A Boy Named Chuck

???: Are you all right, mister?

The boy asked in a concerned tone. Max was kinda shocked looking at a living, breathing human being after the horrific experience he just had a minute ago. He glanced everywhere to see if he could see the creepy people that were following him. Once he knew he was in the clear he turned towards the boy. The boys eyes were still fixated on him. And he remembered that he still hadn't replied to him.

Max:...ummm...yes. Yes..I'm all right. Thanks for asking.

After that exchange, Max got back up on his feet, understanding he shouldn't keep up with the pathetic display of cowardice in front of a kid. He dusted of his pants and then stared back at the boy.

Max: If I remember right...you were the guy who was there earlier in that.....dome.

Max seriously didn't know what to call the place he was know before. But he called it a Dome, just because it sounded cool.

???: Oh..yes...yes that was me. That place is called a Dome??

After a brief second of spacing out, as if thinking something important, the boy answered.

Max: Um....my name is Max by the way..what's your name kid?

???: Chuck. It's Chuck.

Max knew it was proper manners to tell their own name before asking someone theirs. Even if it looked like he could order around the kid, he wanted to be on equal terms. The boy answered with cute smile. He looked like he was ten or eleven years old. But what fascinated him was that the boy was called Chuck. For Max...it was an extremely common name, especially considering that he had no surname.

Max: Just Chuck? Nothing else?

Chuck: Nope. I don't have a surname. Actually none of us in our village do. The villagers think having family names disrupts the purpose of being United.

That was indeed a weird conclusion to come to. But Max suddenly realised what he had heard. A village. If there was a village around here , it would be amazing, for him to escape to. All he wanted to do was escape from this haunted forest. The village being here sounded awesome, so Max wanted to go there. But it was also likely that this boy had run away from home and maybe his village was miles away, and Chuck too...just like Max, might be lost here. But Max knew it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Max: Chuck...you told me about a village right now.....do you know how to get there..?

Max hoped he got a good answer. And he was slightly relieved when he saw the huge happy grin on Chuck's face after his question.

Chuck: Of course I do. It's nearby. I pretty much grew up here, so I know the way.

Max: Wait...you are serious? You know how to get out of this place?

Max: Yes yes. Do you wanna come to my house?

Max: Yes. Please. Lead me out of here.

Chuck pointed towards the other end of the trees and gestured Max to follow him. Max started walking behind the enthusiastic kid. After taking a few steps Max understood that the boy himself was a bit creepy. Popping out just when he needed him. Being friendly. Taking him to his house. It all sounded like the recipe to a Hansel and Gretel situation, where Max might be the one they feed on. Max had to be careful, but all the while he also knew, that he himself might be the creepy one here. AND instead deciding to trust in his intuition that Chuck is an innocent little boy, Max followed him. And eventually started walking beside him.

Chuck: You know you are the first person I'm inviting to my house after years. I can't believe I finally have a friend to invite.

Max silently followed, unable to reply. Must be a lonely kid, he thought. He wanted to correct the notion that he wasn't his friend, but he couldn't.

Chuck: The other kids are nice to me...but honestly they never come to my house. But you....anyway forget that. Let's talk about today. You were so cooooool in there...fighting that swordsman guy.

Max: You were there?

Chuvk: Yes, I was...I was behind the bushes watching.

Chuck was talking to Max, with his eyes sparkling. It felt like Chuck REALLY admired Max. All because of his fight with the Samurai.

Chuck: I started running away when you used some kind of fireball at the guy, cause I was scared he would come at me. I also did see the other brother and sister run away. So I ran away thinking it's for the best. That's when I bumped into you again, in here.

Max understood that Chuck loved to talk. Unlike what he had thought before, Chuck didn't seem like some bad guy. He looked like he genuinely wanted friends. And he looked lonely. So it must've been bad. Was he bullied? Did he feel like he had no purpose in life?

Time: You have no purpose in life anyway.

