I was startled out of my sleep the next morning by what sounded like metal grinding against stone. I turned over on my right side to see sparks flying from an old antique grinding wheel that Jason was sitting behind and using to sharpen his machete. I watched him meticulously sharpen the blade on it, it was something he was very good at. He soon noticed I was awake and stopped what he was doing. He stood up, sheathed his machete, then began walking towards me. He walked up to the bed and kneeled and started to unlock the brace and chain on my foot.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I watched him.

"I thought it would best to try and keep a closer eye on you, that way I don't have to keep coming down here as often to make sure you're still here. So, I am going to keep the chains off you, but you're not to wander off far from my sight. Do you understand?" He replied.

"Yes, I understand." I said

He stood up and said, "follow me, I've laid a few traps during the night and need to check them."

"Wait, what about my legs? They're still a little sore and I can't walk too far for too long." I reminded him as I tried standing up slowly. I was able to put some pressure on them but not much as I hobbled over towards him.

"At least you're not able to run." He said and turned around leading the way out of his lair.

'Ugh, he's such a dick!' I thought to myself and let out a sigh of defeat, continuing to follow him.

It wasn't long before we heard the sound of what sounded like a dying rabbit. We followed the sound and found it had been caught by the leg in one of Jason's smaller animal traps. Jason grabbed a hold of it, immediately snapping its neck in two quickly ending it's suffering. With rabbit now hanging lifeless in his hand, he looked at me and asked, "This sort of thing doesn't bother you?" Tilting his head to the side, which made me blush and smile a bit.

I shook my head no and replied, "My grandfather taught me the basics of hunting/trapping, so I'm used to this sort of thing, plus you live off the grid, how are else you going to survive out here? And maybe since I'm going to be here for a while you could show me more."

"Maybe... If you can prove to me, you're worthy of my teachings." He replied.

"Worthy?!" I scoffed at him, "You'll be surprised at what I'm capable of doing." I added

"Ok, show me what you can do," he said, handing me the now deceased rabbit and his field knife. He wanted me to skin it.

He watched me as I placed it on a nearby stump and began cutting around the ankles and down around the thighs. Next I began to roll the skin down with my hands as I went making cuts when necessary. I grabbed its ankles and pulled its skin off the rest of the way with my other hand, only the end trails were left for removal. I reached my hand into its abdominal cavity and was met with a rather unpleasant surprise. "Aaahh!" I shrieked in surprise as a bit of blood splatter hit me in the face and left eye. I heard what sounded like a stifled giggle coming from Jason's direction. 'Did a man who's a serial killer just laugh at me?! Of course he did, he's an asshole so why wouldn't he?' I thought to myself.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" I grumbled in frustration and embarrassment as I wiped the blood from my eye.

"Well, at least now I know you're not afraid to get your hands dirty!" He smirked at me. I could tell he was doing it just by the tone in his voice. He grabbed the now freshly skinned rabbit and put it in a small duffle bag he was carrying. I stood up and looked at my now bloodied hands, I saw that bit had also gotten on to my shirt. I needed a shower badly at this point.

"I don't suppose you'd show me anywhere I could get clean, would you?" I asked as we got closer to his home and lair. He stopped for a moment to turn around and looked at me to see the dried blood on my hands, face and shirt. He nodded, motioning for me to continue follow him to the campground showers not far from his old home. Once there I realized I needed something "Shit! I didn't think to bring my bag!" I exclaimed in frustration.

"Well, make it quick then because I'm not letting you out of my sight for too long." He replied firmly reminding of his demands. I nodded in understatement and went inside to get myself cleaned up. I closed the door behind me, stepped into a stall, pulling the shower curtain in front of me and began to undress throwing my now dirty clothes on the other side. I turned the water on, and the warmth of the water began to soothe my body, luckily somebody had left a bottle of shampoo and body wash that I was able to use. I lathered the shampoo in my hair and body, and carefully cleansed the wounds on my legs and ankles wincing slightly in a bit of pain from the soap cleansing the small gashes left behind on my body. I closed my eyes for a moment as I began rinsing my hair and body, feeling completely relaxed for a few minutes only to soon be startled by the sound of the door creaking open and my bag making a thud on the floor. I peeked my head around the shower curtain and saw him standing there waiting on me.

