I Can’t Run Away From the Girl Who Saved Me

4 – Cabin in the Woods (3)

＊

The next morning, I got out of bed and carefully lowered my legs under the bed.

His ankle had been completely turned and his shinbone had been shattered only a few days before, but his leg had returned to its original form with only a large, grotesquely distorted scar.

I wanted to go see my sister’s grave, but it was unclear whether this seemingly intact leg would be able to withstand it.

I’m sure Mr. Millwood would stop, but when I opened my eyes, she was already in the cabin.

After taking a deep breath, I put my weight on my legs and lifted myself up.

“Cock,”

A sharp pain surged like lightning in his shin.

As I clench my teeth and slowly adjust my center of gravity between my feet, the pain gradually subsided to a piercing level.

“Whoa, okay, okay.”

I may not be able to walk yet, but as she said, I was able to get up on my own two feet.

That’s enough.

I immediately stepped forward.

“Billion, ugh, ugh, ugh,”

As if a moaning button was attached to the soles of his feet, a pained sound came out of his mouth with every step he took.

I walked slowly, putting my feet on the ground as slowly as possible.

It would be very funny to look at, but it didn’t matter as long as I could walk.

With that stupid gait, I slowly approached the door and opened it.

Sigh.

As soon as I opened the old wooden door, the first thing I felt was a bright view.

The dazzling sunlight of the morning pouring down my cheeks was so warm.

It must have been raining all night, and the cool air soaked in refreshing water seeped into her body through her breath.

The chirping of birds sounded like a beautiful song.

It was a fantastic forest morning, as if the world was blessing me for surviving.

In this scene that seemed like a scene from a fairy tale, I suddenly stiffened my face.

“… let’s go.”

Standing alone was too much for me, and even walking was overdoing it, so I couldn’t dare to put on shoes.

I felt like I couldn’t get up again after sitting down and wearing shoes, and my legs still had a lot of flaws to balance on one foot while wearing shoes.

I walked out slowly barefoot.

The cold dirt was softly wrapped between her toes.

＊

The night before, I went to the grave of my sister, whom the mysterious woman who had saved me, ‘Mr. Millwood,’ had told me about.

It wasn’t as far away as I thought.

It was less than five minutes, even at my slow pace, from Mr. Millwood’s cottage, which had been built deep inside the ruins of what had once been a village.

I thought she might have built her sister’s grave nearby out of consideration for me, but when I arrived, there were already numerous tombs and tombstones built there.

It must have been the cemetery of this village in the past.

I was a little taken aback because I thought there would be only one grave of my sister, but fortunately it wasn’t that difficult to find the soft soil that had just been covered.

I whispered as I slowly walked to Laila’s grave.

“…Hello Lila.”

When I remembered that my sister was buried below this, my trembling legs finally gave up and collapsed.

Unlike other graves in the cemetery, Laila’s grave did not have a tombstone or tombstone engraved with her name.

No wonder there would be no way for Mr. Millwood to find out Lila’s name.

I slowly reached out and touched the still damp soil.

Without a name, Lila would have been lying down here for over ten days.

I said, resting my forehead on Laila’s grave.

“Did you see the weather this morning, Lila? It was awesome. It’s only then that you truly feel alive.”

Even though I heard no sound other than the chirping of birds, I continued as if I were having a conversation.

“Still, I think it would have been better if you had seen this morning. Not me…”

My throat is full.

This beautiful morning, as if the forest was blessing it, should have been yours, not mine.

Mr. Millwood must have taken good care of Ryla.

If I had been able to tell Mr. Millwood that Layla was lying somewhere in the woods before I passed out, if I had just said that and passed out, Layla would not have lost her young life.

“…Sorry. I said I would protect you… I’m sorry… Really… Lila, ah Laila…”

No answer came back.

Ah, how nice it would have been if the answer had come back.

Actually, I wanted to make an excuse.

I wanted to clarify.

I really did my best, and I never left you to die.

I don’t know if Layla died in an accident, or if she died slowly in the cold woods all night before finally dying a miserable death from the teeth of wild animals.

All this ugly brother could do was hope that after a comfortable death the animals had harmed the corpse.

That’s why I couldn’t bear to make excuses in front of Layla’s grave.

Because in the end, only I survived.

“I… how am I supposed to live now? … Brother, what can I do without you… Lila.”

I lay face down at my sister’s grave for a while.

After a while, a voice came from behind.

