Page 29 of Escape from the Green

Me, I smiled, everything about this feeling like coming home to me.

"That was..."

"Weird?" I suggested, smiling at the somewhat green look to his face.

"That sounds about right," he agreed, taking a deep breath.

I moved to do the same, looking forward at what appeared to be a car dealership.

To me, it looked magnificent, all those marvelous metal beasts.

Drake, I decided after a glance, did not share in my wonder. "This is what the human realm looks like?"

"Well, this is part of it," I allowed. "But it is as varied as The Green. "Those are cars," I explained. "That is how humans get around."

"They're metal," he told me unnecessarily.

"Yes," I agreed, nodding. "They don't mind so much."

"How are you going to stand it?" he asked, reaching up to rub his hand across his temple where a headache was likely brewing.

"You get used to it. The first couple of hours are the worst. And you are being bombarded. This is a lot of metal. Not everywhere is like this."

"Where are you going?" he asked, voice suddenly rough, hand reaching out to grab my upper arm, stopping me as I went to move away.

"To see about a shirt for you," I reminded him with a somewhat bemused smile.

"It's not safe," he declared, voice a booming baritone, something very alpha and predatory about it. And something within me primally responded to it.

"You don't know that."

"You're not going out there alone."

A little laugh bubbled up and out, making his eyes get even harder. "I am going to live here alone," I reminded him. "Even if it isn't safe, it is safer than The Green is now for me," I added.

"Regardless, I am coming," he added, easing his grip on my arm, but not letting go entirely.

And I maybe liked it there, so I didn't think of shaking it off as I led him through the empty used car lot, making me wonder what time of day it was, or if it was a holiday, but found myself pleased that the signs on the window were English, that the address listed was that for somewhere in Ohio.

"Is this close to your parents' place in the human realm?" Drake asked, stiffening anytime a car whizzed past us as we made our way down the road looking very much like homeless people looking for a new place to squat.

"Um, my parents' place was in a state called Massachusetts. So... no. This is rather far. But still in the same country."

"Country," Drake tried out that word, not comprehending its meaning.

"The human world is split up into territories ruled by different men and women. Ohio and Massachusetts are both in one territory, even though they are far apart."

"How do you know so much? Were you allowed to study the humans?"

"Allowed? No. But I was given a television. And that had documentaries on it... stories about history," I clarified. "My guards didn't seem to understand it, so didn't think better than to let me watch it. There had also been a library full of old books called encyclopedias which tell you everything about the human world. I probably know more about the species that exist here than back in The Green," I admitted, feeling a small bit of embarrassment at that. I could have applied myself harder at my studies, but I always found humans more interesting.

"Are the realms here good and evil?" I turned, smiling over at him. "What?"

"That's not how it works here. There are evil humans. And there are good ones. But no one pledges loyalty to either side. Well, with a few awful exceptions in the past," I qualified. "Everyone here is free to be whatever or whoever they are. And aside from not breaking the laws of the land. Like killing people or rape or starting fires - things like that - they may come and go as they please without worrying about crossing into enemy land."

"That is true of the whole human realm?" he asked, skeptical.

"It's true of a lot of the human realm. There will always be wars and prejudices, but as a whole, the humans... they're good."