Joel’s legs had lost feeling a few miles back. He’d never been the most athletic kid, so he couldn’t comprehend the level of heaviness his body carried. Furthermore, he was extremely surprised at how much his body could….move. His arms no longer had the strength to be raised, his breathing was irregular, his lower back screamed, and his legs trembled with exhaustion. Despite it all, he moved. Joel wasn’t really sure where he was going; he was just getting as far away from the spa house as possible. He could think of another plan after resting.
God…the spa house. Every time Joel’s eyelids closed even briefly, he reappeared back in the darkened showers. Everytime Joel took a step in a puddle, he heard the echoing slap of wet feet against tile. With every ragged breath he took, all he could hear were the grunts and screams. Despite his weariness, he kept moving through the rain in fear of reliving today’s events.
After a few minutes, Joel’s neck didn’t have the strength to keep his head up. Still, his heart pumped and the limbs obeyed. While his drowsy eyes fluttered, he noticed a cockroach scampering towards his legs. His heart skipped a beat as he pivoted his step to try and avoid stepping on the insect, completely forgetting that he lacked the energy to properly move. As such, his leg crumpled and he fell onto the muddy grass plot next to the road. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBFL6w4eFM
As Joel slammed into the wet mud, he saw the cockroach rush towards his body to take cover from the rain. The boy didn’t have the energy to even feel disgust, his eyes slowly beginning to close. He could think of a plan later. Right now…he needed to rest. The cockroach shimmied its way under Joel’s stomach and his eyes closed as he lay upon the muddy grass. As the mud cooled off his flushed cheeks, his last thoughts before dozing off were about how good it felt to finally sleep.
...
Joel murmured, pulling the fuzzy blanket to his neck. As his consciousness stirred, he could only think how comfortable the couch felt.
Wait, what?
Joel forced his drowsy eyelids open and glanced around his surroundings. He was inside of what looked to be someone’s home. To his left was a small kitchen with a wooden dining table. In front of him was a small television placed next to a long hallway, with a coffee table in front of the couch Joel rested on. To his right was a very big man typing away with his back turned to Joel. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOircVNQjS
Joel tried to sit up, but his, well, everything, ached. The boy winced audibly, and the big man turned around. The second they locked eyes, Joel immediately had a strong urge to cower and avert his gaze. The boy wasn’t really sure what to do, so he hunched up his shoulders and quietly sat still with wide eyes. The man said nothing, and stared at him. After a moment, the man sighed and closed his laptop, turning his entire body to face Joel. The teenager took this moment to measure up the stranger, his wide eyes scanning the juggernaut in front of him.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5w8Kp1ZKTK
The man seemed to take notice of Joel’s stare and tightened his lips. He coughed and rubbed his neck with his hand. A solid minute passed of silent staring before the man cleared his throat.
“So, uh… you got a name, kiddo?”
Joel inhaled before speaking. He opened his mouth and immediately began coughing as his throat cracked. After a few coughs, he spoke. “Uh, Joel, sir. Who are you? Where am I?”
The man nodded. “Well, good to meet you, Joel. I’m Huck.” Huck gestured around the room. “You’re in my apartment. I saw you laying on the side of the road right outside of town. Your body was burning up and it was raining, so I took you in. Where’re your parents?”
Joel broke eye contact and looked to the carpet. He pressed his lips tightly, refusing to let a sound come out.
Huck frowned. “Guardians? Older siblings? Anyone to contact?”
The teenager’s lips tightened even further.
The man rubbed his face. “Look kid, is this a scenario where you legitimately don’t have anyone looking over you, or was there an argument causing you to run from home? I’m not judging. I just need to know.”
Another minute of silence passed, the clock on the wall ticking away the seconds. Huck scratched his head and sighed.
“Can you at least give me your last name?”
“...Lee.”
“Lee? Huh. Don’t look Asian to me. Ah, whatever.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxDTA9pmhH
Huck turned around to his laptop and began typing away, causing Joel to frown in confusion at this turn of events. After a few minutes, Huck turned around, revealing his own frown and scrunched eyebrows.
“Do you live in this town, kiddo?”
