Part 1: Settling in

There's something about open road that makes a person stop, think and re-evaluate. There wasn't another car in sight and all the radio stations had long ago turned to static. It was only her and her dog in the old Chevy pick-up truck and he wasn't much of a conversationalist, not that she expected him to be. The road and the snowy landscape put her in a semi-trance and she found herself having the most profound of thoughts. She sighed out loud and reached over to give the Irish wolfhound aptly named Brute a good scratch behind the ears.

"At least I know I've got you." She smiled a hollow smile as the clumsy truck slowly made its way down a narrow side road that was densely lined with leafless trees. She watched as the road became narrower and less defined.

"Here we are." She spoke to Brute as her car sputtered out into a small clearing. She gazed out of her dirty windshield incredulously. This whole section of the world looked untouched by time and man. The only unnatural structure was the medium sized cabin in the middle of the clearing and a water pump that looked as if it had seen better days. Both man made structures seemed to have intertwined itself with the wildlife and flora, letting vines and ivy climb up its sides. She opened her squeaky car door and stepped out letting Brute bound out after her. He dashed around to stretch his legs and then obediently stuck close to his master, sniffing the air and keeping a wary eye. She gave his head a pat to relax him but he was still bristled and cautious. She made her way up the three stone steps and onto the undersized patio that had a small rocker that was holey and eaten by termites. The wooden slacks of the patio whined and creaked under foot and she stepped gingerly, praying quietly that they didn't snap under her weight. Taking another deep breath she jiggled the doorknob and to her surprise it was unlocked. Metal scraped against metal as she turned the rusty doorknob and opened the door. She immediately broke into a fit of coughs as the dust swirled up. She blanched at the closed in smell.

"I've got a lot of work to do huh?" She said to Brute as he cautiously entered the new space. Dim light filtered in through the windows that were almost completely covered in climbing vines. The limited light played on the silk spider web strands that hung from the ceilings. Dodging the spider webs as best she could she made it to the small wooden staircase that led upstairs. Running her finger along the uneven railing she grimaced at the thick layer of dust she picked up. Blowing it off her fingertips she looked beyond the steps to find a little sitting area with a round table and two hand carved chairs. Adjacent to the sitting nook was the kitchen that was small and simple and covered in the same grimy dust. Scorched pots and pans hung over the wood burning stove. She looked at the cast-iron beast of an oven and frowned. She had almost forgotten that she'd be living without electricity. To her left was the back door but she was sure that the foliage on the other side wouldn't allow her to open it. She heard Brute's hurried scamper up the steps and became curious. Her curiosity turned to fear. What sort of wild critters could have snuck in here? She walked back to the small nook and then to the steps. Sure not to run her hand along the railing she made her way up the stairs noting how noisy the stairs were. If there really was something lurking upstairs it would definitely know she was coming. She made it to the top of the stairs to find two doors. Each was a scanty bedroom fitted with a twin bed, a large trunk that sat at the foot of the bed, and a small nightstand with two diminutive drawers at the bedside. Not finding any ravenous rabies laden wild animals lurking in the shadows she relaxed. Even though the cabin was considered medium it still seemed like way too much house for just her and her dog. Suddenly a thought struck her. Where was the bathroom? Through one of the bedroom windows a small wooden structure at the tree line of the clearing caught her eye. She groaned.

"An outhouse? You've gotta be kidding me!" She griped and Brute whimpered at her sharp tone. She turned to find him standing behind her with his head cocked to the side.

"Well, I'm here now…I have to make the best of this. I guess there aren't any critters hiding in here I need to worry about…well, other then the spiders." She said waving away a spider web that was precariously close to her head.

"It's time to clean this place up and get settled in. Let's try to make this place look like home before the sun goes down." She said to Brute and noted that she had taken to talking to Brute a little more then sanity should allow. She sprinted out to her truck and began unloading all the supplies she had brought with her.

"Good thing daddy was a woodsman huh Brute?" She said tugging on the heavy traveling gear that was under the tarp on her flatbed truck. Just like her father had taught her on all those camping trips and retreats they use to go on, she had brought more then enough supplies and tools to last her at least a month.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

The sun was finally falling to the horizon and she had spent an exhausting six hours cleaning what she could of her new home. There was still more to do of course, she'd yet to clean the kitchen fully but that could wait until tomorrow.

