(.)
Reconnecting with Irene brought Yu Sheng a rush of relief. Even though the little doll often said things that drove him up the wall, this ti, her help was exactly what he needed.
As it turned out, Yu Sheng’s body was still “dreaming,” but not in any ordinary sense. According to Irene, his consciousness had gone “astray.” In other words…
Yu Sheng glanced around the snug cabin and then peered out the window at the vast, shadowy night beyond.
This “forest” wasn’t a re product of his own thoughts. It was a “ntal space” sowhere—an enclosed, self-contained trap that captured anyone who wandered in and cut them off from the outside world.
The fact that Irene had tracked him down here was downright impressive.
While Yu Sheng absorbed this unsettling explanation, Irene’s steady chatter reached a key point: “Yu Sheng, what’s going on over there? How did you end up ‘astray’ just from taking a nap? Where exactly are you right now?”
“I’m in a black forest,” Yu Sheng replied, rubbing his temples. “If I’m not mistaken, this is Little Red Riding Hood’s black forest.”
Irene sounded baffled. “What do you an by ‘Little Red Riding Hood’s black forest’?”
“It’s complicated,” Yu Sheng explained, collecting his thoughts. “Rember back at the museum, when that wolf crawled out of Little Red Riding Hood’s shadow and bit ? I think that bite linked us sohow. She once told
‘fairy tales’ are a sort of otherworldly realm and that her power cos from a curse. This forest must be tied to that curse.”
He then told Irene everything that had happened—how he’d been chased by invisible wolves, discovered a talking squirrel, and taken shelter in this odd little house. He left out the unsettling “lures” he’d encountered on the way.
“You’re telling … you’re chatting with a squirrel right now?” Irene asked, flabbergasted. She seed unable to grasp how going upstairs for a nap could land Yu Sheng in such a bizarre adventure. “What’s outside your cabin? Is it safe? Can you leave?”
“For the ti being, it’s quiet, but I still feel eyes on . The wolves are hiding in the black forest,” Yu Sheng replied, glancing outside. “At least in here, I’m not in danger right now. And I think I can still escape if things turn ugly. I can open doors, even in this ‘dream.’”
“Open doors, hmm?” Irene mused. Then, after a mont, her voice lit up again in Yu Sheng’s mind: “Do you see any picture fras or drawing boards in there?”
Yu Sheng looked around, puzzled. “No… Why do you ask?”
“I want to see if I can ‘co through’ to you,” Irene explained. “Since you’re not in your own dream, I can’t just appear on my own. I need so sort of dium—like the ‘coordinates’ you use when opening doors. If there’s no fra or board, do you have anything to draw with?”
After a quick search around the cabin, Yu Sheng dug up so lumps of charcoal from the fireplace.
The squirrel, still perched on the table hugging an oversized acorn, finally spoke. “What are you doing?”
Without glancing up, Yu Sheng said, “A friend wants to co over.”
The squirrel blinked, thoroughly confused. “…What?”
Ignoring the baffled squirrel, Yu Sheng relayed the news to Irene. “All I’ve found is so charcoal.”
“That’s perfect!” Irene replied, sounding quite pleased. “Just draw a fra on the floor.”
Yu Sheng groaned. “Do you always co up with such ridiculous plans?”
“It’s called improvisation!” Irene chirped. “In dream rituals, symbolism matters more than looks. Just do your best.”
Muttering under his breath, Yu Sheng knelt down and used the charcoal to draw a rough rectangle in the middle of the cabin. “Okay, I’ve got a fra. Now what?”
“Draw a breathtakingly elegant, mature lady—like ,” Irene declared.
Yu Sheng said nothing.
“…Fine, at least draw a figure that vaguely looks like ,” Irene grumbled, a bit deflated.
Still silent, Yu Sheng took up the charcoal again.
“…You know what, a simple human outline will do,” Irene conceded. “And write my na underneath, in the letters I showed you.”
With a grimace, Yu Sheng started sketching. “You know I can’t draw to save my life, right?”
The squirrel watched him curiously. As soon as Yu Sheng began writing strange letters on the floor, the squirrel squeaked in alarm. “Hey! Are you doing witchcraft? I’m warning you—don’t make things worse! The black forest is already dangerous!”
“I told you,” Yu Sheng repeated, still drawing. “I’m just inviting a friend inside. She’s stuck in a cursed painting, and this is how we bring her over.”
The squirrel nearly choked on its acorn. It banged its tail nervously on the table, keeping its distance.
Finally, Yu Sheng completed the last stroke. Imdiately, the charcoal lines on the floor gave off a soft shimr.
The squirrel froze. Its wide, shiny eyes stared as the rough sketch on the floor began to glow. Before it could react, an ornate oil painting rose up from the light, fully materializing in midair.
Inside the painting stood Irene, hands on her hips, beaming. “Yu Sheng! I’m here to help!”
With a startled squeak, the squirrel fainted, tumbling backward. Its little paws twitched in the air.
Yu Sheng hurried over and poked it gently. “Hey, are you okay?”
When the squirrel ca to, it eyed Irene’s floating portrait and shivered. “What sort of witchery is this? Who summons soone so ugly it looks like goblin art…?”
“Excuse ?!” Irene snapped from the painting.
Yu Sheng snorted. “I warned you that my drawing would be awful.”
In the anti, Irene sized up the squirrel and its bright red sash. “What’s that red ribbon for? Also, what’s ‘goblin art’ supposed to an?”
“It’s probably just a local expression,” Yu Sheng guessed. “Anyway, let
introduce you. This is Irene, my friend—and Little Red Riding Hood’s friend, too.”
“Hello!” Irene said cheerfully, giving the squirrel a polite nod. “We’ve also got a fox friend, but she couldn’t get in. She’s waiting outside.”
The squirrel’s eyes widened again. “Little Red Riding Hood really has a bunch of friends? Weird ones like you?”
“I wouldn’t say she has a bunch,” Irene answered. “We haven’t known her for long, but we’re definitely interesting. I co from Alice’s Little House! And our fox friend… she can launch her tail like a rocket, and—”
But the squirrel was no longer listening. It began pacing in frantic circles, muttering to itself. “This isn’t how the black forest is supposed to work… But if they can co in… maybe she won’t have to walk the path alone anymore… If this is so kind of ‘exception,’ then maybe…”
Irene exchanged a concerned glance with Yu Sheng. “What’s it talking about?” she whispered.
“Not sure,” Yu Sheng replied quietly. “But I have a feeling we’re about to find out.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)