As the rustling gets closer, Kora hears a voice that sounds vaguely familiar. Frozen in place on the cot, she was able to see over Nori’s shoulder to find the smallest warrior from earlier. She watches as Nori stiffens then relaxes as he recognizes him. 

“Jofri! Why would you sneak up on us like that?!” Nori shouts at him.

The warrior named Jolfri flinches slightly before answering, “I wasn’t sneaking up on anyone… It’s not like it’s my fault I’m quiet and I blend in well. After all, that’s what we're trying to do most of the time anyway. Anyway, I’m here to collect your dishes before it gets dark.” As he looks up at the sky, he hums to himself before saying, “I’d estimate we’ve got around 10 minutes before the creatures come out.”

Immediately feeling panicked that she only had 10 minutes and we weren’t already inside to hide from whatever these creatures are, she grabbed onto Nori’s arm in panic. “Shouldn’t we be getting to your home then, I am no use in a fight and I don’t want to die yet.” By the end of the sentence, the pitch of her voice had risen significantly and it was evident that she was on the verge of tears. 

Jolfri took advantage of her outburst and decided to quickly collect the tray and murmured something quickly to Nori before he left back in the direction he came from. 

Realizing Kora’s current state left her in no shape for walking, Nori didn’t hesitate to pick her up from the cot as if she weighed nothing. Surprised at how easily he picked her up and how nonchalantly he walked through the village as though she weighed nothing shocked her into silence. Before she knew it, he stopped in front of a small house and opened the door. After gently placing her on a cushion on the floor, he returned to the door to secure it shut as well as barricading the door. 

Trying to recover from the events of today, she takes a look around the house. Despite the house being made of primitive materials, it was warm and cozy. The fireplace heated the house nicely and the house was furnished with handmade tables and cushions similar to the one she was currently sitting on. The floor was adorned with various colorful rugs that were incredibly soft. From my spot on the floor, she could see two doorways. Through the limited view of the room she was able to see, she could see a cot similar to the one she had been on earlier. 

As Nori finishes locking the door, he turns to her with a concerned look on his face. “I know that things are probably hard for you right now, but I’m going to be honest with you, I’m not much of the emotional type.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at his words. Although he says that he isn’t emotional, she didn’t have a problem reading the emotions that were evident on his face. Like right now, he seemed to think that she was crazy for laughing at his serious statement. Unable to stop her hysterical laughter she recognizes that she might actually be crazy. As she continues to laugh, his expression morphs into one of pity as he shifts from foot to foot looking uncomfortable. As her laughter dies down, it is almost immediately replaced with tears and he looks even more out of his element than he did before. 

Moving closer, he sits down next to her and after a few seconds says, “I wish that I could be of more help to you. I can at least be here to offer a hug or something.”

Before the words were even out of his mouth, she found herself turning to him to seek out any sort of comfort. The reality of her situation was hitting her and she felt as though she was drowning in her emotions. As she cries into his chest he gently rubs soothing circles on her back. 

Crying out her feelings she begins to grieve for the loss of the life she left behind. Although it was truly a shallow life, it was hers to live. Reflecting on her time on Earth, she couldn’t help but recognize the shallow friendships she surrounded herself by in order to maintain some feeling of relevance or importance. By now, she normally would’ve immersed herself in making a list of her New Year’s resolutions that she’d be giving up on only a few weeks into the year. Trying to look on the bright side, her crying dies down a bit as she sniffles and tries to think positively. 

Finding herself in a strange place with people she had never met before was not the way she expected to ring in the new year. However, things could be a lot worse. After all, she has met some wonderful people who seem determined to help her besides she could finally live out her own fantasy. She loved to play videogames and read books and comics while on earth and if she looked at this in a positive light, she realized that she gets the chance to live a unique story of her own. Earth culture demands that everyone conform to whatever is popular, leading everyone to portray a false front in order to appear more appealing or attractive. Deciding that this would be her fresh start to become the best person she can be, she made a New Year’s resolution that she was determined to follow through with. New Year, New Me and a New World for me to explore.

Pulling away from Nori, she immediately reaches up to dry her tears before looking up at Nori and saying, “Thank you… for everything. You took the time to talk to me earlier and have been nothing but helpful. And… I’m just a bit of a mess at the moment. I’m trying to get it together but everything is changing all at once and-”

Before she could continue her sentence, Nori interrupts her saying, “There is no need to apologize or explain yourself. I couldn’t imagine finding myself alone in a world of strangers. Besides, you don’t seem to be in the best of health. You are too skinny and I noticed you didn’t eat enough of your food earlier.” With an admonishing look thrown over his shoulder, he stands up and continues, “Now, let’s get you something more comfortable to wear and then get you put to bed. You need to get some rest.”

Without a word, she follows him into what she is guessing is the guest bedroom. As she enters, she can see that the room is set up nicely. Although the cot is similar to the one she was on earlier, it was obvious that this one had a much softer mattress and was adorned with several soft blankets and furs. Similar rugs covered the floor, providing a soft cushion under her bruised feet. 

As she looks over at Nori, she finds him already staring at her. “Your feet are wounded,” he stated, looking down at her feet. “You should’ve told me, I would’ve carried you.” he adds as he picks me up once again, this time placing me gently on the bed.

“It’s really not as bad as it looks.” She protests weakly as he crouches in front of her to get a better look at her feet.

“They are bleeding. Wait here, I’ll be back shortly.” With his short instructions, he moved out of the room quicker than she would’ve expected for a man of his size. She didn’t hear so much as a footstep as he silently exited the room. 

After he left, she quickly changed into the new clothing, since she would have a few minutes and realized that the clothing was more comfortable than she expected. It also provided some more warmth, because although it was hot during the day, the nights got much older. After changing, she simply sat on the bed and waited for Nori to return. 

Despite the fact that she knew he was still in the small house, she couldn’t help but feel nervous at being left alone, no matter how short the time. Without the distraction that Nori provided, the noises from outside were more apparent. There was the sound of rustling leaves, the cracking of branches and then a terrible snapping sound. A few minutes later, she could hear an absolutely bloodcurdling scream.