When I finally was able to open my eyes the next day, the first thing I say was a pair of green eyes. Only couple of inches from my eyes, they were staring directly back at me with full of curiosity.
"Boo," I, barely made a sound, just blew my breath onto her nose. And as I espected the owner of those green eyes screamed in surprise, "Aaaa!!"
Taking that opportunity, I turned my brain into fighter jet mode and jumped on the nearest yet highest branch of tree I could reach. Then I just hid there.
"Hey!! Wait... where.. where are you ?!?!" The owner of the green eyes was calling on me after she couped with her surprise and realized I was no longer there.
"Excuse mee... Hello... " With her cute little voice, the girl was still determinant looking for me.
"Mister ?? Hello..." She stepped deeper into the forest while still calling on me, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you. You see, my friend told me that someone is injured in the woods. So, I followed him and found you sleeping on that stone..."
Hopping from one tree to another, I silently followed her way. She led her tiny feet to go deeper into the forest. As far as I knew, this forest had no dangerous animals. Big animals it had were only white-tailed deers. Other animals were just little cute creatures like skunk, chipmunk, and squirrel.
"Aaa!!" a short scream escaped from the little girl's mouth automatically alerted me. With no hesitation, I jumped off from the tree right toward the girl. I grabbed her right on her armpits, pulled and brought her to my embrace before I rolled my body aside, escapping a dropping net from above. A deer trap.
Once our bodies stopped rolling on the fround, I opened my embrace, founding a pale face with wide-shut eyes staring back at me.
"Are you okay ? anything hurts ?" I asked in worry.
The big green eyes were still staring at me for some sconds before they blinked.
"Are you okay ?" I asked her again.
"You..."
"Are you hurt ?" I asked her my second questing.
The girl slowly shaking her head. But then she grinned widely. "It's you !! You saved me !!" She said, almost exclaimed in enthusiasts.
I exhaled in relieve. "I'm glad you're okay, Little Girl. You shouldn't go this far into the woods," I rebuked her once I sat next to her.
"But I'm looking for you.."
"Well, you should not looking for me."
"But, I was worry about youu. Patrick said that you were injured.."
"I was not..." I denied her.
A skunk that stood next to her suddenly made a noise.
"Patric said you lied," The girl accused me.
"I'm not lying... and who is Patrick ?"
"He is Patrick," the girl said, pointing at the skunk next to her while skunk was making another noise. "Yes, Patrick, I know you've never lied," She said, this time responding to the skunk.
"You're saying... you can speak to animal ?" I asked in amazed.
"Uh-hu," She said while nodding. I vaguely remembered how the three years old Chien Dai loved to chat with his little friends in the forest also. Damn, she got it from me, I cursed inwardly.
"But don't tell anyone about it, okay ?" She continued then giving me her pinky finger. I stared at the finger for some seconds before moved my stare into her eyes. "I won't tell if you're not telling anyone about me being in this forest," I said to her, touching my pinky finger onto hers. "Pinky promise?"
"Pinky promise," She said with a wide smile before tucking her pinky finegr onto mine.
"I'm Sopjie. What is your name ?" She asked when our fingrers were no longer tucking.
I frowned. "Hmmm... Aren't you nor allowed to take to a stranger ?"Instead of answering her, I reminded her about the rule that every parents must give to their children.
"Yes. But you are a good stranger," She argued.
I chuckled. "How do you know ?"
"You saved me from that trap. A bad stranger won't do that," she argued.
I chucled. I won't do that for any stranger, Baby Girl, this time I said that only in my heart.
"I'm a bad person," I said that to her instead.
"No, you're not."
"I am," I ensured her. "Wanna know a secret ?"
She nodded.
With devilish expression I enclosed my face toward her. "I ate children for snack," I whispered to her with scary tone, enclosed my claws toward her then, "Boo!!"
"Aaaa!!" She screamed and reflexively covered her face with her palm.
I kept my devilish face and claws when she peeked at me from between her fingers that were still covered her face. Still, she murmured, :I don't believe it!"
I barely able to muffled my laughter because of that.
"You're lying, right ?" she asked for conformation. Her hands no longer covered her face.
I didn't answer her. I just sighed and looked up to the sky. We were bing silent for a solid ten minutes before I stood up and reached out my hand toward her, "Come on. I'll walk you out from the forest. It's getting dark in here."
She grinned widely. "I knew you are not a bad person !" She exclaimed joyfully. She then reached my hand before letting me pulled her up.
"You should not go this far into the forest, especially in this kind of season," I gave her an advice while we were walking side by side.
"Why not ?"
"It is almost winter. People are laying traps to trap deers at winter."
She frowned in disapproved. "Why they do that ?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. For fun, I guess."
Her frown got deeper. "Evil," she murmured.
"Is that why you are in this woods ?" She asked me.
"No."
"Then.. what were you doing here ?"
"Hmmm... I was meditating," I answered shortly.
"Meditating ?" she asked.
I just nodded, deliberately not to explain to her about meditating.
"Like mommy uses to do ?"
I frown. "Your mom meditates ?"
"Uh hu," She nodded few times. "She said, meditating help her to relax. She learned it from her friend. Her friend is a female monk." She stopped and stared at me, "Are you a monk ??"
I laughed. "No. I am not."
A skunk suddenly jumped onto her shoulder and made noises. she widened her eyes. "Patrick said you were meditating for days without eating or drinking. You... you are a monk !!"
"I'm not," I denied. "Ones who meditating are not necessary a monk. Your mom not a monk, right ?"
"But she only meditated for an hour, not days."
I have a smart daughter, I said inwardly.
"Promise me you won't go that far nto the forest anymore," I changed the topic.
"But, I want to see you again."
"I won't go to the forest again."
"But... but... I want to see youuu...." She insisted.
"Why.. ?"
"Because you are my friend."
"I'm not your friend. I'm only a stranger."
"No. You saved me. You are my friend, now," she insisted harder. Even her eyes were teary now. Oh, no... I wondered where this pleading ability came from.
"Don't cry..."
"You have to come again. I like you. I like talking to you.." She pleaded more.
"Okay... okay. I will come again, but I can't be often."
"That's okay, I will check you up daily..."
"No!" I forbade her. "It is dangerous for you to go deep into the forest.
"All animals there are my friends."
I sighed. Her stubbornedd were definitely not from me. "I'm not talking about the animals. Don;t you remember the trap ? After deer season, there will be bear hunting season," I uttered my reasoning in worry.
"Then... then how can I know you would come ?"
I glanced at the skunk that was still on her shoulder. "Tell your friend to inform you when I came," I said eventually.
The skunk nodded agreeing my solution.
"Pinky promise ?" She reached out her pinky finger again.
"Pinky promise," I say in defeated. She wiped her tears and smiled.
She then grabbed my hand and forced me to walk with holding her hand. We arrived at the edge of forest near her house right when her mother were calling her.
"I'm coming, Mommy!" She replied then releasing my hand.
"I gotta go," she said with a huge smile and waving at me. "See you again, Uncle Monk !!"