4. The Cabin

TYRE

I had teleported into an unfamiliar place, of course, without my briefcase. It was a place I was sure not to have been before, my back hurt like hell perhaps because I'd, unlike felines, landed on my spine.

I was still on the floor trying to get myself together when a little girl flashed towards me. I stared at her meticulously as she also stared back stooping her head towards mine, weaving this strange smile on her face.

She was quite attractive to the eye, I wondered why a girl of not more than Ann's age would have her hair shaved in low-cut, her hair was brown and scanty and reminded me of one of my dad's pictures he took in the eighties while he was still in the military.

She spread forth her hands toward me so she could lift me, Yeah! That hand isn't going to lift this body, I ignored her protruded hands and stood up myself despite the piercing pain I felt.

The sky blue shirt I put on this morning was already dust-engulfed, I dusted it slightly with the back of my palms and took a better look at where I was. It looked like some kind of cabin that hasn't been catered for since its making.

"Where the fuck am I? " I said flinching to what I thought was a bug.

"Easy, easy. " An old woman's voice echoed from the shadows.

The enthusiastic young girl hurried towards the old woman who I had estimated to be slightly above seventy years of age, she held her scaly wrinkled hands, and with an animated smile, her eyeballs strode from the old woman's to mine.

"He's awake?" The old woman said approaching me.

"He's awake. " The little girl confirmed.

The thought of how long I'd been asleep in such an environment swept my mind like a cyclone. My hands suddenly felt itchy as I began to scratch them from where I stood.

"Who are you, people. "

"Oh, my manners. " The old woman, for a second covered her circled lips with her right hand. "I'm Sandra and this hospitable girl here... " She motioned towards the little girl beside her, "... Is um... Is... " she repeated scratching her grey-colored hair.

"Mae, " The little girl completed.

"Mae, yes Mae, "

Sandra caressed her forehead with her palm and heaved a sigh. "Don't mind me, old age slowly creeps on as the times pass by. "

Mae gazed upwards at Sandra's disorientated face and nodded in agreement.

"What's yours? " She asked energetically.

"I'm Tyre Golding, just call me Tyre. " I answered.

"Hmm, fair enough, " she said grabbing my hands without permission and shaking them.

"Would you mind telling me where this... is? " I said slightly looking around me.

"Mr. Tyre, this place doesn't have a location. "

"What do you mean? How can I be in a place that doesn't have a location? "

"You do remember how you ended up here, right? " she said narrowing her eyes.

I suddenly thought back to the man with the veil, Mann; who claimed he was the God of time. After I had said the magic word; 'Portal', I had somehow ended up here unconscious.

"You know Mann, don't you? "

They both stared at themselves and then at me. "Yes we do, he brought us here," Mae said with a shift in her expression.

"Where is here? "

Mae looked at Sandra again and then threw me a frustrated geek.

"This isn't working," I said fleeing the little room but I had to admit, I was kind of surprised they didn't call me back or stop me.

From my brief survey, I noticed the cabin was larger than normal, it was almost like a mansion but with that rustic touch of old bamboo logs. I didn't count the number of doors I walked past but I was sure it was more than five. Eureka! I sighted what seemed to be the exit door of the strange-looking cabin and ran towards it. Just as I was about to grab the handle of the door, a voice scared me shitless.

"Yeah, you don't want to do that. "

I turned back, facing the man who was leaning against a wall, staring in a different direction. He was putting on a beach shirt, it didn't cross my mind for a second that a man like me was there too.

"I'm sorry, "I addressed him. "Just a little lost here... trying to find my way back home. " I backed him turning towards the cabin doorknob, then I heard a chuckle.

"You have no idea, do you? "

"I'm not supposed to be here, " I said.

He reached towards me stretching forth his hand for a handshake. "Call me Bobby. "

I shook his hands cautiously. "I'm Tyre. "

"I'm guessing you are one of us. "

Whatever that meant. I didn't care anymore, I just had this pricking urge to leave the cabin. Bobby was still talking when I slyly opened the door and suddenly it felt like a wormhole into nothingness trying to suck in both of us, I didn't know what was on the other side but I knew it wasn't something good so I held on firmly to the door of the cabin as it swung to and fro.

Bobby on the other hand held unto a table, I could tell the table was going to give in any moment since it kept moving momentarily towards the void of darkness. I tried grabbing onto Bobby's collar to pull him in but my hand couldn't reach him. Like a breeze, I saw someone reaching out to Bobby and pulling him into a safe spot, he staggered towards me also, grabbing my two arms and pulling me unto himself. We both then shut the door at the same time.

He snorted breathlessly resting his hands on his knee cap as he bowed. "We don't open that. "

Bobby got up to his feet muttering something obscene under his breath and walking up towards me. "I told you not to open the door. "

"I'm sorry, I thought it was a normal door, you know, the kind found in every household. "

"I'll be in my room, " he said as he went away leaving me a wry look.

I took a closer look at the man who had saved both Bobby and me from that horrific escapade. He was hot like hell, and I could see his abs sticking out from within the faded grey tee-shirt he wore. He had a thin mustache that drizzled with drops of sweat.

"I'm so sorry, " I apologized again, this time, to him.

"That door is off-limits, "he said pointing towards the door we had just barely escaped from. "I see you're the new guy. "

"Yes I am, I'm Tyre and you are... " I gestured towards him.

"... Famished, " he said walking up to a nearby cabinet and taking a few wraps of what seemed to be fruit bars.

He gestured one towards me. "You want some? " I shook my head. "Sorry, we don't have any beers or vodka here, but a few bites on 'sunny vitamins' could suffice, " he said shaking it up to my face.

"Sunny vitamins? " I asked out of curiosity.

"Well, we don't eat food here, we take just the amount of vitamins our body needs, wrapped in this, " he said raising the thing in his hands again.

Suddenly, two ladies emerged from a door, the first was tall and had an elegant demeanor, followed was a black girl who I'd suspected was from Africa, possibly Ghana or Nigeria, I saw Sandra and Mae also walking towards us, Mae, holding Sandra's hands.

They all corralled around me.

"We heard some noise, " The elegant lady said.

"Hi, you must be the new guy, " The African lady said blinking an eye towards me with a refreshing smile.

She was moderate in height compared to the other lady who was impeccably tall. I smiled back at her but was soon disturbed by the way everyone kept referring to me as 'the new guy'.

"Oh, you've met the rest. " Mae said hyperactively.

"Um, okay, " I replied confusedly.

"Mr. Tyre, meet Abiola, " she gestured towards the African lady. "... Margot, " she gestured towards the elegant-looking lady, "...and Jack. " she referred to the nicely built man.

"Well, it's my pleasure, " I said.

"Wait....!" Mae startled me. "There's one more; Bobby. He must be asleep in his room, he sleeps a lot. " Mae smiled sheepishly.

"I'd already met Bobby. "

"Good then, ready to meet Mann? " She asked as we all stared at one another.