Aside from her apartment, nature was her only sanctuary. A shy introvert all her life, she grew to understand much about science and the natural world. So, when she had time to waste before continuing her bus adventure to her temporary home she decided to go for a walk on the nearby trails. It didn't take long before she found herself terribly lost.
The morning light illuminated her path, dancing with the leaves above her. Having gathered enough sleep on her bus to last for now the cold air was helpful in prolonging her drowsiness. The path she found herself on was naturally made, narrowing as she furthered along it. Her mind wondered, contemplating everything she would need to do when she got home. With her mind elsewhere she continued unaware of her footing, stepping upon a weak edge. She stumbled, unable to recover as she fell.
She toppled down the slope, rolling down it trying to grab a hold of something that would slow her fall. Her body scrapped against rocks laying upon the side well other parts bruised from hitting the ground so hard. Leaves stuck to her hair and dirt to her clothing as she rolled onto a lower trail, stopping her decent. A groan emitted from her form, too sore to move but forcing herself to do so anyways.
She rose to a sitting position, a gasp of pain coming as she moved a particularity sore spot well doing so. She mumbled French complaints as she felt the bruises and cuts around her body, and the worst of all she was sure her ankle was sprained. Part of her wanted to cry, lost in the woods injured was not how she wanted to spend her day. Anxiety filled her as she began overthinking her predicament. She couldn't walk if her ankle was sprained and what were the chances other people would be hiking nearby?
She fought back the tears that threatened to spill and tried to focus her mind to think of a solution. There was always a way out. She froze as movement could be heard nearby, the sound of grass moving. She looked around for any threats or the source, spotting a figure coming into view from the forest. The man seemed about her own age, expression blank as he studied her state.
"Hello?" She spoke warily to the man coming closer, watching him closely just in case. His eyes glanced over to hers, staring at her as he knelt.
"Hey" he spoke naturally quiet in volume, his demeanor stoic yet held a gentle air. A silence sat between the two before he shifted his gaze, searching for injuries, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
She stumbled over her words, "I... I think so, everything kinda hurts but- ah... my ankle. I think I twisted it."
The young man nodded slightly, acknowledging the information. He grabbed his chin, looking at her leg in thought. She watched him, inwardly thanking the heavens for sending help. His eyes narrowed, seeming more irritated by whatever thoughts danced in his head. She shrunk more into herself, wondering what could be causing his annoyance.
The man's hand lowered as he muttered under his breath, something Korean. His focus moving straight ahead, seeming to speak to no one. "Nearest hospital is...and you're, mm-"
She swallowed, softly speaking up snapping him out of his thoughts. "What's wrong? Well... aside from the obvious."
He let out a sigh and locked eyes with her. "You need ice on this asap, the nearest hospital is too far to carry you. In fact, we're already wasting time." His tone grew more annoyed with the last sentence.
"Is there anywhere else we can go nearby? I... may or may not have gotten lost on my way here." She spoke quietly in embarrassment.
"Only place is my cabin, and unless you want a worse ankle that seems like our best bet." He spoke, less annoyed though holding his blunt manner.
"This isn't the start to a horror movie, is it?" the young woman joked, trying to ease her nervousness.
He grinned, his serious expression softening. "If we don't do anything stupid I think we're good." The man shifted positions, expression going neutral again. "Alright, now let's get you up."
She nodded as he turned around, wrapping her arms around the man's neck as he lifted her up. After adjustments, the two were ready to head out, the woman seated easily on his back without too much struggle.
The walk began in silence, only sounds of nature and crunching leaves keeping them company. It lasted long enough for the lady to rest her head on his shoulder, mind wondering off again. This was going to be one interesting adventure for her friends online.
"Never got your name"
The man's sudden voice broke her from her thoughts, bringing her back to the moment. "What?"
"I said, I never got your name" he spoke with a more annoyed tone than previous, turning his head towards her slightly.
