Free Pagewalker by C. Mahood

I took longer than usual for
my senses to return to normal. I could not see the man. He was a
black silhouette as he stood with the sun to his back. I put my
glasses back on my face and squinted in the sunlight covering my
forehead with my hand to try to make him out. He continued having a
conversation with himself. The muttering got louder until he seemed
to be arguing with himself making all kind of hand gestures and
pacing back and forward.
    “Um, yes sorry. I have just arrived, I had
some trouble with my boat and I seem to have washed up here!” I
said, it was the first thing to come to mind, telling him I stepped
into a book to arrive here was not the best option I thought.
“Where am I?” I continued to ask.
    “This my friend is Northland!” he answered,
stopping his argument and turning to face me again. ”Yes, yes
Northland” he continued. It seemed very obvious now that I was
talking to two people. Or two separate personalities. Just my luck
really, the first person I meet here is either incredibly drunk or
just full on crazy. The man continued “Indeed it is, I am guessing
that you are from far far away, not from these shores anyway?”
    “Well of course he isn’t, he just said he was
shipwrecked!”
    “Oh yes true, ok well let me be the first
person to welcome you to Nor.”
    “No I want to be the first, you can be the
second.”
    “Too late I have already started, Welcome to
nor….”.
    “Aw for the name of Paddy Reilly, would you
just shut your mouth!”
    “Who’s mouth?”
    “Our mouth you prick. Let me speak for both
of us”.
    “Ok, on ye go”.
    “Let US welcome you to Northland!” The man
bowed. He had moved to my side now. I could see clearly the large
woven shawl he wore. Like a poncho really. There were leaves and
twigs woven into the material. Most likely used to fix rips and
tears. The garment he wore covered him from head to toe. He wore a
large round straw hat that drooped down at the sides from the
weight of rainwater and general over use.
    Tessa had got to her feet shortly before and
had been standing in front of me guarding me from this stranger.
Her courage plucked up a bit as he bowed. She crept closer to him
slowly and close to the ground as collies do when preparing to herd
sheep. She sniffed around his feet and his outstretched hand. And
proceeded to lick him. I trusted Tessa’s judgement.
    The man extended his hand out to me to offer
me a hand to my feet. I accepted and he pulled me up. My clothes
had dried slightly in the afternoon sun. He lifted and passed me my
things that were drying on the stones.
    “What’s your name traveller?” he asked. I
brushed the dry dirt from my backside. My hands had that awful sand
paper feel to them. I composed myself before mockingly, yet proudly
proclaiming with one hand on my chest, tucked into my invisible
waistcoat. “Christopher Garry Mahood, this is Tessa, my bodyguard”
I said jokingly. “And you are?”
    The man removed his hat and bowed again, “My
name, young sir, is Oisin.” He was twitching his head to the left
with a tick, like he had water trapped in his ear after a dive. His
look on his face was one of ill temperament, like the water would
not dislodge or drain from his head no matter how hard he
ticked.
    “Well Oisin it is very nice to meet you. Do
you reside around here? Or where do you call your home?”
    “No, nowhere I call home at the moment. I
have just left my past dwelling place not but a few days past. I
resided in those walls for many years but the sun shines on my face
and I am a free man!” His face twitched as though he had a sudden
bad, sour taste in his mouth. “Sorry WE are free men” he said with
a sigh.
    “Oh ok, Sorry to hear you lost your home
Oisin” I said nervously.
    “Oh not to worry, I was looking forward to
escaping that place from the moment I entered it.” He had a
concerned and dark look on his face for just a moment before the
smile returned to his wrinkled and freshly