Page 9 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"AAAHHH!"
Anna jumped back as the obstacle moved. Torn between fear and curiosity, she moved backward, staring at the impenetrable blackness. Finally, the moon crept out from behind a cloud and illuminated the huge monster that was lying across the meadow. Stunned, Anna stopped and stared at the creature, whose legs were as thick as the trunks of full-grown oaks, arms almost as long as birch trees, and a body significantly larger than a bus.
Was it a person? A huge, enormous, colossal… giant?
Her knees wobbled as the man sat up with a loud yawn, his arms resting behind him. His head was gigantic. If he were to fall forward, he would have instantly crushed her. He had a thick beard, leading Anna to believe that she'd stroked his cheek as he'd been lying on the ground sleeping. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, which were as big as dinner plates, until he spotted her.
Anna froze. Maybe she was so small that if she stood still long enough, he wouldn't notice her. The giant, however, spotted her and stared at her as if she were the strange creature. Suddenly, his hairy face brightened. His eyes, which were green like moss, lit up, and his mouth appeared between the bristly whiskers, twisting into a joyful smile.
"Anemone!"
5
Perplexed, Anna stared at the giant, unable to move. He stared back, seemingly amazed, until he started to twitch and then squinted as his eyes appeared to become watery. A tear the size of a tennis ball formed and traveled down his cheek.
"I thought I'd never see you again." He wiped the tear from his chin with his finger before it splashed on the ground. He reached out to Anna, and her eyes widened as the hairy hand came toward her slowly and carefully. Her heart was beating faster than if she'd just finished a sprint.Run, run away, everything inside her screamed, but her feet were cemented in place.
She raised her arms to defend herself but the giant had already grabbed her. He gently picked her up, placed her in his other hand, and brought her to his face. Did he want to eat her?! She wanted to jump down immediately, but the ground was too far away. Her heart was pounding again, but she couldn’t tell if it was because of her fear of heights or the monster.
As the giant lifted her, she stretched her arms out to the sides and tried to find her balance. What should she hold on to?She swayed momentarily, but he immediately repositioned his thumb to steady her, placing it against her like a backrest. His movements were so slow that she barely even rocked back and forth. Holding her close to his face, he looked at her so kindly that Anna gave an involuntary smile. And, strangely enough, her panic immediately subsided.
Curious, she peered at him. "Do we know each other?"
The giant man's gaze softened and he stroked her back with his thumb. "I knew if you did show up again, I would meet you here." His voice was deep and he spoke unhurriedly, as if he was afraid she wouldn't understand him. "I… Wait. What did you ask me? If we know each other?" His facial expressions reflected the disappointment that coursed through his heart, which was why Anna shrugged apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I… don't remember, but…" She wanted to add that she found it unlikely that she'd ever met a giant, but he looked so heartbroken that she choked on the words. "Could it be that you've mistaken me for someone else?"
"Mistaken… you? I'd more likely mistake myself."
A small chuckle escaped her. How could a creature so frighteningly large and powerful be so friendly?
He slowly leaned his head closer. "You really don't remember? Have you forgotten everything? Me? Our entire world?"
Our entire world? "What do you mean by our entire world? Where am I?"
His huge mouth curved into a broad smile. "Well, home!"
"Home? No, no, no, that can't be right. I… I… I'll tell you what happened. I was on my couch relaxing and I must have dozed off, when suddenly pirates came and abducted me in a flying ship. A flying ship! Can you imagine that?"
She expected an incredulous laugh, but then again, who was she talking to? It wasn't every day that she encountered a giant, after all.
Furious, the giant furrowed his bushy eyebrows. "Did he abduct you?"
"He? Who is he? It was a band of pirates, definitely more than five. It was dark, so I couldn't see everyone. Apparently, they'd stolen the ship because as soon as we landed, the captain and his crew showed up and took the ship back. He seemed to know me, but another pirate with a key ring under his shirt, who supposedly knew me too, freed me from my chains and told me to get away as quickly as possible."
The giant nodded as she spoke. When she mentioned the captain, his eyes hardened, but as soon as she mentioned the one who'd come to her aide, his facial features softened again. "Dear Freddy. At least you can rely on him."
"Freddy?"
"The one who helped you." He looked at her thoughtfully. "It seems you really have forgotten everything."
"What am I supposed to have forgotten? Tell me."
"First, we should get going. I don't mind taking on a horde of pirates, but you shouldn't get too close to the captain even if I'm with you."
"The captain? Why? How does he know me?"
The giant's face darkened. "If you can't remember, I certainly won't tell you. It's better if you forget that dishonorable scoundrel."
