Cursed And Love's

03: Forest monster [1]

The sound of bells clinked when the door of the convenience store was opened, inside there were already some people who were also busy buying some items. Serena went there early in the morning because she ran out of salt to cook.

"It's horrible, I even feel afraid to go outside when I'm lonely,"

"Are these monsters really there? I still can't believe there's no evidence of pictures or anything else,"

"The police are just asking us not to enter the forest area from late afternoon and it's dark, it's okay as long as we don't go in there, right?"

Serena was quite surprised and also confused to hear the glimpses of the conversation of the people inside the store, who were, even along the way to this place he had heard similar things about people who passed him.

After retrieving some necessary items, he headed straight for the place of payment.

"I don't understand what people are talking about" Chirps Serena while her groceries are being counted by the store owner.

"Everybody knows about that, where have you been?" Sahut the store owner while recording the total amount of Serena groceries and put them in the shopping bag.

"About what? What monsters do they mean?" Serena asked with a confused face.

The shopkeeper did not reply, instead staring serena with a cold face. He was a big-bodied man full of tattoos with long blonde hair and striking blue eyes, his gaze was always cold and piercing. Even so Serena was used to it because she knew the old man named Harry since childhood, it could even be said that Harry was a good friend of his mother.

"You haven't answered me yet" Serena looked at Harry with a pouting face.

Harry thrust Serena's shopping bag with the change she had paid for, "some reported seeing strange creatures in the forest, so just stay away from the area for your safety." Definitely brief.

Serena looked at Harry for quite a while before finally nodding and leaving immediately, she still could not believe what she heard. But it is also enough to make his body feathers bristle if given that yesterday he roamed alone in the forest and met a strange madman who stole his food.

I think I'm lucky to have just met a crazy person.

He chirped in his heart as he passed out of the shop to immediately return home.

*****

The fragrant aroma of cooking filled the kitchen, Serena was cooking for her breakfast today. He ate daydreaming, his mind wandering about what happened yesterday and also about what Harry had just told him this morning.

"Don't go to the woods? I was still curious about him...." Mumbled Serena.

He stared at the food on the table, it seemed like he was cooking too much today. Obviously she lived alone but Serena instead cooked a large pot of soup and also some chicken pieces that were left.

"I won't be able to spend this, saved even later it feels bad again, do I just share it with others?" His mutter spoke to himself as he stared at the soup pot and the chicken pieces in front of him.

Suddenly he glared, his brain remembering something that was arguably a little crazy.

"Did I just give it to him?" Mumbled.

Yes, what was on his mind right now was the man he met and stole his food yesterday. He was really still curious about that person, plus there was actually a sense of compassion that made him sympathize and could not stop thinking about it considering that the man lived in the forest alone.

"I'm just being kind as a fellow living being." Say Serena while wrapping the food and putting it in her bag.

But she suddenly stopped, Serena recalled Harry's remarks about the police forbidding people from approaching the forest area. But not only was the remark of the old man remembered by him, he also recalled one of the people in the shop who said that maybe it was just a rumor because there was no clear evidence.

"The weather is good, it is suitable for painting. Haha." He said steadily and laughed loosely, though he did not forget also he slipped a knife and pepper spray and put it in his pants pocket.

Serena set out with food and some painting equipment, although it was clear that her main purpose of going there was not to paint the scenery.

This time he was not on foot, the girl was riding a bicycle so that she could go and go home faster, all just in case.

"Let's enjoy today~" he murmured while humming.

Somehow it felt different when he entered the forest area, maybe because he had heard the rumors so there was a bit of gripping feeling that dispelled the peaceful atmosphere of the place he was visiting now.

Even so, everything changed when Serena had arrived at the place she used to go. Right under the large, shady oak tree, it was also the same place as yesterday or when he was still with his mother.

The gripping atmosphere that had accompanied him had now disappeared like being swept by the wind, all that was left now was a warm peaceful atmosphere because there was indeed his favorite place.

Serena took out her luggage from the bag, her eyes sweeping around her thoroughly. Yeah, well, the goal here is to try to see that weird guy again. He knew it was crazy, but Serena did it anyway.

"Are you here? I brought good food." Said loudly.

Slender. There was no word other than the sound of birds chirping and breezy wind, Serena who had seemed enthusiastic now became lethargic and pouting.

"Why am I the one who looks like crazy?" His grunts, "well, I better make some paintings before I go home" he said as he prepared the painting equipment.

Now he has focused on his brushstrokes on the canvas, completely focused until he does not realize that since then someone who is the main reason he is here is watching it carefully.

Being too focused on something, Serena would indeed ignore her surroundings, that was her habit. Even if now the man was a tiger, then he must have been in the stomach of the tiger without having tried to escape.

"Huh, really wasting my time"

Serena was petrified, her words cut off as she looked behind her because of the sound of a branch breaking.

"Ah.., you're here...." He stammered as he stared in shock at the man with long hair and a disheveled seedy appearance as well as a shirt that had been torn here and there and was also very dirty with dirt spots and so on.

The man just remained silent while crouching with his arms propping up in front, his eyes staring intently at the clumsy looking Serena.

"Ah, i-it... I brought food. Please take it if you want." Say Serena while offering a container of food.

The man growled, but slowly began to approach Serena. He hesitantly picked up one of the containers containing pieces of fried chicken and took it a little away from Serena and ate it hurriedly.

Occasionally the man turned to Serena, who was watching as he ate the chickens.

"You like it?" Serena said, "Eat this too, use that spoon so you can eat it." The girl handed him a container containing the soup she made.

The man approached again with hesitation and took it, it made Serena smile with relief despite culminating with a sour face.

The man threw his spoon in any direction and tried to take the soup with his hand, of course it would be difficult until he growled furiously at not being able to eat it.

"Wait a minute, doesn't it...." Serena said as she approached to see what the man was doing.

But just as Serena got up from her place, the man immediately growled as he tried to get closer.

"Ah..., calm down, I'll show you how," Serena said slowly, "oh, here....." The girl took another spoon she was carrying and exemplified how to use it.

It was like teaching kids.

Inner Serena.

The man watched her intently, unexpectedly taking back the spoon he had thrown earlier and trying to follow what Serena was doing.

Serena was surprised and amazed, "Yes, so new right!" He said cheerfully, he felt like he had just successfully taught the children.

"You're a smart kid apparently." Serena said as she sat back down and watched the man eat his soup.

Not finished he ate the soup, the loud sound of the rifle made the man startled and immediately growled loudly looking around him.

Serena was also no less surprised, it seemed like it was the sound of a rifle from the hunter.

"Ah just surprised...." He said, "quickly finish the food"

Serena pecked to find that the man had disappeared when he turned his body.

"He's gone?" Mumbled Serena, inexplicably looking disappointed look from her face.

"What are you doing here?!"