To tread the Road,
Past the Horizon,
It is My Wish,
To See All there is,
To Travel Abroad,
Learning of Unknown Secrets,
Discovering this World's Truth.
To Sail the Seas,
That clear, blue Ocean,
Explore new Islands,
Eat Exotic Fishes,
Taste unimaginable Fruit,
And drink clearest Spring Water.
I Spelunk through Caverns,
Crawl through Crevices,
Normally Impossible,
Navigating Tunnels,
Usually Impassable.
Live Life on the Edge,
Adventure 'round the corner.
That's the Life I chose.
Monday, May 28, 2012
The Hunt
I am a bounty hunter. Basically, I hunt criminals and turn their heads in to the government. It's a difficult job, but if you're good enough, you can make a decent living out of it. There's more than enough criminals to go around, after all.
Most bounty hunters work solo to avoid splitting rewards. I'm not most bounty hunters. I have an entire team of bounty hunters, each with a certain specialty. Thank to them, I'm able to get the scumbags pretty fast, and we each live fairly nice lives.
The main trouble in bounty hunting isn't the scumbags, though. No, the worst part is when you run into fellow bounty hunters while on the job. We aren't known for working together, mostly because we don't.
Bounty hunters will always want the job for themselves. We are kind of greedy, after all. So we usually get into two or three scuffles before even finding our bounty.
I don't mean to brag, but I'm probably one of the best bounty hunters around. Once I choose my mark, I always catch them, without fail. I'll give credit where it's due and say that I'd only be half as good without my team, though.
Recently, I decided to hunt this particular scumbag. The government likes to call him a mass murderer, but in my opinion, he's just a genocidal maniac.
I got extremely close to catching him, and brought my strongest team member with me to bag him, as I knew he wouldn't go quietly. What I wasn't expecting was for him to blow the top off a skyscraper. My team member was put in the hospital, due to loss of limb, and I nearly died.
I really want this guy. I can't stand the thought of him existing. It isn't even about the bounty anymore, I simply want to tear him into tiny bite-sized pieces. Nobody gets to hurt my team, you know?
Actually, I'm close to finding him again. I can smell it. But so is a rival bounty hunter, one I've clashed with in the past on more than one occasion. They're both incredibly strong, and I'm not sure I'll be able to come out on top and unscathed.
In any case, a bounty hunter lives for the hunt. I won't be backing down, and neither will my enemies. Who wins will be determined by a test of willpower, by who has the biggest drive.
I have to say, I'm looking foward to it.
Most bounty hunters work solo to avoid splitting rewards. I'm not most bounty hunters. I have an entire team of bounty hunters, each with a certain specialty. Thank to them, I'm able to get the scumbags pretty fast, and we each live fairly nice lives.
The main trouble in bounty hunting isn't the scumbags, though. No, the worst part is when you run into fellow bounty hunters while on the job. We aren't known for working together, mostly because we don't.
Bounty hunters will always want the job for themselves. We are kind of greedy, after all. So we usually get into two or three scuffles before even finding our bounty.
I don't mean to brag, but I'm probably one of the best bounty hunters around. Once I choose my mark, I always catch them, without fail. I'll give credit where it's due and say that I'd only be half as good without my team, though.
Recently, I decided to hunt this particular scumbag. The government likes to call him a mass murderer, but in my opinion, he's just a genocidal maniac.
I got extremely close to catching him, and brought my strongest team member with me to bag him, as I knew he wouldn't go quietly. What I wasn't expecting was for him to blow the top off a skyscraper. My team member was put in the hospital, due to loss of limb, and I nearly died.
I really want this guy. I can't stand the thought of him existing. It isn't even about the bounty anymore, I simply want to tear him into tiny bite-sized pieces. Nobody gets to hurt my team, you know?
Actually, I'm close to finding him again. I can smell it. But so is a rival bounty hunter, one I've clashed with in the past on more than one occasion. They're both incredibly strong, and I'm not sure I'll be able to come out on top and unscathed.
In any case, a bounty hunter lives for the hunt. I won't be backing down, and neither will my enemies. Who wins will be determined by a test of willpower, by who has the biggest drive.
I have to say, I'm looking foward to it.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Personal Light
Catch a Star,
In the Palm of Your Hand,
Examine its Brilliance,
Admire its Light,
Then Return it,
To the vast Heavens.
See the Moon?
It Shines brightly Tonight,
But look later,
In a couple Week's Time,
It shall be Dark,
Invisible to Your Eye.
Greet the Sun,
With a Smile,
One of equal Warmth,
It Beams down Always,
Granting Life to All.
Light a Match,
Hold it 'tween Two Fingers,
How tiny is it?
How Insignificant,
Compared to the Sun, Moon, and Stars?
But touch it to a Candle,
And Two or Three More,
It shall Light up a Room,
Your own Personal Sun,
Your Twinkling Stars,
Your Fading Moon.
In the Palm of Your Hand,
Examine its Brilliance,
Admire its Light,
Then Return it,
To the vast Heavens.
See the Moon?
It Shines brightly Tonight,
But look later,
In a couple Week's Time,
It shall be Dark,
Invisible to Your Eye.
Greet the Sun,
With a Smile,
One of equal Warmth,
It Beams down Always,
Granting Life to All.
Light a Match,
Hold it 'tween Two Fingers,
How tiny is it?
How Insignificant,
Compared to the Sun, Moon, and Stars?
But touch it to a Candle,
And Two or Three More,
It shall Light up a Room,
Your own Personal Sun,
Your Twinkling Stars,
Your Fading Moon.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Poetry from May 20th-26th, 2012
Light and Dark
I look Up,
See a Light,
I Reach for It,
And It slips away.
I follow It,
Drawn to the Light,
Grasping Desperately,
For I am Afraid,
Fearful of the Dark.
When, Finally,
I take Hold of the Light,
I look Down,
See My Shadow has Grown,
For Darkness Feeds on Light,
And Light on Darkness.
How, then,
Can I have only Light?
I try to Run,
But of course,
The Shadow follows.
If I were to Give In,
To Accept them Both,
What would Happen?
I ask Myself this,
But find no Answer.
And how can I,
When asking Myself?
My Best Friend
Until the End of Time,
Down through the Ocean Deep,
I will be the One to Love You,
The One to Cherish You.
Though You may not Know,
I have long Harbored,
These Feelings toward You,
My Best Friend.
I cannot bring Myself,
To Share them Aloud,
If I did,
Then They might become Real,
And I would be Forced,
To face Acceptance,
Or Rejection.
