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I swore that place was cursed, and it was all because of the Kings. They brought their power and their cruelness into those halls, and no matter how many of them died, more kept crawling back like pests. A bitter taste filled my mouth as I shook my head, swallowing hard.
I hadn’t spoken a word since I found the cabin. After my mother was killed, I ran back to my room and found a thick envelope on the floor when I walked inside. Inside, it had a list of directions, a scribbled map that led me to the cabin, and a few letters. Nothing was signed, but I could recognize my mother’s handwriting.
I didn’t know what else to do, so I grabbed what I could of my things and fled the school with the map in my hand. I followed the directions, thrashing through the woods until I came across the cabin. It was old and hadn’t been used in a while, but it was still in good condition. I soon realized that she wanted me to stay here to be safe. She knew something bad was coming.
I wished I had gotten to know her better. I wanted to talk to her, to hear her explain why she didn’t say anything to me until it was almost too late. Part of me was angry that I was lied to for so long. She had every chance to come clean throughout the entirety of my life at Stormcloud!
But I also knew that this world was dangerous—it seemed like she wanted to protect me, so maybe keeping me in the dark about who my parents were helped her keep me safe. I wouldn’t know, though. I still felt so lost, and I didn’t know what to do from here on out.
So, I stayed in the middle of nowhere, chopped wood, read old classics left behind on a shelf, and listened to jazz records on the Victrola, letting my beard grow thick and my body turn frailer. I did everything I could to distract myself, but there was only so much I could do out here. I was safe here, but also trapped.
I knew I couldn’t hide in the cabin forever, but I would for as long as I could. Maybe I could wait out the storm here. When I emerged, all of the Kings would be long gone, and Stormcloud would be peaceful again. That was the dream, anyway.
My stomach growled loudly, prompting me to rise to my feet. If I was going to hide, I still had to be alive, which meant feeding myself with whatever I could hunt or forage. I got lucky the other day and killed a deer. I felt bad killing it, but I knew that if I did and ate it, I could stay out here longer. It was pure selfishness.
I grabbed a cut of venison that I had stored in a sealed bag covered in salt, tossing it on a pan I found in the cupboard. The wooden floor creaked beneath my feet as I walked back over to the fireplace and placed the pan on two pieces of wood to warm it up. I was tired of meat and berries at this point. Then again, I was just tired, period.
I listened to the crackle of the fire, watching the red meat steadily turn brown. I felt like I was losing myself in this cabin, resorting myself to a broken shell. I couldn’t believe that I had gotten to this point, but what else could I do?
Stormcloud was cursed. Being there felt like I was asking to die, and I didn’t want to perish so young. Wasn’t there more that I was meant for? I didn’t even know the purpose of my life, though. So much of my life turned out to be a lie, and I just didn’t know the rest of it.
I grabbed the cooked venison, beginning to lift it to my mouth with my bare hands until I suddenly heard a knock on the door. I dropped the meat back on the pan, my eyes widening in shock and fear. Who had found me?
I was in the middle of nowhere. It was either someone accidentally coming upon the cabin, or someone was here on purpose. I wouldn’t know until I opened the door, and who knew what would happen once I did? Opening that door could be the worst decision of my life.
When another knock sounded, I realized that I couldn’t hide. I had to face whoever was on the other side of the door. I had been hiding for long enough. After grabbing a hunting knife on the tiny kitchen counter, I turned toward the door, tightening my fingers around the handle.
“Come on. Just fucking do it,” I gritted out to myself. My muscles threatened to stiffen up, but I pushed through and walked up to the front door. Even touching the doorknob was intimidating. Regardless, I grabbed it and twisted it, throwing the door open and pointing my knife forward.
