Chapter 6 The Tiger

• "So, Veronica, I thought I made myself clear the last time we spoke in the kitchen?" Syndee enunciated after a few minutes of galloping in the forest, passing through out trees and hills.
• The Gallahan estate stretches out miles and miles away, succumbing to the range of the greeneries were currently in.
• I glanced at Syndee as my horse slowed down to a halt. "Syndee. It's—it's not like what you think it is. Mason—I mean, Mr. Gallahan doesn't have anything to do with me." I raised and shook my hands to emphasize what I mean. I don't know what she's being too worried about. She's got it all; grace, money, beauty—everything. Does she really feel threatened by some broke woman who just got cheated on by his ex-fiance?
• "Do you know. . ." Syndee trailed off. I can't help but stare at her, she looks like a Goddess with the breeze blowing her hair and the sunset shining down on her gloriously. If we were in a novel, she might be the main character.
• Damn, she even smells like blueberry cologne.
• "—do you know why Mason cancelled the engagement between us?" She looked at me anticipating an answer. I shook off my daze and tried to concentrate on what she was asking me.
• The reason why Mason cancelled out the engagement?
• Syndee seemed like she's not even waiting for my answer. "Beside the fact that he simply doesn't like arranged marriage, he also has feelings for his childhood love, and he seems pretty loyal to her, honestly." She said, staring into nothing in particular.
• Mason? Sticking to his first love? Really? That ruthless billionaire? Impossible.
• "You can't believe it? Me too." She mumbled as she played with the tiny strands of her black hair. The horses already stopped. Were in a wide clearing filled with hills and tress twice the amount from earlier. Everything seems eerie in here. If you look close enough, you'll see mist combing the tree trunks, hiding everything that is probably lurking in there.
• It was near dawn. I woke up late noon and it's most likely 5 p.m by now. I glanced at Syndee and she seems to be deep in thought. "Uh, Syndee?" I called out to her. She perked up and looked at my way. "Hm?" She seems restless, like looking out for something.
• "How about we head back?" I suggested. The night is coming and I don't think I am pretty happy with us hidden deep in the woods, without any phones, and help. We're going to die immediately if we stay here longer. Before I could ask Syndee again, she scoffed, "Psh, don't chicken out now, Veronica! The race didn't even start yet!" Her eyes seem to have some disturbing gleam but I ignored it. She's a saint incarnate. She can't possibly have any dark thoughts.
• "I don't—'' I glanced at the misty forest once again. The white fog seems closer than when I looked at it a minute ago. I looked back at Syndee again, "I don't think that's a good idea." I uttered.
• "You're such a scaredy-cat! Come on." She said and led us to the dark woods. She's probably an expert, she looks like she had already grown up with this so I'm in good hands, right? We rode for a quiet five minutes, hearing the crickets as we went deeper.
• "Okay." Syndee pulled the reins on her horse so I mimicked the movement with Maximus as we halted in an area that divides itself into two paths. Syndee pointed to the other one on the right. It's filled with tall dark trees that looks like it leads to something scary. "I'll take this path," she stated and pointed with the other one, this one looks like a shortcut back to the manor. "You take that one." She said and glanced at me, smiling. I nodded.
• "How is this a race though? We're both taking different roads." I asked. She looked at me, "Nope! Both ends to the same place. That's the thrill, we're going to find the end of the road and who gets there first, wins." She beamed and with her two fingers on her forehead, she gave me a salute. "See you there, Veronica!" and her white horse galloped on the path she told me she'll take.
• I inhaled and gulped as I whipped Maximus' reigns. As I was going through the whole road, I noticed that it leads to a longer path. It's like it stretches more as I take more of its place. The good look I had with it earlier seems like a false alarm as mist surrounded the entire forest.
• I tilted my head back and looked at the dark sky. I've been riding for a whole thirty minutes now. I jumped out of Maximus and led him to a pond nearby. Even the water looks suspicious. I caressed Maximus' nozzle and saw something on his nose. . . powder?
• Maximus suddenly made a sound as his nozzle collided with the water. He lifted himself up with two feet and wailed, and sneezed, and wailed some more. He suddenly shook his head and I backed away as I witnessed him go rampage, my heart was thumping in my chest as I was trying to calm him down.
• "Maximus!" I whispered-shouted at the same time but he seemed like he was high on drugs as he shook his head and cried. He suddenly panicked and looked around, and ran, ran so fast I couldn't keep up. My breath hitched as the mist ate the last bit of his trace and I was left alone in the forest.
• "Maximus! Come back here, boy!" I called out in the air, panting heavily from running. I looked at my surroundings and realized that help might be miles away from here. The night is enveloping the whole forest.
• I need warmth and food and a place to sleep if I want to survive in here. I debated whether to go after the black horse or simply find a way to survive this. It seems that I might have to choose option B.
• I want to cry.