I must gather My Courage,
And tell You Directly.
So, What do You Say?
Will You Accept Me?
No, wait,
Do not Answer yet,
Give it Time,
Think with Your Heart,
Not Your Mind.
Because I know,
At First Glance,
I may not Seem like Much.
But I'm sure,
That I could Find,
My Potential,
Were You to Answer,
You'll join My Side.
Either way,
I'll Find it One Day,
But I would Like,
You to be There,
The Day that I Do.
This Key
This Key I shall give You,
A Key I dare not Employ,
I Hope You will Wield it properly,
In some Wondrous Manner.
It is no Ordinary Key,
For Doors it does Not Release,
No, It Releases the Truth in Others,
To Expose Them for the World to See.
I'll entrust You this Ability,
For while I know Some may Abuse,
You will Command It suitably,
Some Good You may surely Do.
Believing this, I will Watch,
Watch as You Travel forward,
To the Infinite World,
To what Lies Beyond this Horizon.
I observe You take the Key,
To a Single Person,
A Solitary Individual,
Who would never Himself Bare.
And once You have Completed,
You Bury the Key,
Deep Beneath the Earth,
Where None may Stumble.
With the Last of this Power,
I see You Wander,
No longer One, but Two,
Into the Diverse World.
Blue Feelings
To wrap My Arms around You,
Would be My greatest Sin,
I know the Pain You hold,
That You'll never let Me in.
So I'll stay by Your Side,
Be there to Comfort You,
You'll come around One Day,
Your Feelings no longer Blue.
Allow Me this One Request,
This One Selfish Favor,
The only One I care for is You,
Our Time all I will Savor.
Your Fight
Though the Night be Long,
Though the Day be Brief,
I shall Hang on,
Until We take Our Leave.
Through the Dark, I'll Navigate,
'Till We receive that Light,
Then I'll have to Wait,
'Till You end Your Fight.
Triumphant, You stand,
And I join Your Side,
You take Me by the Hand,
And say It's merely the Start of Our Ride.
Here is where I'll wait;
Your battle victorious,
We'll be together.
One Night in the Snow
I lie in the Snow,
The Blanket of Time,
My cold Breath is low,
We'll be just fine.
I Know not Where,
Nor Why or How,
I came to be There,
For What Matters is Now.
A Drop of Saline,
Fallen down My Cheek,
On Her Shoulder I Lean,
For I am too Meek.
What We Fear most,
Is not Death or Age,
It is simply the Boast,
The turning of the next Page.
And When I Finally get Free,
I Flee for My Life,
For What once was Two, is now Me,
And I Flee not from a Person, but merely Strife.
The River
On the Eve of Time,
I Sit and Wonder,
If What I did was Right,
Will I be Ripped Asunder?
I Often ask Myself,
If I have Hope,
Am I simply kidding Myself?
Would it be Better to Mope?
There then Comes a Moment,
When I Believe I found My Answer,
When My Heart feels light,
My Legs Quick as a Panther.
Yet, I Soon hit a Lull,
A Point when the Feeling Ends,
The Scene suddenly Shifts,
As Away the River Bends.
This River is Special,
One of a Kind,
It Follows no set Course,
Rather My State of Mind.
Sometimes I Dash along,
Others I Crawl,
But what Truly Matters,
Is Whether I've been Tried.
I look Up,
See a Light,
I Reach for It,
And It slips away.
I follow It,
Drawn to the Light,
Grasping Desperately,
For I am Afraid,
Fearful of the Dark.
When, Finally,
I take Hold of the Light,
I look Down,
See My Shadow has Grown,
For Darkness Feeds on Light,
And Light on Darkness.
How, then,
Can I have only Light?
I try to Run,
But of course,
The Shadow follows.
If I were to Give In,
To Accept them Both,
What would Happen?
I ask Myself this,
But find no Answer.
And how can I,
When asking Myself?
My Best Friend
Until the End of Time,
Down through the Ocean Deep,
I will be the One to Love You,
The One to Cherish You.
Though You may not Know,
I have long Harbored,
These Feelings toward You,
My Best Friend.
I cannot bring Myself,
To Share them Aloud,
If I did,
Then They might become Real,
And I would be Forced,
To face Acceptance,
Or Rejection.
I must gather My Courage,
And tell You Directly.
So, What do You Say?
Will You Accept Me?
No, wait,
Do not Answer yet,
Give it Time,
Think with Your Heart,
Not Your Mind.
Because I know,
At First Glance,
I may not Seem like Much.
But I'm sure,
That I could Find,
My Potential,
Were You to Answer,
You'll join My Side.
Either way,
I'll Find it One Day,
But I would Like,
You to be There,
The Day that I Do.
This Key
This Key I shall give You,
A Key I dare not Employ,
I Hope You will Wield it properly,
In some Wondrous Manner.
It is no Ordinary Key,
For Doors it does Not Release,
No, It Releases the Truth in Others,
To Expose Them for the World to See.
I'll entrust You this Ability,
For while I know Some may Abuse,
You will Command It suitably,
Some Good You may surely Do.
Believing this, I will Watch,
Watch as You Travel forward,
To the Infinite World,
To what Lies Beyond this Horizon.
I observe You take the Key,
To a Single Person,
A Solitary Individual,
Who would never Himself Bare.
And once You have Completed,
You Bury the Key,
Deep Beneath the Earth,
Where None may Stumble.
With the Last of this Power,
I see You Wander,
No longer One, but Two,
Into the Diverse World.
Blue Feelings
To wrap My Arms around You,
Would be My greatest Sin,
I know the Pain You hold,
That You'll never let Me in.
So I'll stay by Your Side,
Be there to Comfort You,
You'll come around One Day,
Your Feelings no longer Blue.
Allow Me this One Request,
This One Selfish Favor,
The only One I care for is You,
Our Time all I will Savor.
Your Fight
Though the Night be Long,
Though the Day be Brief,
I shall Hang on,
Until We take Our Leave.
Through the Dark, I'll Navigate,
'Till We receive that Light,
Then I'll have to Wait,
'Till You end Your Fight.
Triumphant, You stand,
And I join Your Side,
You take Me by the Hand,
And say It's merely the Start of Our Ride.
Here is where I'll wait;
Your battle victorious,
We'll be together.
One Night in the Snow
I lie in the Snow,
The Blanket of Time,
My cold Breath is low,
We'll be just fine.
I Know not Where,
Nor Why or How,
I came to be There,
For What Matters is Now.
