I can't breathe...
What's so heavy on my belly?
And it feels like I am in a summery tent.
Having a hard time opening my eyes, I found myself still sleepy and drowsy this morning. Maybe I can stay in the sleeping bag for one more hour...
...
NO!
WAKE UP, Bai Lu!
There's no time for you to sleep in today!
You have to get familiar with the surroundings and find water resources to survive in this foreign forest.
Moving up my body in a rush, my eyes connected with two bright eyes in good fettle — it seems like Kruger has already woke up for a while, and it was his big dog head pressing my belly up and down as if he was rooting — indeed, he might just try to wake me up.
Stopped Kruger from attempting to lick my face and help me wash it, I scratched his chin, "Good morning, Kruger. Well, well... Don't rub me again, it's itchy!"
I wrapped Kruger's legs in my blanket, making sure that any of his private parts won't be exposed to my eyes, and then allowed him to shift back to human.
"Good morning, LuLu! Felling sleep with your aroma surrounded last night makes me feel satisfied and comfortable, I am so excited this morning!"
Kruger grinned at me, and his voice was full of happiness, which made me feel better, too.
"Can I continue to sleep in your smell tonight and tomorrow, and the night after tomorrow and so on...? It is such an enjoyable experience that I am totally addicted to it!"
Looking at this sunny face, I am not able to let him down, "Only if you stay in the animal form..."
Come on, Bai Lu.
What are you doing now?
You just decided to not be intimate with Kruger in a short time — now you agreed to sleep with him every day! You are so weak and changeable!
However...
Kruger is quite sincere and honest, showing his everything to me. Therefore, no matter what would happen in the future, I should treasure his heart.
I do intend to get along well with him, it will be okay if I don't do anything sensual, right?
After putting camping equipment back in the car, I packed a portable hiking backpack. Then Kruger and I sat on the grass, starting to discuss today's schedule:
"I am going to walk around and explore the nearby bush and the river, to discover if there is anything I can eat."
"No problem, I will guard you well. Nobody can hurt you!" Kruger patted his chest confidently.
"Umm... I think it might be a little inconvenient for you to do the bush-walk wrapping in my blanket. "
With my eyes looking down, I suggested Kruger run back to his tribe and pick up his fur clothing.
"Your fur clothing can be put in your pouch when you're a beast. In this case, you'll never be in the nude after shifting."
Kruger was surprised by my idea, at that moment, his eyes were googly for a second:
"Impossible! My pouch is supposed to carry our babies! Of course, LuLu you can get in my pouch as well, nonetheless, others would pollute the pouch."
Hmmm, me?
This time, it was my turn to be shocked:
"Your pouch can fit my body?"
Kruger proudly upturned his head with a smug face and his chest out, even tagging the chest a couple of times:
"Exactly! I am big, my pouch sure has enough space for you! It is no doubt that I can pack you in my pouch."
...
How can I tell him that in Mandarin, Chinese often use this phrase — "I am big", to indicate some unspeakable thing?
It seems like Kruger's gift can only enable him to speak Mandarin frequently, but when it comes to idioms, his words sometimes sound a little perverse.
That makes sense, as we all know, culture is more about affection and experience, you can't understand a custom without undergoing it.
Kruger didn't go back to his tribe at the end of the conversation, he'd rather shift to a thylacine and hike beside me.
We reached a valley when the time is close to the afternoon. After about one hour's walking, I sat on a rock near the creek and decided to have a rest, then I can eat something while Kruger hunting for his lunch.
Believe it or not, I did invite Kruger to join my picnic. However, he refused me by shaking his head, "Your food looks nice and delicious, plus there is not much left. LuLu, they're good for you, just consume them all. I can hunt other animals to eat."
"But..."
He poked my nose, "I am a powerful wild beast, trust me."
After finishing the biscuits and banana, I stood up and stretched my body, looking around the valley at the same time.
The sunlight penetrates the leaves and pours to the ground, casting them into the creek, making that crystal clear water shine bright like diamonds. The gurgling brook is singing with the birds on the trees, sitting near the water, I can occasionally catch some movements of the fish.
I felt peaceful and relaxed in this atmosphere and even started to consider taking a nap.
Suddenly, a squash appeared from the bush several meters away, sounding like some animals are getting closer.
WHAT?!!
Am I in danger again?!
On the second day of my new life?
Kruger, where are you?
I hold my backpack tightly, staring at the forest and feeling like my heart is almost jumping to my throat.
Then a few males, who look similar to the modern Australian Aboriginal people, came out of the bush and stepped toward me.
Are they the same as the people I know?
"Good day, mate? Can you speak English?" Tentatively, I tried to greet them.
"#¥%¥#%¥%%#€£^#¥£€#%"
...
FINE.
According to my experience of chatting with modern Aboriginal people, I can be 90% sure that they are neither speaking Australian Aboriginal English — nor even English — kinda like their own Aboriginal languages.
I remembered checking the compass this morning before we left for the forest, it was still working. Under the circumstances, I guess I might be dropped into a parallel universe with the same geographical features as the real world, and the humans here are also similar to the humans in the past.
The biggest difference between these two worlds is the existence of the beast-man.
Those Aboriginal males discussed something with each other, and then two of them went behind me, and they pushed my shoulders. The others started to walk in front, seemed like they are going to bring me to their tribe.
Ummm...
Aboriginal people are not cannibals, right?
So...
Since Kruger said he won't be so far away, maybe it's okay for me to follow them?