Chapter Text

Chapter 1
Humanity

Screams of savagery and murder reached his ears as Aiden crouched below a small cliff. Above him was a cannibal camp, nothing special and something he has gotten used to in his time being crash-landed on an island full of them. However, what he did not expect were hearing the screams of murder so early on in the morning and while investigating its meaning, seeing the usually blind mutants on the surface slaughtering some unexpected cannibal camp in broad daylight. He had assumed them to be on the same side for some reason and seeing that not being the case, made him inch closer.

The attack was already underway, Aiden listened in horror, as the mutants slaughtered the unsuspecting cannibals in their own camp, beating them to pieces with their bare hands as the victims let out guttural cries of despair.

The sounds of bones breaking and flesh tearing filled the air, causing him to feel sick to his stomach. Even after months on this island, the savagery was still shocking to him and perhaps that was a good sign to some. He hadn’t lost his own humanity yet, but it did little to help him in those kind of situations.

He knew he had to make a decision - stay hidden and risk being discovered by the obviously winning mutants or make a run for it and ignore the savagery taking place only a metre away from him.

Looking at his feet, he saw the hand of one of the cannibals sticking out beneath a bush, his arm painted in white colours. Aiden himself couldn’t wash his hands in innocence, even if he told himself he was simply defending himself against their constant attacks. The dead cannibal at his feet, was wearing a golden mask, whose meaning Aiden had been trying to decipher for months now. Observing their behaviour and trying to figure out the very many different mannerisms of these people. Aiden couldn't help but reflect on his own actions and the hypocrisy of his situation. Here he was, observing and documenting the brutal lives of the cannibals, yet he himself had resorted to violence when he first encountered them. But what started as shocking and strange to him, turned into curiosity and the brutality plaguing this island is a constant reminder of the complexities of human nature and the thin line between civilization and savagery. He should leave this play, let the slaughter take its natural cause, yet he was unable to move.

He couldn’t help it.

He was a reporter, even a war correspondent once and the mystery of the cannibals intrigued him immensely. Of course, he was attacked by them each and every night, staying on this island was not by his decision at all, but old habits die hard. He knew that once he manages to escape the island and return to civilization, his story would undoubtedly shock and horrify readers. The cannibals' way of life, their rituals, and their unyielding survival instincts would be portrayed as barbaric, and their actions would be judged harshly. He couldn’t let that be the only opinion shown to the public. He was a reporter after all and he wanted something controversial, not what everyone would be thinking anyway. He wanted a true story. But Aiden couldn't ignore the fact that he had been just as primal in his own encounters with them. Force of circumstances?

His obsession with the nearby cannibals had been troubling Kelvin very much. He was not keen on them, not very eager to read about Aidens speculations of them either. For him, they are simply feral animals, not people, but Aiden wasn’t sure of that. They portrayed very basic human behaviour at times. Mourning their dead and even carrying them away back to their home.

They are awfully aggressive, of course, Aiden can’t deny that, but protective of their own too. It must mean something, even if only that Aiden is losing his mind. Kelvin mentioned it once before, that Aiden was just longing for a proper conversational partner. Since Kelvin was deaf and Virginia somewhat mute, left Aiden mostly talking to himself. The former not hearing what he is saying and the second unable to comment on it properly.

Even though he had not observed any coherent words be spoken by cannibals, Kelvin is set in his concern for Aiden to seek connection with those who pose a clear threat to them. He denied that of course. His obsession is nothing else but professional curiosity and perhaps urged forward by the thrill of documenting something so very rare. Feral human behaviour is not something you can come by so easily. How do they differentiate from civilization and where is one to draw the line?

Of course, he was no expert in that field either, just a curious journalist with nothing else to spend his talent on. He wouldn’t admit that to Kelvin however.

There was another scream from up ahead, the slaughter seemingly coming to an end. Peeking out from his hiding spot, Aiden had difficulty in assessing the final outcome. The sparse sunlight made the skin of the mutants reflecting a slight shimmer, while the surface cannibals had painted markings all over their bodies. So far, it seemed the mutants came out atop, now aimlessly wandering blind and without purpose around the destroyed camp.

Aiden didn’t dare to make a sound, knowing they might be blind, but not deaf. Then suddenly, a whimper and Aiden’s heart stopped. The mutants snarled in an instant, turning around at the sound as if only waiting for it. Peeking out from his hiding spot, Aiden saw the two mutants turn towards a certain spot on the ground, there was one single cannibal left. He was on his back, whimpering, he robbed backwards, trying to escape, even if he had to crawl over the corpses of his friends. The tribal was wringing on the floor, whimpering and in his own way, begging for mercy. Aiden knew they would show him none. Did it bother him?

It did.