A Drop of Saline,
Fallen down My Cheek,
On Her Shoulder I Lean,
For I am too Meek.
What We Fear most,
Is not Death or Age,
It is simply the Boast,
The turning of the next Page.
And When I Finally get Free,
I Flee for My Life,
For What once was Two, is now Me,
And I Flee not from a Person, but merely Strife.
The River
On the Eve of Time,
I Sit and Wonder,
If What I did was Right,
Will I be Ripped Asunder?
I Often ask Myself,
If I have Hope,
Am I simply kidding Myself?
Would it be Better to Mope?
There then Comes a Moment,
When I Believe I found My Answer,
When My Heart feels light,
My Legs Quick as a Panther.
Yet, I Soon hit a Lull,
A Point when the Feeling Ends,
The Scene suddenly Shifts,
As Away the River Bends.
This River is Special,
One of a Kind,
It Follows no set Course,
Rather My State of Mind.
Sometimes I Dash along,
Others I Crawl,
But what Truly Matters,
Is Whether I've been Tried.
A Certain Hut
On a certain continent, in a certain country, there was a certain forest, in which was a certain hut. The hut was small, barely large enough for a single person, and crafted simply, out of mud and wood.
One day, I happened upon this hut in the course of my travels. Night was encroaching, and I was weary and sore. Unable to go any further, I walked up to the hut, and knocked on the door.
At first, there was no response. I waited a moment, and heard not a sound. I was about to walk away and make camp for the night, when the door opened, and an elderly man greeted me with a smile.
"Well, well. It's not often I get a visitor," he croaked, in a terribly raspy voice. I tipped my hat to the gentleman and gestured to the surroundings.
"I found myself here right when I was in a bind as to where to spend the night, sir. I seem to have found my luck today," I chuckled. The older gentleman nodded knowingly.
"Yes, yes. Won't you come in and rest the night?" he invited. I removed my hat and stepped inside the hut. As I had suspected, the simple addition of one man made the place feel very crowded.
The hut was a single, four-walled room. Opposite the door was a small fireplace, with a built-in stove. To the left wall was a bookcase, and by the other, the man's bed. In the middle of the room was a small, square table, situated low to the ground.
"Pardon the intrusion," I said, taking a seat by the table, on the left side. The elderly gentleman passed by me and tended to the stove, which I now noticed was cooking a pot, though no scent invaded my nostrils. I rose to aid my host, but he waved me down.
"Far be the day when I fail to do this much myself," he winked. I let out a small laugh, and it echoed across the room. I realized that the hut was even emptier than I had previously thought. The gentleman poured me a glass of water from a jug by the fireplace, and I took it gladly.
"Thank you for your kindness. It's quite a cozy home you have," I commented, indicating the various aspects of the room. Pouring himself a glass, my host took a seat opposite me.
"Yes, it is fine for a single person. However, I'm afraid I've nowhere for you to sleep," he explained, pointing to the only bed in the room. I shook my head, understanding.
"It's fine, sir. I've slept against walls before. Just what you've done already is more than enough," I said. As I spoke, I could already feel sleep's warm grasp taking hold of my senses, and I let out a loud yawn. Realizing my rudeness, I rose from the table and bowed to my host.
"I believe I shall take leave of your company now. Do you mind if I take the wall by the bookcase as my own?" I inquired, motioning to the wall behind me. The gentleman simply nodded, and so I lay my back against the wall, my head leaning against the bookcase. Soon after, sleep took me.
When I awoke the next morning, the elderly gentleman was not in sight. I rose from my night's post and stretched my limbs, in preparation for my day's journey. I studied the bookcase out of slight interest, and learned that my night's host was well-read in both classics and science.
Knowing not where my host had gone, and in a rush to continue my journey, I left the hut and hiked off in the direction I had been headed the day before. Being unhindered by personal affects, I made quick headway.
Rather, I thought I was making headway. However, as the day continued on, I noticed I was passing by landmarks I had noted the previous day. Just as night fell and my limbs began to ache, I happened upon a clearing which held a familiar sight.
It would seem that, throughout the course of the day, I had been turned around, and had tread a large circle. Before me, in the center of the clearing, was the old man's hut.
Confused by this occurrence, I approached the hut. I knew I had been travelling the proper direction, so how I could find myself here again was beyond my comprehension. I was going to ask the old man if the forest were shaped oddly, or perhaps had strange hill formations. These were incredible, theories, yes, but there had to be an answer.
I knocked on the door to the hut and waited a moment. Much quicker than the last time, the door was answered. However, it was not the elderly gentleman I was expecting; rather, a middle-aged man, clothed in hunter's attire. He greeted me with a smile.
"Well, hello there! It's nice to get some company for a change!" he spoke energetically. I tipped my hat to the gentleman and glanced about the hut. Certainly, it was the right hut.
"Excuse the sudden inquiry, sir, but is there perhaps an elderly gentleman living here as well?" I asked. The man threw his head back and chuckled loudly.
"Does it look like someone else could live here? No, no. Just come inside, friend. It's getting late," he invited. I removed my hat and entered the hut, for the second time in two days.
On the wall opposite the door, I saw the fireplace that I was expecting to see. To the left, of course, was the bookcase, though it had considerably fewer books than previously. To the right was the man's bed, seemingly unused. I inferenced that the man had recently been out hunting, and was camping at night.
A fire crackled in the fireplace, cooking the same pot I had seen the night before. Once again, I noted there was not a smell to indicate what was in the pot.
"Pardon my intrusion," I said, and I was about to take a seat when I realized that the table was no longer there. Instead, I sat my back against the wall and felt the stress leave my body. The man poured a glass of water from a jug near his bed and offered it to me. I took it graciously.
"So, what travels bring you here, my friend?" the man asked of me. I sipped at the water and looked up to the man's face, meeting his gaze.
"Well, I was actually hoping you could tell me where 'here' is, sir. You see, just last night, in this very wood, I came across a hut extremely similar to your own," I responded. The man's eyes went dark for a mere moment, but quickly returned to their cheerful demeanor.
"I don't know of another hut out here. Ah, I know, you must be hungry. Care for a bite of jerky?" he offered, removing a strip of dried meat from a package near the jug.
It was then that I realized I had not been hungry since the morning before, when I first ventured into the wood. I respectfully declined the invitation, and engaged in idle chatter with my host for a time.
After a while, I became terribly drowsy, and was forced to excuse myself. I closed my eyes where I sat, and drifted into a fine sleep. It was a sleep with no dreams, or at least none that I can recall.
