Betrayal

         Monotonous thudding echoes were driving me mad. The freezing cold jerked to consciousness. The rain splattered onto the bare windows of this empty cabin. It all comes to a blur when I try to recall when, how, or why I’ve ended up in this humid, vacant, creepy little room. My jeans were damp and my head was spinning a thousand kilometres an hour. Make that two thousand.

         It was getting really dark. I crawled to the nearest light source and saw the rainwater tinkling down the transparent glass window; they were like tears, rolling down a transparent face. I raised my trembling hand and felt it was ice-cold. I squinted my eyes and I was trying to think hard, to see far and to remember where I was, but I could barely remember my own name.

         Fear started to settle in, and I desperately tried to push it away. I was alone, alone in this empty room and like no other, I was lost.

         I didn’t know where I belonged and that strange feeling had me gasping for air. I was drowning, drowning in my own fears, but the thick air around me was suffocating me too. I tried to stand up, but my legs felt like marshmallows, and usually food doesn’t listen to me when I tell it to hold me up.

         I dug my fingers into the wooden walls and forced myself up.

         I have to get out of this place. It was a gut feeling, but at least I can still feel something. My limbs were aching. My head is going to explode... Maybe I’m going crazy.

         Thick black clouds filled the sky. It was cold outside. My naked arms were covered with goose bumps wherever chilly autumn air struck. I needed to find help, and fast. If I don’t collapse anytime soon, I’d probably freeze to death. Something tells me that wandering off in the middle of nowhere all alone wasn’t the best idea, but the lodge didn’t seem much safer. At least the drizzling rain kept me alert.

         My hair was soaked and I couldn’t see where I was going. Rain drops – or were they tears? – filled my vision and I was blinded. I wanted to scream, but I lost my voice and only a long string of hacking coughs left my mouth.

         That’s when I felt something rock-solid smack me hard on the head. A deep voice exploded in my ears.

         “You should’ve stayed in the cabin, sweetie. Guess I didn’t strike you hard enough the first time...”

         That voice was strangely familiar – sounded like dad.

         None of it made sense though, because my head throbbed like crazy and I just couldn’t figure it out.

         Maybe I am insane, but I thought I saw a sinister smile on a familiar face before I completely blacked out.