Simply because he had not yet lost his humanity. Perhaps a weakness in these woods, but if he were to tell this story one day, he does not want to look back at the happenings with guilt. It was against all of his training, the silent observer, save yourself first, so you can live to tell the tale. But he was long past that. He already had a few encounters on his plate that he was not very proud of, but so far, was able to excuse them as self-defence. This however, was nothing easily explained away.

Looking on while they murder a defenceless individual was not something he could simply ignore. Not while he knew how to defeat them. 

Making a decision, he grabbed his handgun in both hands, steadily crouching out of his hiding spot to approach the two mutants having their backs turned to him. Then the first shot rang out. Both mutants spun around in an instant, hands flailing wildly as they charged in his direction. Aiden sidestepped and took another shot, the mutant was thrown backwards by the impact, losing its sense of direction for a moment, but the second one already came charging. Without warning it barreled into Aiden, making him fly backwards with such force that it made him gasp for air. The gun now lay vacant in the dirt and with panic, he searched his surroundings, found a spear of one of the slain cannibals, he took it and aimed, making the second mutant stumble as well, but not enough. He was quickly back and flailing its arms to reach him. Aiden scrambled to his feet and out of the corner of his eyes, saw the second back on its twisted legs as well.

The gun. He thought in a panic, where was the gun!

Then quickly thinking on his feet, he remembered the molotov cocktails he had made in advance before coming here. He dodged the mutants' attacks once more and fished through his backpack. He grabbed his lighter, flicking it a few times, it didn’t want to light right away. Another swing, Aiden barely dodged it this time, before the lighter sprung to life and the molotov cocktail alight, he threw it at the first one. It screeched, arms flailing wildly, disoriented from the fire burning its skin. Then Aiden grabbed a second one, lighting it, he threw it at the second mutant, before his eyes found the gun on the ground.

Quickly he dashed forward, took it between both of his hands and fired one shot, then another and another. Eventually, he saw both mutants drop to the ground, their limbs spasm as the fire still ate at their flesh, but they did not rise again. 

Aiden took a moment to catch his breath, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. 

He reloaded his weapon. It was always wise to stock up immediately. He had learned that the hard way. With only three bullets remaining, he knew he would need to find more ammunition soon.

Then he heard the whimper again. The last surviving cannibal was still trying to crawl into safety. Aiden made him out with ease, he had almost made it past all his fallen comrades and was heading for the bushes behind their camp. He was trying to escape.

As Aiden approached the last surviving cannibal, a twinge of compassion stirred within him. Maybe he should have let him escape, but instead, he wanted to ensure the man's survival. However, as he neared the cannibal, the man suddenly turned and hurled a rock at Aiden, striking him squarely in the face. Stumbling back, Aiden felt the blood trickling down his forehead, the pain throbbing through his head.

The cannibal snarled, ready to defend himself despite his injuries. Aiden quickly raised his hands in defence, trying to reason with the man before things escalated further. But the cannibal's eyes were filled with rage and fear, and it was clear that he was not willing to listen to any reason anytime soon. 

So Aiden decided, for his own good, taking out his spear, to use the blunt end to knock him out cold. He went down limp with a surprised yelp.

As the last surviving cannibal lay unconscious at Aiden's feet, he took a moment to collect himself. The adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, and the pain from the rock thrown at him throbbed in his head. He wiped the blood from his eye and took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. He had to finish what he had started.

As he looked closer at the young man's features, he noticed the intricate white paintings adorning his body. The cross on his chest and face, the black chin, and the crude garment around his waist intrigued Aiden. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen these symbols before, but where?

He looked young, perhaps in his early twenties or late? It was difficult to say with all the paint and blood. His wound wasn’t too deep, but he had several gashes on his arms with which he probably tried to stop the incoming attacks and one nasty wound on his leg which probably resulted in him crawling instead of walking. The one around his abdomen looked the worst, not deep, but it cut all the way from his chest downwards in a blunt line. The mutants got him good. He wouldn’t survive the night. 

Seeing it best to treat the wound on his stomach before moving him, Aiden grabbed his backpack, slinging it around to look for the clean cloth he had stashed away for moments like these. He took out his water bottle first and cleaned the wound with it, before taking out the bandage to wrap it around his stomach. While doing so, he noticed how very thin he was. Doctors of civilization would probably call him underweight.

Not that Aiden was one to judge.

Strapping his backpack around his shoulders, he stashed his gun away as well, before bending down - Aiden gently lifted the unconscious man into his arms. He wrapped one arm below his legs and the other below his shoulders, watching as his head fell lifelessly back, hand hanging down.

He was properly out, but despite the brutal attack he had endured, the cannibal was still clinging to life.

Then screams in the distance and Aiden was quickly reminded that he was not alone in this forest. The gunshots probably alarmed other’s nearby and with the camp now vacant apart from him, it was easy to assume him to be the cause of it. He did not want them to think he was the cause of it. Not this time.

