Morrisa

Chapter 6: Part 1

I froze.

Colour drained out of my face.

A tiger stood before me ready to pounce. He took a threatening step toward me and roared. I sat there frozen under the tree. Never in my life had I been a prey. And I tell you, it's not a beautiful experience. I knew I had to move or I'll be his lunch within seconds. My hands and legs seemed to be paralyzed. I could not move.

Another roar shot through his throat and I shot up and ran. I could hear the tiger running after me. I did not dare look behind, it would only slow my speed and well... my chances of remaining alive.

Five minutes later, I was sitting on a branch up a tree and the tiger, injured, lying a few meters away. I don't know, how I managed to hurt it and climb up a tree. I don't even know how to climb a tree. Well maybe, the situation teaches you everything. The odd thing is, I never heard of a wild animal living in the forest. Sure I did hear mysterious disappearances of people in the forest but never anything related to wild animals. Many forest rangers had searched for animals to protect them or this regular survey but they never found a wild animal. Then, from where did this tiger come from?

The loud groaning and howling sounds broke me from my reverie. My attention snapped in the direction of the sound. Blood gushed out of the tiger and he rolled in pain. The tiger was injured enough to not come after me again. I decided to get down from the tree and go back.

Just as I was about to jump, I saw something white from the corner of my eyes. My head snapped towards the white. The site before me freezes me. Again. I could not believe my eyes.

Gone was the tiger, in place of him sat a man. A very handsome man. He had a sculpted face, beautiful blue eyes, and thick black hair up to his shoulders, his skin tone was not white but a pinkish shade. He was all in all flawless.

But he had wings.

White wings.

A shiver ran down my spine. My own black wings had sprawled out in their glory. The black shining on the wings. I looked back and forth from my wings to his.

He is an angel.

One thing was for sure, I am his opposite. By the opposite colour of wings and  obviously by the fact that he just attacked me.

The angel got up. Limping and groaning, desperately trying to stop the blood flowing out from the wound with a hand on it. Then, the angel dissolved into thin air. The white mist lingered a little while until it was completely gone.

I got down from the tree and started flying to the edge of the forest, towards civilization.

The plane site before me, back in the forest, had me shook and confused. I could not make out the reason he attacked me. Being his opposite is not the only reason. There was more. There had to be more.

A car's horn told me I was near the road. I landed on the ground and started walking. I closed my eyes and thought of my wings gone. Immediately, my wings were gone and I continued walking to the house.

Events played out in my head. From me finding my fake parents to that angel. Everything in a series of their occurrence. Then came my upbringing, my life up till now.

However much I try to find the reason, I am always brought back to the forest.

The disappearance of certain people, the superstitious rules of people about the forest, my parents' disapproval of the forest, the whispering from the forest, and the angel attacking me in the forest. My father finding me in the forest as a baby.

Everything went back to the forest.

But one thing stood out. For some unknown reason, I could not believe the fact that my father found me in the forest. My father never ventured into the forest. He always remained on the outskirts in the hearing range of the car horns. How did he find me deep inside? The stories of the lost humans and the disappearance of wild animals date back before my birthday. (Which by the way, is the day he found me, I guess.) This, I just could not digest.

Time to pay my dear father a visit.

I thought as I turned into the lane leading to Jean and Caitlin's house.