I awoke in the dead of night. My hearty host didn't appear to be in, yet the pot was still cooking over the fire. Interested, I crept up to it and lifted the lid, just enough to peek in. Before I could, however, the door to the hut slammed shut.
"I'll have to ask you to leave," the man said sternly. I replaced the lid and turned, fearful, to face my host.
"I apologize for my rudeness, sir. It merely piqued my curiosity," I explained hastily, but the man's expression remained unchanged. I crept around him to the door, fearing for my life were I to disobey his request.
Stumbling off into the woods, I left the hut far behind, and did not look back.
Standing in a clearing, I was at a loss. Certainly, this clearing was the hut's clearing. And certainly, there was the hut. However, once more, the occupant had changed. It was neither the elderly gentleman, nor the middle-aged hunter.
In front of me, oblivious to my presence, was a young boy, hanging his laundry. This had confounded me for several minutes, when I decided I should go and speak to the boy. I approached him from the front, so as not to startle.
"Hello there! Why are you here all by yourself?" I greeted. The boy looked up and and showed me a large, toothy grin.
"Well, 'cause I live here, o'course!" he replied, hanging a bed-sheet over the clothesline. I recognized it as the same bed-sheet both the elderly gentleman and middle-aged hunter wore on their beds.
"What do you mean, you live here? Where are your parents, child?" I inquired. The boy's smile faded and he looked back to the laundry, though he had nothing left to hang.
"I got separated from them in the forest, and when I searched for them, I ended up here. I've been alone ever since, and can't get away."
"I see..." I responded. This was actually good. I had finally learned something about these strange circumstances. Though the boy didn't realize it, the only explanation is that the hut, or something related to it, refuses to release any who approach it. Of course, there may be another explanation, but I was sure that the hut was involved.
Placing my hand on the boy's shoulder, I attempted to comfort him. He looked up to me and plastered on an even brighter smile than before. I returned it, though I could hardly be cheerful with this latest revelation.
"Evening will be coming soon. Why are you hanging out your laundry?" I asked. I hadn't thought of it before, but it was incredibly odd.
"Eh? The summer heat'll dry it out, either way," he answered, which was even odder. It was winter, and I was incredibly cold. What did he mean by "summer heat"? I chose to drop the subject.
"Do you mind if I stay here tonight?" I asked, growing accustomed to asking to stay in the same shelter, night after night. It almost felt like I didn't even need to ask, as if the hut were my property, and my hosts the visitors.
The boy nodded, and I entered the hut. Finally, I was in the hut alone, with no real threats hanging about. I needed to look at the pot again. I thought I had caught a glimpse of something the night before, but wasn't sure.
The bookcase was no longer in the hut. In it's place was a desk, with papers thrown about. It appeared that the boy was self-educating. I walked past it toward the fireplace, but was surprised when I stubbed my toe. The table had returned.
Passing around the table to the right, I came upon the fireplace, the one fixture in the house that never changed. I could hear the pot boiling something, and lifted the lid.
Immediately, I dropped it. One moment's look was all I need to be terrified, and to realize that I had not yet fully understood the depth of my situation.
Inside the pot, boiling in water, was the middle-aged hunter's severed head.
I backed away from the fireplace slowly. I wasn't sure how it had come to be here, but that was definitely the hunter's head in the pot. I couldn't be caught looking at it, I knew, so I went over to the desk and glanced at the papers halfheartedly.
However, it wasn't the schoolwork I was expecting. What was written on the sheets of paper appeared to be the recounts of certain people, tales of their adventures. As I looked closer, I noticed a name on every sheet.
My name. It was my name, the papers the recounts of my travels. As I studied each sheet, I recognized some of the stories as things I personally had experienced. Others were unknown to me, but how did the boy know my name, my stories?
The severed head, the knowledge of my travels... I couldn't piece together the puzzle. It was so confusing, so terrifying, and, honestly, so intriguing. Now, I wanted nothing more than to solve the mystery behind this hut.
I peeked out the door to check on the boy, or rather, to ensure he wasn't about to come in. I didn't see him around, so I closed the door and turned to the room. Certainly, the missing puzzle pieces were here, somewhere.
While searching the boy's bed, I knocked over the jug of water. The liquid spilled across the floor and dripped through cracks in the floorboards. Then, I heard it. The echoing sound of a splash.
I put my head to the floor to try and hear the sound better, but as the last of the water disappeared, so did the sound. My head so close to the floor, I noticed something I wouldn't have thought about otherwise.
Pushing the bed away, I lifted the trapdoor open. A ladder led down into darkness, which ended with a flickering light reflecting off the light of a small pond, or perhaps an underground river.
Grabbing onto the side of the hole, I lowered myself in. I climbed down the ladder, wanting a better look at what was at the bottom. Halfway down, though, my foot slipped, and I fell the rest of the distance.
I landed in only a few inches of water, but the splash I created completely drenched me. Standing, I looked about my surroundings, and realized it was indeed an underground river.
It was the very beginning of said river, in fact. A few meters away, to my left, was the spring, constantly pushing water up past the surface of the river. The water was tremendously cold, and there was a certain fragrance about it. A sweet smell that infatuated me, made me yearn for a drink.
I saw what I saw thanks to the light of a torch, hanging on the cave wall beside the ladder. Though I would have much liked to take the torch and explore further, I needed to get out before the boy returned.
I grasped the ladder once more and began a slow, cautious climb up. As I reached about the three-quarter point, where the opening into the hut was quite big enough to see into, a shadow appeared above me, and a voice rang out.
"You might be the smartest of us all, brother. You found this place far too quickly. Now, I have no choice but to get rid of you, before you do the same to me."
The trapdoor closed, and I could hear the bed being replaced to it's position.
I don't know how long I was down there, sitting in the water, drifting in and out of sleep. I'm not really sure why I stayed there, either. Perhaps I thought this was all a mere joke. Or maybe I had just given up.
I drank water when I was thirsty, but every time I did, I grew even more drowsy. Unsure of what else this water might do, I decided to drink it sparingly.
After a time, I stood and grabbed the torch. I began to follow the course of the river, half-walking, half-stumbling. The river was far from straight, whipping and winding its way through its self-made cavern.
The river had, apparently, been much deeper at one time, as I had no trouble standing completely straight. Occasionally, I would see something in the water, only for it to disappear when I took a closer look.
Finally, I came to the exit. Dawn had yet to break, but the mere moonlight was enough to burn me eyes for a moment, as thay had become acquainted with the torchlight.