"Oh- Sorry," Her tone shifted from apologetic to a more cheerful one, "it's Claudette, what about you?"
He returned to looking forward, "Jake."
Silence fell between the two again. Claudette relaxed her muscles as she glanced around, thinking.
"So Jake..." she dragged out the words as she thought.
"Yeah?" He glanced briefly at her.
"How long have you been out here?" She asked as she studied the environment around them.
"About two years" he paused, "why?"
Claudette shrugged, "just curious."
He let out a half-hearted sound of acknowledgement, focusing on the walk once again. The sun had risen further into the air, giving more light to the path they walked. Claudette continued to examine the area, identifying the plants around her out of habit. Further down the trail she could see what she assumed to be Jake's home. A comfortably sized cabin with a modern design. It had a nice view of the lake and a large path leading from the front door into the woods somewhere.
Upon reaching the front door Jake shifted his hold, allowing an arm free to open the door. Claudette outstretched her own to help, not providing much but still she tried. The interior welcomed them with a home like atmosphere, furniture worn over time. Nothing was scattered around, aside from dust and an untidy floor everything looked decently clean.
He bent down in front of the old tattered couch, letting her snuggle into the oddly cozy cushions. As she made herself comfortable Jake left her to retrieve supplies. She took to looking around the room, inspecting it further as she removed her boots. Everything was made of wood, creating an authentic cabin feel. A soft breeze blew through the open widows, newer seeming curtains danced along.
The couch groaned as she shifted her weight, resting her foot upon it. She rolled her pant leg up to reveal the injury. Her face scrunched up at the puffed appearance. Creaking of floorboards caught her attention, turning to see Jake returning. He kept silent as his eyes shifted from the ice pack in his hand to her wound, softly placing it over top. She winced from the chill followed by more pain as he elevated her ankle, placing various pillows underneath.
"We'll keep this on for about an hour… switch it out for a hot one after."
"Than back to cold, right?" Claudette perked up, soft and joyful.
He nodded, facial expression unchanging as he inspected the scene. Straightening his back, he moved out of view again.
"Anything else bleeding?"
She glanced down at her legs, noticing rather large cuts across them. Spots of red stained her jacket, blood already seeping through the material. Her shoulders slumped as she realized just how much of a mess she had become.
"Yeah, a couple…" she called out as she struggled to remove her jacket, the sleeves fighting her.
She managed to get one arm removed, making the action a lot simpler with the other. Unknown to her she had been sitting on the bottom of the clothing making the whole process harder. Fixing the strands that had fallen into view she examined her exposed arms for cuts, finding the source of the stains. She sighed, untensing before she suddenly pulled back, seeing unexpected hands move into her vision.
She looked up to see Jake bent over with band-aids in hand, an opened first aid kit on the coffee table. He neatly placed the various aids across her cuts, a small cloth in hand to wipe the blood away. Her face heated with embarrassment at the fact he had seen her odd display, resisting the urge to calmly bury her head into her jacket.
Silence fell between them again as she watched him patch her up. His eyes focused on the task at hand as the breeze ruffled loose strands of his hair. A light stubble adorned his face, lips pressed lightly together as his eyes locked away any hints towards his mood or thoughts. The amount of heat that radiated off his body caused confusion for Claudette towards the amount of layers the man wore.
She opened her mouth as she debated her next words, eyes still following his hands as he worked. Her shoulders hunched momentarily before she let out an inaudible sigh as she let them drop, mouth closing as she failed to produce a conversation starter.
"Need something?"
"Huh?" Claudette's eyes widen slightly before nervously laughing, "I- oh! No, I was just- I'm fine."
"You sure?" His eyes moved from his work towards her.
"Yes! I'm fine, really."
"Alright."
He straightened himself as he finished tending towards the injuries, checking one last time before gathering his things. The wooden floor groaned under his weight as he stepped off the carpet, supplies rummaging lightly as he walked.
"Hungry at all?" his voice muffled by distance.
