Chapter 3 First Meeting

Chapter 003 First Meeting

''Is it just my feeling?'' Anindira muttered wonderingly while thinking about whether to continue forward or turn back, ''Why does it feel increasingly quiet?!''

Between conscious and unconscious, Anindira felt the strange atmosphere around her at this time. Although walking slowly because she still felt doubtful, Anindira slowly continued to step forward.

''Should I turn around... I feel something strange up ahead...'' Anindira complained, feeling the horror inside her getting thicker.

Anindira paused for a moment to gather her courage. Taking a deep breath before finally making up her mind.

''Never mind! I don't know anymore... Whatever I do now, there is absolutely no hint of what the consequences will be. Moving forward or turning back. It's unclear... right now there is only a positive thought that there is hope for a river up ahead. That's better than no hope at all... just staying here is the same as being trapped. Even if something happens, at least I tried.''

In the end, Anindira fought her fear. Although Anindira only had a little courage. But it was enough to make her feet regain their footing.

The hot summer did not prevent the cold temperatures carried by the wind from blowing towards Anindira. Anindira's body trembled as the wind continued to blow through Anindira's thin clothes.

''Uwah!'' Anindira screamed while rubbing her hands because she felt cold, ''It feels increasingly gloomy up ahead. I'm becoming more and more doubtful of my decision to keep going...''

''Come on, don't keep being distracted by unclear things. I'll only keep scaring myself if I continue like this...''

Anindira continued to mutter hopefully but also, at the same time, continued to struggle with anxiety in her heart.

''I really want to cry now, but I'm too scared to even shed tears. What can I do? I'm lost alone in the middle of nowhere forest. Right now, I really miss Gavin. Dad, Mom, can I meet you again?''

The feeling of horror that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, continued to envelop Anindira's mind. Right now in her brain there was a heated debate, her fear nerves firmly saying ...

''Don't go there!''

''It's scary...''

''It's gloomy and dark, don't you know what's waiting for you there?!''

But, one of her adventurous traits strongly opposed it.

Anindira was confused, thinking between the instincts in her heart and the logic in her brain. Both argued in her head, but her adventurous spirit finally won the hard debate in her mind.

''You know what, if you don't even try?!'' Anindira screamed to herself in her heart, ''Don't be a coward, experience is the best teacher to teach you!''

Anindira was still trying to encourage her heart not to give up hope.

''How long has it been?'' Anindira asked, ''It seems the day is getting dark. The silence of the forest will be even more terrifying when night falls. The darkness will make me an easy target for nocturnal predators. I must find a place to spend the night soon!''

Some time later, one of Anindira's questions was finally answered.

The faint sound of flowing water began to be heard by Anindira.

''Water!'' Anindira shouted, almost jumping with joy, ''There's no mistake, that's the sound of flowing water...'' Anindira added while speeding up her steps.

The thick fog made it impossible for Anindira to see clearly that the roar of the water that Anindira heard came from a very large river. The good thing is, Anindira's eyes could not reach the terrible and dangerous thing lurking across the river.

''Oh my, it's so cold...'' Anindira complained when she realized that the temperature in that place was incredibly cold. Unlike in the previous place, the cold temperature here felt very painful, as if piercing the marrow of her bones. Anindira's teeth chattered, indicating that she was shivering with cold.

''Huft... hufth... hufth...'' Anindira began to have difficulty breathing, her hands rubbing her chest which felt tight because it turned out that her body had difficulty adapting to the environmental conditions she had just entered, ''What is this, my chest is tight... is this a plateau?! Is the oxygen here too thin... if it's like this it's impossible for me to keep going...''

"STOP!''

A man's deep voice surprised Anindira. His voice sounded flat, but it felt like a sharp scream to Anindira.

"You could die if you keep going,'' said the man, adding his warning, ''You better go back to where you came from before!"

''A person's voice!'' shouted Anindira, who was surprised and happy when she heard the voice more clearly. Then there was indeed someone talking to her, ''I'm not hallucinating because of lack of oxygen, right?!''

''Hey, did you hear me?!'' asked the man again because Anindira did not immediately respond to him and instead mumbled something strange, according to him.

''That's really a person's voice!'' Anindira screamed in her heart while looking back, preparing to run to approach him, "Sir, help me..." Anindira called to the figure of the man behind her, but suddenly she was shocked, ''AH! HAH?!?!"

The feet that were ready to run froze instantly, as if frozen by the cold temperature. Anindira's mouth gaped with wide eyes. Anindira's short body made her eyes only slightly higher than the man's stomach, with a fierce appearance from his large body.

''I can't see it!'' Anindira screamed in her heart after lifting her head to see the man's face in front of her, ''Just the silhouette of his chin. I can't see his face...''

A handsome young man almost two meters tall stood tall in front of Anindira. His long black hair made his appearance even more obscure with the thick fog that blocked his vision. But his aura still felt thick and heavy, making Anindira intimidated.

''What the heck is this... will he be my savior or vice versa?!'' Anindira screamed in her heart, ''Just look, the cold is like this, but he's not even wearing clothes! He's only wearing bottoms made of... cloth or animal skin?! It doesn't look like it's sewn?! Just wrapped, tied... is this clothing or what? Is he a native? The accessories he wears clearly show that they are made of natural materials...''

''You're just going to stand there?!'' asked the young man in front of Anindira.

Anindira was shocked again, she was confused by what she had just heard.

''I don't know what you're thinking, but we had better get out of here soon, or you'll freeze to death before those in front of you get you...''

Anindira was still as confused as before. She didn't know how to respond to the young man in front of her.

''Huft,'' the young man snorted, sighing seeing how scared Anindira was of him, ''I know I'm quite scary but at least I won't hurt you,'' the young man added while extending his hand to guide Anindira, ''I want to help you, get you out of here.''

Anindira was still frozen with a confused face full of questions, staring at the young man whose face she couldn't see.