The Angel's Humanhood

4. The Uncomfortable Things

Sitting there waiting for any logic to hit home about what's happening, Wahag feels something move inside him.
You have to take a dump.
"Why didn't you say, 'we have to take a dump'?... Nevermind," Wahag said after a second thought.
It has been a while already since the strange girl and Joza had stormed out arguing about what they rehearsed and how someone never follows through or something or the other.
Wahag was left alone without any sign of anyone returning.
"Hello! Excuse me! I need to talk to someone!" Wahag yelled as loud as he could. It sounded more like an obnoxious command than a request.
After few minutes of yelling, "What? What is it?" The strange girl popped her head through the trap door, "What the hell are you yelling like that for?"
"Are you forgetting that you are holding me captive?"
"Yes, so?" She climbed down the rope ladder skipping half of it, "You don't seem like the type that has any better places to be."
Touche said the voice.
"On whose side are you?" Wahag said out loud.
"Obviously, my own," The girl replied through knotted eyebrows.
"I wasn't talking to you," Wahag said.
"Oh... Is it drugs or something more permanent?"
"What?"
"I need to know before you start having withdrawal symptoms, or if you need some meds, Joza can figure something out for you. Most of this town is on something or the other any way."
Wahag was silent for several moments and before he could form a question or even a huh? She said, "Nevermind, you are probably beyond repair if you ended up at night in these woods," she waved a hand gesturing a change of topic,
"So, what were you yelling for Mr. Held Captive?"
Wahag cleared his throat in an attempt to look less desperate, "I need to relieve myself."
"Number 1 or number 2," She said in a matter of fact tone.
Two
"Two?" Wahag wasn't sure what the numbers meant.
"Fine, I'll go fetch the handcuffs," she rolled her eyes and left again.
Moments later handcuffed,
"What is this unholy stench?!" Wahag screamed from inside an outdoors toilet stall. He has witnessed humans relieve themselves before, but he has never experienced smelling the scene.
The strange girl was standing outside holding the end of a leash attached to the handcuffs,
"Meth, it has to be meth," She murmered to herself.
Wahag opened the door and fell forward dry heaving on the grass.
"Are you done?" The girl said with a sigh.
"It wasn't that bad at first. Then the smell just urgh," Wahag's face was haunted by horrors.
"No, No, don't include me in this."
You are such a baby. It wasn't even that bad.
"It was HORRIBLE! I've never done anything less dignified!" Wahag shot back.
"You want to be dignified, while taking a dump?" Her eyebrows were threatening to be knotted together for life. She shook her head after a moment, "Just shut up and get up." She yanked at the chains.
The strange girl said that he has to follow her somewhere so else she would just tie him to a tree without food or water till she comes back the next day. He hated being told what to do by a human, but he hated the feeling of hunger and he was terrified of needing to relieve himself again and having to be trapped next to the smell. So be grudgingly, Wahag followed her. The sun was high in the sky and Wahag's skin started to feel damp. Sweat started to drip from his forehead. He wiped his face, "Urgh, water. Disgusting," He said to himself out loud.
"You hate water?" The girl asked.
"Very much and all its beings and everything about it, the coldness, everything!" Wahag indulged himself in the rant.
"Oh, then you are going to love this." The girl said in a meaningful tone.
After walking in silence for a while, they reached a clearing that opened up to a lake.
Wahag didn't need to say anything. The haunted look on his face was enough to bring a smirk to the girl's face.
You are such an embarrassment. A grown man afraid of his own dump and sweat.
Wahag didn't say anything. The idea of being dismayed by things that lowly humans don't even flinch at made him ashamed of himself.
"So, to get to where we need to go, we need to get in that fun little boat and row to the other side." The girl said not holding back her amusement at his expression.
"Can't we just walk around it?" Wahag said sheepishly.
"Nope, we have booby traps everywhere from both sides to keep strangers out. The only way is... across." She said and then waited for him to process.
When Wahag said nothing for a while, "Come on, it's not that bad. The boats doesn't topple over every single time." The girl pulled the leash, but Wahag was frozen in place.
I am made of fire. I can't. So much water. Even a splash will hurt so much. Wahag said to himself.
Wahag was so caught up in imaging all the ways the water will put him out that he didn't notice the girl talking to him. He only snapped back in focus when he heard her click her fingers.
"Hey, what's your name?" The girl asked.
"Wahag."
"What an odd name." She said.
"What's your not-very-odd name then?" Wahag said with childish bitterness.
"Absolutely, none of your business." She replied with a smile.
"Come on, I was joking about the boat. I will get you to the other side without a splash. Also, I am a good swimmer."
"I don't trust humans."
The girl sighed deeply, "Okay fine. Pick the tree you want me to tie you to."
The ride in the boat made Wahag's stomach twist in a knot. Every tiny move felt like his soul was being cut open. And when they got to the other side, he jumped as hastily as he could.
He stood there for a while unable to process that he just crossed a body of water unharmed.
"That wasn't too bad, right?" The girl gave him a proud smile. "Let's go see what monstrosity Joza cooked up tonight," the girl shuddered.
It was the first time her noticed how young she really is. Wahag never cared about human age, but if he would guess, it would be that she is in the earliest stages of adulthood.
But, so was a few of the people at the dinner table. The girl lead him into a large hut filled with kids of all sizes and ages. It was bustling with noise.
Once he entered, everyone went silent.