The Cabin

When I awoke from that wooden bed, there was a woman staring at me, the rocking chair she was sitting in rocking back in forth. Her gaze of me was sharp, a patient sharpness; a hunter's gaze. As I stood up from the creaking bed, I was able to see that I was in a cabin. The place was a dimly lit cabin, with giant candles surrounding all corners of the room, book shelves filled with countless books were on every wall, and lastly there were stairs leading to a second floor. The woman's gaze averted from me, as if she was released from a burden. On top of her lap sat a book that she started reading. the title of the book was "How To Knit A Sweater." The Woman was beautiful, her skin as white as snow, her hair long and dark. Her wrists wore leather wristbands with black skulls on them.

I looked up to see her watching her over me again. I asked her "who are you" she took a second to ponder and then said "I am letting you rest here, you had an accident" I couldn't remember what accident she was referring to, last thing I could remember was saying goodbye to my wife and kids before I had to go on a work trip. I asked what accident I had been in, she told me that I was in a car crash but that I would be okay, all I had to do was rest there until I felt okay to leave. I was helpless to a counter viewpoint of the situation, all I knew was that I was okay.

When I got up from the bed, The Woman had gone back to reading her book. She was rocking next to a wooden table where there was a cup of coffee with a plate of curry, my favorite drink and food. She offered me the coffee and curry and I happily accepted the offer. My mother had always made curry for me when I felt down, it reminded me of a time when things were simpler and everything didn't always seem to be a goal to run towards. The curry tasted the same as my mother's, I was glad I could remember the taste of her curry without having it for so long. My mother had passed away long ago, she never had the opportunity to see my wife and two kids but I always knew she would have been proud of me. Coffee has always been a comfort to me, it helped me wake up and get through the day even when all I wanted to do was go to sleep and do nothing. This coffee also tasted the same as my mother's coffee. All of this seemed so strange, it's like I had been transported to a place of comfort, a stress free place just for me.

After I finished I looked up to see the woman knitting a sweater. I wondered who she was knitting that sweater for, must be a special someone of hers. I looked around the cabin once again and saw a lit chimney in front of the rocking woman. I sat in front of it and next to her, I told her "real cold night huh" she responded with "it's always cold here, the only heat that this place gets is from the chimney". I looked out the window at a heavy snowstorm, I turned back to sit and enjoy the warmth of the fire. I then turned to the woman once again and asked why she had saved me, she responded by saying "I saved you because it's the right thing to do, and it gets lonely here all by myself" I responded by asking who she was knitting that sweater for, she said "This sweater is for someone that was very dear to me a long time ago. He lost himself long ago, leaving a part of his soul in the forest outside."

I asked her if I had to leave and she told me that eventually I will have to, when I'm ready. I got up and started wandering again, looking at all the wooden toys all over the walls, one of the toys is a small bear, another of a wolf. Then I saw a locked box in a dark corner, it had strange markings all over it, it also had a sinister aura to it. I then tried to open it but I got screamed at by The Woman. For the first time in that place, I didn't feel comfortable. There was something up with that place but it wasn't a malicious feeling, it was more like an unfamiliar place, a place I wasn't supposed to be at. After I had unsuccessfully tried to opened the box, I sat back down at the table. I continued to examine the box, these markings on it were ones I had never seen before. It looked tough, I would need a nuclear bomb to destroy this box. Afterwards I sat back on the bed. I thought of how my wife and kids were doing, things would be fine, I knew they would be okay. I just had to get back to them. I got up for the last time and told the woman that I was ready to leave. She said "Fine, good luck on your journey" she went upstairs and when she went back down she had a backpack in her hand. She handed me the backpack and I tried ask what her name was, she responded with "My name is of no importance, I just guide the lost" I was confused by her response then I nodded and thanked her for the help. Her last words to me were "Don't lose yourself in that forest, not a single soul has come back."