Across the Lake
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Chapter 3: The Storm
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I didn't get to finish my painting because the sun started to sink low behind the mountains, changing the colors and stretching the shadows. I would have to finish painting it tomorrow. Gathering all my paintbrushes, paints, and easel, I took everything inside the cabin. I opened the door and entered inside, which was very dark. The furniture and dead moose head gave off an eerie, unwelcoming vibe, not how it felt when I first arrived here. I started to feel very alone in this cabin...wondering if this whole thing was even a good idea.
Then, I cursed under my breath when I remembered that I had to go get firewood. I was going to freeze my ass off if I didn't hurry back out to get firewood. Placing the art supplies down on the empty table, I turned on my phone's flashlight and trudged back out into the wilderness; cursing myself quietly for getting easily distracted.
There was only a sliver of gold outlining the purple mountains off in the distance. I had no idea that time had passed by so fast. I moved as quickly as I could around the trees and bushes, following the circle of light on the ground from my phone to find dry branches for the fire.
The clouds above were starting to merge and form into one big dark grey monster. Shivering from the icy cold winds in my t-shirt and jeans; goosebumps crawled up my arms. Pine needles and dead leaves crunched under my sneakers. I stopped when I found a three and a half foot long tree branch in my way. Smaller branches sprouted from it with pine needles and pinecones stuck to it. Perfect. I can take that for firewood, I thought to myself. With one hand, I picked up one end and dragged the other half back to the cabin.
Behind me I thought I heard faint breathing. I turned back around.
Nothing...
Frowning, squinting my eyes through the forming darkness of the forest. I was having a hard time seeing outside. I shined my light around. Still nothing. I was starting to hear things...then I realized I couldn't hear anything. No birds chirping. It was very creepy. I turned back around and headed back to the cabin with my branch.
The branch slapped against the wooden steps as I made it up the front porch. It was then I realized I had no idea where the axe was. Before I thought of asking my dad on the walkie talkie where it was, I decided to look for it. The wind picked up, causing the branches in the trees to rustle. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, I decided to break the branch down by myself.
It took a little longer then I thought, stepping on one end with my shoe and pulling up the other end with my arms, causing it to break in half; but it still worked. I placed the bundle of branches in the fireplace, with a few crumpled up newspapers, lit a match, and before long, I had a nice fire going. The smell of the pine and the loud snaps and popping of the needles and pinecones reminded me of...
An image of a huge roaring bonfire in the forest appeared in my head. The vision was a little fuzzy in some places. I blinked and I was back in the cabin. I held my head.
What was that? A vision?
I shook my head. Don't be silly. I can't predict the future.
My thoughts were quickly interrupted when I realized a lot of smoke was coming out of the fireplace. The sap was popping like crazy. I started to cough and wave my hand frantically in front of my face. Shit. I forgot pine wasn't really a good idea to burn in a fireplace. Frustrated, I grabbed the bucket near the fireplace and ran to the kitchen to fill it with water. When I came back, I doused the fire with the water. So much for a nice fire.
The fireplace was now black with soot. My dad is going to be pissed. Hopefully I can clean it up before he comes back here. Coughing some more, I opened the windows on the bottom floor to let out the smoke. While I did, I started humming a little song...
Birch, fir and pine are not so fine
smoking is not a good sign
Oak and maple are fit for a king
to stay warm until the next spring...
I stopped in my tracks. Where did I hear that song from? Sounded like a children's song or something. Elementary school? I wish I remembered it sooner, would've saved me so much more time. I was hesitant on going outside again. I didn't know what was roaming out there already. After a few minutes of airing the smoke out, I quickly closed the windows back up then cleaned the fireplace. After cleaning up all the soot and getting soot on me as well, I decided to take a warm shower.
The upstairs shower in the master bedroom looked so inviting. The inside of the shower was as big as my mom's walk in closet, and had a waterfall feature. I closed the door, stripped my clothes off and tried figuring out how to turn on the shower. It didn't take long before I was enjoying a very hot shower. The water came down like a waterfall and felt like a massage on my back.
Twenty minutes later, I was out, dried off and wearing super soft comfy pajamas. The winds and dark clouds outside swirled into a storm. I didn't find a lot of food in the pantry which was a big disappointment. All I was able to eat for dinner was canned peaches and canned beans. Thanks dad. Now I'll have to go to the town and get more food.
Checking my phone for the time, it said it was already ten thirty. I sighed to myself. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. The eerie silence was getting to me as I made my way back up the stairs to the master bedroom. Everything felt so unfamiliar and different. I wasn't used to be so far away from home. It was both scary and thrilling. Hopefully I won't go crazy out here from being isolated from everything.
Yawning, I decided not to worry about the future and just go to bed. Tomorrow will be a better day and I can maybe finish my painting. I got under the covers and laid in the unfamiliar queen sized bed that wasn't my bed. My feet were cold from the lack of socks, and walking up the cold wooden stairs.
The winds had picked up so the trees near the cabin were starting to sway and thrash violently across the glass of the French doors. Heavy knocking sounds echoed throughout the place. A long howling sound was heard outside. Wet leaves slapped against the glass and rooftop. The winds got more violent and rattled the cabin's bones. I was afraid the whole thing was going to collapse like a house of cards. It was difficult to fall asleep while the storm was going on outside. I kept flinching every time something banged against the cabin.
Eventually I fell asleep, I don't know how, I guess the sounds gradually calmed to a soft lull and I was able to sleep through it. I had a nightmare that I was drowning in the lake. I couldn't breathe. I tried screaming but the water just muffled it. I felt myself sinking. No matter how much I tried kicking or moving my arms, I was sinking like a stone. The darkness started to swallow me up. I tried screaming again, but got a mouthful of water. Bubbles escaped my mouth and rose to the surface, while I went in the opposite direction. No more air, and no way to fill my lungs with air. Only water. All around me was just water...I was going to die-
I sat bolt upright coughing and gasping for air.