"Uh, kinda? You don't have to make anything if you don't want to-"
"You're injured and now my guest, if you need food I'll make some."
Claudette peered over the couch as he stepped back into the room, one hand placed on his hip as the other scratched at his hair. He had his body turned towards her, expecting an answer. She leaned into her legs as a nervous smile tugged at her lips.
"If you're really sure…." Her stomach growled after she spoke, agreeing with her choice making Jake chuckle lightly.
"I'm sure, no worries." A faint smile donned his face as he turned to enter the connected kitchen, in view as long as Claudette strained her neck to look over the couch. "Anything I should know? Allergies, preferred food…that kind of stuff?"
"Uuh… no, not really. I'm okay with most things."
Jake nodded, grabbing a pan out of the cupboards after lighting the stove. Claudette returned to laying against the couch's armrest, the desire to assist nagging at her as she tried to relax. She twiddled her thumbs, distracting herself as the aroma of well cooked food filled the room. Her stomach rumbling softly before being shushed by it's owner.
Before long something was set down on the coffee table, taking her attention away from mentally tracing the patterns on the wood above. She looked over to find a plate casually filled with scrambled eggs and cut fruit accompanied by a slice of toasted bread. Her face lit up at the sight, sitting up again before taking it and the set utensils into her lap.
"It's nothing fancy," Jake spoke without much effort to be heard, sitting down in a nearby chair equally worn by time with a plate of his own in hand. The contents of which holding much less than Claudette's.
"I don't mind! I'm just thankful for your kindness in general." Her cheery expression shining through in her tone, a mouthful of food taken right afterwards.
"No problem."
The dishes clanked as they were placed in the sink, both cleaned of contents. With a quick wash they were set out to dry and Jake disappeared into another room out of sight. The sounds of the forest and the wind outside attempted to fill the comfortable quiet. The cabins atmosphere seeming to urge her to stay. With a happy stomach, Claudette let herself relax again, her eyes growing heavy and eventually giving in, letting the soothing embrace of sleep creep in.
"Isn't it a little early to sleep?"
Weight lifted from her ankle as he spoke, waking her slightly. She glanced down to see him replacing the ice pack with a hot one. She cranes her neck to look at him, eyes droopy as she forced herself more awake. A soft hum of confusion escaped as she turned her body towards him before he left her view.
"Probably," she laughed, "But I haven't slept since…. really early."
"How come?" He returned, his fingers held around the edges of his gloves as he pulled them on to a comfortable degree. His attention clearly towards her as he did so.
"Travelling, on my way back to my apartment."
Jake gave a sound of acknowledgement, ambling towards the door, "I'm going out to do some stuff, things here should be fine if you don't try walking."
"I won't! Promise!" she called after him as the door opened, receiving no reply in response as the door shut behind him.
The clink of a tableware sounded before a hand shook her shoulder, feeling groggy as she registered her surroundings and situation. Footsteps indicated the one who woke her had left, only a brief glimpse of them as she rubbed her eyes.
"If you keep napping you won't sleep tonight."
The smell of chicken soup came from the bowl in front of her as she recognized her environment, a warm smile matching its temperature spread across her face. Sitting up like before she took the small plate underneath it and brought it to her lap, watching the steam coming off it.
"You really don't have to do this much for me…"
"It's human decency, nothing more, nothing less. Not like you can do much in your current state anyways."
"Oh…." Her shoulders slumped, the nagging sensation of being a burden making her stomach plummet. Gradually she ate the soup, paying little attention to the movement in the corner of her eye as he sat down where he had earlier. His green windbreaker missing, a plain black turtle neck with faint vertical lines etched into it that had been underneath was now showing.
"So, what were you doing?" Claudette spoke up with a false smile, pushing back her negative feelings.
"Just a hike, stopped by the nearby town for needed supplies. If you need any pain medication I have it." He shrugged, leaning back in his chair as he stared at the empty table with glossed over eyes.
