《TsCAlnTD》 Chapter I - The Village and The Forest. I "Upon the forest, a village thrives. With cobbled streets and wooden planks. Its homes are humble, yet its spirit strong, A shelter for its people, a safe place they belong." There, there, is a thriving village, imbued with peace and tranquility. The women tended to do their chores as wives, while the men toiled around to support their families at their own fault. Children romped, enjoying each moment as they embraced the joy of their young lives¡ªdestined to go through their parent''s footsteps¡ªthe cycle is unreal. Outside of it¡ªis an extending far beyond the outskirts of the village¡ªlies a foggy forest that enveloped in a blanket of mist that thickened the further it stretched, offering no visible limit as one could go. It is teemed with various life forms. Lived to hide, and to hunt¡ªthe stupid, and the vulnerable¡ªbecomes the prey for whatever comes from the top, with everyone competing for the top of the hill. Amongst the village¡ªwas a child who was adorned in an array of clothing, and she was the favorite, as she was the only child in her family. Her family''s devotion was centered around her like a guardian protecting a queen''s throne, as they saw her as a precious being who required protection and nurturing. On this particular day¡ªher parents were busy doing their drudgery and there was no one home but the child. They were doing their chores and toils. The child woke up, it was very late¡ªHer bedroom was small, covered by polychromatic papers and warm pelage all over it, there was no window, so she could not tell the sun''s shine. As the child rubbed her eyes with her tiny clenching fist¡ªflinging off the boogers from her eye¡ªshe sank down onto her oversized bed, a small whimper escaping her lips and she happily waddled around the room with her little fluffy toy. She then lay down the fuzzy toy on a wooden fun-sized chair, corrected it thoroughly as if it precisely seated the way she imagined it to be¡ªShe let out a little smooch on its nose¡ªShe raised her little arms, as well as her pointy finger and muttered to the little toy in a childish tone, with a blend of high-pitch chime, "Now don''t you leave this home! Or you will be taken by bad guys." She goes outside her home because there was nothing to do¡ªshe then shut the door by pressing against it with her little body as she could not reach its knob. Once outside, in front of her home¡ªshe inhaled the refreshing breeze infused with the laughter and cries of other children. A warm smile spread across her face¡ªlike a sunflower basking in the radiant sunshine. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. As she turned around, ready to leave the fray. She saw a man, he was no human, though he still had a body akin to a human, like a demon. He features a dark and vivid stature¡ªHe stared at the child, his hands clasped behind his body. So tall as a tree, skinnier as its trunk¡ªHe fixated his gaze upon her¡ªas he grabbed a notepad from his pockets and checked it¡ªHe returned it to his pockets again and spoke in a calm tone, "Hello there, beautiful child." As the child''s head slowly raised, taking her a while to see the towering demon, her eyes locked onto his face¡ªHer tiny arms waved playfully at him and replied, "Hello." As the demon lowered his arms, putting them both at his sides¡ªhis gaze swept across the surroundings from the right to the left before settling upon the little child before him¡ªbut there was no one present as it felt like an empty hall where it is the least-liked spot¡ªHe spoke, like a whispering mist, his voice again with a calm and measured tone, issued a question, "May I ask on what you are doing on this lovely day?" The child''s eyes followed the same direction as the demon¡ªher small head tilted slightly, from the right and to left¡ªShe then let out a soft murmuring sound and gazed again at the demon, she answered with a hint of shyness, "I''m gonna be playing with my friends." The demon''s words once again, were slow and deliberate, as if the syllables were forming in the shadows themselves¡ªHis calmness was evident anew as if he had uttered these words countless times before, "But aren''t I a friend?" The child replied back to him¡ªboth of her little hands clasping together before her slight utter, "Everyone''s my friend." Once again, without a moment''s hesitation, the demon returned to his familiar stance, crossing his arms behind his back anew¡ªHis calm, echoey response was accompanied by a still composure, as if he were completely at ease in the child''s little presence, "Of course. Would you like to have fun with me?" As the child ceased her small waves, the air became filled with a short silence¡ªYet the child remained undeterred¡ªshe finally broke the quiet, her words breathing with a slight excitement, with her shyness still intact, "Sure, you can play with my other friends." The demon remained motionless, his legs planted firmly in place¡ªHis voice held a serene tone as if he uttered a lullaby that could easily make a group of children fall asleep with just his little tales¡ªHe calmly spoke, "You played with them too many times now, how about just the two of us? We could play something new and fun." The child glanced to her right¡ªher gaze lingering for a moment before shifting her little head back to the demon. With a tiny nod¡ªshe accepted the demon''s words¡ªShe then took short little steps from the stairs of her home, now revealing her actual extent compared to the demon''s¡ªShe was merely petite, very much¡ªLike a massive father carrying his newborn with only his palms. The demon then reached his hands to her¡ªand she as well held the demon''s palms without hesitantly contemplating