“after…”

It was Mr. Millwood.

“Ha… here you are.”

“… Mill… Mr. Wood,”

I slowly got up and looked at her.

The cloth covering her face, especially the part covering her mouth, swelled back and forth and fluttered.

It looked like he was breathing heavily.

“Whoa… Ha, yes, of course he’ll be here, why am I so flustered…”

It seems that I was gone and came running in surprise.

Well, it was only natural to be surprised when a patient with a leg that would not break at any time suddenly disappeared.

Millwood, who is kind enough to take care of a man he doesn’t know his first name or last name for more than ten days, would be even more so.

I bowed my head and apologized.

“… I’m sorry for coming out without saying anything.”

“… okay, “

Mr. Millwood took a slow breath and brushed his cloth-wrapped forehead.

I must have been sweating.

She let out a sigh and slowly walked beside me.

Then, looking at Lila’s grave, he clasped his hands together and bowed his head.

It was the prayer posture of the Goddess Church.

After a moment of silence, she raised her head and said.

“Lyla… you said.”

“yes…”

“What kind of kid were you?”

“…was a tomboy.”

“…”

“I was more active than other boys my age. He really doesn’t listen… If I’m doing something else…”

“…”

“…Brother, brother and I follow you.”

“… I guess he liked you.”

“I hope so…”

“…”

“…I didn’t have a picky diet. A child who is not picky eating. How precious is that? Harder to find than the Elder Dragon. A kid like Lila.”

“…that’s right.”

“When I grew up, I would have been the prettiest girl in the country. He must have been busy rejecting the clumsy marriage proposals of countless idiots.”

“It was lovely.”

“sure…”

Even after that, I took on the image of Lila for a long time and slowly recalled the memories with my sister.

All that time, she listened silently to every detail of Layla’s and me’s anecdotes, and helped me with a word every time I was interrupted.

It wasn’t until the sun was over our heads that I stopped talking.

It’s time to go.

Apart from me, I couldn’t make Mr. Millwood stand here all day.

“… I’ll come again. It’s real this time. I will definitely come again…”

“…”

“Wait, Laila.”

In the morning, the sky, which had been fantastically clear, gradually began to grow thick clouds.

However, my mood was much clearer than before entering the tomb.

It may have put a lot of strain on my still-not-healing leg, but it was worth it.

Although the sadness that filled my heart like a flood did not subside, it was because I could feel the weight of guilt wrapped around my ankles and my soul, which had been drowning in sadness, rising little by little.

Knowing that, Mr. Millwood silently waited for me.

I looked up at her and said.

“Mr. Millwood.”

“…huh.”

“…hey, that…”

“Why?”

“Uh… please lift me up.”

“…”

＊

Mr. Millwood must have been very surprised by my disappearance.

I, who had been eating only porridge until now, was getting better and better, so I wanted to feed him some meat, so I left home early in the morning to hunt and came back.

Maybe he’s wandering in this maze-like forest with his legs that haven’t healed yet.

Having thought that, she was going to find me and criticize me greatly, but when she saw me lying on her stomach in front of Layla’s grave, she lost her mind.

It was because I felt that I really cared for my little sister, and that I was desperate not to lose the last remaining family member, when I think about how I walked all the way from the scene of the accident that night, with a body that was incomparably more damaged than it is now.

But eventually, thanks to my legs that stopped working at the limit, I couldn’t avoid her nagging.

Carried on her back and listening to the ferocious nagging all the way back to the cabin, I smiled awkwardly and kept saying sorry over and over again.

Upon returning to the cabin, the undismembered carcass of a large deer lay on the table.

The bow and quiver, probably used for hunting, were strewn about on the floor, and I could see how quickly she was looking for me.

I felt like I could feel how kind and warm she was.

She swung me around on her back and picked me up, then carefully set me down on the bed.

I’m not light, she’s strong.

I didn’t know until now because it was covered by the robe, but when I was on her back, I felt the hard muscles of a well-trained warrior.

Of course, in order to live alone in a forest like this, she would have to use her body to some extent, but even taking that condition into account, her strength was above average.

she said as she approached the deer’s carcass.

“I think it will take some time to start dismantling, but if you want to eat a proper dish instead of just throwing it into a fire and grilling it, you will have to wait until night. Because someone gave me the time to disband.”

“Ah, sorry… sorry…”

“…No, I was glad to hear about Lyla, too.”