“Huh? Uh, no. No I don’t. Why?”
Huck nodded to his laptop. “You aren’t popping up on the town’s registry. Furthermore, the nearest town, Maplewood, is like…ten to fifteen miles away. How did you get here?”
“...You brought me to your apartment.”
“No, I mean do you remember how you arrived at the side of the road?”
“I ran. Well, closer to power-walked, but yeah.”
“...What?”
Huck simply stared at the scrawny teen in disbelief. Though Joel wasn’t malnourished by any means, his arms and legs weren’t remarkable in any way, and it seemed extremely improbable that his thin frame could contain the potential to run that far of a distance. Still, Joel’s eyes were expressionless as he locked eyes with Huck, forcing him to believe that hewas somehow telling the truth. Huck tried to consider the numerous reasons for such an impossible feat.
“Do you run cross country for your school?”
“No.”
“You use a bike or something?”
“Did you see a bike around where I was?”
“...Fair enough. Sorry, I’m just flabbergasted. Hell, I can barely jog three miles, so being this outclassed is just…”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTEJhn0Hpx
Huck shook his head as he got up, rubbing his chin as he headed to what appeared to be the kitchen. As he opened the refrigerator, his voice echoed out to the living room.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTW5ahvrVcl
“You want anything to eat or drink? I got some water, Cola, juice…”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKswQj2J82f
Joel was suddenly reminded of how dry his throat was. “If it isn’t much of a hassle, water would be nice.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyluOe33Q8
Huck nodded and pulled out a juice box, water bottle, and a takeout container from the fridge. He threw the container into a cheap white microwave. While the microwave hummed, Huck handed the water bottle to Joel, who accepted the drink graciously. As Joel gulped down the entire bottle, the man stabbed his juicebox with the tiny straw and quietly sipped away. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwny4Ictam
After a minute, the microwave beeped in completion. Huck threw away his now empty juice box, pulled out the container from the microwave, grabbed a fork from a kitchen drawer, then placed the box on top of the coffee table in front of Joel. The boy opened the takeout container with mild curiosity, a billow of steam wafted from the box. Once the steam wafted away, Joel was greeted by four chicken wings and a small heap of mac-and-cheese. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUXOsSjRkZ
Huck returned to his chair and nodded to Joel. “Eat, first. I hope you aren’t lactose intolerant or gluten intolerant or anything intolerant. We can talk once you have something in your stomach.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayfQ5Ho0lm
Joel hesitated, not sure if he should satiate his hunger at the cost of looking rude and unkempt in front of the stranger. However, as his stomach rumbled, his former instinct won. Joel muttered a quick “thank you, sir” before grabbing the fork and scarfing down the meal. Huck got up from his chair again, and grabbed another water bottle for Joel. He chewed through the meal at a rapid pace, only stopping briefly here and there to drink water. As Huck returned to sit at his chair, he said nothing and quietly observed Joel feasting. It was mildly unsettling, but a small price to pay for the meal and drink.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUjG0ce3nj
A few minutes passed before Joel was scraping the bottom of the container for the last few drops of cheese. As he sucked the lemon pepper flavoring off his fingers, Huck got up once more to go grab napkins from the kitchen. He placed them on the coffee table, to which Joel quietly nodded in appreciation as he wiped his fingers. The used napkins were crumpled up and placed in the container, and Huck nodded his approval. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjxktFGaSR
“Was it good?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYOqZfgY0C
Joel nodded. “Yeah. Thanks. I mean, thank you, sir.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YeMs26XBq
After the feast, the awkward tension filled the room again. Joel wasn’t really sure of what to make of Huck. He was giant, quiet, and stoic. However, behind his sharp glare, his eyes had a slight twinkle in their gaze. As intimidating as the man seemed, Joel was sheltered only due to the kindness of Huck’s heart. Still, what was Huck doing to find him outside of town? Could the man really be trusted? As thankful as Joel was for the meal he had been given, the boy wasn’t about to fully trust this stranger until more details were given. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoabVifSzz
