Chapter 6

The cubs were hiding in the bush when the man finally woke up. It must have been at least fifteen minutes since he fainted and the children scampered into the bushes. They had been discussing quietly of him fainting just because he saw kids. They knew he would wake up soon because he kept on stirring now and then.

He propped himself up on one arm to gather his bearings. This gave the girls a better chance to examine him. (before he was laying on his face) He was a rough shape, wrinkled and dirty, he looked like he had been through a lot. He looked untrustworthy and unkempt. He had a fearsomely white beard, so bright it almost glowed against the dark, floral background. He had a single tuft of that bright white hair, curling up at the top of his head.

“Ugh…” the man whimpered. He tried to lift himself up off the leafy ground, but fell in dizziness. He needed to rest for a few minutes after fainting, and even Della knew that.

“We must go help the poor old man!” Della whisper-yelled at her sisters, starting to creep around the bush. “No!” Elmi whisper-yelled, almost too loud, swinging an arm out to stop Della. The man raised his head a bit, wondering if he heard something. Eh, it’s probably just the wind. He thought. There was no wind today.

“He might be a black magic wizard!” Elmi finished. Kaylin, Annabel, and Della looked at her with an amused expression on their faces. “You’re too superstitious, Elmi,” Kaylin stated. “Well,” Elmi said, trying to look as protective as she could. “I can’t have you going out there to help this mysterious man, let alone on Arkk! Have you ever heard of stranger-danger?”

Della opened her mouth to protest, but she knew her sister was right. Now, they were lost on an island with a strange, untrustworthy looking man, and no hope of finding their boat before he caught them.

The Cubs sat down and shuffled a little closer to the bushes. They heard footsteps walking closer towards them. They curled up in balls and hoped so badly that he would not see them. That he would glance so quickly at them, he would not see them or not glance at them at all. He broke through their shield of hopeful wishes so easily.

“Kids?” He asked in a scratchy voice. They could feel him bending over them, but the dared not look back. They curled frozen, trying to make him think they are not there and they were never there in the first place. “I see you.” This scared them so badly they looked up to him just so he would not say it again. He sounded to the Cubs like a voice that had been searching for them it’s whole life.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” The man said. That’s what everyone says, don’t they? Elmi thought, not saying it out loud for the fear of him recording her voice and using it for dark black magic.

“Kids?” He repeated. (They were still looking at him) “Wait…” He said and screwed up his face. “Elmi, Annabel, Kaylin and little …. Um…. Della?”

The girls were stunned.