She nodded, taking in his appearance and noting the lack of food for himself. "Are you not gonna eat?"
"Already have, when your soup was heating up."
"Mm… Do you have any hobbies?" Another shrug came in response to her question. Silence fell over them as she looked downcast towards her soup, continuing to eat.
"Are you sure I'm not intruding?" Her eyes didn't move from the near empty bowl, voice laced with nervousness.
Jake's lips mouthed as he gave a silent sigh before shaping into a comforting smile, his expression shifting from one of vacancy to one of genuine warmth. The chair shifted as he moved, his previously crossed arms laid against the top of his knees as he leaned forward, making clear eye contact she could feel.
"If I wasn't sure than I wouldn't say so, and you don't need to be so polite or formal here either. Just…. Be yourself." His tone held a calm reassurance.
She relaxed the muscles she was unknowingly tensing, "And what if being myself is being polite?"
Jake let out a deep hearty laugh, "Well than that's alright I suppose."
He continued to laugh, his joy contagious as Claudette joined with her own soft giggling. The previous insecurities loosening as she grew more comfortable again. When it died down faint grins continued to linger, a sense of bond in the comfortable quiet as the rest of the soup was finished and bowl placed in the sink. The water rushing from the tap as he cleaned again, voice calling above the noise.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Any hobbies?"
She shrugged despite the fact he couldn't see her, "Hiking, reading, talking on forums… not much."
"Not a bad thing" The tap shut off, hands dried before standing behind the couch, leaning against it.
"Mmhmm, I like calm…" She trailed off, a hint of sadness hidden behind her words.
"Calm is good" Jake spoke, unclear if he had picked up on her tone.
"Sometimes… I just…."
"Just?" Jake repeated as silence followed her unfinished sentence.
"Nevermind, it's nothing."
"If you say so…" Jake looked from her to the window.
"Are you sure there isn't anything I can do around here?" Claudette spoke with her previously cheery attitude back.
"Yes, I'm sure. But, if you don't want to die from boredom… I have some books stashed away, somewhere. Never read them but maybe you could give them a try."
"I wouldn't mind that."
"Let's see what I got than…" Jake mumbled, leaving the room again.
She could hear the occasional bang as he searched, presumably dropping or setting down a large box or rearranging something in another room. She wondered what the rest of the cottage looked like, she didn't suppose he had Wi-Fi here either, he didn't have any sort of electronic from what she could see. What did he do for fun around here besides hiking? Does he focus all his time on survival? Does he have any life goals? Family…?
"So I found these… I don't know if they're to your liking but they're something," He spoke looking at the back of a book in his hand as the other laid in his arms. When he approached he gave the one in his hand to her before setting the rest on the table in easy to reach proximity.
"I'll look through them, thank you very much!" she sat up examining the cover, noting it appeared to be an action themed book about spies.
She placed it down, not minding the idea but looking for another hopefully her style. The next few displayed a similar theme of action, a few murder mysterious followed. All of them were by different authors, a good mix for a fan of the genre she assumed. With a small glance towards Jake she wondered who had given him this collection and if they were aware he never read them, or if he bought them himself and just never got around to it.
One title near the end of the pile caught her attention, a worn romance novel with a cliché name. It didn't resemble the near perfect condition of the rest, clearly loved by who ever had been reading it many times prior. She looked to him again, seeing only his back as he watched something outside with crossed arms. With a giddy smirk she wondered if he had a small guilty pleasure for the genre.
Her focus moved back to the book, making herself comfortable again as she turned to the first page. She didn't blame him if he did have such a fancy for the genre, she herself was probably worse in her love for it. The fact she found this in the pile of action and mystery alone was a joy. The plot came to be as cheesy as she had expected with it's title, covering many clichés even writers now do their best to avoid. It must be quite old, she suspected.
