Legend of the Odd Woods - Shelter-

Legend of the Odd Woods

Shelter

I continued along the downward spiraling path, toward the distant storm. the sky was growing darker as time passed, I could still see a few areas of normal looking blue sky, but they were becoming less and less frequent. I heard a distant sound of thunder, I did not see any lightening yet, but where there was thunder there was lightening. The trail had stayed visible for the last few miles, even looking back the trail was still there. Going back was not an option for me right now. There was no shelter behind, I had to keep going.

I could see a copse of evergreen trees in the distance, if nothing else they, along with my tent might provide some shelter. I was a bit leery about having to pitch my tent in the trees, but it was a better option than staying in the open. As I thought about this option another blast of thunder rumbled down from the sky, I looked up toward the sound, it still had the sound of being in the distance, a hollowish type sound to the thunder. I continued to watch the sky as I continued along the trail. I was stunned by the sheet lightening. it came about 20 seconds after the thunder, and spread through the sky like a spider spinning a web on crack. The sky looked like a shattered windshield with cracks spreading in all directions. I was mesmerized by its spreading and contracting, new fingers of web lightening, and new cracks in the sky in all directions. It lasted for, I am not sure how long, more than a minute, I am pretty sure about that.

After the lightening, I increased my pace down and toward the trees. I really did not want to be out in the open during whatever kind of storm was approaching. The trail took another slight turn, and the copse of trees was no longer in my view, I had to hope the trail would continue down and toward the trees. All of a sudden a very loud crack of lightening broke the silence around me. This was no distant rumble. This was a shotgun blast sound coming from a head and slightly to my right.

I turned to look at the sky, the clouds were closing in, there was a gigantic cumulonimbus cloud still in it billowing growth stage, I watched it grow for a few seconds, and then the thunders lightening came from it, a pure bolt of tungsten blue cloud to cloud lightening. It had to be one of the thickest bolts of lightening I had ever seen, no tiny little feelers branching off the bolt, just a bent and jagged bolt tearing through the sky to connect the thunder cloud with another. I could not see the other cloud the sky was growing to dark, I quickly turned back to the trail with the after image of that lightening bolt lingering in my eyes.

The winding trail took another downward turn, and the copse of trees came back in view, I could also now see a building nestled down close to them. I almost started to run, but it had been a hard walk with the worrisome sky and the distance I had covered from my last sudden onset cat nap. I was running low on energy. It did not take me much longer to reach the door of the cabin.

it was old and severely run down, but it still had it's roof mostly intact. it was better than being in the open in my tent. The first drops of rain started just as I was under the small entryway overhang.

I turned to take one last look at the sky, surprised to still see an open patch of sky above the cabin while the rest of the area was under the angry sky, I turned to enter the cabin. As I stepped across the door threshold I felt an intense sense of calming peace and collapsed to the floor from exhaustion...(to be continued, once again, maybe)

Image source, and separation bar my own work.

About the Image

The cabin is a very old home, it is currently for sale. It sits on a small lot along the highway heading to Homer Alaska, and looking out over the cook inlet toward the Alaska Range. Fantastic views, but a lot of work needed on it.

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1. The Odd Woods. Opening part of the story.
2. The Camp Site. A short five minute freewrite segment of the story
3. Onward Return of the trail.
4. Purple Skies-. An Ominous Walk