What if they found him? What would they do to him?
Just as he had these thoughts, he felt someone (or something) grab him from behind. Then a hand was placed over his mouth, making sure that he didn't make a sound.
The two creatures crept closer, but then they moved away, apparently not noticing that Charlie was there. When they were gone, whoever or whatever had grabbed him let him go.
Charlie slowly turned around, not sure of what he'd find. But he was relieved when he saw that it was just a normal human. Well, except for the ragged-looking clothes, that was.
"Who are you?" the man demanded.
"My name is Charlie."
"How did you get here?" He paused for a moment, then said "Are you a decoy?" The man stepped back and pointed a futuristic-looking gun at him.
"A decoy?" Charlie had no idea what he was talking about.
"Did the squids plant you here, to capture me? How much did they offer you to betray your own people?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. I've only been here for a few minutes."
The man looked oddly at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I woke up in an underground tunnel and when I crawled out, I ended up here."
"I don't believe it."
"But it's the truth."
"No, you don't understand. You said you woke up underground."
"Yeah?"
"That means you're an outlander." The man leaned back against a tree. "There hasn't been an outlander for almost a decade."
"Outlander? I don't understand."
"You wouldn't. Outlanders never do, at first." He pushed himself up off the tree. "Come on. I have to get you back to the others."
Charlie wanted to know what was going on, so he went with him.