Those words echoed in his head for some reason. He clearly visualized mister Time. But he was back here. Max held his head, cause it felt like an old memory. This wasn't a memory of the time they met in the Dome. This was from way before. The missing memories were returning to him. Slowly, but as Time had said...they will all be here soon.

Chuck: Are you okay..?

Chuck turned back looking at Max holding his head. Max pulled himself together.

Max: I'm fine. It's just a head ache really.

Max said with a fake smile, but his pain was visible. Chuck gave him the concerned look again. And Max didn't like the feeling of being pitied by a kid way younger than him. But then it clicked. Chuck mentioned about Xi Fei Lin and Melissa. That he did see they were running.

Max: So...do you know the Lin guy and Melissa...?

Chuck: Is that the bro and sis' names? I didn't know that.

Just as Max had thought, Chuck didn't know their names and that's why he referred to them as "brother" and "sister". It wasn't in his, but there were cultures where younger kids called older people as brothers and sisters out of respect even when they weren't blood related.

Max: If you don't even know them...how did you meet them..?

Chuck: I mean,, they visited my village yesterday asking me what happened..and then they left. The red-haired girl gave me a sweet, and I wanted more...so I followed her. And that's how I ended up at the Dome.

Max thought that Chuck must really like following people discreetly. Maybe he has a knack for doing spy stuff. And that terrified him. Cause he was already suspicious and on guard.

Max: Wait...you said they were asking about what happened in the village. Did something happen there?

Chuck: We are here.

Instead of answering his question Chuck cleared a few branches which were covering a pathway. And answered with a finger pointing towards the REVEALED landscape. It was a small village. With probably a hundred houses.

As they came out of the leaves and stepped into the village, Max noticed the style of the houses. They were poor in structure and status. They didn't seem like they were built by the greatest of architects. It was simple in seeing, and it felt like those houses in medieval settings in undeveloped nations. Most of the houses were made by bricks and wood. Only the streets looked like it was made by an insanely talented artist as it was made with beautiful pebbles. It was something rare to see even back in the past, at the time when Max lived. Even though he was alive right now.

But what caught his eyes were the fact that there wasn't a single light in the village. It was completely dark. And to make it worse, there wasn't any forms of sound other than the eerie wind. There were no traces of human activity in here.

Max: What....where are the people in here??

Chuck: They...vanished from here..two days ago. All of them. I've been here alone ever since.

Max eyes widened in shock. Why the hell did the people vanish in here? Where did they go? What really happened here? Chuck had a saddened look on his face, as if he was mourning someone. But he shaked his head to drive off those thoughts and smiled at Max.

Chuck: Anyway, let's go in there...that is my house...

Chuck grabbed Max's arm and walked fast towards the house. Max honestly couldn't stop him. He just silently followed not knowing what Chuck was thinking. It felt like Chuck was in denial about something and wanted to run away without taking responsibility and faking his happiness. Max recognized this, as he was very familiar with this sort of behaviour. It felt like looking into a mirror, to Max.

Max: Are you sure you don't wanna talk about it?

Chuck: No. I wasn't in here when they ....went away. When I came back they were gone. It isn't my fault.

Chuck said that immediately as if he understood what Max had asked about. And they stopped at the front door. Chuck reached his hand out and pulled the handle, but he felt weird and Max also noticed it was unlocked.

Chuck: That is weird. I'm sure I locked it.

Max sensed movement inside the house. And not knowing how he did it, Max just knew that the person inside was coming to attack whoever was at the front door. Immediately pulling Chuck out of the way, Max traded places with him, bracing himself with his left hand.

A familiar Kukris blade struck his hand and pushed Max a bit. Max grunted, and he immediately knew who he was facing.

Max: ugh....YOU.

Lin: Ugh...YOU.

The guy in blue armour lowered his blade and put it back in his belt. Behind him was a red haired girl peeking out from behind the wall. After that she walked outside.

Inside this building were Xi Fei Lin and Melissa. They finally met again. And both Lin and Max weren't pleased to see each other.