An Unexpected Guest Part One

What is it about nicknames that people find so amusing? My name of squirrel has always had people entertained, but even at twenty five I don't really care, it's a term I've come to love because of my appreciation of nature and squirrels in particular...I have many, not the real ones of course but those made of china and plastic. Also the cuddly type too, my favourite being Hector the very first stuffed toy I ever received as a child from mum, who in fact is the only person who calls me by my birth name of Susan.

Dad of course has come to know me as squirrel, accepting the turn of phrase as an expression of what I stand for, and I'm not about to change now. Anyway Hector wears a red ribbon around his neck and I wouldn't go anywhere without him, even when working away from home.

Nature draws me in constantly, on every holiday I manage to secure I always take leave of my job in the busy city as a journalist, to travel down to my friend Marcia's log cabins which are deep in the heart of the woods.

Theses small accommodations dotted around between trees are perfect for waking up to the sights and sounds of wildlife, and the history of local places of interest to investigate are right on your doorstep.

There are guided rambles led by Marcia's husband Alan and his brother Colin, or you can explore on your own which is what I always choose to do. I loved to wander down to the local lake and watch the elegant swans who though are beautiful to look at, can become quite aggressive if you get too close. It's so peaceful and gives me chance to unwind.

Feeding the ducks that so amuse the children is also pleasurable. Some times I stop off in the log cabin cafe for coffee or tea and a bite to eat, Marcia always has a good supply of homemade cakes and biscuits for sale, she's always happy to make up a hamper for those that need them for their rambles, as long as you place your order the day before of course.

There's a play area in the woods for the young to climb ropes and pretend to be pirates on the huge wooden ship that Alan, Colin and friends helped to build. Then there's a slide used instead of walking the plank, which the children enjoy and are constantly descending, whilst parents observe with keen eyes in case of danger with the very young.

My first night of my stay is to be spent in Owl Cabin, I'd never stayed in this particular one before and normally spent my holiday in Fox Hole which sadly had already been taken. All the accommodations are very basic, with just a bed, side cabinet and a curtain partition for hanging clothes, not that I had bought much with me, just walking boots, wellingtons, leggins, jeans and a couple of tea shirts...oh! My bedtime attire too and Hector of course.

There are also no lights or electrics in the cabins, so large torches are supplied for when the need to pee comes in the middle of the night, it's a bit like glamping but without any real luxuries. The only toilets and showers with washbasins are up near the main lodge where the main electrics are, which means it can become quite tiresome having to walk out in the middle of the night, especially if the weather's bad, but most people acquire a bucket and are quite happy to empty it in the morning, of course the lack of amenities is conveyed in the price which is pretty cheap, yet another reason for spending my holidays here. I remember my grandparents telling me how they never had an inside toilet, but I bet they never had to wander through a wood to relieve themselves.

The weather was so bad with rain and gales on my arrival, I decided getting to bed early to make an early start in the morning would be the right thing to do, also after four hours of driving non stop, I was knackered. Unpacking was done in about two minutes flat with Hector resting on my pillows ready for some goodnight cuddles.

Daylight was disappearing quite rapidly now as I undressed and climbed in under the quilt, sprawling out and kissing goodnight to Hector as I did most nights...that's apart from when I was entertaining a man of course, then Hector would be assigned to either my closed bedroom wardrobe, or a drawer for safe keeping.

Dark of night had already descended on the wood with the weather not improving, bare branches swayed in a breeze that was picking up even more, casting silhouettes against the window pane as I drifted off. I began to dream, but felt so restless as every strange scene seemed to shift from one vision to another, with no real idea of what was going on.

I don't know how long I'd been asleep, when suddenly feeling wet and cold I was awoken. Even above the din of the weather I could hear the sound of a distant owl hooting. Opening my eyes, feelings of confusion had me disorientated, finding myself standing in the middle of the wood in only my nightie and wellingtons.

Shivering and fragile I hugged myself gazing around. It suddenly occurred to me I'd been sleep walking, something I hadn't done for years. My short red hair I could sense was a soaking wet mess as I tried to flatten it wiping drips from my eyes, though why at that particular moment I had no idea, it just seemed the right thing to do, which was probably because of shock and nerves, at that very moment I was a drowned rat desperate for some cover.

Every sound was magnified in the gloom. I could hear trickling water coming from the brook as it meandered down stream, even above the wind that whipped at my face. Large boulders dotted here and there emerged like dark phantoms all bent and crooked, the different shapes caused them to appear deformed, a bit like the Hunchback Of Notre Dame...as I perceived. Yearning to get back to my cabin twigs cracked and branches creaked as they bent in the wind. Not only was my body cold, but my brain was completely befuddled.

I held my breath when in the undergrowth hearing and smelling something being dragged through the heady, earthy smell of slimy mud, I carelessly began to run the other way only to slip and fall, how annoyed I felt as my knees gave way, an open laceration appeared when landing on sharp stones causing my wound to bleed.

Hugging my injured knee, no longer caring about how I looked or who was around, tears of pain welled up in my red eyes as pee ran down my legs with shock and fear. Quick thinking had me ripping some of the hem off my nightie with hands shaking in panic, but needing to bandage my cut as rain mingled with blood.

Sitting there in the mud I couldn't make anything out it was so dark, but to get back to the cabin was all that mattered and spurred me on with determination, though I was devoid of any dignity in my insane situation, feeling the hostility of my surroundings and the fact that I'd urinated.

The thought suddenly crossed my mind that the noise I heard could have been an animal dragging it's kill...maybe a fox, how stupid I felt as I submitted to my fear.

The rain began to get stronger. The path to my cabin had all but vanished, I could only see in the darkness figures of trees, brambles and shoots of vegetation emerging from thick undergrowth. It felt as if I were the only human left, but for the night creatures that in my imagination were watching me and probably amused at my crazy ravings.

I thought about the mental asylums I'd been investigating in my job, I'd been asked to write an article about how disturbing it was that they were closing them down, and putting these people out into community to be shunned as perverse to some of the public, I thought it was an atrocity, as far as I was concerned they needed help and wouldn't survive on their own. Then! My mouth felt so dry as my thoughts turned again to savage beasts emerging from the earth to devour me.

Moving from one tree to another, hands touching the rough wet bark, my bearings were all over the place. Turning around I tried to make out any light at all, but still darkness surrounded me. I carried on hobbling feeling like I was walking in circles, when! All of a sudden from out of the blue my eyes caught sight of the cabin up ahead, glimpsing the door was wide open and swinging on its hinges, whispering to myself “Dam! It must have been me that left it open, I hope nobodies broken in,” though there wasn't anything to take even if they had! I pondered.

Breathing a sigh of relief with the wind and rain beating down like a torrent, I reached the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind me. Shaking myself off didn't made much difference, I was soaked to the skin and needed to get dry and wrap myself in a blanket. My torch, towel and first aid kit were in the drawer beside my bed, but in the darkness I suddenly became aware of a black mass between me and the bed that at first I thought was a rug on the smooth wooden floorboards, but then began moving around, being too dark, it made vision impossible to work out what it was.

To be continued...

Image from pixabay free.

This is a link to part two.

https://www.abctales.com/story/skinnerjennifer/unexpected-guest-part-two