Exploreer

Pushing his way through the forest’s dense shrubbery, Susumu’s gaze was drawn to a family of wild boars cuddled up at the base of a tree some feet away. Holding his breath, Susumu quietly took out his pocket notebook, writing down his observations before tucking the notebook away. Continuing deeper into the forest, he paused every now and again to note down every animal and plant that he came across. Hours later, he glanced up at the rapidly dimming sky, sighing before deciding that he was finished for the day. Removing the camping materials from his bag, he began to set up his tent. Soon, Susumu was relaxing on a camping chair beneath the stars, a campfire roaring next to him and a bowl of rations in hand. As he ate, he flipped through his notebook, reading over all the notes he took during the day before tucking it back into his jacket with a sigh. Susumu had been drawn to this forest after hearing rumours of a strange creature taking up residence within. Before starting his search, he had visited the nearby village to confirm if the rumours were true. While he was itching to explore the forest nonetheless, he had wanted to get at least a description of what he was looking for before heading in. The villagers confirmed the rumours, telling him that recently, they’ve spotted a shadow in the woods. It was too large to be a mere boar and its movements didn’t match up with any of the other animals they were familiar with. Pleased with the fact that the rumours seemed to be real, Susumu headed right into the forest without even saying goodbye to the villagers. Falling asleep under the starry sky, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of creature resided in the forest. Woken up the next day by a loud noise, Susumu opened his eyes in time to see his cooking pot clatter to the floor. Jumping to his feet, he spotted a figure between the trees, already a few feet away. “Hey— wait!” He called out, scrambling to follow the mysterious figure.