I was at the top of a waterfall, somewhere in the forest. I didn't know how far away from the hut I was, or even in which direction it lied.
That didn't matter, though. As long as I kept walking, the forest would bring me back to the hut. I picked a direction and began to walk, fully awake now that I had left the river.
As I walked, I held the torch in front of me, to see if there were some occurrence that would place me back at the hut. However, even when I had reached the clearing, no such occurrence happened.
The question now was, was it still the boy living in the hut, or was there a new occupant? So far, the hut had changed hands everyday, though I didn't know exactly when. If the boy was no longer in the hut, I might have to start from the beginning.
I walked cautiously into the clearing, remembering the boy's words from earlier. I didn't want to be caught off guard and have the boy "get rid" of me. That didn't sound pleasant at all.
Walking to the door of the hut, I tripped over a stump and fell flat. The torch rolled away from me, spreading fire wherever it touched. The occupant of the hut heard the commotion and opened the door.
It was the boy. He grinned devilishly down at me, the fire flicking light across his features. The boy walked across the clearing and stood right above me, the grin looking more wicked by the moment.
"You really are incredible, brother. Too incredible. You might even have the power to end this. But I won't let you. I like it here, and I won't be going anywhere else."
I stood up and spat out some dirt that had found it's way into my mouth. Straightening and dusting off my clothes, I backed away from the boy a couple of steps.
"What do you mean by calling me "brother"?" I inquired. The boy took a step toward me.
"You still haven't figured that part out? Let me explain, then. I am you," he replied.
"What do you mean? You're just a boy, you can't be me!" I argued. As I spoke, my head began to ache, all the memories of the past few days splitting and melding.
"I don't really understand it completely, but there has never been more than one occupant of this hut. You are the only to ever live here. I am the only one to ever live here. Therefore, we are one and the same," the boy explained.
I was stunned. This little boy, no more than a decade old, was supposed to be me? Certainly, we shared the same hair and the same eyes, but beyond that? I could not see the similarities.
But what if what he was saying were true? Does that mean the reason I was constantly being drawn back to the hut was because it recognized me as it's owner? Then who were the elderly gentleman and the middle-aged hunter? Were they also me?
Then how did the hunter's head come to be in the pot? What was the significance behind that? Some kind of ritual you have to perform in order to claim the hut as your own? A spell of some kind?
The hunter's head had not decomposed in the slightest, I recalled. A detached head would've looked at least slightly dead. The head was boiling in water. Water from that underground river, perhaps? Then, was there some sort of magic to it?
It did have a sweet and tempting smell. The water was also what made me drowsy, not just drinking it, but merely standing in it. Was it a natural form of sleep aid?
Then, could it be that the hunter hadn't been dead at all, but a head trapped in suspended animation? That should be impossible, but all of this seemed impossible. That kind of grotesque ritual didn't seem out of place at all.
Also, there were the papers on the boy's desk. Recount of my travels, and travels yet to be undertaken. The middle-aged hunter was older than me, so if I was him, and him me, he would've traveled farther than I had yet to.
If the middle-aged hunter had written his travels down, then that would explain how they had come to be in the boy's possession. He had them on the desk because he was reading them, studying them. Studying them... for what?
I looked around. The fire was spreading toward the hut, uncontrollable and raging. It had lit the fabrics on the clothesline, making it appear larger than it actually was. I turned to the boy.
"I need only ask one question. I have surmised most of what was bothering me, but everything that matters hangs on this one question," I said through the sound of flames. The boy's grin disappeared.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Where does the river lead?" I inquired. The boy thought for a moment, before the expression on his face darkened. I needed no further answer. I charged toward the hut, throwing the boy out of my way.
The fire reached the hut and quickly began to burn through the timbers. The hut was made of wood, unable to withstand flames. I rushed inside and tossed the bed aside.
Just as I was going to open the trapdoor, I felt a weight on my back, and teeth digging into my shoulder. I shrugged it off and turned to see the boy, a bloody grin spread wide.
"I won't be letting you," he growled, his voice that of a feral beast.
"Why do you so wish to be rid of me?" I asked, smoke filling the room. The boy wiped the blood from his mouth and cackled.
"If I get rid of you, the smartest of us all, then this hut will remain mine forever! As long as I remain here, I will never age, never die! But as long as you still, exist, I'll be in danger."
I slowly began to creep closer to the pot, a plan forming in my mind. "But I never meant to do you harm. How am I a threat?"
"Because, while you may not mean to harm me now, surely one day you'll grow fearful of death, and come to wrest this hut from me!" he spat. I could see a tear forming in his eye. He truly felt it would happen, and was scared.
Seeing such emotion, I felt terrible about what I was about to do. Yet, I knew I had to do it, to ensure I could get away with my life intact. I grabbed the pot and flung the lid away.
Throwing the boiling water (and consequently the hunter's head) at the boy, I ran to the trapdoor. The boy screamed in agony, but quickly recovered and launched himself onto my back.
Using the boy's momentum, I threw him over my body and slammed him into the trapdoor, which crumpled beneath the force. I watched as the boy fell into the deep darkness, where no light shone.
Then, the hut itself collapsed. The flames had finally taken their toll. I sprawled myself on the floor and covered my head, pieces of timber falling around and on top of me.
One certain beam fell through the hole where the trapdoor had previously been. I crawled over to the edge and peered down, but of course could see nothing. I did, however, hear a loud grunt.
With the hut in pieces, I stood and looked around. There wasn't much left to look at. The fire had consumed the clearing hungrily, and was now eating away at the forest. I didn't like being the cause of a wildfire, but I hadn't meant to start one, and had no means to put it out.
I grabbed the torch from where it had fallen and relit it in one of the fires remaining in the clearing. Walking to the trapdoor's hole, I placed the torch under my neck, sideways, and began to climb down to the river.
Once I reached the bottom, I checked on the boy. He had landed face up, and the beam was sticking diagonally out of his gut. The boy was still breathing, but his condition was far beyond my help.
As I began to walk away, his hand took hold of my ankle. He wheezed from the effort, and the look in his eyes told me he knew death was coming. Still, he spoke.
"Where... does the... river... lead?" he coughed. I crouched beside him and smiled gently.
"It leads out of this forest," I told him. I had never been interested in making the hut my own, but I was sure that if I followed the river, I would be led out of the forest, unaffected by the hut's magic.
