3-ABBIE

"And then he told me to have some dignity... How am I supposed to act, Peter?"

My feathery friend flapped his wings in response.

"Yeah, I know I haven't shown my best attitude, but he makes me nervous, you know? Every time I see his eyes, my hands shake and my thoughts divide.” I explained confused.

Peter jumped off my legs and started running while cheering loudly, making me laugh even as frustrated as I felt.

"I would like to understand what you say, maybe that would be the answer I need...”

I snuggled into the trunk of the apple tree on which my back was leaned, and bit my dinner, while my thoughts continued on the man who had arrived in the morning.

Alex was... Very handsome.

I blushed remembering what it felt like when we hugged in the river cave, and tried better to focus on what came next.

It reminded me of the past, when I was nine years old and visiting my grandfather.

He would always scold me even for breathing and that bothered me a lot, he wouldn't even let me watch television in the two hours Dad took me to that cold and boring house.

And he wanted to eat my chickens!

I didn't even want to imagine when he saw Pumba, George and Flipper.

I hoped he didn't think about eating them too, otherwise I would have to send him back to New York, swimming.

Besides, there was another conflict within me that disturbed me even more than the thought of my friends being eaten.

How did Alex want me to behave? That was a question to which I did not know the answer.

Seeing that there was someone in the boat, I had been happy since I would finally have company in this place, and I knew that I was probably acting a little uncontrolled in front of him, but it was something I couldn't help myself.

It had been twelve years of loneliness!

But now I knew I shouldn't walk around naked or scantily clad, as he had asked, but wasn't it better to ask than to yell at it? I could have followed his suggestion better, if he hadn't been insulting me earlier.

A somewhat tremendous thought came to mind.

Alex wasn’thing like any of the guys in the magazines I used to read.

He had a very pretty lopsided smile, and I knew it was well known, but very attractive, as was the hair that surrounded that mouth, which made my hand itch to want to touch it.

He was also very tall, so tall that I had to tilt my head back to see him in the face.

“Abigail?”

I was startled as soon as I heard my name, and feeling grateful that it was dark and I couldn't see my totally flushed face, I got up to face him.

"Tell me,” I mumbled, putting aside what was left of the apple.

“Don't you think it's late? I mean, it's very dark in here and you’re surely tired...”

"It's barely 7:30, Alex,” I explained passing him "But if you're tired, I'm already looked for some sheets so you can prepare your bed."

I refused to look at him again and to detail how well the clothes I had left for him fit him, and I started to continue walking home.

“Wait.”

He took my elbow making me stop and turned me to face him.

"First I want to apologize,” he said looking at the sand, "I know I already did, but this time I'm really sorry and I want you to know that I will try to have a little more tact when I talk to you."

"I think apologizing isn't something you're used to,” I mumbled, uncomfortable for his touch.

He laughed softly, causing me, even under the fabric of the sweater, that the hairs on my arms stand on end, so I pulled my arm to release it from his grip.

"Please don't keep mad at me, okay?"

He stared at me, and even in the dark, I could see how his eyes shone from the intensity of his gaze.

"Okay,” I sighed, looking away and turning to go back to the house, "But next time, if you want to suggest something to me, say it kindly. I don't like screams.”

“Okay.”

Together, we walked in silence to the campfire, although I assumed that each of us was thinking elsewhere.

Or at least that's how it happened to me.

My nerves were on edge of having him so close and that made me uncomfortable, it really did.

Although maybe it was because of how new it was for me to have someone with me.

I had been around animals for the last twelve years, so it could be because of that, that I felt so dazed by their presence.

“What do you usually do in the day?” He asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Well, I get up at dawn,” I started to say without stopping walking, "I have breakfast, I study a little, I walk, I look for food, I feed the chickens, I study a while more, I bathe, I eat dinner and I read until I get sleepy."

“And the next day the same routine again?” He asked surprised.

“Yes.”

I laughed at his comical expression.

"You should see your face,” I said going to the campfire, "It's really funny."

"I just don't believe you've been doing the same routine for so many years...

"It's a matter of habit.” I shrugged and sat before the fire.

He sat next to me, very close.

"Well, I think it will be very difficult for you when we leave here."

“Are you still with the silly idea that they are going to rescue us?” I asked wearily, "Alex, they won't."

"Yes, he will,” he insisted annoyed, "So go thinking of new hobbies for when that happens."

We stood in silence for a while, watching the flames and the sound of the logs cracking as they were eaten by the fire.

“How are you so sure? Do you see the future or something?” I questioned after a while, without turning to look at him.

"No, not the future."

He got up and took off his sweater and knelt beside me.

I was going to ask him what was he doing, when he took my hand and placed my fingers on his left bicep.

“Do you feel that little lump?” He murmured against my cheek.

"Yes,” I whispered, petrified as I felt his warm breath travel from my cheek to my ear.

"That's a chip, little one. It activates when I last more than 24 hours without reporting, but it's a secret, okay? You can't tell anyone that I have that inside of me.”

I pulled away a little to look at his face.

“Why is it dangerous?”

"Because it's a very expensive and little-known technology.” His eyes lowered to my mouth. "They could do me a lot of harm just to get my tracking chip."

“Oh...”

"Yeah, oh...”

The air stuck in my lungs as I felt his head slowly lowering and his tongue peeked out between his lips to moisten them and stay a few inches from mine.

