BUB?

The desperate struggle unfolding before him, made him reflect on the values he has decided to live by. In this life, he needs to be selfless or at least commit to actions that will reflect that idea. He checks out the knife, makes sure his grip is steady and takes a slow breath.

The bushes part and Gavin comes out with his hands up, and he makes sure to take slow and measured steps. Just as he was a few feet away, the strange boy snaps out of his anguish and he turns around - That’s when Gavin realizes that the green skin wasn’t the only abnormality about the boy. In fact, this is no boy.

Not a human boy at least.

The eyes were smoldering orange, and he had an overbite. Two sets of pointy teeth hung from the top of his mouth and his hands, or more so, claws were meatier. Even though Gavin wasn’t much of a fantasy reader, he could relate this imagery with one of fantasy’s most classic creatures..

An ogre.
It’s an ogre.
In hindsight, the green skin should've been a dead giveaway.

As Gavin scrutinizes the creature’s features, the ogre boy lets out a growl which breaks into a whimper - The metal digging into his skin keeps him from showing any hint of fury. After processing the new information Gavin keeps his hands up, and takes very slow breaths - It would be a lie to say he didn’t contemplate running away.

Pain and sorrow don’t discriminate, and neither should your hand of grace.

This specific line washed over him. A set of words from his old past, one which he had buried away, along with the old man who spoke them. This is the first time he is remembering someone positively - A rare occurrence for someone who has spent a chunk of his past life erasing memories, instead of confronting them.

Anyways, this is it - A chance to change himself.

Gavin forms stable eye contact with the ogre, who is switching between glares and pleas of help, seeming unsure of what to do, but the constant pressure around his ankle is a strong reminder of his vulnerable situation. Their staring contest is broken by Gavin who slowly lowers the knife.

“Hey bub,” he starts speaking in a cautious manner, whilst slowly dropping his satchel to the ground. His soft childish voice aiding in his attempt to appear as non-threatening as possible. “I’m here to help, okay?”

The ogre boy kept looking at Gavin as he slowly got closer. After a few moments, they were both within close range of each other - The ogre kid could strike him if he wanted to, yet Gavin remained calm because trust is only built when both parties are at the same level of risk.

“I will use this…” He waves the knife and gestures towards the metallic trap. “...to get that off, okay?”

Those reddish-orange pupils follow Gavin’s hands as they slowly move towards his mangled ankle - He is careful not to make wild movements until the knife is inches away from the bloody steel, and now is the moment of truth - The trap needs to be forced open, but he knows that it won’t be a gentle process.

Gavin looks up and gives him a nod which is returned with a confused look. Gavin uses both of his hands to confidently aim at the small opening...and then he JABS the knife into the jaws of the mechanism.

“RAAAAHHH!”

As expected, the trashing and growling began without a second's delay, but Gavin holds on tightly and begins prying the metallic mouth open with all his strength. The small screw, on the side of the contraption starts quivering amidst the thunder of snarls and wails. All Gavin can do is grip the knife’s handle and push through the ear deafening shouts. Just as the roars reach a crescendo, the stubborn jaws give way and the screw flies off with a *clink*.

Gavin stumbles away due to the sudden lack of resistance, and the ogre boy shifts further back into the tree, clutching his tattered foot. Each huff of their breath, convey their thoughts and sentiments - The ogre’s unsure glare has transformed into a cautious gaze, yet he maintains his closed off posture. The muddy soil squelches as Gavin slowly stands up with the knife and steps back to his satchel.

“It’s okay…it’s gone…you’re okay.”

He pants, whilst slowly reaching for the satchel of bread and swinging it over his head. The ogre child’s eyes follow Gavin’s movements as he slowly turns around and starts walking away. As he starts walking towards the marked trees, his steps halt when he hears a certain sound - A sound linked with hunger.

*rumble*

A quick glance over his shoulder reveals the ogre boy holding his stomach, whilst looking blankly at the ground forward. The ogre boy’s gaze is locked in the small strands of grass now smeared with the remnants of his bloody struggle, but his focus is snapped when a stray loaf of bread is thrown into his field of vision. He looks up to see Gavin watching over him with a tired expression.

