I saw it, but unfortunately I couldn't get past it.
This swamp was too big, and the swamp monster was more than ten meters away from the shore. As an ordinary person without any equipment, she naturally had no way of going over to check on his condition. She could only hope that the swamp monster would come over by itself.
But seeing how autistic he is now, Mei Li really suspects that he is hibernating.
She stood beside a clump of dead grass and shouted for a while, but the swamp monster didn't respond for a long time.
Her legs were numb from standing and the weather was getting worse, so she had no choice but to turn around and walk back.
As I was walking, I looked back inadvertently and saw a figure chasing me from behind—the swamp monster had woken up and was following me.
He was moving very fast in the swamp. Mei Li just stopped and waited for a while before seeing him coming in front of him.
Mei Li smiled and said, "Were you sleeping just now? You didn't respond no matter how I called you."
As she spoke, she reached out and curiously touched his arm, wanting to see if it was frozen as hard as an ice sculpture.
As a result, it was still soft and cold, with a layer of white frost condensed on the surface.
He was wearing only a cloth wrapped around his waist, and the rest of his skin was exposed. Mei Li felt cold when she saw the frost on his body.
Although she didn't know whether he was cold or not, she silently took off her shawl, raised her hand, and draped it over the swamp monster.
The amaranth red plaid shawl was draped over him, but it was empty and a little funny. It ruined the terrifying aura he had on him.
Meili shrank her neck and tied her scarf tightly around her body. She gave the shawl to the swamp monster, and she felt even colder in the cold wind. In just a moment, her cheeks felt like they were scratched by a knife.
"I just came to see how you are. The weather is bad. I'll go back first and come see you next time."
As she said this, she stamped her feet and prepared to run back.
The swamp monster slowly looked at the plaid shawl he was wearing, then looked at the girl whose hair was blown by the wind, and suddenly stepped onto the path and left the swamp.
Mei Li was wondering what he was going to do when he was shrouded by a shadow.
The tall swamp monster arched his back, like an umbrella covering her head, and the scarf draped over him hung down like two curtains, blocking the wind from both sides for her.
… He always seemed to be doing things that surprised her.
As she walked forward, the moving "umbrella" followed her forward. He moved very slowly on the shore, and Mei Li also slowed down and moved forward at his speed.
The two of them walked slowly in the wilderness. The swamp monster walked without making any sound. She could see his chin and cheeks as long as she raised her head.
Although the wind was still cold, Mei Li felt an inexplicable heat in her neck that spread all the way to her face.
Blocked to the left, right and behind, Mei Li could only see in front of him. In the gloomy sky, snowflakes like ash fell.
"It's snowing." Mei Li reached out her hand to catch some snow. The snow fell into her palm and melted away.
This was the first snow she had seen in this world.
"It looks like it's going to rain hard. Do you want to go back to the swamp? I can go back by myself. You don't need to send me back."
Mei Li stretched out his arm and touched the swamp monster's cheek.
The grey eyes looked at her, frozen in place, but the feet continued to walk.
"Okay." Mei Li watched the snow falling heavier and heavier, and soon the snow ashes turned into flakes of snow.
Finally she got home, without any snow on her body, but there was a thin layer of snow on the body and head of the swamp monster.
She jumped up and brushed the snow off him, tightened her scarf, walked quickly out, and waved goodbye to the swamp monster.
But the swamp monster still followed her.
Mei Li hesitated. Did he want to go home with her? It didn't seem right.
—So should we mark out an area for him in the garden and let him become a mire freely, or should we lead him into the house
If I stay in the house for a long time, will the floor turn into a quagmire
Mei Li thought about these questions without limit, and looked at the swamp monster again. What she was most worried about was whether the swamp monster would be beaten by Mrs. Peg if he entered the house. Seeing that he would not fight back, he might be beaten into a puddle.
"Do you really want to go home with me?" Mei Li asked.
If he insisted, she could find a way.
The swamp creature simply raised his hand, lifted his shawl and held it out to her, his meaning was clear.
Mei Li: “…” Tsk, I was just being too sentimental.
She grabbed the shawl on the swamp monster, pinched the two corners on the left and right, and quickly tied a knot.
She turned around and ran home without paying any attention to him.
If you have the guts, chase her and return the shawl to her.
Looking back, Mei Li saw that the swamp monster had disappeared. He didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
Several months have passed, and this guy is not as stubborn as before.
When she got home and lit the fireplace, she sat beside it, warming herself by the fire and staring at it in a daze for a while.
A spark burst out from the fire, and with a snap, she suddenly smiled and said to herself, "She's so cute, why not just call me cute from now on."
The black cat Jade walked towards the fireplace with cat steps and lay down lazily.
Mei Li came to his senses and saw it. He raised his hand to hug it, but it dodged him, so he put his hand down in disappointment.
"Why don't you let me hold you? Do you know that I'm not the original owner?"
