BLACK JAGUAR

006 BLACK JAGUAR

Anindira accepted the young man's gentle treatment without any refusal. Amid the gloomy and dark forest, the sound of night insects and the howling of either dogs or wolves were added. The forest that afternoon still looked magnificent even though it had revealed its gloom. Now, this dark forest became even more horrifying, even the shrill voices of owls and crows sounded out of nowhere as they echoed one another in the vastness of the wilderness.

Aninda's body trembled. Not only because it was cold, but she was really scared because she was horrified by the gloomy and scary atmosphere of the giant forest, but the sincere look of the young man in front of her made Anindira feel comfortable and calm.

''Are you afraid?'' asked the young man when he saw Anindira, who was nervously trembling while her eyes were glancing here and there.

Anindira could only stare at the young man with a pitiful face. She stared at him sharply with furrowed brows, trying to understand what the young man was trying to say.

''Don't be afraid!'' cried the young man, smiling at Anindira while rubbing her head, ''I'm here to take care of you,'' cried the young man in a very soft voice, while looking at Anindira with a serene face.

''This...'' said the young man while holding up a tree branch, ''So you can sleep comfortably...'' added the young man while picking leaves from the branch he was holding.

The young man was seen wringing the leaves and then trying to rub them on Anindira's body. What the young man did surprised Anindira and shifted slightly. She reflexively avoided it. The young man was also surprised by Anindira's behavior, who was suddenly wary of him. However, when she smelled the essential aroma, Anindira realized that the leaves had the function of repelling mosquitoes.

Anindira realized the young man was glaring at her because of his sudden alertness just now. Seeing that, Anindira smiled and immediately put out her hand to smear the crushed leaves. It was only when the leaf was lightly squeezed that it touched her skin, Anindira's face immediately grimaced, and there were even tears coming out of the corners of her eyes.

"Ahh... Ouch... It hurts..." said Anindira, complaining of pain with a trembling voice.

"Hurt?" asked the young man, who immediately withdrew his hand which was rubbing the crushed skin of eucalyptus leaves onto Anindira's hand.

Even though his face was flat and expressionless, Anindira could see clearly, the look in his eyes that looked worried.

"I'll find someone else..." said the young man. He was about to turn around but was stopped by Anindira.

"AHH! SIR..." shouted Anindira while grabbing the sturdy hand of the young man who was getting up, "Sir, wait!... Wait a moment!" Anindira shouted, her hand still holding the young man's wrist, "Let me see those leaves!" Anindira shouted again, pointing to the leaves that were still intact, and then raised her hand.

"This?!" asked the young man while lifting a pile of twigs filled with leaves, "Um..." Anindira replied, nodding with a smile.

Anindira received the leaves and examined them, looked at them, and smelled the aroma, she then tore them a little and licked the taste.

''That's right... these are eucalyptus leaves,'' she thought to herself. Knowing this, a sweet smile was etched on Anindira's face, "It's okay... It hurts because my body is full of abrasions. Well, it will speed up wound healing and avoid infection,'' said Anindira, explaining, ''Huft... '' just now a smile etched on her face, but quickly disappeared, replaced by Anindira's long sigh with a disappointed expression, ''Remembering that unfortunately... Me too, it seems like I won't be able to go to the hospital..." Anindira said, showing a bitter smile on her face, especially when she mentioned the hospital. Her face looked a little wrinkled.

The young man could only remain silent, he did not understand what Anindira was saying, but his face changed slightly when he saw Anindira's face creased. The change in emotion was reflected in the look in the young man's eyes. In response to Anindira, she smiled. She was sincerely grateful for the young man's concern.

"Don't worry!" Anindira called out to the young man, slapping his wrists calmly.

Anindira took the leaf that had been crushed by the young man and rubbed it on her body while grimacing and sometimes she could be heard complaining to hold back the pain. She couldn't hold back her tears finally flowing. Between really holding back the pain in her skin, or indeed the overflow of emotions in her heart that she had been holding back from earlier.

The young man was surprised to see Anindira crying. He raised Anindira's face with a confused expression and tried to take the crushed leaves in Anindira's hands. However, Anindira immediately cupped the young man's hand with both of her hands, her eyes filled with tears but her lips smiled with her gaze directed directly into the eyeballs of that young man.

"It's okay..." said Anindira, then took a few breaths, "It's okay..." repeated Anindira, "Don't worry!" Anindira cried with a pitiful face while shaking her head.

"Hehehe..." a strange laugh formed on Anindira's pitiful face, "It hurts a little... Just a little... Just a little... Soon it will be healed... Don't worry!" Anindira shouted, repeating her words, smiling and the strange laughter that accompanied it, with tears in her eyes.

Seeing Anindira shedding tears while smiling a forced smile, made the young man's heartache. Don't know what he saw of Anindira now, however, he seemed to feel deep sorrow for Anindira. Anindira, who had kept trying to smile since earlier, looked sad in the young man's eyes now.

The young man wanted to tell Anindira to just cry to her heart's content, but, what can he say, he couldn't communicate well with Anindira.

In the end, the youth only sat closer, then lifted Anindira onto his lap. Soon after, he stroked her head. The young man did not understand what was wrong with Anindira, nor did he understand every word Anindira said. But, as a human being as well as a man, he had instincts. An instinct that is naturally present in a man.

''She needs attention, this is what he has to do!'' he thought in his heart.

Anindira was surprised when she was lifted onto the young man's lap, but his lap was so comfortable, even very comfortable. Anindira was reluctant to think about all kinds of things and didn't care anymore. Her heart exploded, and she finally cried uncontrollably, overflowing all the emotions in her heart.

The young man just kept quiet and didn't say anything, his hands just kept stroking his back. A few hours later, after being satisfied crying, she finally, Anindira fell asleep comfortably in the young man's lap.

**

The sun had already shown itself earlier, now the heat was starting to feel on the skin. Anindira blinked her eyes, waking up from her deep sleep. Her consciousness was still not fully collected. She replayed last night's events. If she had white skin she would look blushed by now.

She remembered last night's incident, crying and wailing in the lap of the young man she had just met. He didn't even know the young man's name. Remembering the incident, she wished it had all been a dream, but when she woke up, she felt aches and pains in her body. There were crumbs of dried eucalyptus leaves around it. Finally, she had to be able to accept it. This is reality. Yesterday's incident happened. Her body ached here and there, but she slept very comfortably like she wasn't sleeping on a hard, rough log.

''Emmhh... Ahh... This is comfortable...'' said Anindira when she woke up from her sleep while stretching to her heart's content, ''AH!... Sir, thank you all night... "Anindira's words immediately stopped, with her mouth still gaping wide.

Anindira's eyes widened almost out of her eye sockets, along with her heart beating fast. Her heartbeat raced with the rush of blood rushing straight up to her head. She was shocked to the point of barely breathing. Her body was stiff. In less than a minute, her face was deathly pale and frightened, and shock exploded instantly in her heart and mind. She was so scared, Anindira didn't even dare to blink, even just swallowed her saliva, she couldn't.

A large creature with blue eyes, with jet black fur that had been Anindira's bed rest. Or rather, perhaps since last night. A black Jaguar was in front of Anindira now. A big Jaguar that was even twice the size of the black Jaguar that Anindira knew.

"Ja-jag-jag... JAGUARRR!!!" Anindira exclaimed haltingly.