Sudden Short Story 75

She, from the bank of the lavender river, saw him up the slope.  The grass lost blue on the way up. 
"Who are you?" he asked, as if it were the most normal thing ever. 
"Oh thank god," she said, approaching him, "another human being.  Do you know where we are?" 
"Where do you suppose that we are?" he asked. 
"I'm not sure," she replied, hesitantly.  "I've seen some weird stuff out here, though," she continued, scanning the horizon.  "It gives me the heebie-jeebies, to say the least.  Well, which way did you come from?  Maybe we could follow it back out of here." 
"How long do you suppose that I've been here?" he asked. 
"I don't know.  Look, let's just get out of here, OK?" 
But he just stood there, at least for a moment. 
"What would you say if I told you that I, too, was a human who became lost in the spirit world?  What would you say if I said that I had to hide, but could not evade the spirits forever?  Would you believe me if I told you that I found a way to disguise myself among them?" 
And she just stared at him, silently, not running not only because she wasn't sure whether she should, but because she wasn't sure whether it would do her any good. 
"Did you realize that a human can disguise himself as a spirit if he acts like one?  Did you know that spirits are often limited, having specific domains or extreme personalities?  And would you believe that I've survived here, this whole time, because I thought to ask only questions?" 
She remained hesitant, but asked, "So... there's no way out?" 
His resigned expression and his silence spoke volumes.  She looked around, half vainly for an exit, and half in fear of what might come next. 
"And what will you do with this insight?"