Scars of the Dead (3)
Scars of the Dead (3)
"I bet it was that brat!" Yumi said angrily. "He was lingering behind while we were picking the berries. He must have changed the direction arrow!"
Casper also nodded in agreement and made some gestures which Jina interpreted as a lot of curse words. Even the normally affable Jina was irritated at the boy but Casper's choice of words surprised her.
"Boy, even Casper is angry," Jina noted. "He used the F-word in front of me!"
"Those will come in handy when you're a grown up," Yumi stated. "Stupid brat just ruined our night! Now, how do we get out of here?"
They had ventured very deep into the forest and there was not a soul in sight. Even if most of the wild animals were hibernating, they did not want to stumble upon a sleeping bear and wake it up. The trees were getting bigger and wider while the path ahead was curtained in darkness. Casper and Yumi were new to the area so they had no idea what was in store for them. Moreover, the spirits of the forests were not always kind. What if they ran into a vicious ghost? Or worse?
"Well, we'll have to find a way," Jina said, feeling determined. "The counselors won't realize we're missing until it's rollcall time tomorrow morning. That'll be too late."
"Maybe we can find the highway?" Yumi suggested but Jina shook her head.
"We don't know which way the highway is at!" she pointed out. "The first rule when you're lost is to stay where you are."
"You'll freeze to death here!" Yumi snapped. Casper also agreed with her. The night was getting colder by the minute and if they did not get Jina to a warmer place, she could catch a frostbite. Even though she had three layers of clothes on her, the winter was harsh. She needed warmth.
"Relax," Jina assured them. "I know a way to get back. Just watch."
The ghosts frowned as Jina put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. For a minute, nothing happened which only confused the ghosts.
"What was that?" Yumi asked. "Nothing happened-"
Suddenly, they heard a low growl coming from somewhere. Something was approaching their way. The sounds of paws crawling on the snow reached their ears and the snarling of a hound made Casper take a defensive stance. They were looking at the dark bushes in front of them.
Slowly, a large black wolf-like creature emerged from the bushes. It was not fully a wolf. The body was of a wolf but it was standing on its hind legs, straight and savage. The creature had blood red eyes and sharp canines. It glared at them as if waiting to attack.
Yumi and Casper did not dare to make a noise. "W-w-what is that?" Yumi squeaked.
But Jina was not paying attention. She was searching her inside her bag and finally took out a box full of fried chicken wings.
"Here Bobo!" she yelled, throwing a chicken wing in the air. The creature jumped and caught it with its teeth, tearing into the meat. Yumi screamed in fear, her limbs almost falling off and she hid behind Casper who was also trying to shield Jina but the little girl only laughed.
"Relax!" she said. "He's harmless."
"What the hell is that thing?" Yumi yelled. "A werewolf?"
"What's that?" Jina asked innocently. "He's the forest's guardian. He probably died many years ago and somehow ended up protecting this forest. You heard him howling when we entered the forest."
The creature was done eating the chicken wing and howled again as if asking for more. Jina threw another chicken wing at it and he chowed on that one as well. She reached out her hand, ushering it to come closer. Yumi only cowered more as it responded to Jina's call and let her pat its fur. But the creature was still growling at the ghosts.
"He's wary of you," Jina explained. "He doesn't trust ghosts. But since you're with me, he won't harm you."
"How the hell did you end up taming this thing?" Yumi shivered. Casper was also visibly shocked at how the creature was listening to Jina.
"Last year, I was lost in the forest," Jina explained. "And ran into him. He wanted to attack but he was really hungry so he was too weak. So I gave him some of the chicken wings I carried around and since then, he sorta likes me. He also promised me that he'll help me whenever I'll come to this forest and whistle. People might be scared of him but he's really a good dog. Aren't you?"
The creature did not respond but purred a little indicating that it liked the little kid. The ghosts were dumbfounded at Jina's network.
"Bobo, can you help me get back to my camp?" Jina asked. "I'm lost."
As if understanding her, the creature's ears perked up. He fell on his four legs and began to sniff the ground before letting out another howl.
"He's telling us to follow him!" Jina said excitedly.
"Is he going to lead us to his lair of monsters?" Yumi asked fearfully. But Casper, sensing that the little doggy was trying to help Jina, followed it. Yumi, not wanting to fall behind, also tailed them albeit in fear.
After a while, Bobo stopped in front of some familiar looking trees. They had reached a small opening and could hear the children chattering on the other end.
"Here's a direction arrow!" Yumi pointed out at a signage. "This is route 1! The one we were on. The dog brought us to the right place!"
Jina peeked through the trees and saw that the counselors were telling stories to the other kids.
"We're here," Yumi was saying. "Let's just go back to the camp!"
"No," Jina said, shaking her head. "Not yet."
Bobo was sitting next to her while the other two ghosts stared at her. "What are you talking about?" Yumi snapped. "We should head back!"
"We will," Jina said calmly. "But not without punishing that bully."
A sly smirk appeared on her innocent looking face while Bobo licked his paws next to her like a loyal minion.
"Let's teach that brat a lesson he'll never forget and send him running to his mommy," Jina swore, her eyes twinkling with an evil glint.