Deciding he couldn't leave the cannibal to die alone, Aiden carried him away from the chaos of the camp, walking through the forest, between bushes and twigs, all while carrying an unconscious cannibal in his arms. Kelvin will freak out for sure, but he already had a good enough explanation at hand.

Checking his GPS with some difficulty, he manages to find his way back to camp. The fresh river a good indication of him nearing his self-made camp. As he trudged through the shallow water, he was reminded once more to build a bridge at some point, to avoid getting his feet wet each time he returns, but seeing the fortified wooden gate made him realise how very far he had already come. Knocking on the door was no use, Kelvin wouldn’t hear him, so he was forced to lie the cannibal down beside him for a moment, to pry the door open.

It moaned loudly as the wood bent to his will and revealed the inside of his little cosy camp. A little shed was set up near a cliff, in the middle burned a campfire and stacks of collected sticks and rocks were pushed up against the wall in the back. Beside that, some drying racks, filled with fresh fish caught in the river. Kelvin must have been busy during his absence, providing them with a proper source of food. Speaking of him.

The deaf soldier steps out of the little hut just as Aiden picks up their new guest. Kelvin instantly halts in his steps, eyes wide with panic, soundlessly questioning Aiden’s sanity. He could read it in his expression.

Kicking the door closed behind him, Aiden walked past his shocked companion and decided to place their new guest down below the small makeshift shelter he had made out of tarp and a stick holding it upwards. He wouldn’t be keeping him close to where Kelvin and him were sleeping, he wasn’t that stupid, but he also did not wish him to be exposed to the elements, so the little shelter was a good alternative.

Then he made sure to treat the rest of his wounds.

He passed Kelvin to reach the shelves inside the house to get the pre-prepared medicine, the survival book so helpfully explained how to avoid infection and how to properly clean wounds. Luckily none of the wounds were deep enough that they would need stitching, so he simply went along with cleaning them and eventually bandaging them properly. While doing so, he accidentally washed of some of the paint and he was hoping he did not mind it that much.

Then he took one of the clean shirts he had found on his excursions and dressed the cannibal in it. At least it would keep him warm.

The next he got was some rope. He wasn’t going to expect the cannibal to be friendly upon waking, he wasn’t that naive. So he made sure to tie the man up properly. Legs and hands bound behind his back, so he would do them no harm.

Looking at him now, the paint smudged and the feral snarl absent on his face, he almost looked civilised. He almost looked approachable even. Perhaps it truly was the right thing to do. Taking him with him.

However, the moment he got back on his feet and met Kelvin’s worried gaze, his certainty quickly wavered.

Kelvin pointed at the sleeping cannibal now in the middle of their camp, as if to say, what the heck are you doing!

Aiden took out his notepad and quickly scribbled an answer on it.

‘ He is alone. Wouldn’t survive the night. Couldn’t leave him injured.’

Kelvin’s eyebrows just shot upwards, as he again pointed at the cannibal, but this time more forcefully. Just as Aiden was about to scribble an answer Kelvin snapped the notebook from Aiden’s hand to scribble something down on it with quick and angry movements.

He shoved it into Aiden’s face and he read in capital letters:

‘ CANNIBAL’

“I know.” Aiden rubbed the back of his head, certain Kelvin understood his words even without hearing them. “I am aware of that, alright. It’s just-”

Kelvin shoved the piece of paper closer into his face, as if to highlight his point once more.

‘ CANNIBAL’

“He could change. I have been studying them, they aren’t stupid, I can teach him how to speak and well, how to not eat people. Show him the alternatives. Just let me try.”

Kelvin frowns and taking the notepad from his hands, Aiden wrote down what he had said out loud. Looking at his words, Kelvin quickly read them. Then he shook his head, vehemently. He was not happy about that.

Aiden wrote next: ‘He is my responsibility. You don’t have to get involved. You won’t even notice him. Trust me.’

Kelvin frowned again, then shook his head, before throwing his hands up in defeat. He was giving up. That wasn’t the reaction Aiden had hoped for, but it wasn’t a no either.

Then Kelvin took the notepad from him again, writing on it. When finished, he smacked the piece of paper into Aiden’s hand, this time not even bothering to show him the answer, before he grabbed his axe and left their camp.

Turning the page around, Aiden read his message.

‘ Don’t let him near Virginia or inside the house and when he eats you, I will make sure that you know that I told you so.’

Aiden couldn’t help but smile at the last part of the message. That was a good enough permission as any. Kelvin will eventually warm up to him. He didn’t like Virginia at first either, afraid to go even near her. Just as Virginia had once been a stranger met with hesitation and fear, the cannibal had also been given a second chance at life.

