She kept her distance from him, making sure he was always more than an arm length away. More if possible. She tried to avoid encouraging him in anyway; not accepting help, lest he see it as a quid pro quo as they always did. And he just wasn't her type at all. She hoped they reached civilization soon so they could go their separate ways.

He tried to squash his sense of wonder. Something about these fruit trees just seemed amazing. There was so much fruit on them. So big and it looked so good. He never really had liked fruit. But looking at them made his mouth water like it would for unhealthy sweets. But they were in a strange place. And perhaps it was too good to be true? Surely something would not want them to eat this fruit? Perhaps something was guarding this grove and just waiting to jump out? Perhaps the fruit was poison?

His expressions of wonder were lost on Natasha, who was completely uninterested in the endless huge trees teeming with succulent fruit.

"Do you think we should try the fruit?" he said.

With a practiced distracted smile she replied, "I'm not hungry." Also she couldn't reach them. He was much taller and probably could jump up and grab one but she wasn't going to accept anything from him.

He stared at her in bafflement. "Your mouth doesn't water just looking at them?"

She sighed.

"No."

He was hungry and maybe being paranoid about the fruit. But it didn't hurt to wait a bit.

They continued to walk for a while through the closely spaced trees, peering futilely ahead. They were almost on top of the house before they saw it. At first it seemed just a normal house. Made of some type of dark wood. Rustic. Nothing special. Looked old and the wood was very dark, possibly rotting. But as they came up to the edge of the steep hillside it sat on he realized it kept on going back through the trees and onwards as the ground dropped sharply downwards. As far as he could see, the house sprawled ahead. A jolt of fear went through him then, for this was an unpredictable place. Where perhaps anything could happen.

"Let's go in." said Natasha happily.

"Are you sure?" he replied.

Natasha hurried to the front door without replying.

"Doesn't this seem all a bit strange to you?" he asked.

She laughed. He wanted to stay alone with her. Too bad. Thankfully she could now get away from him before he tried something. She quickly ran forward and knocked hard upon the plain door.

It occurred to him that maybe he should run away now. While he had a chance. But the door quickly opened from within. Here now stood a middle aged rather good looking woman Lots of makeup. Well dressed red business suit. She looked at Natasha with delight.

"Well who do we have here?" said exclaimed.

"Hello!" Natasha said with a smile. "Can you help me? I have been lost in this woods. Could I come in?"

"Well certainly young lady! Please do come in." The lady stepped back and motioned her in. Natasha didn't hesitate. He moved forward.

"And who's this and where do you think you're going?" the red business suit lady said shrilly.

"I'm with her. We've been lost in the forest."

"He's not with me! I don't know him!" Natasha exclaimed.

She looked on him with suspicion. "Why don't you be on your way?"

"Huh? We've been lost together in these woods. Can you help us?"

"He's not with me. Leave him outside please." said Natasha.

"Goodbye!" The lady said with a large fake smile, shutting the door in his face.

He stood for a moment speechless to have been treated so. There was nowhere else to go. He started walking the house's perimeter. Along the front there were windows every 20 feet or so but up high such that he couldn't see through them. And hopefully no one could see him sulking along. After many minutes he finally came to the front edge and found that the ground sloped downwards very steeply. To try to follow along would be very dangerous. He would have to try to wedge himself along the edge of the house to stop from falling. He could see that still there were the high windows. Except they ran parallel to the ground, which meant that on the steep slope they weren't so high when ten feet away. In fact they were then level with his eyesight.

He carefully worked his way down the hillside by this house that seemed to go on forever. As the sun set it was quickly becoming dark and very cold. Despite his exertions he was quickly shivering and there was no end in sight of the dangerously steep hillside. He noticed a window had no glass. He took a daring run and jump and grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up. Peering inside the floor was about ten feet down and there were people all huddled together. The room seemed to be no warmer outside. They huddled together for warmth.

He was noticed and they cheerily said hello and to come down to warm up and eat. He carefully lowered himself to the ground.

Introductions. They offer him the fruit he saw outside on the trees.

How did they get here? Do they just eat the fruit? Why don't they leave? Here, try the fruit!
It doesn't seem such a great place to stay. It's very cold and you don't even have blankets. Sadly we have no choice. We are trapped. But we have each other. And this fruit is really quite good.

During the day you don't try to leave? There are creatures out there that will kill you. You can make the best of it in here or you can die. I was OK out there. You were lucky. There are ghouls. Corpse-like men. It's a horrible fate to be caught by one. In here we have each other. We make up games. We have love. And this fruit is very special. It seems we never get sick. Stay a while with us.

How do you know what happens to those who leave? The windows are up so high. We know! Many of us have ventured outside. Some managed to make it back. Some did not.

"How does the fruit make you feel?"

She stares not understanding. "What do you mean?"

"Other than full, do you feel different after eating it?"

She shrugs. "No."

They start passing the fruit around but I didn't see who brought it in.

"Who goes outside to get the fruit?"

Another laughs and says, "we don't know!"

They eat the fruit ravenously. The juice streams down their faces. They lick the it from their hands. They literally moan with pleasure as they eat. Each one is perfectly round and as large as a softball. They're all done within 5 minutes. And they sit back. They lay back on the floor. They use each other as pillows. Then become still but with their eyes still open. Almost as if in a trance.

I stand and watch them. They lay without moving, Without sleeping. I try again to talk to the young lady who said they feel no different after eating it.

"Are you sure you don't feel different after eating it?"

It doesn't appear she will answer she says nothing for so long.

"Did you hear me?"

"We're just full. That's all." She replies. "Tummies are full." She whispers.

They lay this way for an hour or so as it gets colder. Then they start shivering from the cold. And finally start crawling towards each other. Gathering in piles, bunched together to stay warm. So they lay, falling in and out of sleep.