by Collen Houck
He was gone when I woke up and returned around lunchtime as I was brushing out my hair.
“Here, Kells. I brought you something.” He held out three mangos.
“Thanks. Uh, dare I ask…where did you get them from?”
“Monkeys.”
I stopped in midbrush. “Monkeys? What do you mean monkeys?”
“Well…monkeys don’t like tigers around because tigers eat monkeys. So, when a tiger does come around, they jump up in the trees and pummel the tiger with fruit,or feces; lucky for me it was the fruit.”
I gulped. “Did you…eata monkey?”
He grinned at me. “Well, a tiger does have to eat.”
I dug a rubber band out of the backpack so I could braid my hair. “Ugh…that’s disgusting!”
He laughed. “No, I didn’t eat a monkey; I’m just teasing you. Monkeys are gross. They taste like…meaty tennis balls, and they smell like feet.” He paused, “Now a nice juicy deer…thatis delectable.”
He smacked his lips together in an exaggerated way.
“I don’t think I really need to hear about your hunting.”
“Really? I quite enjoy hunting.”
He froze in place, then, almost imperceptibly, he lowered his body slowly to a crouch and balanced on the balls of his feet. He placed a hand in the grass in front of him and began to creep closer to me. He was tracking me, hunting me. His eyes locked on mine and pinned me to the spot where I was standing.
He was preparing to spring. His lips were pulled back in a wide grin, which showed his brilliant white teeth. He looked…feral .
He spoke in a silky, mesmerizing voice, “When you’re stalking your prey, you must freeze in place and hide, remaining that way for a long time. If you fail, your preyeludes you.” He closed the distance between us in a heartbeat. Even though I’d been watching him closely, I was startled at how fast he could move. My pulse started thumping wildly at my throat, which was where his lips now hovered as if he
were going for my jugular.
He brushed my hair back and moved up to my ear, whispering, “And you will go…hungry.” His words were hushed. His warm breath tickled my ear and made goose bumps fan out all over my body.
I turned my head slightly to look at him. His eyes had changed. They were a brighter blue than normal and were studying my face. His hand was still in my hair, and his eyes drifted down to my mouth. I had the distinct impression that this was what it felt like to be a deer.
He was making me nervous. I blinked and swallowed dryly. His eyes darted back up to mine again. He must have sensed my apprehension because his expression changed. He removed his hand from my hair and relaxed his posture. “I’m sorry if I frightened you, Kelsey. It won’t happen again.”
He took a step back, and I started breathing again.
I said shakily, “Well, I don’t want to hear any more about hunting. It freaks me out. The least you could do is not tell me about it…especiallywhen I have had to spend time with you out-doors, okay?”
He laughed. “Kelsey, we all havesome animalistic tendencies. I loved hunting, even when I was young.”
I shuddered. “Fine. Just keep your animalistic tendencies to yourself.”
He leaned toward me again and pulled on a strand of my hair. “Now, Kells, there aresome of my animalistic tendencies that you seem to like.” He started making a rumbling sound in his chest, and I realized that he was…purring!
“Stop that!” I sputtered.
He laughed, walked over to the backpack, and picked up the fruit. “So, do you want any of this fruit or not? I’ll wash it for you.”
“Well, considering you carried it in your mouth all that way just for me…and taking into account the source of said fruit… not really. But I guess Icould eat some of the inside.”
He looked up at me. “It’s not freeze-dried.”
“Okay. I’ll take some.”
He washed the fruit, peeled off the outside with a knife, and sliced off segments for me. We sat next to each other and enjoyed the fruit. It was juicy and delicious, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing I liked it.
“Ren?” I licked the juice from my fingers and took another piece.
“Yes?”
“Is it safe to swim by the waterfall?
“Sure. It should be safe enough. This place used to very special to me. I came here all the time to escape the pressures of palace life and to have time to be alone and think.” He looked at me. “In fact, you’re the first person I’ve ever shown it to, other than my family and Mr. Kadam, of course.”
I looked at the beautiful waterfall and began to speak quietly, “There are dozens of waterfalls in Oregon.
My family used to take picnics and see them. I think we saw most of the falls in Oregon. I remember standing close to one watching it with my dad while the spray hit our faces.”
“Did any of them look like this one?”
I smiled. “Nope. This one’s unique. My favorite time to visit was in the winter, actually.”
“I’ve never seen a waterfall in the winter.”
“It’s beautiful. The water freezes as it falls down the craggy mountains. The smooth rocks around the falls become slick with ice, and, as more water pours over them, icicles start to grow. The spiky ice slowly swells and lengthens as it creeps down the hill, stretching and crackling and breaking until the icy tips touch the water below in long, thick, twisted ropes. The water that’s still moving seeps…dribbling over the icicles slowly and glazing it in shiny layers. The surrounding hills are lush with evergreens, which
are sometimes tipped with snow.”
He responded, “It sounds amazing, but cold. The water here doesn’t freeze.” He squeezed my fingers.