“Eat this,” Gavin points to the bread, and as they stand opposite to each other, Gavin looks at the condition of the ogre, and his lack of clothing grows more prominent - Maybe the struggle to set him free had mellowed out this unconventional part of the whole interaction. As a way of wrapping up this whole virtuous act, Gavin yanks off his scarf and throws it at the ogre’s lap, not really explaining what to do.

“That’s all you’re getting from me, okay bub?”

The ogre child just looks at him - The slight concern in his eyes has turned to a daze. Gavin figures that the creature is too guarded to eat in front of him, so he starts walking away. When he reaches the bushes, he takes one last glance and sees the boy chewing on the loaf with great desperation - At least someone gets to enjoy his afternoon meal.

As Gavin follows his path back to the cabin, he examines the knife. The slight lack of stability at the hilt remains the only evidence of this encounter - Hopefully Olivia doesn't notice.

He thinks back on the whole ordeal, and starts to wonder if all humans and creatures speak the same language? Is communication universal between everyone? Is that possible? Well, it doesn’t really matter. The forest is way too big and that clearing was fairly far from his usual spot of explorations. It’s not like they will ever meet again.

Well, that’s what he thought until the next day rolled around. Just as Olivia was out of the cabin, Gavin made his way to the back to the forest…and look who’s back.

Yep, the green skinned lad is waiting for him. The smoldering orange eyes are mellowed into an almost bubbly wonder as he waddles over to Gavin, who notices his scarf being tied around the ogre’s belly - At least the creature understands the concept of clothes.

You don’t run into situations like this everyday - An ogre he helped out is now back, and from the looks of it, he has no intention of going away. Before Gavin can say something, his eyes travel to the previously injured foot and it’s completely healed - The only evidence of the whole ordeal is a beige scar.

Before the leg could be further scrutinized, the ogre kid steps closer and that’s when Gavin spots something clutched in his hand. Instinctively, his body tenses up, anticipating an attack. When they finally stood toe to toe, Gavin could make out what the object was.

It was the loaf of bread - Precisely, half of it.

It was covered in dirt, grime and who knows what, but the ogre didn’t seem to care. Gavin thought maybe the kid was rationing his food...until the ogre stretched out his hand, and held out the decaying bread to Gavin, with the brightest smile. Gavin just stares at the offering, and after a few seconds, he points to himself and says:

“For me?”

The green kid vigorously nods, and practically pushes the bread into Gavin’s hands, who was left baffled with what to do with this ‘gift’. Somehow, the hopeful glimmer in the ogre’s eyes made it seem wrong to throw away the decaying bread, so he awkwardly smiles, and reluctantly drops the loaf into his satchel.

After the peculiar pleasantries were exchanged, it was time for Gavin to converse with the boy - At least that’s what he hoped to do, but from that point on, all of his important questions were either met with confused grunts or one word answers which led to nowhere. Finally, after a few minutes of random chatter, Gavin finally asked the most basic query.

“So, you got a name?”

“...name?”

The ogre’s eyebrows bent up, as he questions what was just asked. Gavin, noticing his confusion, keeps the conversation rolling.

“Like my name is…” Gavin starts his sentence but trails off. This is actually his first time introducing himself. Suddenly the weight of his new name feels heavier - A representation of the expectations he has placed on his new life. As he looks back at the ogre child, he steels himself and finishes his sentence.

“Gavin. My name is Gavin.”

The last line is almost an echo - A declaration to his own soul.

“So, what’s your name, bub?”

The ogre child tilts his head to the side, and after a few seconds, he hesitantly points to Gavin and murmurs:

“Gavin…”

Gavin nods with an encouraging smirk, and then the ogre child taps his own chest. With a gleaming smile he blurts out:

“BUB!”

Gavin processes the meaning behind his actions and springs into a frenzy as he realizes what the ogre is implying. Instead of procuring a name, he had unknowingly named the ogre. Gavin tries to backtrack the conversation, but all his efforts were in vain, as the ogre rolled around and kept repeating:

“BUB! I BUB!””.

Soon it was made obvious that ‘Bub’ had no intention of being called anything else, nor did he wish to leave his new benefactor. In the end, it appears that Gavin just made his first ever acquaintance in this world.

A very green and BUB-bly acquaintance.