Kelvin and Virginia managed to convey their words through hand gestures and shared expressions in a companionship that needed no words to convey its depth. Aiden found them sitting by the fire most every night until very late. It was rather endearing to watch.

Witnessing the camaraderie between Virginia and Kelvin, Aiden felt a warmth in his heart that he hadn't experienced in a long time. Despite the hardships and dangers of their world, they had found a way to connect and communicate in their own unique way.

They made it work so effortlessly. Aiden couldn’t compare. Perhaps he was secretly wishing to find a similar connection and was hoping to find it in the cannibal. He could only hope they got along. What even would they have in common? They were both stuck on this island, far away from all of their family. Just that Aiden’s wasn’t dead, at least he hoped that his parents weren’t coming out here looking for him. No, he doubts they would. It wasn’t uncommon for him to completely disappear for months on end, sometimes even years. The downsides of being an out in the fields journalist.

A soft groan made Aiden snap out of his thoughts, and he quickly noticed the cannibal waking up. Wanting to avoid spooking him, Aiden remained crouched by the flickering fire in the centre of the camp. With all his weapons stored away, he kept a safe distance from the recovering man.

The cannibal blinked a few times, clearly disoriented from his injuries and waking up bound. As he tried to move and realised his hands and feet were restrained, panic surged through him, and he began frantically wriggling on the ground. Aiden knew he had to act before the man injured himself further.

Approaching cautiously, Aiden gently pushed down on the cannibal's shoulders to restrain his thrashing. The cannibal let out a startled howl at Aiden's touch, and his resistance only intensified. Snarling and snapping, the man attempted to bite at Aiden's arms, his instincts fueled by fear and distrust.

"Hey, it's alright. You're not in danger. I don't intend to harm you, but you're only going to worsen your wounds if you keep thrashing like this," Aiden said, trying to calm the struggling man. Despite the aggressive response, Aiden maintained his composure, hoping to show the cannibal that he meant no harm.

He received a snarl as an answer and flashing his teeth he started to snap at his arms, trying to bite him.

Aiden swiftly withdrew his hand, narrowly avoiding the cannibal's attempted bite. He knew the man was likely still in survival mode, reacting out of fear and instinct. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Aiden tried a different approach.

“Listen to me,” he said firmly, locking eyes with the cannibal. “I need you to calm down. You’re safe here, I promise. I won’t hurt you.”

The cannibal’s eyes searched his face, filled with mistrust and uncertainty. Aiden could see the inner conflict raging within him, the struggle to trust someone who had been his enemy only moments before.

Aiden held his ground, offering reassurance through his unwavering gaze and the sincerity in his voice. He knew that building trust with the cannibal would take time and patience, but he was willing to try.

Despite Aiden's efforts to calm the cannibal and offer reassurance, the man's fear and mistrust remained deeply ingrained. As a result, he lunged forward once more, teeth bared, attempting to sink them into Aiden's arm.

Reacting quickly, Aiden dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the cannibal's biting attempt. He could feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through him as he tried to come up with a new strategy to diffuse the escalating situation.

With a deep breath, Aiden steadied himself and locked eyes with the cannibal once more. "I understand you're scared," he said in a calm voice, hoping to reach some semblance of understanding. "But I'm not your enemy. I want to help you, but you need to trust me."

The cannibal hesitated, his gaze flickering between Aiden's face and the bindings that held him captive. A tense silence filled the space between them, the crackling of the fire the only sound in the night.

After awhile of staring the cannibal resumed his previous winding and pulling on the ropes and Aiden was glad that Kelvin taught him how to make a proper knot, because it was not budging one bit. Aiden could already see the bandages on his arms starting to colour red, his wounds reopened. Yet the cannibal himself didn’t even seem to notice, too focused on getting free.

Aiden's heart sank as he watched the cannibal struggle against the ropes, his movements growing more frantic and desperate.

Eventually he flopped on his stomach pulling on the ropes in that position, when he suddenly spasms and a muffled noise left his throat. The deep gash on the man's abdomen was likely causing him immense pain, and Aiden felt a pang of empathy for his suffering.

Realising that the situation was quickly escalating, Aiden knew he needed to act quickly to prevent any further harm to the cannibal. Despite the man's previous attempts to harm him, Aiden couldn't stand by and watch him suffer without trying to help.

Carefully approaching the cannibal, Aiden crouched down beside him, trying to assess the extent of the man's injuries. He could see the blood seeping through the bandages on his abdomen, staining his clothes and the ground beneath him.

"Hey, hey, calm down," Aiden said gently, reaching out a hand to try and comfort the cannibal. "Let me help you with your wounds. We need to get you some medical attention."

The cannibal's breathing was ragged, his body trembling with pain and exhaustion. Aiden could see the fear and vulnerability in his eyes, a stark contrast to the fierce determination he had displayed moments before.

