Chapter 2: Two Travelers Going Home
The man in white heard her cry. He abandoned his fight, leapt down, and grabbed the girl around her waist. The girl was surprised that this man with the dangerous knife was saving her. He protected her from getting hurt in the fall then let her go as they landed. He looked as though he was about to ask her if she was all right, but at that moment the raccoon men also leapt down. The man immediately attacked them. The girl shrank back into the trees. He destroyed more of the raccoon men until they were all gone.
Finally, the man came to girl and knelt to her level. The girl was still in shock. "It is unwise for you to be alone," the man said.
"I know," the girl gasped.
The man put his hands on her heaving shoulders. "Be calm. The danger is over. I mean you no harm."
She looked into his face. "Are you an angel?"
The man was taken aback. "No! I am only a man, no different from you. What is your name?"
"I'm Jill. I'm four-years-old! Who are you?"
"I am called Jack."
Jill giggled. "Really?" She started circling him playfully.
"What?" Jack asked.
"Don't you have a pail of water?"
"No. Do you?"
"No. But one of us has got to!"
"Why?"
"It's how the rhyme goes, silly! 'Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.'" But Jack looked at her confused. "You never heard it before?"
"No."
"Well, I can't really remember how the rest of it goes."
"Were you going up the hill to get water?"
"No, I was going up the hill because there was nowhere else to go. Why were you going up the hill?"
"About the same reason." Jill suddenly smiled at him. "What is it?"
"Mommy always said that one day I'll meet a man named Jack and he'll be with me forever and ever and ever."
Jack frowned. "Where is your mother?"
Jill's smile also faded. "I don't know!" She told Jack her story of the encounter with the monster, almost all in one breath. She ended the story with lots of tears. "I just wanna go home!"
Jack dried her tears with his robe. "I know the feeling all too well. I will see you safely home."
Jill sobbed a little and slowly stopped crying. "You will? Do you know the way?"
"You do, do you not?"
"I tried to find it alone. It feels so far away."
"It can not be as far as my home," Jack answered smiling. "We shall find it."
"And you'll help me find Daddy, too?"
"I will try." He held her hand. "Let's go."
The man in white heard her cry. He abandoned his fight, leapt down, and grabbed the girl around her waist. The girl was surprised that this man with the dangerous knife was saving her. He protected her from getting hurt in the fall then let her go as they landed. He looked as though he was about to ask her if she was all right, but at that moment the raccoon men also leapt down. The man immediately attacked them. The girl shrank back into the trees. He destroyed more of the raccoon men until they were all gone.
Finally, the man came to girl and knelt to her level. The girl was still in shock. "It is unwise for you to be alone," the man said.
"I know," the girl gasped.
The man put his hands on her heaving shoulders. "Be calm. The danger is over. I mean you no harm."
She looked into his face. "Are you an angel?"
The man was taken aback. "No! I am only a man, no different from you. What is your name?"
"I'm Jill. I'm four-years-old! Who are you?"
"I am called Jack."
Jill giggled. "Really?" She started circling him playfully.
"What?" Jack asked.
"Don't you have a pail of water?"
"No. Do you?"
"No. But one of us has got to!"
"Why?"
"It's how the rhyme goes, silly! 'Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.'" But Jack looked at her confused. "You never heard it before?"
"No."
"Well, I can't really remember how the rest of it goes."
"Were you going up the hill to get water?"
"No, I was going up the hill because there was nowhere else to go. Why were you going up the hill?"
"About the same reason." Jill suddenly smiled at him. "What is it?"
"Mommy always said that one day I'll meet a man named Jack and he'll be with me forever and ever and ever."
Jack frowned. "Where is your mother?"
Jill's smile also faded. "I don't know!" She told Jack her story of the encounter with the monster, almost all in one breath. She ended the story with lots of tears. "I just wanna go home!"
Jack dried her tears with his robe. "I know the feeling all too well. I will see you safely home."
Jill sobbed a little and slowly stopped crying. "You will? Do you know the way?"
"You do, do you not?"
"I tried to find it alone. It feels so far away."
"It can not be as far as my home," Jack answered smiling. "We shall find it."
"And you'll help me find Daddy, too?"
"I will try." He held her hand. "Let's go."