“…”

Mr. Millwood lifted the deer and slung it over his shoulder.

“I brought it all the way to the house to show you that I caught a deer, but thanks to you, I only got bloodstains on the table.”

“Ah… hahahaha,”

“I’ll disband and come back, so stay still. You don’t want to be unable to walk forever, do you?”

I nodded.

Mr. Millwood looked at my face like that.

Even though I knew what a good person she was, I felt a little scared because I couldn’t see her expression.

“…five days until you’re completely fine… no, a week just in case…”

Oh, you were looking at my legs.

For a moment, I felt ashamed of myself.

Wearing a grace that is difficult to repay, what shame?

“In a week or so, you will be completely healed. After that, walk or run. After you leave, don’t come back to this dangerous forest.”

“…Ah, over there…”

“…why?”

I asked her carefully.

“Hey… is it okay if I stay here a little longer?”

“…what?”

Her voice suddenly cracked.

She stood tall in front of the door and looked at me quietly.

And at the same time, the atmosphere in the cabin suddenly changed.

Raindrops began to fall from the dark clouds that filled the sky.

In a short while the cabin was dark as the sun hid behind the clouds.

rain, thunder.

A drop or two of deer blood dripping from the table.

This cabin, which had been embracing me for days, suddenly felt like an entrance to hell.

And the cold that starts to rise from the tips of my toes.

The bloody aura I felt when I asked why he was covering his face ran down his spine again.

“no.”

Looking at the ten days I was unconscious, as well as what she went through after waking up, she was a very nice and kind person.

But last night, and now.

I witnessed her change into a completely different personality.

It felt like a mechanical device that when you press a switch, a ferocious and sharp force that is not visible at all.

It’s a strange feeling.

I felt the cold chill all over my body, and at the same time, cold sweat poured down my face.

“Please. I am…”

“I don’t know all of your circumstances, but I heard that you lost all your family members, so I can roughly predict it. There will be nowhere to go.”

She said, cutting off my words.

It was a resolute attitude, as if he did not even want to give me a chance to speak.

“But this isn’t going to be your new home.”

Even though my face was covered and I couldn’t see a single expression, or even I couldn’t be sure of the exact location of her eyes, nose and mouth, I could clearly sense that she was glaring at me.

I couldn’t even move a finger when that invisible gaze reached me.

Even breathing was cautious, as if I had become a frog in front of a snake.

I swallowed and forced my head up.

“That… I don’t mean to stay forever. It only takes a little bit!”

The heavy momentum that radiated from her slightly lessened.

“…how much?”

Is there a deadline?

When I remembered how angry I was when I asked to see my face last night, the front and back were right.

If I continued to live here, no matter how careful she was, there would definitely be a moment when I would see her face someday.

Even if you’re lucky enough to never see her face, you can’t force her to live an uncomfortable life of covering her face for the rest of your life.

I nodded and answered.

“They said it would take a week for my leg to heal… since my leg healed… maybe three days is enough! Maybe even faster!”

“… for what?”

When the specific date came out, the chill that oppressed me quickly subsided.

It may be because of my mood, but the cabin also feels slightly bright.

“…Lyla’s tombstone. No, at least I want to make a tombstone for you.”

“…ah.”

She made a sound like a blow to the back of the head and took a step away from me.

At the same time, the heavy air was released in an instant.

“…I see. hmm.”

“…I’ll hurry as much as I can. If my recovery is fast, or if the mother mark is completed quickly, I will be able to leave earlier. Please.”

“… OK got it. If you leave this forest, it will be difficult to come back, so it would be right to make a tombstone for your little sister yourself.”

“… Go, thank you.”

She nodded and opened the door.

Then, as he walked out the door, he said in a low voice.

“I’m sorry, I threatened you.”

Threat.

Are you saying that’s just a threat?

Breaking out in a cold sweat, I stared blankly at the door where she had disappeared.

Charisma that overwhelms the atmosphere. Something like that?.

Is it possible to overwhelm those around you with just your momentum and tone?

The life she exuded felt closer to the realm of magic.

Things like psychedelic magic like ‘peer’ that make the other person feel fear.

However, there was no sign of magical power anywhere in the cabin.

Seeing that she hunted with a bow and arrow and had a very strong body, she would be more like a warrior or archer than a wizard.

What is her true identity?

Why are you so reluctant to show your face?

Maybe it’s a non-human monster.

Doubt mixed with fear crept into his mind little by little.

.