Part 4

Grisella POV

My eyes opened perfectly, just suddenly. I change my position to sit. My bedroom window curtains were wide open, showing a view of the forest that looked dark outside. My eyes turned to the wall clock. It was already showing one o'clock in the evening.

I catch my breath. Somehow I jerked out of my sleep. I forgot to close the curtains on my bedroom window; to be more precise, usually, my mom will close it when I fall asleep. But this time, of course not, considering that only Maria and I are in this house right now.

"Now, I have to do everything by myself. That is why you have to enjoy your life when you are having a hard time". I got out of bed, intending to close my bedroom window. My hands stopped closing the window curtains when I vaguely saw someone behind a large tree. I tried to see more I clearly "what is human?" I  said to myself. I rushed out of my room to the backyard of the house. I'm sure I saw someone leaning there.

"Hey, who's there?" I shouted. I don't know what made me dare to walk closer to that figure, "Hey, what are you doing there?" I shouted again. My footsteps started to stop when I heard a growl. The growl sounded heavy, like a dog coding its opponent to fight. But this sound was louder than the sound of a dog.

The longer the voice became clearer, and the instant my body felt hot, I felt unbearably stifling. Like a very hot sun in the middle of the beach. "Who are you?" I snapped in a trembling voice. The shadow was human, but why was he growling like an animal. "Giselle? Grisella? what do you do there?" Maria shouted and ran over to me. He pulled my clothes roughly away and led me into the house.

I explained to Maria what I saw. "You don't understand, it's still a forest. Anything dangerous could be there. Never mind, please don't do it again like that, okay. Whatever you see is just a shadow of a passing animal or a shadow of trees. Let's go to sleep." Maria made me stop to protest. I'm sure I saw a human there, but the sound sounded like an animal. Well, maybe it's an animal.

*******

"Hello, mom, thanks for the cellphone, even though I can buy it here," I said, spoiled by calling my mom. My mom sent a package in the form of a new cellphone; I already destroyed my old cellphone. It's because of my irritation.

"No problem, I'm afraid you will have trouble if you go to the crowd, even though there is Maria there, but I'm still worried. This is a disease of a mother for her child, the anxiety that doesn't go away. Everything all right there? "My mom asked. I explained to my mom that I was a little uncomfortable with a wolf howling. There is fear for me, what if a wild animal like that enters my house, "okay, I'll talk to Margaret later to make a fence in the yard, is there anything else you need, dear?" asked My mom.

"Hmm, not there," I answered

"Okay, take care of yourself, and I beg you not to look at anything that makes you hurt. Just use your cellphone as necessary, okay."

"Okay, mom, bye."

I looked at the cellphone in my hand. This small thing could be my enemy at any time. After I called my mom, I put my cellphone under the pillow, I'm still not ready to see anything else. "Maria? Maria? Where are you?" I shouted out of my room

"I'm here," shouted Maria from outside. I also follow the direction of Maria's voice. I found him now talking with Dennis in the yard of the house.

"Heyy," I said

"Hey, so you are comfortable at your house?" Dennis sarcastically to me

"I didn't know you were visiting; I was on the phone with my mom," I answered reluctantly.

"Grisella, Dennis wants to make a meat roast event, do you mind coming?" asked Maria.

"Wow, where? Are there many people visiting? "I asked anxiously.

"No, in the backyard of the house. Me, Dennis, you and Hendrik. Do you agree? "Maria replied, understanding my Situation, who was worried about the crowd.

"Okay, I like to do that," I replied enthusiastically.

I and the others were busy preparing ingredients and tools for roasting meat. Buy some things that are lacking. Dennis has completed everything, including wines of the highest quality. Waiting for the afternoon to be the time we think is the right time to roast the meat, I and the others play various games.

"You lost again, hahaha," I laughed, seeing Dennis, who had put on a pitiful face. I don't know how many times he lost in each game.

"You're very bad at this man," Hendrik continued Dennis mockingly. All I know is that Hendrik is Dennis's close friend. Maria had told me that previously she and Dennis were just friends with regular chat. But since my presence, Dennis often asks myself, Maria, making Maria and Dennis communicate more often.

Yeah, as a woman, I can certainly feel which man is attracted to me or not. I think Dennis is interested in me, it's just that there's no way I can open my heart too quickly. Besides, this is just my prejudice, not necessarily Dennis has a taste for me. It could be that he's just having fun.

The time we have been waiting for has arrived, even though the sky looks cloudy up there, but there is no sign of rain. Dennis and Hendrik started arranging the apprenticeship, while Maria and I brought all the ingredients to the backyard. Ahh, I miss this Situation when I gather with my friends.

After wrestling with some preparations, Dennis began to grill the meat. The aroma of grilled spices and vegetables immediately permeated the air, the distinctive smell of roasted meat. We joked with each other while waiting for the heart to finish grilling.

"So, you're a woman who is heartbroken?" said Dennis handing me a glass of wine.

"What? Who said, "I asked

"Maria, don't get me wrong, okay, I guessed, and she explained it"

"Mariaaaa" I complained, while Maria looked cool grilling meat with Hendrik,

 "you know? Hendrik and I had a big fight just because of a woman. More precisely, my lover."