The boy faintly smiled. "Do you... not... fear death?" he sputtered, taking his last breath. I removed the beam from his body and carried him on my back, far away from that hut of avarice, which had claimed so many of my lives.
"Of course I fear death."
Years later, when I was of a great age, I decided to return to the forest, to see if I was still living in the hut. I took a long rope with me, and when I had traversed so far up the river, I tied the rope to a nearby tree and to myself and continued toward the clearing.
The hut once again stood proudly in the center of the clearing. I walked up to the door and knocked. Answering it was a young woman.
"Hello, sir! How might I help you?" she asked. I glanced inside the hut and saw the very same pot cooking. I could not help myself but to chuckle loudly.
The End
One day, I happened upon this hut in the course of my travels. Night was encroaching, and I was weary and sore. Unable to go any further, I walked up to the hut, and knocked on the door.
At first, there was no response. I waited a moment, and heard not a sound. I was about to walk away and make camp for the night, when the door opened, and an elderly man greeted me with a smile.
"Well, well. It's not often I get a visitor," he croaked, in a terribly raspy voice. I tipped my hat to the gentleman and gestured to the surroundings.
"I found myself here right when I was in a bind as to where to spend the night, sir. I seem to have found my luck today," I chuckled. The older gentleman nodded knowingly.
"Yes, yes. Won't you come in and rest the night?" he invited. I removed my hat and stepped inside the hut. As I had suspected, the simple addition of one man made the place feel very crowded.
The hut was a single, four-walled room. Opposite the door was a small fireplace, with a built-in stove. To the left wall was a bookcase, and by the other, the man's bed. In the middle of the room was a small, square table, situated low to the ground.
"Pardon the intrusion," I said, taking a seat by the table, on the left side. The elderly gentleman passed by me and tended to the stove, which I now noticed was cooking a pot, though no scent invaded my nostrils. I rose to aid my host, but he waved me down.
"Far be the day when I fail to do this much myself," he winked. I let out a small laugh, and it echoed across the room. I realized that the hut was even emptier than I had previously thought. The gentleman poured me a glass of water from a jug by the fireplace, and I took it gladly.
"Thank you for your kindness. It's quite a cozy home you have," I commented, indicating the various aspects of the room. Pouring himself a glass, my host took a seat opposite me.
"Yes, it is fine for a single person. However, I'm afraid I've nowhere for you to sleep," he explained, pointing to the only bed in the room. I shook my head, understanding.
"It's fine, sir. I've slept against walls before. Just what you've done already is more than enough," I said. As I spoke, I could already feel sleep's warm grasp taking hold of my senses, and I let out a loud yawn. Realizing my rudeness, I rose from the table and bowed to my host.
"I believe I shall take leave of your company now. Do you mind if I take the wall by the bookcase as my own?" I inquired, motioning to the wall behind me. The gentleman simply nodded, and so I lay my back against the wall, my head leaning against the bookcase. Soon after, sleep took me.
When I awoke the next morning, the elderly gentleman was not in sight. I rose from my night's post and stretched my limbs, in preparation for my day's journey. I studied the bookcase out of slight interest, and learned that my night's host was well-read in both classics and science.
Knowing not where my host had gone, and in a rush to continue my journey, I left the hut and hiked off in the direction I had been headed the day before. Being unhindered by personal affects, I made quick headway.
Rather, I thought I was making headway. However, as the day continued on, I noticed I was passing by landmarks I had noted the previous day. Just as night fell and my limbs began to ache, I happened upon a clearing which held a familiar sight.
It would seem that, throughout the course of the day, I had been turned around, and had tread a large circle. Before me, in the center of the clearing, was the old man's hut.
Confused by this occurrence, I approached the hut. I knew I had been travelling the proper direction, so how I could find myself here again was beyond my comprehension. I was going to ask the old man if the forest were shaped oddly, or perhaps had strange hill formations. These were incredible, theories, yes, but there had to be an answer.
I knocked on the door to the hut and waited a moment. Much quicker than the last time, the door was answered. However, it was not the elderly gentleman I was expecting; rather, a middle-aged man, clothed in hunter's attire. He greeted me with a smile.
"Well, hello there! It's nice to get some company for a change!" he spoke energetically. I tipped my hat to the gentleman and glanced about the hut. Certainly, it was the right hut.
"Excuse the sudden inquiry, sir, but is there perhaps an elderly gentleman living here as well?" I asked. The man threw his head back and chuckled loudly.
"Does it look like someone else could live here? No, no. Just come inside, friend. It's getting late," he invited. I removed my hat and entered the hut, for the second time in two days.
On the wall opposite the door, I saw the fireplace that I was expecting to see. To the left, of course, was the bookcase, though it had considerably fewer books than previously. To the right was the man's bed, seemingly unused. I inferenced that the man had recently been out hunting, and was camping at night.
A fire crackled in the fireplace, cooking the same pot I had seen the night before. Once again, I noted there was not a smell to indicate what was in the pot.
"Pardon my intrusion," I said, and I was about to take a seat when I realized that the table was no longer there. Instead, I sat my back against the wall and felt the stress leave my body. The man poured a glass of water from a jug near his bed and offered it to me. I took it graciously.
"So, what travels bring you here, my friend?" the man asked of me. I sipped at the water and looked up to the man's face, meeting his gaze.
"Well, I was actually hoping you could tell me where 'here' is, sir. You see, just last night, in this very wood, I came across a hut extremely similar to your own," I responded. The man's eyes went dark for a mere moment, but quickly returned to their cheerful demeanor.
"I don't know of another hut out here. Ah, I know, you must be hungry. Care for a bite of jerky?" he offered, removing a strip of dried meat from a package near the jug.
It was then that I realized I had not been hungry since the morning before, when I first ventured into the wood. I respectfully declined the invitation, and engaged in idle chatter with my host for a time.
After a while, I became terribly drowsy, and was forced to excuse myself. I closed my eyes where I sat, and drifted into a fine sleep. It was a sleep with no dreams, or at least none that I can recall.
I awoke in the dead of night. My hearty host didn't appear to be in, yet the pot was still cooking over the fire. Interested, I crept up to it and lifted the lid, just enough to peek in. Before I could, however, the door to the hut slammed shut.
"I'll have to ask you to leave," the man said sternly. I replaced the lid and turned, fearful, to face my host.
"I apologize for my rudeness, sir. It merely piqued my curiosity," I explained hastily, but the man's expression remained unchanged. I crept around him to the door, fearing for my life were I to disobey his request.
Stumbling off into the woods, I left the hut far behind, and did not look back.
