LAS… A STRANGE STORY
Once, in a vast and endless forest, the bright afternoon sun shone through the tall, uniform trees, casting its rays down upon the green grass and the colorful plants, which released a sweet scent of wet wood mixed with grass.
Somewhere in between, a very powerful sound, like thousands of horses running in rage, disturbed the peaceful place, accompanied by small, heavy, and at the same time slow footsteps.
Suddenly, something shiny appeared, walking between the trees and slowly approaching a glowing, shimmering river.
As it pulled a flask from its large green garment, it bent slightly and slowly toward the river and placed it inside.
As the sun illuminated the water, the reflection of an old turtle with glasses appeared, staring at himself in disappointment and muttering:
"Oh… I'm so old."
Suddenly, the sound of cracking bones was heard.
Turtle:
"Ow, ow, ow… my back… ow, ow…"
With difficulty, he lifted his tired body away from the river and approached a large round rock standing beneath a thick, massive tree beside the water. He sat there and placed his staff next to him.
He took a few breaths, then raised his cold flask and drank water slowly and calmly, as if all life and all moments were infinite and endless.
As he sat peacefully beneath the tree, something black and heavy, like a rock, suddenly fell onto his head.
From the impact, his glasses slipped off, spun through the air, and landed in the river beside the grass.
The turtle raised his weak, old hand and gently rubbed his green, round head.
As he opened his tired old brown eyes, he noticed that the world around him looked distorted and blurry. He placed his fingers on his face, feeling around his small eyes, and suddenly began shouting in fear.
Turtle:
"MY GLASSES… Where are they? I can't see!"
Inside the turtle's blurry field of vision, a small black-brown shadow, like a ball, approached hesitantly toward him, calling out in a childish, sing-song voice:
"La la lalala la… Laaaa…"
Suddenly, the turtle felt something touch his hand and shouted with joy and relief.
"Oh, thank God. Thank you, my little friend."
As he put on his glasses, the shape of a small black-brown silhouette, like a ball, formed inside them.
It stood there silently, staring at him with its innocent, large brown eyes, rhythmically moving its tail and ears while sticking one finger inside its nose.
"Thank you… my little friend. My name is Sifu. What is your name?"
The small creature tilted its head to the left, smiled, and let out a proud:
"La la lalala Laaaa…"
Then it pointed with its tiny finger.
It raised its finger and pointed at Sifu's head, where a large swelling had formed like a bump.
Sifu placed his hand on his head and laughed.
"So I suppose you don't have a name… do you?"
The small creature pointed toward the edge of the river, which stretched endlessly and massively through the forest, and began walking on all fours.
Sifu took his staff and started walking along the edge of the running river.
The rays of the sun lit the river beautifully, making them look like moving reflections upon the trees.
Sifu stopped for a moment to admire the wonderful sight.
Suddenly, something like a rock passed right beside him and fell into the river, splashing water all over him.
He placed his hand on his face and wiped the water away.
He looked around for the small creature and shouted in fear when he saw the water rushing with incredible speed.
"Did it drown?"
Suddenly, it jumped out of the river, smiling, and continued staring at Sifu while shouting:
"La la lalalalalalalaaa!"
It was holding a round stone.
Sifu looked at it curiously, raised his eyebrow, and scratched his chin.
"Alright then… I will name you Las."
The small creature jumped onto Sifu's shell and sat there, lightly tapping it with its hand.
Sifu turned his head and said to Las:
"Get down from there. This is not a toy."
As night slowly began to fall, thin, piercing cries suddenly echoed from deep within the forest, resembling a whistle mixed with a deep, heavy shriek.
Sifu looked worried and moved away from the forest together with the small creature, which stared curiously toward the place where the cries had come from.