“Kelsey…I’m sorry your parents are gone.”
“Me too. Thanks for sharing your waterfall with me.” We smiled at each other for a few seconds until I cleared my throat. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a bit of privacy so I can change into my swimsuit.”
He stood and bowed to me dramatically. “Never let it be said that Prince Alagan Dhiren denied the request of a beautiful lady.” He washed his sticky hands in the pool, then changed to a tiger and trotted off into the jungle.
I gave him some time to move off, then changed into my swimsuit, and dove into the water.
It was crystal clear, and it quickly cooled my hot, sweaty skin. It felt delicious. After swimming around in
the pool for a while and exploring the borders of it, I swam to the falls and found a rock to sit on just under the spray. I let the water pound over my body in icy cold blasts. Later, I scooted over to the sunny side of the rock and folded my legs up out of the water. Pulling my wet hair over my shoulder, I let the sun warm me.
I felt like a mermaid looking over her tranquil domain. It was so peaceful and pleasant here. With the blue water, the green trees, and the butterflies fluttering here and there, it was like a scene right out ofA Midsummer Night’s Dream . I could even picture the fairies flitting from flower to flower.
Just then, Ren galloped out of the jungle and took a flying leap. His white tiger body landed with a splat right in the middle of the pool, sending rippling waves over to lap against my rock.
“Hey,” I said when he surfaced, “I thought tigers hated the water.”
He paddled over to me and swam around in circles, showing me that tigersdid know how to swim.
Darting his big head under the falls, he swam behind them and over to my rock. Pulling himself up behind
me, he violently shook out his fur like a dog. Water sprayed in every direction, including all over me.
“Hey, I was drying off!”
I slid back in the water and swam out to the center of the pool. He jumped in again too, and paddled around me in circles while I splashed him, laughing. He dove under me and stayed underwater for a long time. Finally, he surfaced, leapt on top of a rock, and jumped into the air to belly flop into the water right
next to me.
We played in the water until I started to get tired. I swam back over to the falls again and stood in the stream with my arms raised, letting it fall all around me.
I heard a pop and a thump above me. A few rocks fell down in the water right next to me with a plop and a splash. As I started to move out of the falls, a rock thumped me on the back of my head. My eyelids fluttered and closed as my body slumped into the cool water.
CHAPTER 14
“Kelsey!Kelsey! Open your eyes!”
Someone was shaking me…hard. All I wanted to do was fall back into the peaceful black sleep, but the voice was desperate, insistent.
“Kelsey, listen to me! Open your eyes,please !”
I tried to crack open my eyes, but it hurt. The sunlight was causing a painful pounding in my head.What an awful headache! My mind finally started to clear, and I recognized our campground and Ren, who was kneeling next to me. His wet hair was slicked back, and he had an expression of concern on his beautiful face.
“Kells, how do you feel? Are you okay?”
I intended to answer him with a really good sarcastic retort, but, instead, I choked and began coughing up water. I inhaled a deep breath, heard a crackly wetness in my lungs, and began coughing some more.
“Here. Turn on your side. It helps to get the water out. Let me help you.”
He pulled me toward him so that I was resting on my side. I coughed up some more water. He took off his wet shirt and folded it, gently lifted me, and placed it under my sore head. Unfortunately, my head hurt too much to appreciate his bare chest. His bronzed…sculpted…muscular…bare chest.Well, I guess I
was still able to appreciate it a little. Sheesh, I’d have to be dead not to appreciate something thatnice, especially as it was now directly in front of my face. I winced as his hand brushed against my head.
“You’ve got a major bump here.”
I reached up to feel the giant lump on the back of my skull. I gingerly touched it and recalled the source of my headache.I must have lost consciousness when the rock hit me. Ren saved my life…again. I looked up at him. He was kneeling next to me with a look of desperation on his face, and his body was shaking. I realized that he must have changed to a man, dragged me out of the pool, and then remained by my side until I woke up.Who knows how long I’ve been laying here unconscious.
“Ren, you’re in pain. You’ve been in this form too long today.”
He shook his head in denial, but I saw him grit his teeth.
I pressed my hand on his arm. “I’ll be okay. It’s just a bump on the head. Don’t worry about me. I’m sure Mr. Kadam has some aspirin tucked away in the backpack. I’ll just take that and lie down to rest for a while. It’ll be alright.”
He trailed his finger slowly from my temple to my cheek and smiled softly. When he pulled back, his whole arm shook and tremors rippled under the surface of his skin.
“Kells, I…” His face tightened. He threw his head to the side, snarled angrily, and morphed to a tiger again. He softly growled, then quieted, and drew close beside me. He lay down next to me and watched me carefully with his alert blue eyes. I stroked his back, partly to reassure him and partly because it soothed me too.
I stared up through the dappled trees and willed my headache to subside. I knew that I would have to move eventually, but I really didn’t want to. He purred softly, and the comforting sound actually helped my headache. Sighing deeply, I got up, knowing that I’d be more comfortable if I changed my clothes.
