7. Seeing Separates and having a conversation with Gemma what a day

You stayed in bed waiting for your body to decay because you thought anything would be better than staying in paradise with me. Or at least that's what it looked like you were doing last time I visited your room. It's probably about time to change the bandages on your legs. I decided to change them because it meant I got to see your pretty face again.

I came into your room with fresh linens in case you wanted me to change the sheets as well and a warm smile to let you know that I'm one of the good guys. Hell, I'm superman and you're my Lois Lane.

As I changed the bandages I thought of conversation topics. You may have not noticed, but I'm not much of a conversationalist. You make me want to be, though. Just so I can hear your lovely voice.

I left fairly quickly after I changed the gauze and decided to bring you water and nuts to have yet another excuse to be near you without it looking too creepy. I knew it was best to take it slow with you, but sooner or later I knew you'd come around. You had to. You just had to.

I came back in with water, nuts, and seeds and set them on the nightstand within your reach. When you thought I took my eyes off of you you took a sip of the water and munched on a couple of the seeds. But I was watching out of the corner of my eye. It made me glad that you weren't starving yourself completely.

When I was just standing in the room all awkward like I decided it was time for those topics of conversation I came up with.

"Do you want to wash?" That's topic one and your response was: "No."

"Food?" Topic two and your response was: "No."

"Water? You should drink water." Topic three and again your response was: "No."

Crap, I'm all out of conversation topics. On the bright side me and you have in common that we're not good conversationalists.

Come on think, Ty. There has to be something that will peak your interest. Then at last the idea came to me like a beacon in the night. "Do you want to go outside?" "Only if you'll take me to a town." You replied. It's more than one word and that to me is progress. But still the words hurt because she wanted me to take her to a town so she could find help and turn me over to the authorities for no reason. Did I really do something that wrong? I did save you in the beginning and in the end. "There are no towns." I finally said.

You still refused to go outside with me after my final response and I beat myself up about it all day as I painted the day away. And the pain.

The conversations didn't change up for the next few days. This time after we were done talking I let out a breath and walked over to the window to look out at the land to keep an eye on both of my paradises at the same time. You and the land.

I looked at you to see if you were looking at me. You were. You hastily looked away knowing that I caught you. I opened the curtains so that you could see all that you were missing on the outside. The inside is nothing compared to the great outback.

"Let's go out." I said hoping that you'll oblige and go on a walk outside with me. This place could use your beauty and so could I. "We can look at the land." I begged. Please give in, you have to give in. I wanted to say, but the choice was ultimately up to you. You turned away from me and my heart ached from that small gesture. "It's different out the back to out front," I said. "Well, go there." You looked more up for conversation as you started speaking. "Will you let me go, out back?" I knew what you were hinting at and I disliked it. I hated it so much, Gem. I shook my head swiftly. "There's nothing to escape to. I've told you. It's a wilderness." You shook your head and looked like an argument was about to come on.

I was incorrect, but eventually since I wasn't leaving anytime soon you decided to go out with me. A huge part of me thinks that you decided to go because you actually wanted to be here. You actually wanted to be here with me, but you probably could have attested to that.

I unbound your feet from the bedpost and they flopped down on the bed with one foul swoop. Then I unwound the bandages and pressed the tips of my fingers to your soles. Then we were ready to leave and explore our little paradise.

I checked out your wrist while I was at it as well and it looked to be healing quite nicely if I do say so myself. Just as long as you wouldn't hurt yourself again it should be healed within a few days.

I tried to help you up, but you thought you were very capable to do so yourself and pushed my helpful hands away from your healing body. You did manage to get off of the bed, but you met my stare with a glare. "I can do it myself." You muttered with a hint of snark. "Of course, I forgot," I began. "I haven't chopped your legs off yet." I laughed at my joke that I thought was funny at the time it slipped out, but stopped laughing as I saw your look of fear that you hid with anger and annoyance. You pretended after that that you never heard my comment.

Your legs were shaking extremely fast and I was about to help you, but I knew you would turn my help down. You eventually managed to calm your legs down and your shaking ceased enough to where you could slip on your jeans as I looked away so I wouldn't make you uncomfortable.

You walked out of the room first and I followed right behind you. You made a wrong turn towards the kitchen and I grabbed your arm too fast and startled you. Sorry bout that. You didn't look at me as I spun you around.

