"Gotta go...gotta go...gotta go!...Uggghhhhh...where is it?" Sui-yeon muttered anxiously. Her grandpa said the outhouse wasn't far from the porch, but she'd already been walking for more than 5-6 minutes. What exactly was his idea of "not far"? Did she go the wrong way? She'd forgotten her phone in her rush to relieve her bladder and it was already getting dark on this frigid winter day.
When her grandparents had called a few days ago and asked if she'd like to come spend a week with them in their cabin near the mountains, she's been more than happy to say yes. It'd been a while, six or seven years at least, since she'd come here, but as a child Sui-yeon had loved their cabin and all the woods that surrounded it. It was a marvelous way to unwind from her hectic life in Seoul.
The only thing she didn't like, she remembered now, was the fact the toilet was in the outhouse...I could've sworn it was right around here...I definitely went the wrong way, it wasn't this far...she thought, whirling around to look in every direction.
After another minute of searching in vain, she was about to give up and squat by a tree, when something scared the daylights out of her and made her forget all about her tiny bladder. A growl, low and animalistic, reverberated from behind her, causing her hairs to stand on end and ice to shoot through her veins. She froze and turned slowly, positive her life was about to end. At least it got me before I pulled my pants down...was literally the first thought that entered her fear-clouded mind.
The growling stopped, and a rustling sound followed. When a few seconds passed and nothing jumped out to eat her, she felt the ice leave her blood, but still didn't dare move yet. What. The. Hell. Was that...
It didn't sound like any animal she'd ever heard. "I..is anyone there?" she finally said, her voice higher than she'd intended. The rustling came again, this time accompanied by a faint whimper. "Hello?" she called. "Uh..I won't hurt you, so..um..it'd be great if...you wouldn't hurt me either.." she stammered, feeling a little ridiculous,as it was very possible she was talking to a shrub.
Spotting a long stick in the grass, she quickly grabbed it. She heard the whimpering again. She was torn between finding out what the strange sound was and running back to the cabin as fast as her leg could carry her. The only thing that kept her from doing the latter was that whatever was making the noise sounded like it was hurt. She couldn't stand to ignore something that was in pain. Even if that meant putting herself in danger. Creeping closer to the bushes, stick in hand, she readied herself for whatever might jump out.
She prodded the leaves aside with the stick and jumped back in surprise when a snarl erupted from within the foliage. Faltering, she thought, maybe I shouldn't be doing this by myself...She started to turn back when the snarls tapered off into whimpering again, these more agonized than before. She turned around, grimacing. Ahhh...man... She knew she couldn't leave it now. It wasn't in her DNA.
She huffed in frustration. This is the definition of irresponsible...She kept unconsciously reaching into her back pocket for her phone only to remember that it was still in her purse back at the cabin. She growled to herself. Okay, okay...She needed to do something to calm herself. She needed to be calm, and she definitely needed this creature to be calm. Taking a step back, breathing in deeply, she began to hum quietly. A sweet soothing carol she remembered from her childhood. Humming always calmed her down. She hoped it would do the same for this poor animal. The whimpering ceased, as if the animal was trying to listen to this new sound. Continuing to hum, slowly and gently, she neared the bushes again.
Keeping her voice steady, she crept forward and parted the leaves of the bushes again. She heard the animal's breath quicken, but it didn't snarl. The bushes were thick and proved to be more difficult to move than she'd hoped. She'd have to use her hands. She gingerly pried the branches apart. Not for one second did she pause in her humming.
"Oh...oh my God.." she gasped. Behind a curtain of dark, shaggy hair,two onyx eyes gleamed back at her. She couldn't believe it. On the ground in front of her lay not a wounded animal, but a young man!