Standing in a clearing, I was at a loss. Certainly, this clearing was the hut's clearing. And certainly, there was the hut. However, once more, the occupant had changed. It was neither the elderly gentleman, nor the middle-aged hunter.
In front of me, oblivious to my presence, was a young boy, hanging his laundry. This had confounded me for several minutes, when I decided I should go and speak to the boy. I approached him from the front, so as not to startle.
"Hello there! Why are you here all by yourself?" I greeted. The boy looked up and and showed me a large, toothy grin.
"Well, 'cause I live here, o'course!" he replied, hanging a bed-sheet over the clothesline. I recognized it as the same bed-sheet both the elderly gentleman and middle-aged hunter wore on their beds.
"What do you mean, you live here? Where are your parents, child?" I inquired. The boy's smile faded and he looked back to the laundry, though he had nothing left to hang.
"I got separated from them in the forest, and when I searched for them, I ended up here. I've been alone ever since, and can't get away."
"I see..." I responded. This was actually good. I had finally learned something about these strange circumstances. Though the boy didn't realize it, the only explanation is that the hut, or something related to it, refuses to release any who approach it. Of course, there may be another explanation, but I was sure that the hut was involved.
Placing my hand on the boy's shoulder, I attempted to comfort him. He looked up to me and plastered on an even brighter smile than before. I returned it, though I could hardly be cheerful with this latest revelation.
"Evening will be coming soon. Why are you hanging out your laundry?" I asked. I hadn't thought of it before, but it was incredibly odd.
"Eh? The summer heat'll dry it out, either way," he answered, which was even odder. It was winter, and I was incredibly cold. What did he mean by "summer heat"? I chose to drop the subject.
"Do you mind if I stay here tonight?" I asked, growing accustomed to asking to stay in the same shelter, night after night. It almost felt like I didn't even need to ask, as if the hut were my property, and my hosts the visitors.
The boy nodded, and I entered the hut. Finally, I was in the hut alone, with no real threats hanging about. I needed to look at the pot again. I thought I had caught a glimpse of something the night before, but wasn't sure.
The bookcase was no longer in the hut. In it's place was a desk, with papers thrown about. It appeared that the boy was self-educating. I walked past it toward the fireplace, but was surprised when I stubbed my toe. The table had returned.
Passing around the table to the right, I came upon the fireplace, the one fixture in the house that never changed. I could hear the pot boiling something, and lifted the lid.
Immediately, I dropped it. One moment's look was all I need to be terrified, and to realize that I had not yet fully understood the depth of my situation.
Inside the pot, boiling in water, was the middle-aged hunter's severed head.
I backed away from the fireplace slowly. I wasn't sure how it had come to be here, but that was definitely the hunter's head in the pot. I couldn't be caught looking at it, I knew, so I went over to the desk and glanced at the papers halfheartedly.
However, it wasn't the schoolwork I was expecting. What was written on the sheets of paper appeared to be the recounts of certain people, tales of their adventures. As I looked closer, I noticed a name on every sheet.
My name. It was my name, the papers the recounts of my travels. As I studied each sheet, I recognized some of the stories as things I personally had experienced. Others were unknown to me, but how did the boy know my name, my stories?
The severed head, the knowledge of my travels... I couldn't piece together the puzzle. It was so confusing, so terrifying, and, honestly, so intriguing. Now, I wanted nothing more than to solve the mystery behind this hut.
I peeked out the door to check on the boy, or rather, to ensure he wasn't about to come in. I didn't see him around, so I closed the door and turned to the room. Certainly, the missing puzzle pieces were here, somewhere.
While searching the boy's bed, I knocked over the jug of water. The liquid spilled across the floor and dripped through cracks in the floorboards. Then, I heard it. The echoing sound of a splash.
I put my head to the floor to try and hear the sound better, but as the last of the water disappeared, so did the sound. My head so close to the floor, I noticed something I wouldn't have thought about otherwise.
Pushing the bed away, I lifted the trapdoor open. A ladder led down into darkness, which ended with a flickering light reflecting off the light of a small pond, or perhaps an underground river.
Grabbing onto the side of the hole, I lowered myself in. I climbed down the ladder, wanting a better look at what was at the bottom. Halfway down, though, my foot slipped, and I fell the rest of the distance.
I landed in only a few inches of water, but the splash I created completely drenched me. Standing, I looked about my surroundings, and realized it was indeed an underground river.
It was the very beginning of said river, in fact. A few meters away, to my left, was the spring, constantly pushing water up past the surface of the river. The water was tremendously cold, and there was a certain fragrance about it. A sweet smell that infatuated me, made me yearn for a drink.
I saw what I saw thanks to the light of a torch, hanging on the cave wall beside the ladder. Though I would have much liked to take the torch and explore further, I needed to get out before the boy returned.
I grasped the ladder once more and began a slow, cautious climb up. As I reached about the three-quarter point, where the opening into the hut was quite big enough to see into, a shadow appeared above me, and a voice rang out.
"You might be the smartest of us all, brother. You found this place far too quickly. Now, I have no choice but to get rid of you, before you do the same to me."
The trapdoor closed, and I could hear the bed being replaced to it's position.
I don't know how long I was down there, sitting in the water, drifting in and out of sleep. I'm not really sure why I stayed there, either. Perhaps I thought this was all a mere joke. Or maybe I had just given up.
I drank water when I was thirsty, but every time I did, I grew even more drowsy. Unsure of what else this water might do, I decided to drink it sparingly.
After a time, I stood and grabbed the torch. I began to follow the course of the river, half-walking, half-stumbling. The river was far from straight, whipping and winding its way through its self-made cavern.
The river had, apparently, been much deeper at one time, as I had no trouble standing completely straight. Occasionally, I would see something in the water, only for it to disappear when I took a closer look.
Finally, I came to the exit. Dawn had yet to break, but the mere moonlight was enough to burn me eyes for a moment, as thay had become acquainted with the torchlight.
I was at the top of a waterfall, somewhere in the forest. I didn't know how far away from the hut I was, or even in which direction it lied.
That didn't matter, though. As long as I kept walking, the forest would bring me back to the hut. I picked a direction and began to walk, fully awake now that I had left the river.
As I walked, I held the torch in front of me, to see if there were some occurrence that would place me back at the hut. However, even when I had reached the clearing, no such occurrence happened.
The question now was, was it still the boy living in the hut, or was there a new occupant? So far, the hut had changed hands everyday, though I didn't know exactly when. If the boy was no longer in the hut, I might have to start from the beginning.
