BEASTLY ALLURE

●Ugly & Kind.

Delusional.

I couldn't help but acknowledge the irony of the situation. Here I was, someone who had always been a daydreamer, lost in fictional worlds of magic and fantasy.

Yet, reality had a way of grounding us, and I was acutely aware that the fantastical scenarios I'd imagined were far from current circumstances.

Back to the real world, where I'm facing a guy with leopard ears on his head and a tail wagging like it's auditioning for a dance show.

I half expect him to start meowing.

It was as if the boundary between reality and fantasy had blurred.

I take a deep breath, shake off my thoughts, and focus on the situation. Slowly approaching the pair, I catch the gaze of Mr. Leopard Ears.

His tail, which was grooving like nobody's business a moment ago, goes completely still.

His face? Let's just say he went from "normal" to "OMG, something's wrong" in a heartbeat.

His eyes go wide, like he's seen a ghost, and his expression? Well, it's like he just bit into a super sour lemon.

Meanwhile, the girl by the pond is in her own world, paying zero attention to me.

"Hey, Parker, let's leave this basket here and come back tomorrow," the girl chirped, probably not noticing the staring contest happening behind her.

Now, I'm no detective, but the moment she was about to give Leopard Ears named Parker a full-on eye contact, her peepers went all wide and locked onto me instead.

Yep, that "what in the world" expression mirrored that leapord guy face.

I swear, it's like I've stumbled into some parallel dimension where I'm the main attraction in a "Confused Faces Festival."

And just when I'm about to give a shrug that screams "Beats me!" to these expressive strangers, Parker jumps into action.

Picture this: he shoots up like a superhero, placing himself right in front of the girl, like he's her personal shield against... well, me, I guess.

"You, you disgustingly ugly thing, step away from us!" Suddenly,Parker screams at me, moving closer with each word.

Well, now I'm officially flabbergasted. Talk about dramatic introductions.

"Hold on a sec, I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just need a little help," I explain, keeping my tone as calm as i can.

And of course, he's not having any of it. "Why in the world would I help you? You, with that ugly face of yours. Step away!" he exclaims, his expressions matching his rather descriptive words.

Oh, My sweet anger management.

My blood starts boiling, but I'm determined to keep my cool. Just as I'm about to come up with a witty retort, the girl speaks up.

"What help?" she asks, stepping forward.

"Qing Qing, don't come forward. Look at how she looks. I don't want your sweet eyes to be spoiled," he barks again, as if he's some beauty police.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes, but oh boy, it's taking all my strength.

Summoning all the patience I can muster, I decide to ask nicely. I mean, come on, I'm the one in need here. "Um... I seem to be a bit lost. Could you tell me where I am?"

"Don't utter a word,Qing Qing. I'll handle this with the ugly creature," he declares, clearly the self-appointed spokesperson for the duo.

"You're in Camel Hump Valley," he responds to my question with a hint of condescension, as if he's handing out precious nuggets of knowledge.