"Abigail,” he whispered.

“Hmm?”

He stopped his approach and looked at me in surprise.

But surprised why?

“I’m hungry...”

“What?” I asked puzzled.

"My God, I'm so hungry."

He walked away from me, getting up and getting dressed again, and headed for the house, walking as fast as he could.

I noticed that he was walking with a limp again and that worried me a bit, maybe he had hit himself swimming in the river with a stone or maybe when he arrived early I hurt him while I was pulling him towards the house.

I followed him when I saw him come in and stopped at the door when I saw him going through another of the boxes in the place.

“What are you looking for?” I asked curious, but not daring to get too close.

"Something to calm the uh... the hunger."

He pulled out several bags of junk food and a jar that I didn't even know existed.

“Good heavens!” He exclaimed enthusiastically, "You have Nutella! I'll be rolling from here!”

“I can tell that you have a sweet tooth,” I said, witnessing how he looked the chocolate “You never stop eating...”

"You can't tell me you don't like candy” He looked at me surprised "It's like saying you don't like music. Everyone sings something!"

“Well, I couldn't tell you, Mom wouldn't let me eat those things...”

“Your mom is gone, Abigail.”

I was silent as his words sank deep into my chest.

I knew she was gone; I had witnessed her death myself.

"Forgive me, Abbie. I mean, Abigail...”

"Don't worry,” I interrupted him "And forget what I said regarding my pet name, I like how it sounds."

“So, I can call you that?” He asked smiling shyly at me.

"I think it's fair,” I answered entering, "I came to the conclusion that where you come from it is very common to shorten the names.”

“Did your parents never nickname you or reduce your name?”

"They were both very strict,” I explained pulling out sheets and pillows from a drawer. "For them it was Abigail, period. Like for me they were mother and father.”

“It must have been very hard for you...”

“Of course not. I mean, they took me through all the countries since Dad wanted us to be with him, I got to know many cultures and many languages. I liked that.”

"But you were doing it through a glass, or am I wrong?"

He stopped me when I was making his bed and pushed me until we sat on it, forcing me to talk about my childhood.

"Well, you're not wrong, maybe it could have been more fun, but we didn't go to those places for vacations but for their job. In the same way, I had to study and that's why my tutors were always there.”

He looked at me in silence for a while, scanning my face for something.

"So... have you ever tried Nutella?” he asked.

I was grateful he changed the subject, the previous one did not make me happy.

"Never,” I replied smiling.

"Maybe it's time you do."

I got up like a spring and went outside.

"Maybe another day, it's time to sleep,” I mentioned walking away.

I paused for a moment at the door and turned to see him.

He looked up at my face, looking a bit embarrassed.

What had he been seeing to look so guilty?

“Alex?”

“Tell me.”

“Have I been doing it right?”

“The what?” He asked confused.

"Behaving,” I replied, "you said to act like a woman my age. I really don't know how a 25-year-old behaves, but I want you to know that I try very hard to change what you don't like.”

He looked at me in surprise and got up to approach me.

“Abbie, my intention wasn’t to...”

"But I want to do it, Alex."

“No!” He exclaimed, startling me, "That's not right, people change because they want to, not because others want it."

“But I want you to like me...”

"Little one.” he got so close that I had to look up. "If a person doesn't like you by showing you just the way you’re, just send them to hell."

“Don’t tell...”

"Bad words at home,” he interrupted, smiling, "I know, but really Abbie, never do what others say just to fit in, you're perfect just the way you’re, okay?"

“Then why did you ask me to change my clothes?” I questioned confused.

His hands cupped my face and he locked his gaze with mine.

"Because you have tits, ass, and pussy, sweetie. That's why,” he explained “If you had a cock like me, I wouldn't mind in the least if you were naked, but you’re a very beautiful and desirable woman and the things I want to do with you’re not respectable at all...”

"I know what ass is,” I murmured, noticing how his eyes shone, "But I don't know the rest,” I licked my dry lips, but couldn't get away from his touch.

His eyes had me spellbound.

Alex took a deep breath and a few seconds later released me, taking a few steps away from me.

“Good heavens, my hunger has returned...”

He turned his back on me again and went into the kitchen, putting the bar between us and starting to open bags of potatoes and other things.

“Why do you always say the same thing when you approach me?”

"Because otherwise I would do things I shouldn't. And no,” He interrupted me when I opened my mouth “Don't ask what those things are, I don't think you're ready to hear it.”

"Fine.” Resigned, I turned around. "I'll go brush my teeth, it's bedtime."

I hurried out, listening to him devour the packaged food, and fled from the temptation of wanting to try what he loved so much.

I have to say, I was glad that Alex didn't want to change who I was, and that he only wanted to help me with whatever he wanted to protect me from.

I smiled happily, as I ran happily to the back of the house where I had water from the river for the house's use, and proceeded to brush my teeth.

I had an important task to do for the next day.

I had to dust off the dictionary and find the definitions for Tits, Pussy, and Cock.

Alex's word was very long and unfamiliar to me and I no longer felt like being ignorant about the topics that he always brought up.

It was hard to keep up with him, but I was sure I would find a way.

And then I would demand him to explain to me about what he wouldn't do to me, it was just a matter of gaining his trust.

And I would do it.