I gasped in a bit of disgust "Do you mind?! A little privacy please!" I exclaimed and blushed from embarrassment.

Jason seemed to be a in a bit of trance. He completely ignored what I had asked of him and continued to stare in my direction.

'Was he thinking about me or something?' I wondered, "hey!" I said and whistled, "yoo-hoo, Jason!?" I added and snapped my fingers which thankfully startled him back into reality.

"Huh?" He said in a confused state.

"Turn around please and shut the door." I replied and spun my index finger in a circular motion.

"Yes of course" He nodded as he did so.

I let out a sigh of relief, thankful he did let me have a little bit of private time to myself. 'There must've been something going on inside of that brain of his to look at me the way he just did. I can't fully blame him, the guy's been lonely here all these years.' I thought to myself as I grabbed a towel hanging off the side and dried myself off.

I soon got myself dressed and walked through the door to find him standing there with his arms crossed, impatiently waiting for me, "Sorry girls take a little more time than boys do when showering." I said as I continued drying my hair with a towel. "And why were you looking at me that way just a little bit ago?" I asked.

"It was nothing... Don't worry about it" he said sounding a bit embarrassed. "C'mon let's go before this rabbit I have in my bag attracts anymore unwanted attention or starts to spoil." He added.

"Ok, plus I was beginning to feel a bit hungry anyway." I said and followed him back to camp. "There should be plenty of utensils in cabin 3 that were left behind that we can use to our cook with" he said as I continued to trail behind him. Once there, I found some abandoned utensils like a cast iron skillet, some of your basic seasonings that were still good thankfully. Jason meanwhile gathered up enough wood for a small fire and started one in a fire pit with a very old flint rod that he carried around and placed an old metal grill top over it. We put the freshly skinned rabbit on the cast iron skillet once the fire got hot enough to start cooking. I was really impressed with the knowledge he had about living outdoors, and I wanted to learn more from him soon. The smell of the rabbit cooking in the skillet along with the seasonings I had found was making my stomach grumble and I couldn't wait to taste it!

I sat down on the log a little closer to him as our food was cooking. I wanted to try and get down the bottom of his actions earlier because I was genuinely curious. "I know you said not to worry about it, but I genuinely want to know why you were looking at me the way you did earlier in the bathroom. No other man has looked at me the way you did..." I said softly

Jason groaned rubbing his mask as if it were his face. "When I said it was nothing, don't worry about it I meant it. Don't ask me anymore about it please?" He said sternly.

"Oh! I'm sorry I did not mean to upset you about it I'll just...leave you alone about it." I said sadly as I sat back across from him and our now finished dinner. He was nice enough to split it with me at least. It was very good but there was also an awkward silence between the two of us as we ate. I figured out both of us aren't really into talking while we're eating. It was getting close to midnight and my eyelids were growing heavy again. Jason saw I was getting tired, He stood up and said "looks like it's time to call it a night and get you to bed."

I nodded in agreement with his statement. He helped me stand up, we walked back to his old home and back down into his lair where I could lay on the bed and get some much-needed sleep for the night. Meanwhile, Jason went to go to his mother's shrine since he needed a lot of advice from his mother. "What's happening to me mother? I don't understand these things that I'm feeling." he asked her after he kneeled down in front of her.

"You like her don't you, my boy?" She asked.

"Um...I-I think so?" He replied in confused state, scratching his head the right side of his head.

"I knew it would be a matter of time before you would come to me about this. I told you there was something special about this girl and to never let her go. But I'm starting to think you don't just 'like' her Jason, you seem to be falling for her"

"Falling? What do you mean? Like in love?" He asked.

"That's very possible my son" she replied

"How? You're the only one I've ever loved." He replied

His mother giggled and said, "My boy, the love between a mother and her child is a very special bond that can never be broken, and I love you, always have and always will. But what she has to offer is very unique and I know you do too, you'll understand very soon what I'm talking about."

"I hope so mother." He sighed and stood up walking out to continue his nightly rounds for the rest of the evening.