STORY ARC 6: HIS ONLY SOLACE
Life In the Cabin
Matt forgets to do his chores
This is a continuation of His Only Solace, a ‘choose your own’ fiction story, initially created by Kathy K. Head back to the previous installment by clicking here or find out how to contribute by clicking here.
Matt sat trembling on the thin ragged mat as the diesel engine sputtered and died. Heavy booted footsteps reached his ears, his small hands desperately reaching to drown out the dreaded sound. Nothing could quench the fear, anticipation, sheer terror when the creaky hinges sounded, and the footsteps stepped into the bare cold cabin.
“What are you doing, you useless excuse of a human being?” the rough gravelly voice sounded loudly in Matt’s sensitive ears as his eyes opened to see the object of his trepidation. His voice caught in his throat and all that came out was a feeble croak. The big man stood snarling at him, then with an evil smirk, was gone into the kitchen.
Matt breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly, just enough to make it possible to reflect on his plight.
He couldn’t remember his life before the cabin, all he’d ever known was this rough cabin that matched the rough man. Matt just called the man HE because the man was a giant in his eyes, must be at least 8 feet tall, huge, just like a giant. The man left every morning and came back every night, with some exceptions. Matt knew the man’s routine and basically what to expect, but there were always surprises and that is what scared him the most.
A bellowing came from the kitchen, interrupting Matt’s thoughts, “Why aren’t these dishes done, and why is there water on the floor?”
“Uh, oh,” Matt thought as he scrambled to the filthy kitchen to finish his chores. He’d completely forgotten about them today. He tried to sneak by the giant man but couldn’t avoid the mean back hand that came at him swiftly and purposefully.
Cowering, trembling uncontrollably, Matt obediently scrambled to the sink and began the dreaded chore of washing, rinsing, drying and putting the dishes away. HE watched every move and if Matt didn’t do it just right, HE would cruelly snap a towel at Matt’s backside and howl with maniacal laughter. Matt couldn’t help yelping and whimpering each time the towel struck, the sting painfully humiliating. He paid for not remembering to do his chores before HE got home today. The welts would take weeks to heal.
The next morning as Matt lay squirming on his uncomfortable mat on the floor, HE stormed out of the dilapidated cabin, warning Matt that the rest of the chores better be done by the time HE got back, OR ELSE. Matt knew what chores these were, there were always a lot of them to do. Today, he had to chop wood, drive out the stray cats, sweep the floor and the ceiling of the cabin, dig holes and fill them back up, you know, things that were meaningless but had to be done OR ELSE.
Slowly, Matt climbed to his hands and knees, groaning with pain whenever his clothes touched an unhealed welt. He knew that it would take a lot longer to do his chores today, so he got right to work.
It was much later in the day, when the birds were happily singing and the sun was peeking through the dense forest that something different happened in Matt’s life. In fact, something so different that it took him by surprise and he didn’t quite know what to do. He’d seen all the animals in the forest, he’d even made friends with some of them. He had explored every trail made by the graceful deer and even explored outside of their well-worn paths. But he’d never seen what he saw now.
What does Matt see, and what happens next?
- Tell what Matt sees and how he engages with it.
- Tell what Matt sees and why he runs from it.
Hope you enjoyed the story of Matt and his plight. What will happen next? You can decide by being a part of this collaboration. Will you take on the challenge?
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