Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 8
‘Let’s rest here for a bit.’
Fortuitously, she found a small shed behind the cabin that seemed a good hiding spot.
It seemed wise to sneak a night’s sleep in the shed and resume her journey at the break of dawn.
Hiding in the shed would protect her from the cold winter winds and any beastly threats.
With this thought, Roel moved towards the small shed behind the cabin, where light spilled out, taking care to silence her footsteps to avoid alerting the cabin’s occupant.
Upon opening the sparsely holed door of the shed, she found it housed an ax with patches of dried blood, alongside a clutter of brooms, hammers, and knives. The sight of the blades made her heart sink.
One corner of the shed had a layer of dry straw. Roel squatted down on the straw and pulled out some clothes she had brought along, using them as a makeshift blanket to fend off the cold.
The old shed couldn’t fully block the winter chill, but her fear subsided somewhat.
‘I’ll leave as soon as it gets light.’
She thought, eyeing the ax hanging on the wall. The ax was as big as her torso, appearing too heavy for her to even lift.
It would be best to escape from the shed before being discovered by the cabin owner. She planned to catch a bit of sleep and wake up early.
Leaning against the wall, Roel decided to rest her eyes.
‘So tired.’
Her eyelids fluttered shut, and a pounding headache intensified. Enduring the excruciating pain, she eventually drifted off into a deep sleep.
Thud-!
How long had she been asleep in her crouched position when the sound of something thudding jolted her awake?
The noise of the door opening instantly brought back the memory of Howson invading her room. Her heart sank.
‘Howson is back!’
For a moment, Roel forgot she had killed him with her own hands and quickly looked up.
The shed door opened, letting in a gust of wind, and a massive figure blocked the entrance.
“Aaah!”
Believing Howson had reappeared, she screamed. She clutched her head in her hands, trembling and flailing. With her back against the wall and nowhere to run, she struggled to hide in the corner.
The man, who was observing her peculiar behavior, finally spoke.
“….Who are you?”
At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Roel gradually came to her senses.
After slowly raising her head, she looked up at the tall figure that filled the doorway. He was so tall that his face was hidden by the door frame, revealing only up to his chin.
Only then did she realize her mistake.
‘Ah, Howson is dead.’
The realization that the man before her couldn’t possibly be Howson dawned on her late, and she hurriedly straightened up.
After regaining her senses, Roel lowered her head in fear, worried the man might think she was a petty thief.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to steal anything. I just wanted to rest for a while before leaving.”
“Hmm.”
The man had thought a wild animal had entered the shed when he noticed her small figure huddled among some clothes with her dull, matted hair resembling deer fur.
But upon seeing her face, he realized she was not an animal but a person, the same woman who had timidly offered him bread two days ago.
“Are you lost?”
“Yes, yes… I was hiding here, afraid of being harmed by wild animals. Now that it’s daylight, I’ll be leaving. Sorry for intruding without saying anything.”
Roel struggled to stand as her body was frozen from the cold. She thought it was best to leave before upsetting the man further.
The man bent down and entered the shed, filling the space with his presence. It was only then that Roel could see his face clearly.
‘It’s him.’
Her tension eased somewhat. Despite never having spoken to him, the familiarity of his presence alone relaxed her.
The man watched Roel’s struggle to maintain balance, then reached out and grabbed her arm. He lifted her with ease. She was so light that he frowned after finding it odd.
“Thank you.”
Roel’s body was ice-cold. Leaving her in this state seemed like it could lead to her freezing to death on her way down the mountain.
“Warm your body first.”
He said, holding onto her arm and striding forward. Roel, feeling almost weightless, was effortlessly pulled along.
As they left the shed, her legs gave way, and she stumbled. Although he prevented her from falling, it felt as if she was being dragged along like a criminal.
“Wait, please.”
Realizing he intended to take her inside the cabin, Roel called out to him in panic.
A sudden fear struck her. What if she was taken into the cabin and something weird happened? In the deep woods, there would be no chance to escape or call for help.
“I can go now that it’s light. I can manage.”
The man glanced down at her, his face half-hidden by a bushy beard, making it hard to read his expression, only an indifferent gaze was perceptible.
“Alright.”
“Then I will…”
“Rest a bit.”
He said, cutting her off and opening the cabin door, tossing Roel inside. Bam! Before firmly shutting the door behind her.