it¡ªThe duo then set foot to the left side of her home, their feet synchronizing with the cobbles, planks, and finally the grass each time they step¡ªWith the child, only glaring forward, while the demon kept staring at the child. Chapter II - The Little Lamb. II "Soft, woolen lamb upon the pasture roam. With innocent heart unspoiled by life''s cruel, cold foam. I lent her my palms and she gave me her hand. I brought her out of her flock and she did not bat an eye." With each synchronizing step, the two moved further away¡ªand away from the lands of the village, their footsteps taking them up into the gently sloping hills¡ªThe child halted in her tracks, turning to look back at her home, now a mere distant point in the landscape. The laughter and laughter of the children faded into silence¡ªthe chimes and chit-chat of adults were faded¡ªreplaced by the rustling leaves and sighing breeze of the forest. The fog within the forest dances slowly, up and down¡ªwhistling at them both in a soothing manner as if its luring them with its smell. Even shadows are obscured by its mist¡ªAnd light, could not even come through because the forest is tainted with countless leaves that the sun¡ªcould not even gleam its greenery with its radiant shine. The child glared at the demon with a concerned look, who was holding her tiny hand¡ªShe uttered to him as she slightly gripped his knuckles with her little hands, "Mama said I am not allowed to go far away from the house." The demon''s large hand moved to the top of the child''s head¡ªhis fingers gently running through her soft hair, leaving a trail of light caresses as he teased and tickled her little strands with feather-like motions¡ªAs he spoke, his gaze remained fixed upon the thicket of trees that stretched out before them¡ªhe replied to her yet again with a calm utter, "Only when you are alone, but you are not alone." The child, her heart filled with a hint of fear and intrigue¡ªcould not tear her gaze away from the forest that loomed before her¡ªShe was staring at it, and it stared back¡ªThere was a sense of unease in the back of her mind, a feeling that the dense greenery was staring back at her anew watching her every move¡ªWith a trembling voice, she spoke softly, her words laced with a hint of concern, "But the forest is so creepy, I''m scared." The demon moved his palms away from the child''s hair¡ªholding her head so lightly, but the child felt it rough¡ªHe spoke with ease of serenity, like a whisper¡ªbut with a hash sound, "I am scared too. The forest is filled with bears, but we should not be afraid no more, because we have each other, would you help a friend out?" The child looked at the demon again¡ªher small hands grasped tightly at the demon''s palms as she kept glaring at the abyss of the forest''s mist¡ªShe replied, it took her a while to utter her words, "There is nothing to play there. And I heard others like me are gone missing after stepping into the forest." The demon, standing still like a statue¡ªhis eyes locked with the child''s¡ªresponded coolly to her soft utterance¡ªHis voice, deep and measured, "Tittle-tattle, those missing children often have brave spirits to enter the forest and venture into the other world. Some are pungent and sometimes bland." The demon''s stomach growled slightly¡ªHe caressed it and touched the back of the child''s head and before the demon could speak¡ªthe child spoke first¡ªShe noticed the growl of his stomach and blurted out a question¡ªfilled with both surprise and concern, "Are you hungry, friend?" The demon¡ªhis hand still rubbed his stomach¡ªspoke in a soft and deep, rumbling voice, "Yes. but it is a good thing because it makes it even more fun if you think about it. The sense of being hungry, hungry for food, hungry for fun. Now I do not even know which one''s true." The demon''s palms, large and calloused¡ªslowly extended towards the child''s small, soft hand, encircling it gently in a firm grip. It was neither too tight nor too loose¡ªHe replied to the child, with a soothing calm utter, "Now, we must make the best of it until dawn falls, and I promise, it will be fun." The child raised her hand¡ªher small fist clenched tight, save for the tiny raised pinky¡ªShe adorably said to him, "Pinky promise?" The demon reciprocated by extending his own pinky finger¡ªlocking it with the child''s.¡ªThe demon looked down at the child and spoke, "Pinky promise." And with that, the two finally stepped foot into the forest and pushed past the bushes that marked the entrance to it¡ªaround them was enveloped in a thick haze¡ªbut thankfully, the path they traversed was somewhat clearer¡ªallowing them to see more and venture further into the dense foliage¡ªAfter an eerie silence, the child broke the tension and said, holding the demon''s palms so tightly, The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Should we play hide-and-seek here?" The demon replied¡ªstill walking and holding the child''s little hands, "If only we could, but I could not really see you. We should play a more, fun game." The demon continued his musings¡ªglaring at each foliage of the trees, "It''s called, ''helping''. It is much more fun and also gives you a very great lesson, lessons that those who know of, ignore of it. The child uttered¡ªHer gaze flickered from one side of the path to the other, "But there is no one to help here." The demon responded¡ªshifted his gaze beneath the ground, "Everyone needs a little help sometimes in their lives, even if they don''t need it. A tree wouldn''t grow without a drip of water, even if it doesn''t ask to, it still needs it." The child only said and stared at the demon¡ªher little head couldn''t even get to see the full portrait of the demon''s face, "They