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I sit by the fire, trying to bring feeling back into my fingers. The blizzard had come upon me without warning while I was checking the traps. One moment, it was a perfectly clear afternoon, a light chill hanging in the air. The next, I could barely see a few feet in front of me. Though shelter was only just over the hill, stumbling up and over that took most of the energy I had left. Through my gloves, my fingers were frozen, making opening that door no little trouble. But still I managed, finding myself finally back here. My home, at least for now.
I look around the house. I was fortunate to find this place. It’s small but solid, and with a good view over the area. Not that there is any view in this weather worth seeing. I have spent many a cold night in this room, breath visible in front of my lips, waiting for the sun to rise again. Though I have explored this place far and wide, for some reason I keep returning back to this cabin. It reminds me of home, of summers spent in the woods. Those days just feel like games of pretend now, where every moment is a struggle.
It is still a bit surreal, being alone and trapped in this place. Though the people here are long gone, their legacy still remains. Dusty cans, discarded jackets, cars stopped before their destination …everything tells a story. The mugs of coffee in the microwave and the clothes laid out for a new day are what really get me. The speed at which everyone disappeared is something that I still cannot get my head around.
And then there are the bodies. I have only stumbled across a couple so far but each seems to tell their own story: one huddling in a cave from the cold, another beset by what looks like wolves. None had a happy ending.
I sometimes wonder if I will end up like them. Maybe one day in the future, someone else will get trapped in this expanse and find me. I poke at the scar that lies hidden below my jacket. The story of that close call with a wolf is forever told on my skin, of just how close I came to death. But I survived. As I will survive again.
The smell of roasting rabbit meat wafts from the fireplace, pulling me from those dark thoughts. I have survived this long, haven’t I? Even despite wolves, bears, even Mother Nature herself trying to do otherwise. I can hold out for a bit longer.