More carefully this time, he grabbed his shoulder to try to turn him back onto his side, but the very moment he did so, his head snapped up and catching his thumb between his teeth he bit down, making Aiden howl in pain this time. He was not letting go either and in his desperation Aiden delivered a sharp punch to the cannibal's face.

The blow was enough to momentarily disorient the cannibal, causing him to release Aiden's thumb and slump back into the dirt. Aiden, now seated on the ground, cradled his injured hand close to his chest, cursing under his breath at the sudden turn of events.

"What is your bloody problem!" Aiden exclaimed, his voice strained with a mix of pain and exasperation. "I just want to help you, goddammit."

Taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, Aiden watched as the cannibal quickly recovered from the blow, his determination still evident as he resumed his efforts to free himself from the ropes. The man seemed to be fueled by an unwavering resolve, refusing to accept defeat despite the circumstances.

That moment the door opens and Aiden sees Kelvin carry two logs over his shoulder with ease. He caught his eyes, looking from the wildly wringing cannibal on the ground, to Aiden holding his bleeding thumb.

Noticing his injury, Kelvin met his gaze again, as if to say: Told you so. Aiden shakes his head.

Kelvin's deadpan look only served to further fuel Aiden's determination. He wasn't about to let a minor injury deter him from his mission to help the cannibal, no matter how unpredictable and feral the man seemed to be.

“We’re still at the start. That means nothing.”

Taking a deep breath, Aiden made a conscious decision to try a different approach. Instead of engaging with the cannibal's erratic behaviour, he chose to give him the silent treatment, focusing instead on fortifying their camp and ensuring their safety for the night ahead.

As the cannibal continued to thrash and struggle against the ropes, Aiden worked diligently to repair and secure the camp's defences. He reinforced the walls, reset traps to ward off potential threats, and checked the food and water supplies to ensure they were well-stocked for the night.

Of course he kept an eye on their unwilling guest throughout all of this, in case he does manage to wring himself free or injure himself to the point of unconsciousness again. He was however, very determined, the later it got and the longer he tried, Aiden could hear him let out frustrated grunts, that eventually turned into helpless whines. It almost made him feel bad for keeping him captured like that. He could let him go, of course he could, but his curiosity was just too strong, the opportunity too golden to pass on. Being able to study the cannibals from such a close quarter was fascinating and perhaps in his moment of heroism, saving the cannibal from certain death, he blurred the boundaries a little. He was keeping him here against his will, that was certain, but if he would understand that Aiden meant him no harm, if the language barrier between them wouldn’t be so stark, would he decide to stay? Would their hostile relationship have even escalated so badly upon his unwilling arrival, if they would have been able to communicate properly with each other? Aiden was determined to find out and thus he ignored the cannibal's helpless pleas and kept doing his daily tasks around camp alongside a very displeased Kelvin.

He was glad he couldn’t hear the cannibal's heart piercing whines, but from the look on his face, he was still able to decipher the wild man's anguish by simply looking at him.

“It’s fine.” Aiden tried to reassure Kelvin, who understood his meaning with ease, but did not seem to share it.

Kelvin gritted his teeth and simply kept on working, trying to ignore their new guest as best as Aiden was. It was when night eventually settled, that the cannibal's struggles seemed to have calmed down. His whines however, were still heard loud and clear and at some point Aiden feared he would lure the whole island full of cannibals to their camp. Not that his camp was any secret to them any more, but so far he was able to hold them off and they don’t attack every single night anyway, seemingly having to gather their war parties first.

A very peculiar behaviour as well. They seem to have different ranks within their war parties and while every one of them seems to be very deadly, not all of them can be identified as warriors. Perhaps they do have gatherers among them and who sets up their tents and fires? He was hoping for an answer for all his questions one day from their own cannibal, but until then, they still had a very long way to go.

As night properly settles, Aiden made sure that the fire in the middle of their camp was burning high. It keeps the cold at bay and who doesn’t feel safe with a giant bonfire in the middle of your camp?

Virginia had not shown up even once and Aiden wondered if Kelvin told her somehow, of the cannibal among them and thus have her stay away from them. He could see Kelvin’s mood has not lifted ever since he brought their guest along and he was still warily watching the cannibal whine and moan beneath the small shelter.

Aiden wanted to take a look at his wounds before going to bed himself or they will get infected after all.

He made a last check around their perimeter, but there were no nearby war parties, no sounds or snapping twigs, no screeches to be heard. Perhaps they would be lucky and have a quiet night tonight.

Getting back to Kelvin, he indicated for him to go to sleep first and with a last wary look at their cannibal friend, he got up and entered their little wooden hut.

Aiden gathered some healing herbs that Virginia has taught him how to use and some fresh bandages that he had stored away for emergencies. He would have to make sure to stock up soon. Then he approached their stubborn prisoner.

