Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 7
Staying put would mean certain death at Roniti’s hands. There was no way she would let Roel live after killing her son. It was clear she would meet the same fate as Howson.
Roel cleaned the blood off her hands and face, changed her clothes, and gathered her few belongings. She then covered Howson’s body with the blood-stained clothes and blanket.
Silently, she made her way to the living room, her heart pounding at the thought of Roniti waking up. Thankfully, the commotion hadn’t reached downstairs. Yhe living room was quiet.
She retrieved a small ember from the fireplace and returned to the attic.
Throwing the ember onto the woodpile on the blanket, it quickly caught fire to the clothes and blanket.
The heat rapidly engulfed the surroundings. Roel watched the flames grow for a moment before quickly turning to leave.
‘I have to run!’
Despite the winter cold, she was sweating from nervousness. Her heart raced, and her face flushed with heat.
Roel fled the house and dashed through the dimly lit village, running as if being chased by wild dogs.
If I get caught, it’s over. I mustn’t look back. Everything will be consumed by fire, and no one will know. I must escape far away. I can’t be caught!
It felt as if Roniti could grab her by the hair at any moment.
Curse her! Did you think you could kill my son and run away?! You’ll die too!
The hallucinations rang loudly in her ears.
Her legs were heavy, her breath short, and even as her mouth tasted of blood, she couldn’t stop. The fear of being caught by Roniti drove her to push herself harder.
It was a cold winter night, her breath forming white clouds as she exhaled.
Holding only a small bundle, Roel left the village. She was surprised at how easy it was to escape.
She had thought she’d be immediately preyed upon the moment she left the village, considering the dangers it posed for a woman alone.
Yet, nothing attacked her; only the impenetrable darkness scared her.
The eerie wind, the dark night sky, and the cold, damp smell of the forest enveloped her. Fear surged to her throat, but there was no turning back.
Death by Roniti’s hand seemed a worse fate than being killed by wild beasts.
Roel climbed the mountain, knowing she had to cross it to reach another village.
She ran wildly up the tree-lined path until she stopped, deep enough that her surroundings were unrecognizable. Distant animal cries could be heard.
Realizing she had finally escaped brought a sense of cold and hunger, but lost in the dark, damp forest, relief overwhelmed her fear.
‘They won’t be able to follow me this far.’
Taking a deep breath and turning around, she saw only the dark forest path. Had she been able to see the village from here, she might have known if the fire had engulfed the whole house, but such a sight was impossible deep within the forest.
Suddenly, tears welled up, making her nose sting. She wanted to sit down and cry like a child.
But she didn’t allow herself to. Crying wouldn’t change her situation.
“Huh…”
Roel struggled to swallow her tears.
She had escaped. And now she was alone. Could she end up dying, wandering in the forest? Become food for the beasts?
It seemed like a fitting end for someone who had killed a person and fled.
Roel moved on. Each step felt heavy and burdensome, as if walking through mud.
Trying to hold back her sobs only resulted in hiccupping. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop the hiccups.
Roel was drawn deeper into the dark, dense forest, as if swallowed by an open maw.
* * *
The night in the forest was dangerous.
No matter how bright the moonlight, dark creatures claimed it as their domain and their howls echoing from distant ridges.
Perhaps waiting until daylight to find a path might have increased her chances of survival, but cornered and desperate, Roel couldn’t afford such thoughts.
She walked aimlessly, her steps rustling the dry leaves scattered everywhere, reminiscent of Howson’s last breaths and his nails scraping the blanket.
The weather grew colder, and both her body and spirit shrank with the fear of something dangerous suddenly emerging from the pitch-black void.
How long had she walked? A yellow light appeared in the distance.
A light in the deep forest. Could it be travelers gathered around a campfire?
Hope fluttered over Roel’s despair-filled face at the sight of the small light; it was as if she had found a breath of air.
Rushing towards it like a person who had found an exit in a dark cave, hope surged as she headed straight for it.
Step, step-
As she approached the light, a cabin came into view. The light was streaming from the cabin’s windows.
‘A house in the middle of the forest?’
Could it be a hunter’s home? What if there were dangerous people inside?
Roel hesitated but cautiously made her way towards the cabin. The fear of encountering someone dangerous was real, but roaming alone in the forest was even more terrifying.
