Pov, William.
"Mr. William?"
If I'm not mistaken, that's what I keep hearing.
But who's calling me?
And why can't I see anything but darkness?
I must've passed out.
I feel a lot of pain in the back of my head from the fall, and finally I am able to open my eyes.
And the first thing I see is this little goblin who keeps staring at me... Wait, am I reading this concern on his face?
But it doesn't matter.
It's just a dream. I'll just close my eyes again, and when I open them, this nightmare will disappear and everything will go back to normal.
"Mr, William, you all right?"
That voice is calling me again, and it startles me when he grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me nonstop.
"I'm awake, asshole!"
I finally accept the reality and crawl away from him, moving backwards and grabbing the first weapon I see.
The broom.
"Back off, goblin! "I yell, ready to strike, but he just stands there.
He just stares at me with his goofy smile as if nothing happened.
"You're okay!" He stands up and starts to come towards me, but I stop him, pointing the broom at him and threatening him.
"Don't come closer! "
"I won't hurt you. Don't be afraid."
He looks innocent again, but I'm not going to submit to him.
No way!
"Get lost! "I scream, and I don't know when I had the courage to step up to him and shove him in the chest, knocking him to the ground and slamming his back into the closet behind him.
I can almost hear his faint groans as he quietly rubs his wrist.
I was really violent.
Isn't he going to react?
Like, is this self-defense or what?
The silence is so weird; it's making me super nervous.
My limbs and face go numb when he looks at me.
Is he going to kill me?
I swallow, backing away as he keeps coming closer, until the wall hugs me from behind.
Help!
He grabs the broom out of my hand and drops it on the ground, and my body shakes.
I'm about to pass out again.I close my eyes, bracing myself for the worst, but nothing happens.
I slowly open my eyes and my eyes widen when I feel his warm hands holding mine.
It's hard to breathe when his face is close to mine, and then he says a strange sentence.
"You're right, I'm just a weak goblin who got kicked out of my world and got lost in yours, and I only have your house to shelter under. Please don't kick me out, I'll die if you abandon me."
That was the last thing I expected.
...
Pov, Evander.
I'm sitting on the couch, having a hard time swallowing, while I watch William sitting on the kitchen chair. He's silently sipping the orange-colored liquid and keeps looking at me.
Ten minutes go by and nothing happens.
What's he thinking?
I wonder if he believed my lie.
I hope so.
And why's he smiling?
His strange smile turns into a giggle that scares me, and I stare at him with a puzzled expression.
A few moments later, he slams that glass on the table and slides out of his chair, then he stands in front of me with his arms folded.
What's does he want from me?
I don't dare look at him, but I slowly raise my eyes toward him when he suddenly speaks.
"Goblins and fairies exist, then!" he says.
I don't say anything, I just keep looking at my fingers, which I can't stop playing with.
"I knew it!" He says in a happy tone, like he just won the game, then he goes back to the kitchen.
Wait, what did he just say?
I can't help but follow him. I stand in front of him and ask him with a puzzled expression, as he stirs the thin strands on his plate and stufs them into his mouth.
"Did you ever believe in fairies and goblins?"
He stops chewing his weird food, then stares at me silently for a second before swallowing and nodding with a smile. "Yeah, when I was a kid."
He keeps stirring his food, which looks really good.
I want to taste it!
He jumps in the middle of my thoughts when he says. "When I was a kid, I was into fairy tales, and I couldn't sleep until my mom read me one."
I can't help but smile a little at what he said, and his reaction really surprised me, even though I was expecting the opposite.
Lucky for me.
I nod slowly and don't feel myself licking my lower lip, silently wondering what the blonde-haired man is eating.
"Want some?"
I'm surprised by his behavior as he brings his plate closer to me and places two thin sticks on the table.
Is he sharing his food with me?
"Don't goblins eat noodles?" He says, looking at me with a playful smile, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed.
Should I eat?
I really want to taste it.
I slowly move the chair in front of me and sit down.
I keep staring at the plate, then grab a thin strand of noodles with my fingers and stuff it in my mouth.
Mmm, delicious!
I smile at William, and he smiles back.
Did he smile back?
That's great. So he's getting used to having a goblin in his house?
I grab the sticks and try to use them to pick up some food, but I can't.
I try over and over, but I fail every time.
I frown as I put the sticks on the table.
Then William jumps in, wrapping the noodles around the sticks and bringing them closer to my mouth.
I blink a few times, trying to comprehend his behavior, and then I smile happily before opening my mouth and eating all of what's inside the plate with his help.
I'm full.
"Does it hurt?" The blonde speaks to get my attention, his eyes moving between my face and my now bluish wrist.
"I'll be back." He lets out a soft sigh, stands up, and in a few seconds, he's back on his knees in front of me.
He grabs my hand, wraps a white piece of cloth around my wrist, and gently ruffles my hair as he finishes up.
"I'm sorry."
Did he just apologize to me?
I'm the one who should apologize. I mean, I broke into his house and totally freaked him out.
He doesn't give me a chance to explain until he gets up off the floor to leave.
"Wait!" I say, holding his hand and standing in front of him.
I grip his hand more tightly, looking into his eyes, which reflect a deep sadness that I'm already familiar with.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have been sent to this world.
I'm here to help you, William.
This is my mission.
"What's going on?" He interrupts my thoughts, and I notice him trying to free his hand from my grasp. I quickly release him and take two steps back. "I'm sorry."
He stares at me with a surprised look on his face until he goes to his room, leaving me alone.
He comes back with a blanket, smiles at me, and offers it, pointing his index finger at the couch in the corner.
"You can sleep here tonight, and I'll decide what to do with you tomorrow."
It's suddenly really dark, and it makes me panic.
Why is it so dark?
I'm not used to it, so I'm not sure how to deal.
Where are the lights? What's going on?
What does this mean?
Is this the end of the world?
"Good night."
William says, and I can hear him moving away.
William! I'm scared, don't leave me alone!
I shut my eyes and sit down on the floor, wrapping the blanket around me. My body's shaking uncontrollably.
It's the same feeling I had when I was hiding in the closet.
It's a really scary feeling.
I open my eyes again and see his face close to mine. He's squatting right in front of me, patting me on the shoulder.
I blink a few times, trying to process what's happening.
"How'd you know?"
"Simple. This." He raises his hand in front of my face and shows me a blue ring that's flashing, and then it suddenly stops.
"See? It just stopped flashing as soon as you stopped being afraid."
"What?" I stare at the ring, and his lips curl up. "Evander, it's not just a coincidence you came here, is it?"
I'm not sure what to say.
Or maybe he's not waiting for an answer.
He just stands up and walks back up the stairs to his bedroom.
He says, "I'm going to leave the lights on."
...