I had no sense in knowing what time it was, but from what it looked like outside, it was pitch black the middle of the night. It took me a moment to calm down, taking a few deep slow breaths, grounding myself, remembering I wasn't at home anymore, and that it was just a bad dream. Gradually my racing heart slowed to a normal pace and I was able to go back asleep...
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The next day, it rained. I was not expecting it to rain. Just yesterday was sunny and only a few clouds were in the sky. Now it was raining cats and dogs outside. Well that scratched off getting any firewood for the fireplace; and to wait till the branches on the ground were dry. I did find the porch covered in pine needles and thick oak branches.
I took the idea of being stuck inside as an opportunity to finish reading a book I had started. After I was done with the usual chores, and crossing off another thing my dad wanted me to do off his list, I was able to relax and curl up on one of the comfy leather couches and read. The soft pitter patter of rain was very calming, like a soft lullaby. I loved the rain and listening to it.
Being in the rain on the other hand had an opposite effect on me. I didn't like getting wet. Wet clothes was not a fun experience. Thinking about getting wet reminded me of the nightmare I had last night. The drowning one. Where I couldn't breathe and my whole world went black...Just thinking about it made me flinch in discomfort.
I pushed the idea of water out of my head and focused on being cozy and dry inside while I read my book. I didn't get far into the book. The soft drumming music of the rain made my eyes grow heavy. The book gently rested on my chest while I closed my eyes, laying my head against the pillow...
A loud thump startled me awake.
The book fell to the ground as I sat up and turned to the sound. It came from the front door. I held my breath and waited for the sound again. It had to just be a tree.
...Thump!...Thump!...
They sounded like slow heavy knocks. No one would be that insane to be out in that storm. I slowly got up and walked over to the front door. I looked out the glass that stared outside. The glass was warped, but I could tell something was there. Something dark stood on the porch. I took a step back from the door. Oh fuck...was someone really there? My mouth went dry. I felt a panic attack starting to rise from the pit of my stomach. I quickly took a deep breath and exhaled. No...no. I can't start panicking now. It's most likely a fallen over tree, I thought.
I mustered up some courage and opened the door, then peered outside. Nothing. No dark figure. No fallen over tree. No soul stood in front of me. Just the porch. The roof over the porch kept half of the porch dry, the rest of the porch was being drenched in the heavy sheets of rain. I closed the door and looked out the warped glass. No dark thing outside, just the porch.
Weird... I thought.
Right as I turned back around to face the couch and my book, the loud heavy knocks came again. I felt a shiver down my spine. Was someone playing a prank on me? If they were, it wasn't funny. I thought of getting my dad's rifle from the closet and coming out with it. I'm sure that would scare whoever was out there away.
The knocking continued. I grabbed my dad's baseball bat near the front door instead and gripped the doorknob tightly.
I opened the door again and raised the baseball bat, trying to look frightening, but deep down I was the one who was frightened. I heard a weird soft thump sound. This time I looked down. At my feet was a dead crow, black wings spread out. I stared at it for a moment before feeling a pang of sadness. I lowered the bat to my side.
Poor thing. It must have smacked into the door a few times before dying from the impact. I went back inside to get a trash bag. Gingerly, I picked up the crow's corpse and placed it inside the bag.
I felt bad for the creature. I bet it wanted to get out of the rain and the crazy weather beat it up. I didn't want to throw it in the trash. I hesitated before putting on a raincoat and grabbing an umbrella. Careful not to slip down the steps I made it to the wet earth and dug a small grave for the dead bird. After I covered the corpse up with wet dirt and moist leaves, I stood up, not sure what to say except: I'm sorry. Then turned and went back inside.
I didn't really feel like reading after dealing with the dead bird. I went to the radio and turned it on to listen to when the rain was going to let up. Crackling music played. A few times the static would ruin the song. I moved the metal radio antennae around to try and find the right place to keep it. Eventually I started getting a different signal. It sounded like the local news for this place.
"Gonna...have..sshhhzzzttt...showers in the...sshhzzttt...stay indoors...sshhfff...mudslidesssshshsh..." I turned the radio dial with one hand while adjusting the antennae with the other.
sssshhhhhkkkkttt...zzzzzzkkksssshhhhh..."...Help wanted for...zssshhhkkktt..." I stopped fighting the antennae and fumbled with the dial some more, trying to find the right signal.
"sshhhkt...sshhCome..'-ome...Ca...Counselor!"
The word 'counselor' made me stop moving the dial. The radio crackled then as if by magic, suddenly worked and I could hear what the announcer was trying to say.
"...And if you are in the local area, Camp Crystal Lake is reopening after sixteen years!" I blinked in surprise. Counselor...A camp counselor...for a kids camp. Was that what the crazy store clerk at the gas station meant?
"That's right, folks! The camp reopens on Friday June 13th! So, if you want to get the kids out of the house and not glued to the television or playing video games all summer; sign them up for a summer of fun at Camp Crystal Lake!"
I jumped when the radio gave a loud static sound, causing me to turn down the volume. My heart thumped loudly in my chest. Camp Counselor. So that's what the old man at the gas station was talking about. If I was the new camp counselor at this camp...A camp that hasn't been open in sixteen years...Why so long?
I wasn't able to think about it for long when I heard another thump at the door. Thinking it was another bird, I quickly rushed to the door, hoping I could stop it from slamming into the door and killing itself. When I got to the door I found more branches on the porch, the weird thing though was that they were dry, oak and maple branches, in a pile on the welcome mat.
Oak and maple are fit for a king
to stay warm until the next spring...
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