do?" The demon, his pace unwavering, continued walking along the forest path¡ªfirmly holding onto the child''s little hand¡ªThe child added as she stared behind her¡ªher home no longer be seen as it was covered by the fog, "Where are we going, friend? I think we are so far from the house." The demon replied¡ªhe halted his tracks for a while and spoke to the child¡ªwith a slight poetic tone in the words he breathed, "Nowhere, we are just venturing to find creatures that need our help, it could be far, or near. Could be there, or here." The demon then grabbed his pockets and checked his notes¡ªThen he brought it back to his patch again and said, "If you do not want to do it anymore, we could just return back." The child did not speak for a while¡ªshe kept staring behind her and looked at the demon adorably¡ªher eyes widening and then clasped her little hands, "But we are already far away from the house." After a serene silence, the child heard a noise¡ªsome sort of a rhyme, a critter''s noise, ''baa, baa'' from afar away¡ªobscured by the fog¡ªThe demon, standing next to the child shifted his eyes to the noise, that was crying for help¡ªHe spoke as he pointed where the noise materialized from, "Speak of the devil. Someone needs our help." The child replied¡ªshe began to tuck her hands very firmly in the demon''s leg¡ªAs if she is hugging a tree''s trunk, "But where is it?" The demon caressed the child''s head¡ªproviding a soothing suggestion, "We could go where it came from." And so did the two step foot far more away¡ªcoming from the source of the noise, as they venture deep and deeper through the forest¡ªthe winds breeze like a windmill''s force, with a hint of the same noise¡ªbeginning to be louder and louder. Eventually¡ªthey spotted a little, soft and woolen lamb¡ªboth of its legs were folded in the middle of the unknownity of the forest, lying beneath the greenery¡ªIt kept bleating and bleating, calling for its mother, crying for help as the winds blow through its fur¡ªmaking it slightly tremble from either of fear, or the cold. Perhaps, it''s both. The demon said to the child and pointed at the little lamb¡ªwhich also made the lamb notice their presence and it bleated louder and louder, "A lamb, lost from its flock in the middle of a breezing forest. It is too cold for its fur to protect it." The child uttered¡ªher voice is tainted with curiosity and also a hint of fear in her, "Where is her mother? Isn''t her fur for the cold?" The demon replied¡ªgesturing his arms for the child to approach the little lamb, "Well, its mother could not save it for now, nor its fur. How about we lend it a hand?" The lamb keeps bleating¡ªits fur fuzzling in the wind''s air¡ªThe child hesitated to approach the little lamb and said to the demon, "How? I am not allowed to put animals in my house or keep it." The demon looked around in the forest¡ªthe view was obscured by its mist. Perhaps, any threat could lunge towards them and eat them¡ªHe then spoke to the child, "We cannot let it stay here or it''ll be eaten by the bears or wolves, lurking in the forest''s world." The child also looked around¡ªshe gasped and pointed her little fingers to the left¡ªThere in the area¡ªwas a huge cave, its chambers covered by gray rocks¡ªskirted by shadows¡ªbut blocking the wind''s flowing breeze¡ªShe exclaimed as she wiggled her little arms, "There, is a cave. Maybe he will help the lamb?" The demon then began to caress the child''s little hair¡ªand then patted it which affectionately made the child relax¡ªHe congratulated the child, "What a good idea, little one." The child slowly approached the little lamb¡ªshe held her tightly¡ªher cloth girdling at the lamb''s fur¡ªShe then gazed at the demon and showed him the lamb¡ªas she caressed the cold fur of the lamb''s¡ªHer little arms hinting a slight struggle at lifting the lamb. The two set foot to enter the entrance of the cave¡ªthe child, still holding the lamb¡ªno longer bleated, the lamb had a relaxing and calm behavior, showing no signs of resist¡ªThe child slowly and carefully placed the little lamb inside the cave like its an artifact¡ªunscathed¡ªShe said as she placed the lamb¡ªshe felt great adorableness on the little lamb, "What should we do now?" The demon patted the child''s head anew, And observed the chambers of the cave¡ªThe cave was small¡ªit felt like it was just a temporary home for animals in its domain¡ªBut it still served as a temporary shelter for the little lamb, and those who need it¡ªThe demon spoke as he looked upon the child, "Its mother will just find it, like how every mother is. the good thing is, is that it is safe from the dangers and the cold. You did a great job." The child slowly dropped to her knees and petted the little lamb¡ªShe gave her a fuzzling and adorable bleat as an exchange for the little child''s petting. Its furry head scratching on the little child''s tiny hands¡ªThe child giggled so lightheartedly and looked at the demon and said, "I think she likes me!" The demon replied back¡ªHis hands clasped behind him, and with a tone of serenity in it, like a stoic being¡ªnever showed a face, "Of course, they do." He then caressed his palms on the little child''s shoulders¡ªAnd said to her ear¡ªwhile she was still staring at the lamb, "Let us venture more, little one. Time''s ticking, and it does not wait for us." The child glared at the lamb for a while¡ªand the lamb reciprocated and it gave a last ''baa'' on the little child and the demon as they both walked away from the cave¡ªBack on the path, the atmosphere shifted as the fog grew denser around them¡ªswirling and billowing like a storm on the horizon¡ªWith each step, the visibility became more obscured¡ªmaking it harder to see what lay ahead.