Huck rubbed his neck quietly before sighing. “I suppose you have a few questions. You’re in the town of Blackerd, which is a relatively small town that's fairly detached from the rest of the county. I’m this town’s only sheriff, and I found you during a patrol. You’re wearing my clothes because you were drenched and covered in mud. Anything else you’re curious about?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlXakZ1Ltl
Joel quietly nodded. If he was this town’s sheriff, that would explain his ability to look up Joel in the town’s registry. If Huck was being honest about being the town’s only sheriff, that would mean that the town was relatively small. Plus, Huck’s explanation also revealed why Joel’s clothes w-58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5Nkpb8XtM
Joel’s face paled. He quickly pulled his blanket away to reveal unfamiliar clothes. Blood rose to his cheeks as the boy looked at the sheriff in horror and disbelief. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfPc0VxEbS
“So you stripped me naked while I was unconscious? Dude! What kind of cop-”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnd9IidIjZX
Huck huffed and waved him off. “Trust me, it was way more uncomfortable for me. Still, I wasn’t going to have someone catch a cold because I was ‘uncomfortable’. So, you’re welcome.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0MLX7ARGR
He leaned forward and locked eyes with Joel, instantly causing the air around him to feel stale. “Now, I gave you some food and some water. The least you could do is at least tell me what you’re going through, no?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RIxe1eK5D
Joel looked to the ground and pursed his lips in shame. If only Huck weren’t a cop…no, even if he were a random citizen, Joel wouldn’t trust a random stranger with what happened. “I’m…I’m sorry. I can’t say anything.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ361skN66RV
Huck scowled and glared at Joel’s hunched shoulders. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ873GqeA4JG
Joel wished he could shrink into nothingness and vanish. He wasn’t sure what to do, or where to go. If Maplewood really was ten to fifteen miles away, that would mean the next town would be at least twenty miles away. What could he do? His breath shortened as his eyes began to swirl. What could he do? He had no money, no transportation, no food, no water, no plan, no-58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsN62Asg3h
Suddenly the sound of a loud ‘fwee’ rang through the air, causing Joel to flinch. Through moist eyes, he looked up to Huck’s face, which was clouded with some unknown emotion. Huck sighed as he slipped something into his pockets and rubbed his thighs.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdL3sMB5U0I
“Look, kiddo. You have the right to remain silent, that’s completely fair. However, as this town’s sheriff, I’m legally obligated to detain you until there’s more clarity on the issue.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9q5bwvyhe
Joel’s face paled in worry, but Huck shook his head. “I say detained, but really it’s more like me keeping an eye on you. You’ll just be staying with me until I figure out what to do with you. Until then, you’re free to stick around and do…well, not whatever, but you can live here with fairly little restriction.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAQnVOSGJv
Joel blinked, confused. “But…why?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasIIuZi1tX
Huck’s eyes unfocused as he stared past him. “Honestly? I have no idea. Just going with my gut on what feels ‘correct’, I guess.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZJ85vfdPa
He got up, stretched, then nodded to Joel. “Now, I’m gonna go and slowly tie up the trash bin in the kitchen. If someone were to exit through the front door, run down the stairs, and flee while I’m occupied, I wouldn’t be the wiser. Plus, since I haven’t recorded any detainees' names yet and haven't written down any detainee’s names on official documents, it’ll have been as though they were never here in the first place.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKEWlE0Uey
Huck quietly strode over to the kitchen and slowly began fumbling with the trash bag. He was giving Joel a very clear exit. If he wanted to, he could very easily turn around and flee…but then what? Where would he go? What would he do? The teenager had no plans. With no backup options, Joel would be caught very quickly. What Joel needed to do was rest up, make a plan to clear his name, then return on his own terms. Huck’s proposal of being detained was Joel’s best opportunity to do all that. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KqOeGwCqn
So, Joel forced himself out of the comfort of the couch, and walked over to Huck as he continued to quietly tie the bag. After three minutes of “knot-tying”, Huck quietly turned around and stared at the boy face-to-face. The sheriff stared at Joel with weary eyes. Joel nodded and held out his arm.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4NORCqLw0
“You need me to throw that away?”
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fs8WL5emo