• I sat on the ground as I grip my face. I don't know what to do for Pete's sake! I didn't train for this! Just then, a huge breeze wafted the air and a branch was swept to my feet. I picked it up and followed the trail of branches along the woods. I atleast need to start a fire if I want to survive. I walked through the mist and inhaled a deep breath.
• I came to a stop at the huge oak tree and my legs gave up. I stared at my arms and it's all filled with long and short branches. I piled them up like we did when my parents and I went on a camping trip when I was six.
• I took two rough-textured stones and scratched both of them as fast as I could. After a few minutes of scratching, some started to emit and I immediately put it under all the branches. I exhaled a deep breath of relief when the fire scattered around the woods.
• At least dad's teaching paid off. I have to call him to thank him when I come back.
• My stomach grumbled staching me away from my thoughts. Right, I still need to eat dinner. I looked around and saw a distant apple tree from afar. I covered the fire with more wood to let it stay.
• While I am walking, my mind drifts toward Syndee. I wonder where she is now. The path she took was far more scary than mine. Is she also somewhere out there? Picking out branches and looking for food?
• I halt at the sight of fresh fruits hanging from the tree. It's too high though. I took off my shoe and trusted my aiming skill to at least take down two or three apples. I jumped in victory when two fell. As I was picking the fruit, a slick sound reached my ears. I looked at my sock-covered foot and saw something gliding down the ground.
• I rubbed my eyes to make sure it's what I think it is. When it didn't disappear, I immediately backed up a step.
• It's a fucking snake! A Cobra at that!
• Goddamn, could this day get any worse? I threw one of the apples at it and immediately regretted that action. It bobbed its head up and a gills-like thing came out from the side of its head. It looks like I angered it more!
• "Good s-snake. . ." I said and took off. I shouted as loud as I could muster. Maybe it'll scare it away. Oh God, where have I gotten myself into? "Please, help!" I shouted but none came. How far am I from Mason's estate?!
• The hissing snake followed me for a good two minutes when it finally stopped. I'm afraid to look back. Maybe it hid and wants me to be curious enough to look for it. Can snakes even think about that?!
• I stopped for a few moments to take a breath when I heard leaves crunched beneath the ground behind me. My pants stopped and my heart beat thumped faster.
• What is it?
• I mustered up my courage to turn around but my eyes remained closed. Whatever it is, it's going to kill me. I'm going to die.
• I opened my eyes and started from the bottom to its head. A tiger. A fucking tiger. And it has the Cobra on its giant fangs.
• He dropped the limping reptile to the cold ground and roared at me so loud I had to step back. I don't think Katy Perry's Roar would match up to this. My hands are trembling so bad but I dared myself to look at the tiger. I'm never going to outrun him. His eyes seemed curious to me as well.
• The tiger? Curious? Damn, I'm going crazy.
• Something glimmered at its neck though. A tag. Like a dog tag. It's gold, like someone owned the creature in front of me. It looks like it's in pain.
• Would it eat me if I took a step back?
• I started to lift my feet and slowly took it back when he roared again so I withdrew that move and stayed still. He seemed satisfied and licked its paws, it suddenly whimpered like a cat.
• I glanced at its paws and saw the source of its agony. It was a splinter, the size of a branch. Maybe it won't eat me if i tried to help him.
• Without another thought, my feet moved on their own at the sight of a dangerous animal getting hurt. I took a step towards it and it roared at me but not that loud like before. I lifted my hand in the air to tell him that I'm no threat.
• When I was close enough I surveyed the splinter stuck in its giant paws and with strength, I pulled it out. The tiger wailed and licked its paws immediately.
• I saw an article that tigers are partly cats, and I love cats. Maybe it won't eat me after all. It roared again and I immediately stepped back and took one apple from the ground. I gave it to him and he sniffed it, but it immediately scrunched its nose in disgust.
• I smiled at its humane action.
• My heart resumed back to its normal rate and I suddenly felt confused. How the hell am I getting comfortable with a tiger in front of me?!
• I looked at my surroundings and saw the light from the camp fire in the distance. I bit one of the apples and strode towards the burning light. I'm glad it is still scorching as I made my way towards it.
• The tiger followed behind but I got a feeling that it's probably just tired and not hungry anymore. Think about it, it just saved me from that Cobra. When we came to the fire, I looked at it and stroked his head. Maybe he was just pained and was looking for help.
• He responded towards my hands. He circled one spot and the ground and propped down beside the fire. I sat beside it and leaned towards its warm fur.
• The cold air was breezing through the forest and my shoe was still missing. The tiger purred, telling me it's now asleep. I yawned in response and laid my head on the sleeping furball behind me.
• I don't know how I got here, but at least I met a tiger who didn't eat me.
• That was my last thought until the warmth of the creature's fur, plus the bonfire, seeped through my skin and enveloped me in the darkness.