001: Selling her soul to the devil

The sound of the wolves howling filled the air with an eerie and spooky symphony of death. For a moment, a sense of regret and fear filled my heart. The howlings are loud and clear, and I am positively sure that they're very near to me right now. Didn't they say that wolf hunts in a pack? If that's the case, my fluffy bunny slippers and I have no chance at all running in the dark in the middle of nowhere. They have a strong nose and should be able to smell my whereabouts very soon too. Should I start preparing myself as a sacrifice to Demon Lord and sell my soul instead in exchange for a few more years to live?

I look down below at the ground filled with flowers.

"This won't do. Too flowery. I can't draw a pentagram here. Uhh… Whose blood should I offer? I don't even have the courage to prick my finger with a needle. I will pass out before I finish the pentagram. On the second thought, I don't even know how to draw the pentagram or cast a spell. Forget it."

The wolves start howling again, terrorizing the night and instilling fear to their prey – particularly me, Lumi. If they can smell fear, I will be the first catch of the night. I feel helplessly hopeless, especially when I'm in the wild. The jungle and I never get along well, I can easily find myself lost in the city even with GPS, let alone in the forest where everywhere looks the same – Green trees and foliage everywhere. Being alone in the forest at night, with my fluffy rabbit slippers is like playing a game in death mode!

I didn't sign up for this.

I definitely cannot run into the forest. That is equally the same as offering myself to the beast. I should have ventured this place earlier during the day instead of waiting for someone to pick me up. For the hundredth times, I just want to bang my head hard to the tree.

"That's it! I end up here as a result of banging my head onto the keyboard, maybe I can get out the same method?"

What a dangerous proposition – but at this rate, everything is plausible. I hold the tree with both of my hands, ready to bang my head as hard as possible. Or maybe with the same pressure I did when I banged my head on the keyboard earlier. Not too hard. I cannot risk myself of getting an amnesia.

"Okay, ready. One, two, three!"

Bang!

"Ouch! Ouch! Shit!"

I open my eyes, only to be disappointed. I'm still here, foolishly hugging a tree.

A rustling sounds of dry leaves and twigs can be heard coming towards my directions. A light, eerie footsteps coming forward and getting closer and closer. I feel like a helpless bunny. My non- existence tail tucked between my legs.

I have long rejected the idea of running. There is no way of hiding in the nose of a pack of wolves, its just a huge waste of energy. Now, I'm only left with two options, fight or climb the tree. Surely, wolf can't climb a tree, right? Worst case possible, we'll be stuck on the tree for days. Me above, wolf below until one of us finally gives up. Maybe by then a hunter might come across and save me.

'Maybe I have to offer myself to him as his bride? I can do that. If he's good looking, maybe I will stay around longer. If he's old, I'll wait for him to die, if he's ugly or has a terrible habit, I will either poison him to death or run away from home.'

Now that I have prepared myself an escape plan, I start climbing the tree. This is the second time ever in my whole existence that I climb a tree. The first time is when I was a young kid, around seven years old. It was on a camping trip together with my family. We went camping nearby a waterfall, in a national reserve forest nearby my father's hometown.

As a young, rebellious, and naughty kid, I wanted to prove myself to my older brothers that I am far more mischievous than they are. So we went to a nearby tree hidden from our parents, around a hundred meters from our campsite, and decided to climb up a tree. Whoever climbs the highest, wins the bet and the other have to give up their collection of snacks during the camping trip.

So I climb up the highest tree that I can see and spotted a beehive on the branch. Thinking about all the honey I can get and forgetting the fact that where there is honey, there are bees, I break a branch and start poking the beehive.

The consequence of my ignorance are expectable – Camping trip was cut short and we ended up grounded for a week after a hospital trip.

Never in my life had I tried to climb up a tree ever again.

Not until this night.

I start climbing up the tree and fell on the ground a few times. As expected from an amateur climber.

I managed to reach halfway to the nearest branch I can rest on, about two meters high from the ground. Pumped by adrenaline and my instinct to survive, I take a few breaths and push myself higher to reach the branch.

The footsteps are getting closer. Blood pounded in my head, pumping my poor heart hard.

'No, I refuse to accept my fate! I will live, even if I have to sell my soul. So be it!'

I grab the small branch on the left side with my hand as I try to pull myself up. The weak branch break when it failed to support my weight, my hand slipped and I was left hanging with one arm hugging the tree, as my body slowly slipped down as if the tree is covered with lubricant all over.

'Shit!'

This is probably my favorite curse word in this entire book.

A shadow leaps from the back, I instinctively close my eyes.

"BEELZEBUB, SAVE ME!"