I sat up delicately, slowly, while breathing deeply, hoping that by moving cautiously the nausea would dissipate and the world would stop spinning. Ren lifted his head, alert to my efforts.
“Thank you for saving me,” I whispered as I stroked his back. I kissed the top of his furry head. “What would I do without you?”
Zipping open the backpack, I found a small box that contained a variety of medications, including aspirin. I popped a couple in my mouth and swallowed a mouthful of the bottled water. Pulling out my dry clothes, I turned to Ren. “Okay, here’s the deal. I’d like to change back into my regular clothes, so if you would head off into the jungle again for a few minutes, I would appreciate it.”
He growled at me, sounding a bit angry.
“I’m serious.”
He glowered at me.
I rested my palm against my forehead and held on to a nearby tree to steady my wobbly legs. “I need to change, and you arenot staying here to watch me.”
He growled at me again, a little more insistent this time, and stared me down. I stared right back and pointed to the jungle. He finally got up, but then he padded into the tent and lay down on my blanket.
His
head faced inward while his tail twitched back and forth outside the opening.
I sighed and winced after turning my head too quickly.I guess that’s the best I’m going to get out of him.
Stubborn tiger.
I decided that I could live with his compromise, but I kept an eye on his flicking tail as I pulled my clothes on.
I felt a little better after changing into dry clothes. The aspirin started working, and my head throbbed less, but it was still tender. I decided that I’d rather sleep than eat, so I skipped dinner but made hot cocoa. Carefully making my way around our campsite, I added a couple of logs in the fire pit and put the water on to boil. I crouched down, working the fire for a while with a long branch to get it crackling again
and got out a packet of hot chocolate mix. Ren watched every move I made.
I dismissed him. “I’m fine…really. Go off on one of your scouting trips or whatever.”
He just sat there and stared at me.
“I’m serious.” I spun my finger in a circle. “Go circle the grounds. Look for your brother. I’ll just gather some firewood and go to bed.”
He still wouldn’t move and made a noise that sounded slightly like a whining dog.
I laughed and petted his head. “You know, despite appearances, I’m usually pretty good at taking care of myself.”
He harrumphed and sat beside me. I leaned against his shoulder and mixed my hot chocolate.
Before the sun set, I gathered wood and drank a bottle of water. When I crawled into my tent, Ren followed me. He stretched out his paws, and I carefully positioned my head on them so it didn’t hurt. I heard a deep tiger sigh, and he settled his head next to mine. When I woke up the next morning, my head was still cushioned on Ren’s soft paws, but I’d turned and buried my face in his chest and had thrown my
arm around his neck, cuddling him close like he was a giant stuffed animal.
I pulled away a little awkwardly. As I got up to stretch, I cautiously felt my lump and was happy to find it greatly reduced. I felt much better. Famished, I broke out some granola bars and a package of oatmeal. I heated enough water over the fire again to pour into my oatmeal and make another cup of hot chocolate. After breakfast, I told Ren to head off on patrol and that I was going to wash my hair.
He waited for a while, watching my movements until he felt reassured, then took off, and left me to fend
for myself. I grabbed a small bottle of biodegradable shampoo that Mr. Kadam had included for me; the soap smelled like strawberries. He’d even included conditioner.
Changing into my swimsuit, shorts, and sneakers, I hiked down to my sunning rock. Staying on the edge
of the falls, well away from the place I’d been hit by falling rocks, I gently wet and soaped through my hair. Leaning slightly into the sparkling water, I let it softly rinse out the bubbles. The cool water felt good
on my sore head.
Moving over to the sunny side of the rock, I sat down to brush out my hair. When I was done, I set down my brush, closed my eyes, and turned my face toward the early morning sun, letting it warm me and dry my hair. This place was a paradise, no question about it. Even with a bump on the head and my dislike of camping, I could appreciate the beauty of my surroundings.
It was not that I didn’t appreciate nature
. In fact, I liked spending time outdoors with my parents when I was growing up. It was just that I always enjoyed sleeping in my own bedafter appreciating nature.
Ren came back around midday and sat by me companionably while we ate our freeze-dried lunches. It was the only time I’d ever seen him eat as a man other than the mango fruit. Afterward, I rooted around in my bag for my book of poetry. I asked Ren if he’d like me to read to him. He’d changed back into a tiger, and I didn’t hear a growl or another type of tiger protest, so I grabbed my book of poetry and sat down with my back resting against the big rock. He padded over next to me and surprised me by changing back to a man. He flipped over and laid his head in my lap before I could get a word in, then he
sighed deeply and closed his eyes.
I laughed and said, “I guess that means yes?”
Keeping his eyes closed, he mumbled, “Yes, please.”
I flipped through my book to pick a poem to read. “Ah, this one seems appropriate. I think you’ll like it.
It’s one of my favorites, and it’s also written by Shakespeare, the same guy who wroteRomeo and Juliet
.”
I began reading. I held the book with one hand and absentmindedly stroked Ren’s hair with the other.
Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer’s Day?
by William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.