With a cautious approach, Aiden knelt down beside the panting cannibal, noting the man's heavy breathing and apparent signs of pain. As he reached out to inspect the wounds on the cannibal's arm, he braced himself for a possible outburst, knowing how quick and unpredictable the man could be.

True to form, the cannibal reacted aggressively as Aiden touched the bandage, hissing and attempting to bite him once more. Aiden deftly avoided the snapping teeth, realising that changing the bandage would not be an easy task given the cannibal's volatile behaviour.

Despite the challenges, Aiden remained determined to provide aid to the injured man. He carefully assessed the situation, thinking of ways to change the bandage without putting himself at risk of being bitten. Each time he tried to approach the wounds, the cannibal snapped at him, making it clear that he was not going to make the process easy.

In that very moment, Aiden wished Kelvin would be here to help him. Alas, he was not and he had to figure out how to help this cannibal on his own.

“I just want to change your bandage to avoid infection. It will hurt for a moment, but I swear you will feel better afterwards.” Aiden tried to soothe the cannibal with words, knowing full well he wouldn't understand him, but perhaps he could hear that he meant him no harm.

As an answer, he got an incoherent yapping, it almost did sound like he was trying to tell him something, but he could only guess as to what. Probably it merely meant ‘stay the fuck away from me freak’ . That message had come across clear as day to him way before.

Trying again, this time slower, he reached for his injured arm, this time, he did snap at him faster than before and Aiden just merely missed his teeth sinking into his skin again. This wasn’t working.

“I’m very sorry, but you leave me no other option.” With a sigh, he got up and took another cloth from the rack. With a heavy heart, Aiden firmly held the cannibal's head in place, managing to gag him to prevent any further attempts to bite or attack. The man let out frustrated grunts through his nose, but the immediate threat of being bitten had been successfully neutralised. Aiden was determined to see it through for the well-being of the injured man, even if he might not fully understand the gesture of kindness and care.

He still tried to bite him, not understanding that the cloth in his mouth was preventing it. So Aiden let him snap at him this time, the gag preventing any real injury as he eventually managed to get his arm in his mouth.

Now able to change his bandage, Aiden proceeded to clean it, then put on a healing balm, before bandaging it up again. He did the same with his leg and as he moved to tend to the wounds on the cannibal's stomach, he noticed a shift in the man's demeanour. Surprisingly, the cannibal had stopped attempting to bite him and instead was now staring at him with intense hostility and resentment. Aiden could feel the weight of the man's gaze, filled with anger and defiance, making it clear that any form of gratitude or appreciation was a distant possibility.

Feeling the tension in the air, Aiden couldn't help but wonder about the thoughts and emotions raging within the cannibal's mind. He had risked his own safety to provide aid to a man who saw him as nothing more than an enemy, and the lack of acknowledgement or gratitude weighed heavily on him.

Upon a closer look at the cannibal's dark eyes, Aiden detected an underlying emotion beneath the hostility: fear. It dawned on Aiden that the man was truly frightened, realising the vulnerability of his situation and his dependence on Aiden's mercy. How ignorant of him.

"It's alright. I won't harm you. My only intention is to help," Aiden spoke gently, giving the cannibal space to signal if he was comfortable with proceeding. With his hands raised to show he meant no harm, Aiden inquired, "May I tend to your stomach?"

As the cannibal continued to stare intensely at Aiden without giving any indication of consent, Aiden couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease. The unbroken gaze made Aiden wonder if the man was imagining devouring him whole, a thought that sent a nervous chuckle escaping his lips, though he quickly suppressed it, not wanting to delve into such dark thoughts.

With a loud huff and a determined look, the cannibal seemed intent on resuming his escape plan, this time attempting to remove the gag from his mouth by rubbing his face against the ground, jaw opening and closing as if he was trying to eat the cloth. Aiden moved to intervene, reaching out towards the man, but that made him stop his movements in an instant. His eyes once again fixed on him, as if waiting for his next move. Aiden bit down on his lower lip, thinking. He wasn’t getting anywhere like this, he didn’t understand him and certainly wouldn’t start trusting him, by uttering a few words. Yet Aiden knew he needed to tend to the man's wound, even if it meant touching him against his will. Bracing himself for a possible backlash, Aiden steeled his resolve and prepared to take action.

“I apologise for any discomfort, but it is necessary to prevent infection,” Aiden explained softly, aware that his words were falling on deaf ears as the cannibal remained unresponsive, his unwavering gaze fixed on Aiden.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Aiden began to lift the ends of the cannibal's shirt, revealing the bloodstained bandages beneath. A quick inspection showed that the wound was in urgent need of attention. With a quick glance at the cannibal, he saw him still staring at him, otherwise he showed no rejection and Aiden silently thanked whatever fortune had led him to this moment of compliance from the cannibal

“Okay.” Aiden let out a breath as he was able to see the full of his stomach and chest now, the bandage had moved, the injured skin irritated by his repeated movements. It was dirty again and at parts ripped open. The sight made him hesitate momentarily, knowing that the process of changing the bandage would likely cause the man even more discomfort. 