"A shower would feel great right about now." She said while running her hands through Brutes unruly hair. Her empty belly rumbled and she sighed.

"And a good home cooked meal…" She mumbled to herself. She sat heavy in the small chair at the nook table and noted that as the sun went down the temperature dropped dramatically. She moaned looking at the quiet fireplace. She knew what had to be done but her body was protesting. Slipping on her jean jacket she stepped out the front door and went about the task of collecting kindling for the fireplace and couldn't stop herself from collecting the juicy berries along the tree line. She was sure to take Brute with her because as the sun fell the woods surrounding her secluded little cabin became dark and murky. Deciding to make this task as short as possible she hurried along. Brute stayed close by but grew more and more at unease.

"What's wrong boy?" She questioned noticing his wary eyes and then he suddenly positioned himself in front of her and erupted into a loud protective bark.

"Hello!? Anyone out there?!" She shouted. Her voice wavered and the spooky forest seemed to loom over her. She itched to run but her reasoning mind wouldn't let her. She'd be staying here for several months. She couldn't go running every time she heard a noise. What did she think was out there anyway, a monster? She forced herself to calm a little and shouted again.

"Hello!? My name is Heather! Anyone there!?" She shouted but this time she was greeted with a growl that reverberated throughout the dense underbrush. The critters that had once made their presence known hushed and even Brute quieted; cocking his head to one side and stepping back. She had heard enough and decided that playing into her fears wasn't such a bad thing. She whistled for Brute to follow and then sprinted for the front door of the cabin, dropping kindling and berries in her haste. Once inside she slammed the door shut and leaned heavily against the door attempting to catch her breath. She felt the urge to peer through the window but she wouldn't allow herself. Brute paced with agitation growling deep in his throat and staring at the window.

"It's only some wild dog or something…get a hold of yourself." She said bringing her palm to her forehead and shaking her head. She smoothed her ruffled brown hair behind her ear and steadied her breathing. In her arms she only held a few pieces of kindling but it would have to be enough. She went about laying the kindling down in the fireplace trying to forget the outside scene and noticing that her hunger pangs were long gone to be replaced by anxious butterflies. She went to the kitchen to grab a few logs that were left over from the houses previous occupants and thanked them for their graciousness even though she new they hadn't necessarily left those logs just for her. Taking time to look at the stack she realized that in the very near future the logs will be gone and it'll be up to her to cut some more. She scoffed at the thought of wielding an axe. Shaking away the thoughts she placed the logs in the fireplace and lit it, she stoked the flames until she was satisfied and relished in the burst of heat. She tried to relax but she still felt rattled. She decided that having her pistol close by wasn't a chicken thing to do. Climbing the stairs she went into the room she had taken the time to dress up as her own. It wasn't anything fancy but the bed was made and all the dust had been lifted. She opened the trunk that sat at the foot of her bed and pushed aside all the clothes she had forced in there. At the bottom sat a small bundle that housed the pistol her father had given her. She sat on the edge of her bed and unwrapped it. She could remember when her father had given it to her. He was a rough kind of guy, the kind of guy who thought giving a gun to his daughter was a sweet thing to do. He told her it was for her protection 'cause he wouldn't want anything to happen to his little girl. It was the closest he'd ever gotten to showing real affection and she had taken those words as the 'I love you' he'd never said. She placed the gun on the nightstand and tried to stifle a yawn.

"I don't understand how you could live in a place like this dad…I don't understand." She spoke rhetorically. She could feel the warmth from the fireplace sneaking its way upstairs and fighting away the chill. Slipping off her sneakers she quickly tucked herself into bed and then whistled. She heard Brute respond immediately and he made short work of the stairs. She petted him briefly and then he took his place on the floor at her bedside. She took one last lingering gaze at the pistol hoping there would never be a time when she'd have to use it. The last lingering rays of the sun fell and the cabin was only illuminated by the mellow light of the moon. Her last thoughts were of her life back home in Chicago, before she fell off into a much-deserved sleep.

To Be Continued….