CHAPTER 15 : 5 METERS ABOVE THE PREDATOR

Kriik…kriik..kriiik…

Where are the crickets come from?

Kriik…kriik..kriiik…

Are they coming from where he pulls Vianka out?

Kriik…kriik..kriiik…

Are they going to give themselves to be eaten?

Kriik…kriik..kriiik…

Hey…go away…I don't want to eat you! Go to hell you pathetic little monster!

"Lev ..." he heard someone whispers at the back of the cricket's sounds.

The whisper more subtle than the crickets, but he know it too well so he woke up in a rush. His eyes were wide open when he sees his sibling is not beside him. It was Vianka who calls but she's no where now. Where is she?

"Vianka?" call Lev in a subtle voice.

The answer doesn't come from Vianka but a low growl of a black figure that had turning back at him. Lev didn't realize it because the figure was hidden by the thick darkness of the forest. Their eyes clashed, staring each other. Lev's eye looks straight to the tawny eyes that look so happy. Inside the muzzle, it bite something that look like bowel which hanging at each side of its muzzle, still fresh as it drips the thick red liquid.

KHISIMA!!!

Many bad things burst in Lev's brain. Khisima must be killing Vianka while he was sleep. Her paralyze condition couldn't resist it from happening. Stupid me…Lev cursing himself...why in the hell he's not awaken by the attack. The predator opens its mouth, the bowel dangling off the ground, and he strikes Lev with fierce roar.

***

Lev woke up….his breath howling like a steam machine.

He sighed on relief when he found that the tiger's attack was just a dream. Vianka was still there, lying next to him. He just wanted to tell her about his dream when he realized that the girl, whose on the back side of her, apparently look to the other direction with strained.

Vianka..." Lev calls.

"Sssshh .." she raised her hand to stop Lev's talks.

Lev feels inconvenience. The next thing, he finally realized why she act so strange. The roars reverberated, breaks the silence of the night.

She turned and looked at him, "There…can you hear it? I guess I misheard…"

At that time, Lev also convinced that he heard the roars also, even in a dreamland. It means his dream wasn't just false alarm. Khisima was somewhere in this area.

"What should we do?" Vianka almost scream in hysterical if she didn't remember that the tiger could after them when it hears a scream, even the slightest one.

"We have to get out of here fast. That son of a bitch could sniff our smell."

He stood up immediately, packed up all the gear into the backpack and put it on his chest, strapping the sling and lifted Vianka to his back with it, five minutes later they've passing through the darkness of the forest in a half run.

***

RRROOOOAAAAARRRR.....

Khisima's roars going crazy. Harder in every minute, as if he's mocked Lev who ran like a rabbit that has been chased by a bunch of wolves with Vianka as a burden, telling him that his efforts were useless, and they can't escape easily from becoming targets of that predator who craved of a fresh meat.

Even though his legs were complete but he realized that his condition is no better than Vianka when she escaped from Khisima at first time. Carrying her on his back slows him. He feels like a turtle on a race against cocky rabbit named Khisima. To increase the speed he could leave her at once, but he's not willing to do so. He came this far to bring her home safely. It doesn't make any sense if he abandoned her just to escape from the game of that damn tiger.

"He's getting closer…" said Vianka.

"I know...I know..." Lev replied with gasping breath.

"It will catch us if we're not doing anything."

"What can we do then? Keep running for sure…"

"I wish we can fly…"

The ball of lamp inside Lev's head suddenly turns on. Why he didn't think about it before?

He stopped and looked up, staring at the branches which stand in arrogant, sticking sturdy like an arms of body builder who's ready to be loaded by many weights.

"I've got an idea," Lev said.

"What's that?"

"First of all, you have to get down..."

"What are you doing? You're not leaving me here, are you?" Vianka make a little protested when Lev put her on the ground.

"Trust me…"

He takes out some equipment from the bag. Ropes, hammer, joint and with that he connected the ropes with a simple node, make it tight each other and making it longer. He attach it to her body, under her armpits, her groins, and tighten it as well, where the four corner of the strings are attached to one large rope that brought by Lev to the tree above.

"Are you want to take me up there?" asked Vianka while looking at Lev who has been climbing the tree with astonishing move.

"Yeap."

"You're crazy. That's not possible."