“This may be painful, but it's necessary for your health. I am not doing this because I enjoy it, okay? I hope you can forgive me.” Aiden murmured, his voice laced with empathy as he prepared to remove the bloodied bandages from the cannibal's wound. With a steadying breath, he slowly began the process, the sticky bandage causing the man to muffle whimpers and try to pull away.

Aiden winced at the pain he inadvertently caused, apologising profusely throughout the entire ordeal. With a heavy heart, he finally managed to remove the old bandage, revealing the raw wound underneath. Despite the man's cries of pain, Aiden focused on cleaning and treating the wound, his movements deliberate and gentle as he applied the healing balm before carefully bandaging it back up. With a heavy breath, he pulled his shirt back down.

As the task was completed, the darkness of night enveloped them, a heavy silence settling over them. Aiden allowed himself a moment to catch his breath, the weight of the situation finally hitting him as he sank down wearily. Though the task was done, the emotional toll of causing pain to another human being weighed heavily on his conscience.

This time the cannibal did not look at him. 

As Aiden grappled with his inner turmoil and self-doubt, he couldn't shake the feeling of being a tormentor to the captive cannibal. Every apology he offered felt inadequate, every action he took weighed heavily on his conscience. He questioned his decisions, wondering if bringing the cannibal along had only brought more suffering upon him. Kelvin certainly was thinking so, hells, even the cannibal was probably seeing him as the embodiment of the devil and he was a cannibal! Taking him away from his home only to torture him late into the night. What a horrible person he was.

The cannibal, with eyes tightly closed, seemed to retreat within himself, a silent and pained figure bound by the actions of another. Aiden found himself desperate for understanding, for some form of communication that could bridge the gap between them.

With a heavy heart, he met the gaze of those dark eyes once more, silently pleading for some semblance of understanding. The cannibal's gaze remained unwavering, unreadable and filled with an unspoken tension.

“I am not- ugh, you don’t understand me, do you? I don’t think anything I say will make up for it, it’s just… I feel horrible.” Aiden grabbed his own head absentmindedly, only to wince as a sting went through his forehead. Right, the wound from the stone he threw at him. He had totally forgotten about it. Perhaps that’s where the headache was coming from.

Blinking a few times, he still saw the cannibal watch him silently and finally snapping out of whatever crisis he was having. Slowly, tentatively, he reached out towards the cannibal, a silent gesture of apology and a desperate plea for some form of connection.

He could see the cannibal lean back with each moment his hand got closer, following his movements with very attentive eyes. Aiden's attempt to reach out and remove the gag was met with a sudden awakening from the cannibal, who recoiled and tensed at the movement. The cloth fell loosely to the ground as Aiden quickly withdrew his hand, narrowly avoiding a potential attack from the captive. He couldn't help but chuckle at the situation, a mix of relief and amusement colouring his actions.

"Not going to happen," Aiden remarked, his thumb still hurting from the previous encounter with the cannibal's teeth. He couldn't help but make a self-deprecating comment about the idea of being bitten. "I doubt that I am very tasty anyway. Although you are a better judge of that than I am, no?"

He waved his thumb at him, the bite marks still fresh and visible. It might even scar. They were pretty deep, a moment longer and his thumb would have come off for sure.

He would need to treat his own wounds before going to sleep. He shouldn’t forget that.

Then a sudden scream escaped the cannibals throat, making Aiden jump out of his skin. This is the first time he was glad that Kelvin was deaf or he would surely think Aiden was torturing him with how he was wailing. The cries for help echoed through the night, a desperate plea for freedom that sent a chill through Aiden's veins.

Fear gripped him as he realised the potential danger of attracting other mutants or cannibals with the cacophony of screams. He couldn't risk their safety by allowing the commotion to continue, but the thought of gagging the cannibal once more filled him with a sense of guilt and reluctance.

“Sssh. Please, there is no need for that.” He tried to shush him, but the closer Aiden got, the louder he screamed, goddammit. 

What other options were there? His eyes landed on the drying rack in the corner of the camp. Of course. Food. 

Quickly Aiden sprung to his feet and took a few dried fish off the rack. Sprinting back, he held the dead animal out to the cannibal and it did indeed make him stop the screaming. Now however, the screams were replaced with gagging noises.

“How do you know it's no good if you don’t try it first? Here, see.” He took a bite off the fish himself, before holding it back out for him to take a bite off, “Very delicious. Mmmh.”

