A Hero's Journey

2

         I hate the cold. It's so cold. I have been traveling for four days straight now and I have yet to find any sort of civilization. "Hello?!"

         I scream out in desperation. I carefully comb through the saddle bag, I'm starving. "Crap, I ate all the food." I groaned.
"Hello?"
          I stopped where I was beside my horse. There was no sound besides the forest life.

"Hello?"

          The faint voice returned once again, it's female. I should be safe. "Hello?! Please help! Over here." I returned.

          "Hello?" The voice said back, "Follow my voice!"

          I went in the general direction that the voice came from. I trudged through the forest and snow, coming up to a clearing. A little log cabin in the middle of it, a smoke stack rising high above it in the air, how did I not see that when I was walking? "Hello?"

        It was silent once again. I tethered the horse to a nearby tree. I don't think I've ever been this stealthy, ever since my father threatened to kill me if I sacred off another deer on a hunting trip.

         My feet made little splashing noise with each step. Getting up to the porch wasn't too bad, making it across the porch into the house without alerting whoever is inside is a different issue. I stepped up, not putting my weight on it at first, slowly applying my weight so I wouldn't make too much noise.

          I tiptoed to the front door. I grabbed the door handle. I rested my ear against the door, it was equally as silent as it was outside. I moved back and prepared myself to ram into the door, hopefully busting it open.

"Three..Two....One!"

        I whispered backing up with each count. I ran forward, throwing all of my weight into the door. Last minute the door flew open. I fell into the house, onto the floor. I groaned as a pain filled my right shoulder, it'll bruise for sure.

The door quickly slammed as soon as I was out of the way, I jumped slightly at the sound.

         I used my other arm to sit up so I could look around the small one room cabin. A large bed in the far left corner, a large floor to ceiling bookshelf opposite of the bed. A small kitchen to the right, and a table an chairs in the middle in front of the fireplace. "Hello?"

          I said to the emptiness. I smelled something in the air, looking around to locate what the source of the smell. On the table there was a bowl of something, I have no idea what it is, but it smells edible. I got my leg up and under me to get me up and standing. Wallbling over to the table, I can see that it is stew. Fresh stew for that matter. I sit down in the chair, warming myself near the fire. I pick the bowl up with my good arm, gulping it all down. "Is anyone here? I heard you outside?"

          I mumbled with a half full mouth of stew,  I wiped my face with my sleeve. "I mean, someone had to close the door, and I know it wasn't me, I was in no shape to do so."

         I laughed at myself, I am just talking to an empty house. I yawned, "I am going to sleep here for the night, and leave in the morning, I appreciate the hospitality greatly."

        I peeled off my sopping wet coat, laying it on the chair next to the fireplace, and did the same with my boots. I moved to the bed and layed down. The feeling of being in a bed felt amazing compared to on the ground or not at all. I closed my eyes and went right to sleep.

~·~

        Thunder cracked like a whip outside. My eyes shot wide open, light filing the room for a split second then it going back to pitch black, southing sound of the forest. I looked outside, a fresh two feet of snow has fallen.