"Is it true? How?"

"Her name is Tessa. I met her when she visited for a vacation to her grandmother's house here. Then I thought it was love, and I got in a relationship with her. Do you know? I give her everything she wants, even if it's sex. I love him, I think. Until he was caught sleeping with Hendrik."

What? Bitch, uppssie, I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter, but it's not Hendrik's fault. He was made drunk by Tessa. He doesn't even realize he's made love to her. I protested to Tessa. Why did he have the heart to do that to me? And he said he was not happy with me."

"That's an absurd excuse. I mean, you gave everything for Tessa".

"Yeah, you can imagine. Every time I see a face, Hendrik, then I will remember the wound. The hurt that Tessa hurt me. Logically, if he doesn't love you anymore, what can you force when he doesn't want you to be in their heart anymore. Simple, right?" Dennis took a sip of the wine. What about me? I smiled salute at the man in front of me now.

******

It's not that easy. The wounds in my heart dry up. Of course, it takes time so that I can forget everything slowly. I'm getting used to my new environment, by the way, even though there were still some things that felt foreign to me. "Margaret, do you believe in werewolves?" I asked when I accompanied Margaret to prepare lunch. "Why are you suddenly asking me that?" replied Margaret in her characteristic motherly voice

"I'm not used to wolf howling, especially when there is a full moon. Sometimes they sound close, sometimes they don't howl at all," I complained. Margaret regretted the discomfort I felt. she also assured me that her husband would bring members to make a fence in the backyard of the house as soon as possible.

 And Maria told me about the legend. The legend of the werewolf. Does anyone here know more about that?"

"What for? what's for your book? "

"Yeah. I haven't thought of the concept yet, but it's interesting. "

"Hmmm, I don't know, those who tell the legend have died, of course. Why isn't Maria home yet, I'm running out of salt," complained Margaret? She also changed the topic of conversation about her cooking.

The afternoon came bringing quite heavy rain. The weather is unpredictable today. When the sun stood firm in the sky over there, now he was covered by black clouds. It seemed like a habit to me that I sat on the backyard balcony. Don't care if the wind blows cold against the skin.

Maria sat beside me late reading the novel, "do you like that in my novel?" I asked "hmmm," answered Maria nodding her head without looking at me

The aroma of the rain was very fragrant. The wet trees made their aroma. To me, this is a natural perfume that is more fragrant than anything. You can feel what I feel this.

"Maria? If the werewolf did exist, what would happen if you became his partner? "I asked carelessly. "Mate, you mean?" Maria asked in return. I nodded

"Hmmm, surely he will be very loyal to you. To them, the mate is like half their soul. Mate is their life, the point is you will be treated very special, and the mat can also be rejected. It depends on the situation, I guess."

"So, the werewolves can choose their mate like that?" I asked

"Not really, it's like a case. Sometimes it is the mate who betrays, and the wolfman will automatically reject the eye and then look for another mate. Sometimes they have had enough of one mate in their lifetime, and they never get old, by the way."

"Hahaha, they sound like they have a relationship like humans," I scoffed; suddenly, Grisella rebuked me. Maria said I shouldn't make fun of me on werewolf related things. Someone could have heard it.

I was still chuckling at Maria's expression, which poked her mouth in annoyance. My eyes shifted to the title of the novel he was reading, "Roses"—the title I had compiled with Delon. Even the title of my book itself makes me reminisce about Delon.

"What do you like about this book?" I said, pointing to the novel that Maria was reading

"Jeslin, I like the character."

"Justin? Wait a minute. he's not the main character, he's the one who did evil to the main character, right? "

"What's wrong with fighting for her love? After all, the main character's lover was also her lover. Then suddenly, the main character seizes her lover. That's not fair, right; a little lesson for the main character doesn't matter."

"Hmmm, I just found out that my readers' tastes are different," I replied pensively.

"You haven't taken your medicine, oh my God Grisella, wait here, I'll take your medicine, and you have to drink," Maria ordered me. He walked away and rushed to get my medicine, "you talkative," I protested with a smile. Again my eyes turned to the forest. And you know what? Also, the human image stood behind a tree. I stood squinting my eyes to see more clearly. It was then that I heard someone's voice speak, the voice just like it was inside my head.

"You're human? I'm not wrong, right?" Said the voice. I see in many directions. There is no one but me. But a human-like shadow was still standing there. Who are you? Are you the one speaking? "I said uncertainly.

'You are human? I'm sure you're from the witch clan'. continued the voice, the more echoed in my head" you're a cruel human; you killed her, "said the voice again firmly. I feel depressed hearing that voice in my head, but there is no one around me.

"What is wrong?" Asked Maria approaching me, she held my shoulder. My eyes stared at Maria then quickly turned to stare at the tree earlier; there were no more shadows.

"We just go in; the air is not good for you," said Maria; she took me inside; my eyes were still stunned by what happened just now. I sure heard a voice talking to me. Am I crazy now? Am I so desperate that I feel this indistinct hallucination? I don't want my name to go from being a weird writer to a crazy writer, but I did hear that strange voice.