Chapter 3 Part 3

Part 3 The girl ran shufflingly in search of the origin of the sound. She suddenly stopped her steps when...

The voice sounded closer and closer. Sumi's eyes darted around. Her feet lifted one by one and treaded slowly, staring intently with her heart beating fast. She felt that she was getting closer to the source of the sound.

"To...long...help me...,"

Sumi sharpened her hearing. She stopped walking when she saw the end of her journey, knowing it was a deep ravine.

Sumi had been in that place before. Luckily, she hadn't fallen into it.

That was one of the reasons she knew why her mother forbade her to go far away from home and go out during the day, perhaps her mother was afraid of her falling in and losing her life.

"Hmh, this must be the creature you told me about. The ethereal creatures that often kidnap virgins and use them as prey," Sumi talked to herself.

"Ihhh, I'd better go home soon, before you find out and I'll be the one who falls prey," the terrified Sumi then turned her body and intended to run away from the place as fast as possible.

Krakkk!

"Ah, crap!" Sumi shouted spontaneously as her foot accidentally stepped on a fragile branch that was scattered around.

"Is there someone there? Please! Help me up! I can't stand it! I don't want to die!"

"If you're a man, I'll make you my brother and give you a lot of money as a thank you."

"If you're a girl, I'll make you my lover. I will always take care of you and guarantee a decent life for you,"

Degh!

Sumi was stunned for a moment. Although she didn't fully understand what was being said, her mind told her that the creature talking to her wasn't evil and just needed her help.

Sumi then turned her body and stepped timidly towards the lip of the cliff.

The girl then looked down and searched for the origin of the sound. Her eyes suddenly caught movement and that's when she felt her body freeze instantly.

A creature that looked like her but had a stockier build and shorter hair was staring at her with wide eyes as if begging for mercy.

The body was dangling with its hands tightly holding onto the roots of a tree to keep it from falling to the bottom of the cliff.

Oh, you're a girl? Please help me! I can't take it anymore," she pleaded.

Sumi stared for a while like a fool. Was this the creature her mother had said it was? Why did it seem so harmless?

"Hey, come on, help me! Find something so I can get out of this place,"

Sumi came to her senses. Without another word, Sumi moved from the lip of the ravine and left the creature still dangling.

"Ah, damn it! Why are you leaving? You idiot!" cursed the creature, which turned out to be a handsome young man.

His stern face stiffened. His sweat was pouring down with his heart beating faster and faster. His hands were getting weaker and his hopes of survival were dashed.

It was in the last moments of her life that she felt something hit her head.

"Awhh," she screeched. He looked up and found something long sticking out towards him.

The young man wasted no time in trying to grab the object, he easily caught it and switched to hanging on to the outstretched object.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a twisted root.

A smile broke out on his handsome face as he felt the object being pulled gently and his body began to lift upwards.

Slowly but surely, the young man was able to see the land above him, and he was quite shocked when he saw the girl alone pulling his body.

The girl was panting and breathing heavily when the boy finally reached the ground.

The young man tried to get up and come closer to the beautiful girl with the pale face, but the girl brought him back and looked like a frightened person.

He stopped his steps for a moment and looked at the girl in front of him. His eyes looked shady as if to show that he was harmless and did not want to hurt the girl who had helped him.

"You shouldn't be afraid, I won't hurt you. I just want to thank you for saving me. I promise to keep everything I said earlier," the young man slowly began to approach.

Unlike earlier, this time the girl was just stunned and didn't say a word.

The young man who was injured on various sides of his body bent his legs and sat down not far from the girl who was staring at him intently as if she saw him as a threat.

"Can I have some water to drink? I'm very thirsty," he pleaded.

The girl was still silent. Making the man ask her another question, "Are you mute?"

Again the girl did not answer his question. The young man exhaled a rough breath. Confused about how he could communicate with the pale-skinned girl.

Suddenly the girl moved quickly, taking the young man by surprise.

Soon the girl came back with a coconut shell filled with water. The girl placed the coconut shell on the ground and moved back away from the young man. She kept her distance and remained vigilant.

The young man smiled. He was sure that the girl was not a bad person. The young man then got up slowly, approached the coconut shell filled with water and gulped it down.

The girl watched him carefully. She wondered, what kind of creature was currently facing her?

She wanted to get closer, as she saw various wounds in several places on his body, but she was afraid that the creature would suddenly attack her.

"Are you mute?" the man asked again, but the girl just shook her head.

"Oh, I'm glad you understood what I said. Thank you for helping me. Believe me, I have no intention of hurting you."

"Introducing myself, I am Raden Aksa Anggabaya. I am the son of Raden Arya Bramasta, the owner of the tea plantation in Sukmajaya village."

The girl just stared at the outstretched hand of the man named Aksa and scanned her gaze towards the face that was smiling very kindly at her.

Aksa finally lowered his hand, as the girl did not shake his hand.

"Who are you? Do you have a name?"

The girl nodded. Although she looked cautious, the pale lips finally moved and answered Aksa's question.

"Su-mi...,"

"Sumi?"

The girl responded with a nod.

"Sumi... do you have some food? I'm very hungry. Last night I was chased by a beast and some of my people were victimized. Please give me some food," the young man named Aksa pleaded.

As before, the girl suddenly got up quickly and ran off to who knows where. Aksa just waited in place, hoping that the girl would bring him some good food.

Soon Sumi arrived with a coconut shell filled to the brim with food.

Aksa smiled widely when she saw Sumi coming with the coconut shell in her right hand. Sumi then placed the coconut shell on the ground and shifted her body, keeping her distance from Aksa.

Aksa, who was already very hungry, got up from his seat and reached for the coconut shell, but when his eyes fell on the shell, he spontaneously threw the object in a random direction.

"Aaaa! maggot!"

****