The Boy in the Woods
Chapter 3-
I'm not so sure how I made it this far without freaking out, but I couldn't help but to be proud of myself. I was actually doing what the majority of the kids at school enjoy. Only, I think this was a wee bit more extreme.
I shone my flashlight into the direction of the wailing and breathed heavily.
Was I going to do this? The urge to turn back and give up was starting to tempt me. With all these mosquitoes swarming around me and the pitch black darkness, anyone and everyone would simply hang it up right there on the spot. I was afraid of bugs and other creepy crawlies—the dark wasn't taking my fear away either. However, I couldn't help but to forget those things.
This person needed help. Sure, someone else might already be on their way there too to help the thing—person, but it never hurts to help out.
"H-Hello?" I tried calling.
The wail returned. I wonder if he heard me. I shone my flashlight into another patch in the forest, but still didn't see anything. I took a step forward, then another, then another…Soon, I was running into the forest.
I knew I wouldn't know how to get back once I found what I was looking for. I just hope that the person I helped—if it is a person—knows how to get back.
I was panting again like the moment I woke up from my dream. Feeling adrenaline racing through my blood, I trampled unknowingly deeper into the woods.
I reached an opening, just like the one in my dream. Only, this time, it was a grassy flooring and more trees surrounded it.
"Hello?" I tried again.
"Help!" a slightly deep voice returned. Phew, it was a person.
"I'm coming!" I said.
I continued walking the rest of the way, gaining my breath if I needed to run away from whatever was tackling him. Hopefully it was a Him.
"No, wait! Don't come closer!" I heard him shout.
I stopped for a moment, but I didn't listen and carried forward. I wasn't backing down after I already came this far.
Later, I reached another opening. Bigger than life, there were about 10 wolves surrounding a golden-blonde haired boy's body. His arms and legs looked scratched up and bloody, and his face looked like he hadn't washed it in years.
He saw me in the distance and his eyes widened.
I've never watched someone in real life die before. All of those horror movies I've seen were just actors and actresses. I wasn't ready to face this for real.
"I'm coming to help you." I whispered, and walked slowly closer.
He looked back at the wolves growing in on him, and tried his best to stand up. He was failing miserably.
There were a pile of fallen branches beside a huge Matsu tree. If I were to pick up those branches and hurl them at the beasts, they might scare off.
My accuracy isn't really trustable, so I debated for almost a minute.
The wolves were snarling now, the boy's face becoming inches away from the wolves' noses.
Eh, better than nothing. What could I do? Light the whole dang place on fire?
"Hey!" I yelled, "Over here!"
My heart was racing with all the attention.
I distracted the wolves from the boy and started throwing my "spears" like a samurai.
Fooled by the flying pointy-edged sticks, they whimpered and ran off somewhere deeper into the woods.
"Are you ok?" I asked, trembling.
He looked at me and said, "Are you an idiot?"
I furrowed my eyebrows at him, and then angrily said back, "Dude, I just saved your life!"
I jumped down from the ledge I was perched up on and ran over to the cowardly kid.
"You could have hit me with those things!" He argued, not taking my hand when I offered to him to help him up.
"I wasn't even aiming close to you moron." I said, leaning down in front of his face, fists on my waist.
He looked away, struggling for something to say back and said, "Well, thanks."
"That's what I wanted to hear." I smirked.
"How did you even find me out here to begin with?" he asked.
"Duh. You were calling for help."
"I wasn't calling for you, I was calling for Neru."
"I'm sorry buddy, but I didn't see him anywhere close to here. Also, what are you doing out in the woods at night?"
"Neru's a she." He looked up at me with his piercing ocean-blue eyes.
"I don't care about your girlfriend," I said, "Answer my question."
He grabbed my hand that was still offered to him, and pulled himself up.
I almost shuttered when I noticed his height. He was about 2 inches taller than me. Not a significant amount, but I had a bad feeling I was bossing around a senior student. That was sort of a cool thing supported at my school, but I couldn't help but to feel a little guilty.
He was wearing a holey green shirt that showed some of his chest. His pants looked a dark navy blue in color but were mostly covered with a thin layer of dirt.
"It's a long story…and Neru is not my girlfriend. How old are you? 10?" He asked. He was looking at my chest I'm sure.
I felt a bowl of hot anger begin to bubble up inside me.
"Listen." I gritted my teeth to prevent anything rude coming out, "I'm not here to argue with you. I just came here to save your ass then go back to the house."
Haha. I said ass.
"I bet you don't even know your way back do you?"
Eh heh heh yeah—no.
"No." I said goofily, and saw him snicker a little bit.
"Well, I guess I am in your debt now." He said, "Fine. You live on the west side don't you?"
"Yes." I managed to crack a smile, "So you'll help me get back?"
"I guess so." He began to walk ahead of me.
I stood there watching him for a minute. He had a bad gait because of his wounded knees and ankles.
I wondered if I should get him something from my house to help with the pain. But I forgot about it. Why would I help that jerk?
He would be in my debt again anyways.
"You're coming aren't you?" He asked, looking back at me.
Snapping back into reality, I followed behind him.
Every once in a while he would look back to see if I was coming, then look off into the distance behind me like he was perhaps trying to hide from someone.
~:D~
During our 10 minute walk, I never did ask him about his sudden phobia.
"I think we're growing near." He said, pushing through some bushes that I didn't remember seeing before.
"You sure?" I was starting to become scared myself. Maybe his phobia was driving himself in the wrong direction. Literally.
"Yeah." He said.
Sure enough, I saw a peep hole of light starting to peek in through the trees.
Excited to return home in the inside world, I barged ahead of him without caution through the opening. My house's backyard was sitting right in front of us.
"We're here! Thanks!" I said, turning around. But just as I gave my regards, he was gone.
"Um?" I asked.
No response.
I walked back up to the hole into the forest to see if he coming. I happened to see him just walking back deeper into them.
"Wait!" I called. He turned his head, stopping for a moment. When he saw me starting to approach him, he took off in a dead run.
I decided to just let him run off, knowing that he might not help me get back again if I get lost.
- :D -
Now back inside my cozy bed, I was thinking about the events that just took place. It was too fast…too sudden…too…strange.
I mean, I felt better about myself that I helped him—I just couldn't get over the fact that he was so cautious of his surroudings. He had to be hiding from something or someone. I wonder if he knew that I was going to offer to bandage him.
It was now 5:30 a.m. Time to wake up, or just get up in my case. My alarm clock was going off as usual.
Groaning, I pushed myself up from the bed not caring to turn it off and walked over to my closet. I picked out my school uniform from the crap of clothes jammed packed inside. I still try to look cute at school, but no matter how much mascara I apply to my eye-lashes or the strong perfume I use that could choke even a skunk, I still don't win much fame at school; especially from the guys. They're all too fed up into Miku and her party of friends.
That's right, Luka, Gumi, heck even Teto!
What got me was that the other girls are so mean, but Miku isn't. Maybe Miku is the strange one out of the bunch, I don't know.
I could hear the movements of Mom and Dad throughout the house—they were just getting finished with getting ready for work. Just for once in life, I was hoping they'd stay and tell me goodbye.
I quickly ran into the bathroom to get dressed, hoping they would speak if they saw me.
I heard the garage door open and the slamming of a door. There they went.
I pulled on my skirt and ran out into the hallway, turning the corner into the living room. I walked up to the garage door and sighed.
Don't you ever have time for me anymore?
School starts in a few, so I had to return to my bathroom and finish primping.
I was a bit depressed knowing that they couldn't be late for work even for their child's sake. There was nothing I could do about it though, so I just smiled.