Never the less she was enjoying it, so much so that the footsteps of her new friend were unheard as he left the room with only a small glance given towards her and her choice of literature. The sun lowered further into the air as the hours past, completely content with her activity. Only when the now familiar sound of cooking was noticed did she stop, the book nearing half completion. Looking over she saw him stirring something, a single hand holding a wooden spoon with the other in his pocket.
"There's a bookmark on the table." He kept his eyes on the pot as he spoke.
"Oh, thank you!" A simple red laminated sheet laid beside the book pile, words in an unknown alphabet written across it with a black string tied at the top. She quickly finished the page she had been on, placing the bookmark neatly in between before setting it down. "What time is it?"
"I'd say around five, five thirty."
"Mm, it smells good whatever you're making."
"Let's hope it's as good as it smells than," He chuckled.
"Open or closed?" with a bang the windows were shut tightly, hands grasping the curtains as he looked over his shoulder awaiting an answer.
"Uuuh…. closed." Claudette shrugged, watching him as he turned back and slid them shut.
"I'll grab you a comforter, are you fine with those pillows?" he spoke as he ambled to the hallway doorframe.
"Yup!"
After seeing her nod, he left, returning shortly with a large blanket, it's measurements made to keep a single bed warm. The dishes from earlier were already near dry as they lay set out on the counter in a drying rack. The rooms were illuminated by electronic light alone as the sun had already long set by now.
"Where should I put my jacket?"
"Pass it," He took the clothing item from her, hanging it on the coat rack by the door, "speaking of which, are you alright sleeping in that? I got some clean clothes you can borrow, they're big but…."
"Why not? It's worth a shot."
"Alright, one second…" He mumbled as he exited the room, taking longer to return. When he did, a simple white t-shirt and dark green sweatpants hung over his arms, he passed them to her before leaving again, "Just call when you're done."
"Can do," she studied the outfit, noting the difference in size.
Removing her shirt and bra was an easier task than her jacket earlier, quickly getting the borrowed clothing on to dismiss the feeling of semi self-consciousness about her nudity in the living room of someone she barely knew. Carefully she removed her jeans, taking particular care around her ankle with a grimace as it responded with pain towards her actions. Getting the new pants on provide to be a less painful task, the size of it allowing her to slip it on without much effort needed, ankle giving less rejection.
"Done!" She called, pulling at the shirt that might as well be a nightdress on her.
"Figured they'd be that big on you," He looked like he was about to laugh as he came to stand nearby, "They're big for me as well but they're the comfiest thing I've got."
"I don't mind, they are quite cozy"
"Alright, well if you need anything don't be afraid to yell. I'm a light sleeper so I'll hear." He placed his hand on her shoulder as he turned, patting it lightly before moving away and shutting of the lights.
She recalled the layout of the house when she had gone to the bathroom during lunch, not needing to protest his help again if she were to need it again in the night. It was as small inside as it had seemed from the outside, comfortable for two, maybe three to stay. She cuddled herself into the comforter more, thinking back on the day and pushing back the worries of the future.
Thankfully she didn't need to be back at her apartment for awhile, having until January to begin her Co-op placement. She wanted to get there and settled as soon as she could, a week before Halloween to really get to know her surroundings and secure a job. She was unsure when she was heading back to Canada for the holidays, assuming the middle of December. Past events creeped into her head, her smashed pots and angry letters still caused a ping of pain in her chest.
She pulled the blanket higher, pushing her head further into the pillow. She shut her eyes, forcefully shoving them back in favour of calmer imagery, remembering the cactus back at her parents that had sprung beautiful flowers before she left. Her breathing slowed as she slowly engulfed herself in pleasant thoughts, sleep overtaking her as the cabin silently did it's best to comfort the woman.
AN: Alright, right off the bat if the writing seems like it changed a bit near the beginning that is because I started this back in July last year and didn't start it again till the last week of December. I finally have a decent plot idea of where I want this to go and it can either be a mild slow burn or a long one, we'll just have to wait and see. Thank you for reading!