The Beast Of The Forest

Chapter 4: The Girl Who Talks to Animals

As the days went by, Jake couldn't stop thinking about the monster in the woods and the Hunter who had slain it. He felt a strange mix of admiration and envy towards the Hunter. He wished he could be as brave and skilled as him.

One day, as he was walking home from school, he heard a strange noise coming from the bushes. He stopped and listened, trying to identify it. It sounded like a high-pitched squeak, almost like a mouse.

Curious, he approached the bushes and peered inside. To his surprise, he saw a small bird trapped in a tangle of branches. Its wing was bent at an odd angle, and it was struggling to free itself.

Jake felt a pang of sympathy for the bird. He had always liked animals, even though he had never had a pet. He reached out a hand to help the bird, but it flapped its wings and retreated further into the bush.

"Hey, it's okay," said Jake, trying to soothe the bird. "I'm not going to hurt you. Let me help you."

To his amazement, the bird seemed to understand him. It stopped struggling and looked at him with its beady eyes. Jake felt a strange sensation in his mind, as if he could hear the bird's thoughts.

He reached into the bush and gently untangled the branches around the bird. It hopped onto his hand and looked at him gratefully.

"Wow," said Jake, amazed. "You're amazing. How did you do that?"

The bird chirped in response, as if it understood him. Jake felt a surge of excitement. He had always dreamed of communicating with animals, and now it seemed like he could.

He carried the bird home and placed it in a small cage he had found in the garage. He fed it some breadcrumbs and watched it with fascination. He wondered if he could talk to other animals too.

The next day, he went back to the woods to see if he could find more animals to talk to. He wandered through the trees, listening for any sounds of life. After a while, he heard a rustling in the bushes.

He approached cautiously, not wanting to startle whatever was there. To his surprise, he saw a small fox peeking out from behind the leaves. It looked at him with its bright eyes, as if studying him.
The fox tilted its head, as if considering Jake's words. Then, it stepped out of the bushes and approached him, sniffing his hand.

Jake felt a thrill of excitement. He had never been so close to a wild animal before. He wondered if he could communicate with the fox like he had with the bird.

To his surprise, he found that he could. He could sense the fox's thoughts and feelings, as if they were his own. He could tell that the fox was curious but cautious, and that it was hungry.

Jake reached into his backpack and pulled out a granola bar. He broke off a piece and offered it to the fox. To his amazement, the fox took it from his hand and ate it.

"Wow," said Jake, grinning. "You're amazing. I can't believe I can talk to animals."

The fox looked at him with its bright eyes, as if understanding him. Then, it turned and trotted back into the woods, disappearing into the underbrush.

Jake felt a rush of excitement. He wondered what other animals he could talk to and what secrets they would reveal to him. He felt like he had discovered a whole new world, full of wonder and possibility.

As he walked back to town, he wondered if the Hunter knew about his ability to talk to animals. He wondered if the Hunter could teach him more about the woods and the creatures that lived there. He felt a sense of longing to learn from the Hunter and become like him, a protector of the forest and its inhabitant