The black cat ignored her.
Mei Li unconsciously glanced at the basement in the corner again and put away the smile on his face.
By evening, the snow outside was so heavy that one could not see anything more than three meters away. After dinner, Mei Li sat by the fireplace, and the warm firelight made her drowsy.
Several sunlight fairies that grew out of the gorse branches were playing in the flames. One of them and its companion retreated to her feet, laughing and joking. Mei Li moved her feet away to avoid getting holes in her clothes.
She suspected that these daylight fairies had a grudge against her, as she would be burned if touched. They were fine when they touched the carpet floor or other places alone, but would burn a hole in the clothes she was wearing.
I'm so scared. I can't afford to offend you.
"Bang, bang—" The sudden knock on the door woke Mei Li up. She sat up from the chair and looked towards the door vigilantly.
Who would knock on her door at this time and in this weather
Could it be that something was blown against the door by the wind
It can't be a swamp monster, right
Mei Li listened carefully and heard two more bangs. She stood up, picked up a shovel leaning against the wall, approached the door and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"
"Hello, I'm passing by here. The wind and snow are too strong to travel quickly, so I'd like to borrow a place to rest for a while." An old voice came from outside the door, with a very polite tone.
Apart from this sound and the wind and snow, there was no other sound.
Unfortunately, the doors nowadays don’t have peepholes, so I can’t see outside through the peephole.
Mei Li hesitated for a moment, but still raised the shovel, opened a crack in the door and looked out.
At first glance, I didn’t see the old man I imagined, and there was no one outside the door.
"Hmm?" She just hummed in confusion when she heard the old man's voice coming from downstairs.
"I'm here."
Mei Li looked down and saw an... owl.
The small, round, white ear-shaped feathers look like two flying eyebrows.
"Hello," said the Owl.
Mei Li's first reaction was: "... Owls can talk!"
Owl: "Hahaha, I'm the messenger of the forest. I'm different from ordinary owls, so of course I can talk."
Mei Li tapped his forehead and opened the door to let it in.
There was nothing to be surprised about. She had seen all kinds of monsters and goblins, so what was so strange about animals being able to talk? She would not be surprised if her black cat Jade could talk one day.
When she closed the door, the owl had already flown to the fireplace, spread its wings and fluffed its feathers, chatting with her in its kind, old man's voice.
"It's snowing really hard. It wasn't snowing when I flew over from the south. I couldn't even see the road here. Although the forest is very close, I was almost frozen. I came here when I saw the fire... Thank you so much, little girl."
"It's okay. Do you need a towel to wipe it?" Mei Li asked.
"Okay, thank you then."
Mei Li brought it a cloth towel and a cup of hot water, then sat back in the chair.
The owl took care of itself, let out a long breath, and looked relaxed.
He looked at Mei Li, then at the room illuminated by the orange fire, and suddenly said, "Little girl, there is a cursed atmosphere in your room."
"The curse of death... ah, and the resentment and hatred of mankind..."
"A deep sadness comes from a young soul..."
The owl's old voice was a little mysterious. Its golden eyes spread and gathered in the firelight.
At this point, its tone suddenly changed, "Oh, yes, I also smell the smell of rats... Now that I mention it, I feel a little hungry..."
"Girl, do you mind if I eat some mouse?"
Mei Li: “…I don’t mind.”
The owl moved quickly. In less than three minutes, it caught the mouse that Meili had been unable to catch. It swallowed it in no time. Its enjoying look made Meili suddenly want to have a midnight snack.
"Oh, by the way, to thank you for letting me into the house to warm myself by the fire, I'll give you a feather." The owl pecked at its own wings with its beak and picked out a gray-white feather.
"When you miss someone very much, this feather can convey your thoughts to you."
Mei Li woke up from the sofa. The fireplace had already gone out. She was the only one in the room. Bright white light from outside was coming in through the window.
The owl that came in to rest by the fire last night has left.
Mei Li did not return to her room last night. She stayed by the fireplace and chatted with the owl. The owl had a good temper and was willing to answer many of her questions. He also told her about the various fairies in the forest.
They also talked about swamp monsters.
The owl didn't say much about the swamp monster, but just told her that it was very difficult to deal with. The goblins would avoid it when they saw it, and it was the most unwelcome monster.
Because wherever the swamp monster goes, over time, that place will become a swamp, encroaching on the habitats of other fairies and humans. Swamp monsters don't like to move, so they generally don't leave the swamp where they live too far and will stay in one place for a long time.
…So this isn’t what being a homebody is.
Mei Li got up with a blanket wrapped around her, opened the door and looked at the snow.
After a night of snow, the world outside has become white.
Outside the garden, a figure covered in snow was wandering, his amaranth red shawl standing out against the snow.
Mei Li smiled almost subconsciously and ran out.
"My dear gentleman, I dare to guess that you are here to see me, right?"