“Ah… sorry…” I sheepishly stop shoveling food into my mouth and glance up at him. He looks quite young, really. Human, mostly, but there’s something subtly… off about him. Like maybe he’s part gnome or something.


    “There’s plenty more where that came from. Don’t be shy,” the man says, generously ladling another portion of the stew onto my already overflowing plate. “I’m Bailey. And where might your travels have taken you from?”


    “A faraway place,” I say, popping another spoonful into my mouth. “Somewhere you’ve probably never heard of.” Probably.


    Bailey pours himself a glass of something greenish and suspiciously viscous. It looks like pond scum mixed with limeade. “Care for a sip? It’s…an acquired taste.” He eyes the glass with a mixture of fondness and apprehension. “And tell me, how did you manage to get all the way out here?”


    “I’m good, thanks.” I eye the slimy liquid with extreme suspicion. “I just walked. Wandered the world, you know?”


    Bailey takes a hesitant sip of his concoction, wincing slightly. “Folks don’t usually just…stroll into the wilds. Especially not this part.”


    “I got lost and kept walking,” I say, gazing out the window at the now rapidly darkening sky. That thundercloud from earlier looks like it’s decided to park itself right over us.


    Bailey follows my gaze. “I don’t get many visitors, let alone ones who wander right to my doorstep.”


    “I am…” I swallow a large, delicious mouthful of food. “Sorry about the traps, by the way.”


    Bailey eyes me closely. “You…seem alright. Considering…” He trails off, taking another gulp of his drink.


    “Good… good you’re well. Those… things outside… they’re meant to… well.” Bailey takes a larger swig of his drink, his face turning a slightly greener shade than usual. “Ha.” He lets out a nervous chuckle.


    Crack…BOOM! A sudden clap of thunder punctuates the awkward silence, making the hut shake slightly.


    I should try getting struck by lightning next… that might do the trick… assuming I can even feel it.


    Bailey gestures toward the torrential downpour outside. “This…this is the Elemental Wilds. You can get all sorts out here. Rain, sun, thunder, fire…even earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes. All within…well, a day, easy.”


    “That’s…intense,” I say, following Bailey’s finger to the window. “Sounds like a fun place for a picnic. Are there others living around here?”This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    “Only the Mesoselenian usually settle in the Wilds. But…even they tend to steer clear of this part. Too unpredictable, even for them.” Bailey glances over me. “You…you’re sure you’re alright? Nothing…nothing feels…off?”


    “I couldn’t be better. This food is amazing.” I realize I’ve already devoured the entire pot. Bailey keeps refilling my plate as I eat, and a warm energy spreads through me.


    Did I just eat everything and not leave any for him? Where are my manners…


    Suddenly, a realization strikes me. I stare Bailey straight in the eye before dramatically collapsing onto the floor, going completely limp. I keep my eyes closed and my body still.


    Bailey lets out a shaky breath. “Now…really. Who are you?” He approaches cautiously and attempts to roll me over, struggling slightly with the dead weight.


    He checks my pulse and breathing. He stumbles back, eyes wide. “That’s…that’s not right. Ionacoca doesn’t kill. It just…knocks you out. There’s no way…” He quickly drips a couple of droplets of extremely bitter liquid into my mouth.


    Ugh. That stuff tastes like swamp water mixed with orange juice and despair.


    I keep my eyes stubbornly shut.


    After a few brisk slaps to my face, he recoils. I hear him rummaging through my bag, then the distinct clink of him trying to open the locked box containing the notebook.


    Then, a thud. He’s dropped to his knees. “Those…those are his clothes. And…his card. How…? Why…?”


    I crack open an eye. He’s buried his face in his hands.


    He begins pleading, even attempting some rather pathetic CPR. “Please…no. Please wake up. I…I have to know. Where’s Master Keyser? Where is he?”


    “Who is Dr. Keyser to you?” I ask, opening my eyes fully.


    “Ahhhhhhh!” He screams, executing a clumsy roll, and scrambling to his feet all at once. He snatches the gun he’d taken from my bag and points it at my head, hand shaking. “What…what in the name of all that’s holy… are you?!”


    That’ll teach him a lesson not to try and poison someone with such delicious food. Honestly, my imaginary stomach still feels fantastic.


    “Calm down,” I say, pushing myself up from the floor and plopping back into my seat. “I don’t want to hurt you, and you certainly can’t hurt me. Whatever you put in that food clearly doesn’t work on me. So, let’s all take a breath and chat.”


    Bailey takes a shuddering breath before slowly rising and sinking back into his own seat, the gun still wavering in my general direction.


    I begin explaining what happened, carefully omitting the details of the afterlife and the visions I saw. I tell him how I woke up in Dr. Keyser’s lab and watched him turn to dust right before my eyes.


    Bailey’s eyes widen, and tears begin to stream down his cheeks. He lowers the gun, slumping in his seat like a punctured balloon. “So…that’s it then. Master Keyser’s…gone.”


    He explains that he’s here to find Dr. Keyser. He’d learned the doctor was living in this area and had been searching high and low for what felt like an eternity.


    All he ever wanted was to work for Dr. Keyser. He’d looked up to him since he was a child. Dr. Keyser was the one who saved his mother when no one else could.


    I offer him Dr. Keyser’s notebook, practically shoving it into his hands.


    It’s like giving a kid a mountain of candy.


    He pores over the pages, his brow furrowed in concentration. By the time he finishes, the rain has stopped, and the setting sun paints the sky in vibrant hues.