys me."
'How can Humphrey maintain such normal conversation at a time like this?' Kate thinks to herself, still rubbing his back, even when it is obvious that it isn't needed anymore. She doesn't want to stop, so she keeps on rubbing. Humphrey doesn't complain, but he also doesn't show any signs of liking these actions.
That was when Kate realized it all. 'Humphrey thinks I'm just some stuck up rich girl that always gets what she wants.' She thought. It all pieced together in her mind. The annoyed sighs at the market when she tried to speak with him, his lonely life compared to her less than lonely life. 'He thinks I am like every one else. How can I show him that I'm not. How can I prove to him that I am different?'
"That drink, wine you called it, what was in it? It made my fingers feel warm." Humphrey asks, bending over to scrub his shins.
Kate's voice caught in her throat. "L... Let me..." This was Kate's opportunity. The chance she had been dreaming of for her entire life. This was her adventure. "Let me come with you."
Humphrey stops scrubbing his legs and freezes. He slowly stands back up. "I don't know it you'd-"
"If I'd make it? That I'm too pampered and snobbish to live outside and travel? That all I would do is complain about this and that and be miserable?" Kate asks. "I'm not who you think I am."
Humphrey sighs. "I can't say those thoughts didn't occur to me." He admits.
"Well then, let's do this. I will go with you for a week, and if I'm not 'cut out' for that lifestyle you can bring me back here." Kate makes a deal.
"Fine. One week." Humphrey agrees.
Kate hugs Humphrey. He was the ticket out of this boring life and routine she longed to be free of. This was her chance to be free.
Kate's breasts squeeze against Humphrey, as he waits for her to stop hugging him. Blushing, Kate relinquished her grip on Humphrey. "You can stay here for tonight, and the week will begin tomorrow." She says, rubbing her left arm with her right hand.
"Sounds good to me." Humphrey says. He hops out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist. This was the towel that Kate had used earlier this morning to dry off herself, and she thinks about this as Humphrey rubs off the water from his body. How the same material that rubbed along her body is now being rubbed on his. 'That towel goes around.' She thought with a snicker.
Humphrey tosses Kate the towel and starts to put on his shorts. Kate stops him, putting a hand on his wrist. "What's the point?" She asks. "It's just us, and we've already exposed ourselves."
"I guess you are right." Humphrey says. He doesn't seem concerned in the least about wether he is clothed or not. Now Kate has to handle her side of the sporadic deal without becoming too uncomfortable, so she takes in a deep breath and welcomes the cold air against her skin. She brings the towel to her chest and dries off slowly. Humphrey walks out of the bathroom and resumes drinking the wine.
Kate sighed. There was no way she would be able to get Humphrey's eyes to stay on her body, so she gives up trying. Soon, after much silence between the two, the sun sets. "Its getting late." Kate said, looking at the clock. "Care to come to the bed?"
"Sure." Humphrey follows Kate to her bedroom, and Kate slips under the brown covers, feeling the warmth of the blanket. Kate motions for Humphrey to climb in also by patting the area next to her. Humphrey obliges and slides under the covers. Kate stretches her arm out to turn of the lamp. Slowly, Kate puts her hand on Humphrey's chest. "May I?" She asks.
Humphrey nods, and Kate wraps her arms around him, burying her head into his chest and her chest into his side. She holds him tight, for however lonely Humphrey may have felt when he was alone living wild, Kate had always felt lonelier. She falls asleep, feeling his naked warmth against hers.