He did not seem to agree. Turning his head the other way, away from the fish, still making retching noises.

Aiden frowns as he takes the fish back. “You can’t expect me to bring you human flesh. I won’t- I can’t-” He gapes at the cannibal now once more staring wordlessly at him, “I am trying to keep my humanity, you can’t expect me to murder someone for you! That is just not something you ask of your host. I mean, I am trying to be a good host here, but it’s also polite to eat what you are given. You know what, you try to get friendly with the fish. You will see it’s not half as bad.”

With that he places the fish next to him and he instantly tries to rob away from the thing, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Then Aiden had an idea. He had seen them eat fish before, caught in the river with bare hands, perhaps they eat them raw. Perhaps he didn’t like it cooked?

Still, he wasn’t really able to catch a fish in the middle of the night. It was already dark. He had traps set up, yes, perhaps if he was lucky there was one in there. He got up and jogged outside of his camp. He peeked outside with caution, first trying to hear if there were any footsteps or if the screams had attracted anyone else. He hadn’t been outside during the night in a long time, not really favouring being blind and in danger.

It did look clear, however. So, he sprinted forward, a torch in his hand to search for the water. Reaching it, he found the trap with ease, but it was empty. Walking to the second one, he had more luck. A small salmon was inside and he quickly took back inside to the cannibal.

He once again had started to scream like he was being murdered. Quickly Aiden returned to him with the fish, offering him the fresh one this time.

“Is that better?”

He didn’t have enough time to react, as he already bit down on the fish and luckily missed his hand. He was eating very messy, chugging the stuff down so quickly, Aiden feared he would choke on the bones. 

He had finished the fish in under a minute and for a moment Aiden was impressed, but then he started to scream again and alarmed, Aiden sprung to his feet. He can’t still be hungry!

“Fine, fine! I will look if there is another one, okay?” He tried to explain, but the screams only got louder with each minute and Aiden sprung around, to run back to the river. He had luck, another one caught in the trap while he was gone and taking that one quickly back to the screaming cannibal he almost threw it at him, at how quickly he snapped for it.

Again, he finished it in no time and then the screaming returned.

“Man, you must be starving! I am a horrible person!” Aiden sprung to his feet once more and it went like that for a while, until there were no fish no more and the cannibal was burping now, when Aiden realised something.

The cooked fish was gone too.

Was this all to secure himself a free meal?

The realisation sparked a surge of frustration within Aiden, his patience wearing thin as the incessant screams continued to echo through the camp. He crouched down towards the cannibal, his expression hardening.

"You did that on purpose, didn’t you?" Aiden's voice held a note of accusation. "Have me think I am starving you, just to get you free food. Well, that ends now, so you better stop screaming."

Despite his words, the cannibal remained undeterred, the relentless cries persisting in defiance of Aiden's attempt to assert control. Frustration simmered beneath the surface as Aiden struggled to maintain a sense of authority in the situation. They’ll be all in danger and he promised Kelvin that it would be fine.

But then, unexpectedly, the screaming abruptly ceased as the cannibal was overcome with a sudden bout of sickness, retching and emptying his stomach. Aiden grimaced at the unpleasant sound and sight and recoiled a little. He might have eaten a little too much, too fast. His stomach probably wasn’t used to that much fish. 

Seeing the cannibal in distress, Aiden's resolve softened slightly, a sense of empathy nudging at the edges of his irritation. With a wry smile, he acknowledged the unexpected turn of events, finding a strange sense of camaraderie in their shared misfortune.

"I guess that means no more fish for you," Aiden remarked to the groaning cannibal. "Let's hope tomorrow will be better for us, shall we?" 

As the night settled in, Aiden decided to sleep outside to keep an eye on the recovering cannibal. He placed a bowl of water near him too, just in case, cleaned up the vomit of course, he wouldn’t let him sleep like that. 

Sitting by the fire, leaning against the bench with a weary sigh, Aiden prepared for a restless night ahead. The crackling flames cast flickering shadows across his face, the warmth a faint comfort in the cool night air. With a silent prayer for better fortunes come morning, Aiden settled in for the night, an unfamiliar hope flickering within his heart.

The tranquillity of the nightfall offered a brief respite from the chaos and turmoil that had consumed their lives in recent days. Aiden allowed himself a moment of optimism, a fragile belief that perhaps things could improve, that maybe the cannibal would come to see him in a different light. It was a rare sensation, hope blooming in a heart long hardened by survival and necessity.

And as sleep beckoned, pulling him into its embrace, Aiden drifted off with a faint smile gracing his lips. In that moment, beneath the blanket of stars and the watchful gaze of the fire, he dared to dream of a future where compassion and understanding bridged the gap between two unlikely companions in the unforgiving wilderness.

Art by filopay