"This way," I muttered. You shook out of my grip and I stepped in front of you to show you the route we were taking. I heard a gasp for a second. And then heard something clatter to the floor. It looked like you didn't want me to notice and therefore I pretended not to. We arrived at the veranda and I held the door open for you showing you that I'm a gentleman too. looked out at paradise shining in it's all unending beauty. You didn't seem to care nor notice. Everything was so new to you that it was probably overwhelming. You did seem to be speechless, I just couldn't tell if that was a good or bad sign. I was hoping it was a good sign.

You looked out at the boulders. Yes! I knew they would catch your eye. They caught my eye the first time I came here as well. Those separates are just like you as well. The name gives it away. I know I've said this to you before, but they're perfect because you're both separate and beautiful and you were both mine. Well, once mine.

"The separates" I said to let you know the name I had given them. "That's what I've called them. They look unlike... Kind of... Separate from everything else, around this area anyway. They're alone, but they're together in that, at least."

You sat down on the couch and I watched you until I could read you to see if it was okay if I sat next to you. Baby steps, this is all about baby steps.

"Why didn't I see them before?" You asked as you rubbed your wounded foot. "When I ran?"

"You weren't looking." I said stepping closer towards the area where you sat. "You were to upset to see anything much then." You scanned the separates. I watched as you did so and was happy you were familiarizing yourself with the land. With our land. With our paradise.

About a minute later you spoke your soft voice again. "What's on the other side?" Oh, I see where this is heading. "Nothing much. More of the same" I said hoping to end the conversation right then and there. I gestured towards the sand under and around the house. "It's not your escape route, if that's what you're wondering. Your only escape route is through me. And that's bad luck for you, I guess, since I've already made my escape by coming here."

Please be the end of this horrid conversation, I don't think I will like where this is heading at all, I already don't. "What's the pipe?" I wanted to scream please stop, but I didn't want to freak you out more by my temper. I knew exactly what you were thinking when you asked that question. "I laid it. It's for water." I said proudly and smiled. I needed a smoke if I was going to continue this conversation. I took some dried leaves out of my pocket and some rolling paper and rolled it up and licked up the sides not wanting any bit of the taste to get away. I lit it up and started smoking it.

"Where are we?" You asked. "Everywhere and nowhere." I said as my reply. You probably loathed my reply. I looked across at the big rocks that had me beat in height by a long shot. "I found this place, once, it's mine." And that was when I began to tell you my story of how I ended up in our little paradise. I thought about how exactly I wanted to tell it as I had another drag of my cigarette and once again began the story. "It was a long time ago." How original? "I was small then, maybe half your height." You looked curious now.

"How did you get here?" "Walked. It took about a week. When I got here, I collapsed." You looked interested in my story, in something that occurred in my life. Now that's what I call major progress. "all by yourself?" I nodded. "Just me. The rocks gave me dreams... And water, of course. It's special, this place. I stayed here about two weeks, camping in the middle, living off those rocks. When I got home, everything had changed."

You turned away trying to find an escape and not willing to listen to the rest of my story. I frowned, but baby steps is key right now. You looked like you were about to have a melt down on the couch and curled up into a tiny ball afraid of me. I wanted to comfort you and to tell you to not be afraid of me, but I didn't know how. You clearly hated me and I didn't want to make matters worse.

"Why am I here?" You whispered and if we had been back in London, I wouldn't have heard what you said at all. I pulled out my matchbox to light more of my cigarette and pointed towards the boulders and you looked in the direction of my hand. "Because it's magic, this place... Beautiful. And you're beautiful... Beautifully separate. It all fits." You are the key to all of this. I wanted to say. You are the missing piece in the puzzle. With you here everything just makes sense and you bring life to a dying land.

I thought it would be polite to ask, so I did. "Want one?" I asked holding out one of my cigarettes. You looked disgusted by them and shook your head. "What do you want?" You asked on the verge of tears. Oh, no, please don't cry. "That's easy." I said. I smiled and placed my cigarette back in my mouth. "company." I lit up the cigarette again and the smell engulfed the porch. I inhaled it all in.

I looked out at the pathway wanting to take you out there, but it's getting dark and best to go during day time. You caught my gaze and looked hopeful for the wrong reasons I'm sure, though I'd like to think otherwise. "How long will you keep me here?" You asked with that hopefulness in your emerald green eyes. I smiled and looked you right in the eyes. I shrugged thinking the answer was as simple as this, "Forever, of course."