10. Just 10 more nights and he'll meet his sister. Time passes by so slowly when one is waiting for something or someone. He threw another pebble into the pond and watch it skip a few times before sinking deep into the water. They just had dinner and it's free time now. He sneaked out after RyeoWook fell asleep. He was warned not to wander around when the sun is up, especially alone. But he didn't care, he needed a walk.

The sun slowly inched it's way up into the sky, signalling the start of a new day. The birds tweeted and sang, beautiful melodies travelled into his ears. He was once a pianist. He hated sitting on the piano chair when he was a kid, but now his fingers itch to touch the piano keys. Not knowing how to appreciate music when he was seven, his parents often punish him for mocking music. 

" The son of a rich family must know how to produce music! You must force yourself to like music! "

That was what his father told him when he skipped his piano lessons to play with his sister. It was said that one will only know how to appreciate things when it is no longer around or reachable. How true, now that he like music, he can only enjoy the ones produced by the birds.

Just then, he heard rustling from afar. He turned, alert, and search for signs of what it might be. A loud bang could be heard, closely followed by a loud roar. Some kind of big animal must have been shot. Silently, he hoped that it was not his lion friend. He then hopped up onto his feet and started making his way back home. It's not safe staying there when the hunter was nearby. Picking up his speed, he sprinted past trees after trees.

The second hunter encounter in a week, how unfortunate. 

The hunter must have spotted movement from where he was, because a gun bullet was sent his way. Luckily, he managed to dodge the attack, allowing the bullet to fly pass him, hitting the tree trunk he was running pass. He skillfully jumped over the fallen trees and big stones, not letting any one of them slow him down. Years of training to run about in the forest and escape from predators helped a lot.

The girl's house was in sight, his house was just a few kilometres away. If he's lucky and fast enough, he'll be able to reach home safely before RyeoWook wakes up, pretending that he had never stepped out of the cave while he's sleeping. RyeoWook'll be angry if he found out he sneaked out without letting him know. Worse still, he would be really worried if he didn't manage to reach home before he wakes up at night.

However, his luck didn't last long, or maybe the hunter's shooting skills improved after a few shots.

The next shot hit his left shoulder directly, right above his heart. He clenched his teeth as he fell over. With his right hand grabbing onto his wound, he slowly stood up and wobbled his way forward. He can't die now, not now. After surviving from all the wild boars and hunters for so many years, he's determined to live pass this attack too. He stumbled past the last few trees left before the clearing, where the house was located at.

He can hear nothing except for his own heavy breathing and his heart beating exhuastedly. He concentrated on the house and tried hard to not notice the stinging sound his ears were experiencing. Unlike that time when he was seven, he didn't lose conciousness. The years of him living in the forest had toughen him up, he won't lose to a single bullet. He needed to stay alive for another 10 days. He will stay alive for another 10 days.

Trying his best to ignore the trobbing pain on his shoulder, he made his way to the front door of the house. He know he'll never make it back to the cave with a gun shot injury, the hunter will be faster than him. His only hope now, is that the girl is at home and would save him. Using the last bit of strength he have left, he knocked on the door, leaning on the door frame in the process, to support his suddenly very heavy body.

After saving her twice, she'll save me too, ...right?

Right. Because the moment he knocked, the door opened to reveal a very shock girl. Her eyes widened at the sight of the bullet wound. Without a second word, she quickly helped him into the room. His whole left arm was paralysed. He couldn't even move his fingers or feel anything despite hiting his arm hard when he fell into a wall. The girl left the room, rugmmaging through drawers.

He turned his head to the side slightly to look at her look for whatever she was looking for. Somebody must have knocked on the door, because the girl went to open the door. He couldn't see who it was, but they exchanged a few lines before she closed the door. She look pale and terrified. Well, who wouldn't be if someone came knocking on your door with a gun shot injury?

Soon, she came back with trays of metals. It looked like some kind of medical instruments, but why does she have those? 

She carefully tended to his injury, he didn't know what she was doing, and he didn't want to look, but he trusted her. She cured his injuries the first time they met too, didn't she? He bit his lips when the pain got too hard to bear, grabbing onto the bed sheet with his right hand and stared at the ceiling.

You discover new things that you didn't know before when you look carefully at something. For the first time, he realised that the ceiling was painted pale yellow instead of white. It's a beautiful smoothing colour, but not enough to comfort him. He turned his attention to the window beside the bed, he found out that the window planes was brown instead of black, and that the little cartoon on the curtain was not a butterfly, but a bird.

The bird reminded him of his younger sister, she had always loved the flying birds back home. She could just spend her whole afternoon to stare at them flying around, chirping, making nests, and feeding their young. He never understood why it was so interesting to watch them, but now, how he hope he could turn back time and watch them with his sister.

He didn't know how much time have passed, but the next time he looked at the girl, she smiled at him. She seemed to have calmed down, she was not as nervous as before. Sneaking a peek at his wound, he realised that she already had it covered with bandages. The injuries from the fight with his werewolf friend still hadn't healed completely, and now, he'll have to welcome a new injury.

The girl said something before exiting the room to allow him to rest. For a while, he really wanted to thank her, wanted to understand what she was saying, but he's so tired that he soon allow himself to drift off to sleep. 

I stared into his eyes. His black eyes, I've always thought it was a kind of beautiful shiny black, until today. I cannot believe it, how could he do this to me? Does he not feel any guilt? I trusted him!

He woke up, startled. What happened? Why was he so angry? Who was he angry with? He have no answers, what a weird dream, weird feelings. He tried to move his left arm, but failed misarably. He groaned in pain, bitting his lips, trying to supress the pain he had caused himself. The sky outside the window was dark, it must be night by now. He wanted to go home, but he couldn't move, not with his shoulder like that.

RyeoWook must be worried.

He turned away from the window, and saw the girl sleeping, her head on her arms which was placed on the side of the bed. She must have fell asleep while taking care of him. He felt bad for taking her bed and giving her troubles. She didn't have to be dragged into this. She doesn't belong in the forest, and she'll leave quietly soon, just like how she had appeared suddenly.

Looking at her sleeping face, he felt calmer. He studied her, even when she's sleeping, her glasses was not taken off. He slowly reached his right hand over, gently, he removed her glasses and placed it on the table beside the bed. It was then did he realise he still remember so much about the world outside. He knew what a swing is, he knew what a bed is, and what a mirror is. He remembered to knock, and remembered what glasses are. 

Maybe he didn't belong in the forest too. 

Realising that he was wavering, he quickly reminded himself of his sister. His sister with a pair of big kind eyes, rosy cheeks, long eye lashes and double eye lids, beautifully curved eye brows and a perfect shaped lips. She was so cute and lovable, everyone liked her. Adults will fight to bring her out to play, and no matter who wins the argument, she will make it a point that they bring her brother along too.

He recalled how their parents used to say that she'll grow up into a smart and beautiful lady, a perfect child for their family. If not for needing a male successor, they would have given up on trying to shape him into the perfect child they want.

As he stared at her and discovered the similiarities between her and his sister - beautiful eyes filled with kindness, helping him whenever they can and not forgetting, they both attract him, making him want to see them, making him want to take care of them.

My sister must be around her age now. She must be just as pretty.

Maybe the run from the hunter worn him out, because he quickly fell back into dreamland, but this time, instead of a nightmare, he had a sweet dream.