Chapter 173 Dream Part V
Sunday morning,
After sending off her grandparents, Little Xiaolei energetically stepped out of the back door as soon she saw the boy leaning on the tree trunk from the window. She had already prepared the things she wanted to bring with her the night before so she was more than ready to go by then.
Approaching him with a big smile, the boy tilted his head, looked at her bag and then, without a word, he took it from her.
He faced towards the woods and said, "this way."
Obediently, the girl followed him but by the time they reached the spot where they ate their first meal together, the boy halted in his tracks and faced her. His cold eyes were instantly serious.
"Are you sure? It's scary there." He warned, but the ever so decisive look in the girl's eyes didn't change.
"I'm not scared," was all she replied.
"You've heard about the rumors, right?"
"About the monsters? Yes."
"You don't believe them?"
When the girl nodded, the boy continued walking again, but this time, his pace was slower, as if he was taking his time or giving her the time to change her mind and go back.
"What if the rumors are true?" he asked, not turning to face her.
"It's okay. I'm with you so –"
"What if I'm the monster they're talking about?"
"I don't think so."
Her response made the boy halt again. He looked at her with a frown as if he just couldn't figure out why this little girl was so brave.
As he stood there, seemingly deciding about something, the girl walked forward and tiptoed right in front of him. And then, she reached out and cupped his face with her hands.
The boy's eyes widened in surprise. She smiled, looking intently at his face.
"There's no way you're a monster." She said innocently, but the boy looked like he wasn't pleased.
"You don't know anything about me… Not yet." he held her wrist and slowly pulled her hands off his face. "What if I told you that I'm only bringing you there to feed you to my pets." His voice was now serious, a little too menacing.
The girl pouted at him. "You're not. And you won't."
"How could you be so sure?"
"Because you saved me. Twice."
"I saved you because you were giving me food."
He looked at her with a dangerous look in his eyes and she could tell that he was trying to scare her away.
Putting her bag down, the boy began to step back. He turned to walk away, thinking that the little girl wouldn't follow him anymore.
But to his surprise, he noticed her still following him, like a shadow.
Heaving a sigh, the boy halted and waited for her to reach him. When she did, he took her bag and held her hand.
"I don't understand why you're like this." The boy muttered and the little girl just tilted her head.
"Hmm… I don't get it, too. I think I'm just too curious about you?"
He sighed again and they continued to walk deep into the woods. The boy didn't let go of her hand anymore.
After an hour, Little Xiaolei started to become impatient.
"Are we there yet?"
"Almost."
But then, another hour went by and they were still walking.
"You said we're almost there."
"You're slow so… Let's take a short break."
After the break, they continued walking again. Little Xiaolei tried her very best not to sulk and whine. She didn't know that his house would be this far.
Finally, the boy stopped.
"We're here." He said and the exhausted little girl, lifted her head.
There was an old watch tower, made of bricks, standing tall in the middle of a meadow. It even looked like it was an ancient ruin.
Little Xiaolei blinked. She didn't expect this. She once heard her grandfather talking about the 'ruin in the meadow' which they called 'the den of the wolves'. They said nobody, not even experienced hunters, would dare to go to that place because of the packs of hungry wolves and bears living there.
But the place was quiet. There were no wolves around, not even a sound of them could be heard. The watch tower was surrounded with a blanket of white snow and it simply looked like a beautiful place.
"It's beautiful. I feel like I'm seeing something straight out of a movie!" She gasped, pulling her hand off his to run towards the white meadow, stretching her arms out wide.
The boy just stood there, watching her.
"Is your house inside?" She asked and the boy nodded.
He then led her to the dark entrance.
"I brought a flashlight!" The girl rummaged through her bag and took out a mini flashlight. She did come very prepared. "I actually imagined that you were living in a cave so…" she chuckled. She was obviously excited. There was no worry or fear in her eyes.
It was dark and eerily silent inside the watchtower. They walked through a maze of tunnels before the boy stopped at the dead end.
He touched something on the wall and pushed it. A door appeared on the wall.
"Whoah! Amazing!" the girl was astounded she almost clapped her hands.
When they entered the door, the boy lit up some candles which illuminated the room. It was spacious and everything inside it was simply not predictable.
There was a big bed in the middle and two more beds in the corner. There were cabinets, a small table and everything in it made it really look like a very normal room. It actually even looked like an ancient hotel. There was also another door on the right side and when she went through it, she found herself in a dining room. To her surprise, there was even food inside.
"I told you, there is nothing here for you to see." She heard him speak from behind her.
"No, this is so amazing. I didn't expect this at all! Are you alone here? There were three beds in the room."
"I'm not alone."
"Really? That's a relief. But where are they?"
"They've been with us the whole time. They're outside right now."
"Eh?! Really?"
Little Xiaolei didn't stop asking all sorts of questions she could think about and her excitement didn't die down as if what she had discovered today was something to be proud of.
"I'm so glad. I've been so worried about you this whole time. I thought you were sleeping in the snow."
The boy's lips curved up upon hearing her. But before he could reply, the secret door where they entered open again.