I walked cautiously into the clearing, remembering the boy's words from earlier. I didn't want to be caught off guard and have the boy "get rid" of me. That didn't sound pleasant at all.
Walking to the door of the hut, I tripped over a stump and fell flat. The torch rolled away from me, spreading fire wherever it touched. The occupant of the hut heard the commotion and opened the door.
It was the boy. He grinned devilishly down at me, the fire flicking light across his features. The boy walked across the clearing and stood right above me, the grin looking more wicked by the moment.
"You really are incredible, brother. Too incredible. You might even have the power to end this. But I won't let you. I like it here, and I won't be going anywhere else."
I stood up and spat out some dirt that had found it's way into my mouth. Straightening and dusting off my clothes, I backed away from the boy a couple of steps.
"What do you mean by calling me "brother"?" I inquired. The boy took a step toward me.
"You still haven't figured that part out? Let me explain, then. I am you," he replied.
"What do you mean? You're just a boy, you can't be me!" I argued. As I spoke, my head began to ache, all the memories of the past few days splitting and melding.
"I don't really understand it completely, but there has never been more than one occupant of this hut. You are the only to ever live here. I am the only one to ever live here. Therefore, we are one and the same," the boy explained.
I was stunned. This little boy, no more than a decade old, was supposed to be me? Certainly, we shared the same hair and the same eyes, but beyond that? I could not see the similarities.
But what if what he was saying were true? Does that mean the reason I was constantly being drawn back to the hut was because it recognized me as it's owner? Then who were the elderly gentleman and the middle-aged hunter? Were they also me?
Then how did the hunter's head come to be in the pot? What was the significance behind that? Some kind of ritual you have to perform in order to claim the hut as your own? A spell of some kind?
The hunter's head had not decomposed in the slightest, I recalled. A detached head would've looked at least slightly dead. The head was boiling in water. Water from that underground river, perhaps? Then, was there some sort of magic to it?
It did have a sweet and tempting smell. The water was also what made me drowsy, not just drinking it, but merely standing in it. Was it a natural form of sleep aid?
Then, could it be that the hunter hadn't been dead at all, but a head trapped in suspended animation? That should be impossible, but all of this seemed impossible. That kind of grotesque ritual didn't seem out of place at all.
Also, there were the papers on the boy's desk. Recount of my travels, and travels yet to be undertaken. The middle-aged hunter was older than me, so if I was him, and him me, he would've traveled farther than I had yet to.
If the middle-aged hunter had written his travels down, then that would explain how they had come to be in the boy's possession. He had them on the desk because he was reading them, studying them. Studying them... for what?
I looked around. The fire was spreading toward the hut, uncontrollable and raging. It had lit the fabrics on the clothesline, making it appear larger than it actually was. I turned to the boy.
"I need only ask one question. I have surmised most of what was bothering me, but everything that matters hangs on this one question," I said through the sound of flames. The boy's grin disappeared.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Where does the river lead?" I inquired. The boy thought for a moment, before the expression on his face darkened. I needed no further answer. I charged toward the hut, throwing the boy out of my way.
The fire reached the hut and quickly began to burn through the timbers. The hut was made of wood, unable to withstand flames. I rushed inside and tossed the bed aside.
Just as I was going to open the trapdoor, I felt a weight on my back, and teeth digging into my shoulder. I shrugged it off and turned to see the boy, a bloody grin spread wide.
"I won't be letting you," he growled, his voice that of a feral beast.
"Why do you so wish to be rid of me?" I asked, smoke filling the room. The boy wiped the blood from his mouth and cackled.
"If I get rid of you, the smartest of us all, then this hut will remain mine forever! As long as I remain here, I will never age, never die! But as long as you still, exist, I'll be in danger."
I slowly began to creep closer to the pot, a plan forming in my mind. "But I never meant to do you harm. How am I a threat?"
"Because, while you may not mean to harm me now, surely one day you'll grow fearful of death, and come to wrest this hut from me!" he spat. I could see a tear forming in his eye. He truly felt it would happen, and was scared.
Seeing such emotion, I felt terrible about what I was about to do. Yet, I knew I had to do it, to ensure I could get away with my life intact. I grabbed the pot and flung the lid away.
Throwing the boiling water (and consequently the hunter's head) at the boy, I ran to the trapdoor. The boy screamed in agony, but quickly recovered and launched himself onto my back.
Using the boy's momentum, I threw him over my body and slammed him into the trapdoor, which crumpled beneath the force. I watched as the boy fell into the deep darkness, where no light shone.
Then, the hut itself collapsed. The flames had finally taken their toll. I sprawled myself on the floor and covered my head, pieces of timber falling around and on top of me.
One certain beam fell through the hole where the trapdoor had previously been. I crawled over to the edge and peered down, but of course could see nothing. I did, however, hear a loud grunt.
With the hut in pieces, I stood and looked around. There wasn't much left to look at. The fire had consumed the clearing hungrily, and was now eating away at the forest. I didn't like being the cause of a wildfire, but I hadn't meant to start one, and had no means to put it out.
I grabbed the torch from where it had fallen and relit it in one of the fires remaining in the clearing. Walking to the trapdoor's hole, I placed the torch under my neck, sideways, and began to climb down to the river.
Once I reached the bottom, I checked on the boy. He had landed face up, and the beam was sticking diagonally out of his gut. The boy was still breathing, but his condition was far beyond my help.
As I began to walk away, his hand took hold of my ankle. He wheezed from the effort, and the look in his eyes told me he knew death was coming. Still, he spoke.
"Where... does the... river... lead?" he coughed. I crouched beside him and smiled gently.
"It leads out of this forest," I told him. I had never been interested in making the hut my own, but I was sure that if I followed the river, I would be led out of the forest, unaffected by the hut's magic.
The boy faintly smiled. "Do you... not... fear death?" he sputtered, taking his last breath. I removed the beam from his body and carried him on my back, far away from that hut of avarice, which had claimed so many of my lives.
"Of course I fear death."
Years later, when I was of a great age, I decided to return to the forest, to see if I was still living in the hut. I took a long rope with me, and when I had traversed so far up the river, I tied the rope to a nearby tree and to myself and continued toward the clearing.
The hut once again stood proudly in the center of the clearing. I walked up to the door and knocked. Answering it was a young woman.
"Hello, sir! How might I help you?" she asked. I glanced inside the hut and saw the very same pot cooking. I could not help myself but to chuckle loudly.
The End
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