"I told you to trust me. Hold this bag, will you…"

When he found some limbs that looked hefty and big enough as a foothold, Lev throws the rope in his hand to the second branch on a top of the limb which he stands on. The ropes spun back toward Lev and he catches it fast. He gives the cue for Vianka to get ready then slides down from the branch by holding the rope.

Lev's body is much heavier than Vianka, his weight make the girl who attached to the ropes pulled to the top of the limb. His idea is simple, using the mass law and pulley he used his body to lift her up to the tree without he even bother to climb her up. But on the contrary, the idea was brutal, indeed, because it hurt her physically. Bring her pain in many injuries on her body. But he can't think another possibility which faster and effective than this.

Vianka roll slightly to the side to put her body on the limb. She hold the branches between her legs, with her back leaning on the trunk, the girl is in a safe position… sitting there with Lev's backpack.

"Hold the rope," Lev yelled a little bit. He realized he was not alone anymore down there so he has to be hurry.

The young man opened his left shoe and threw it as far as he can to the north. After that he climbed the trees with rush. His agile movement makes him join Vianka, sitting on the same branch, in no time. He pulls the rope, so it won't leave any trail. He take off his other shoes and threw it to the same direction, only this time farther than before.

"What the hell you're doing?" asked Vianka.

Lev immediately clasped Vianka's mouth to shut her up. His clear black eyes give her a hint not to make any slightest movement at all. A few seconds later, a long black figure with four-legged came out from the bushes about three meters from the tree where they're hiding. The creature treads slow but slight and sure, the type of an expert assassin who was very confident when pursues its victims. He growls occasionally, interspersed with snoring like cat, his long tail wagging as it's followed the footsteps. The size of the black tiger is two times than his kind. Even from the top, his appearance is still creepy. With a size like that, Lev believes Khisima can bring down a buffalo in a one strike.

The creature walks beneath, and this time he's under the tree where they belong. Lev even had to pull his legs slowly because his feet nearly touched the creature's feathers. Instead of move in constant, the monster stops and takes a pause for a moment. It seems like he felt something odd. The beast's head turned to the left and right, searched something that move, its nose twitching as it smell something. Lev hopes the creature doesn't look up. Their distance is just five meters above the animal. It would be piece of cake for the monster to jump into this branch and grabs them.

The beast snorted. He taste something that hangs in the air by raising its little nose so he knows that he's not mistaken about the smell. It was strong and surely come from his prey, directing him to a place where his victims are hiding from him right now. When the odor has tie his mind tightly, the monster roars and ran to the north…leaving the tree where Lev and Vianka was sitting on it.

They exhale a long breath. Relieve the up down chest that goes wild from the rising tension during the appearance of Khisima under their feet.

"Now I know why you throw that shoe..."

"Yup, brilliant idea, isn't it?" Lev said with grin.

"Lucky your shoes were smelly than your foot," Vianka protested

"Damn ! Do you think you're not?" he shoved her forehead.

They both laugh. The laughed loose and hysterically. The first laugh they've made since they met. It breaks the ice and increased the confidence to believe that they could get through the danger together.

"Now what?" Vianka asked.

"It isn't safe. The tiger could return any time. It's better if we rest up here."

"I agree. But what if we fall? I move a lot while sleeping. "

"I thought your habit had change when you're sleeping in that pit for over a month."

"Perhaps…I don't know…just in case."

"Relax. Is not only you that should be taking care of…"said Lev. "But first…"

Lev tying the rope surround Vianka's thigh, four times, not too fast but strong enough to hold her body so it won't move at the other way around. Then he ties the girl's waist and hooking the rope on the branch that grow beside the branch where they are, one on the left and one on the right. The knot will hold Vianka from falling when she moves during her sleep. Lev nodded in satisfaction after ensuring all things tied up neatly.

"Maybe it feels a little numb when you awake tomorrow because the straps clog the blood circulation."

"It's ok! I'm getting used to it."

"The important thing is you can rest safely without disturbance of the tiger."

"Yes, thank you to watch over me, Lev! Here ..." Vianka pulled Lev's face to get closer and kiss him on the cheek. She hugged her twins tightly."You have to sleep well too, promise?"

"I promise, Vi...." Lev smiled.

He climbed to the branch above hers. After tying himself in the same way as he did on Vianka, the young man fell asleep. A smile drawn on his lips because he knew they're not getting trouble again tonight. His sleep was so tight so he doesn't hear the sound of gamelan playing a mellow tone with a soft from someplace inside the jungle…