Unaccepted
Up in the mountains sitting on the edge of a lake is a huge cabin my parents built before I was born. It has four bedrooms three bathroom a kitchen and two sitting rooms. The dining room faces the lake. There’s a huge loft right up the stairs and the attic is completely converted into a large room with a huge window that faces the lake. There is is large none attached two car garage off to the right of the house. The barn sits beside it. I hold my hot cup of coffee just looking out the window waiting for my father to come out and holler for me to start my chores. Only that will never happen again. The mornings are getting colder now and we haven’t even started to stock up the house for the winter months ahead of us. Once the snow falls there will be no going to town for almost five months and no one will come here.
“Harlan, are you even listening to a word I’m saying?”
“Mmm.”
“Your impossible, you know that?”
“Yes, Emma I hear you. What do you want me to do? This is my home and has been for the last twenty years.”
“You can’t survive the winter alone up here. You need to think about selling the place and soon.” I just snickered to myself. I’ll never sell this place. It’s my home.
“You act like I don’t know how to take care of myself.”
“Do you?” I turned to look at my parents lawyer. The woman has been in our lives for years. She is close with me. She has been like a second mother to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like that. I know your perfectly capable. I just don’t want you to be alone. Your parents wouldn’t want you to be alone.” I rolled my eyes. That wasn’t true. They only ever wanted me to be alone. They have kept it that way for as long as I have been alive. Isolating me from the world. Protecting me from all that can hurt me. I admit over the years I did my best to fight them for my rights, but it never got me far. I wanted friends. I wanted human experiences. All I ever got was no TV, no movies, internet, nothing of the outside world was given to me.
I was allowed to go to town with them every once in awhile, but I still never had much contact. The one thing my parents never watched or kept an eye on. Was the books I would pick out for myself. I also hid them from sight. The books I picked out taught me a lot about the world and people. Something I craved for, for a very long time. I think over the years I just became so used to my home. That I lost the feeling of wanting to leave it. Also when I started high school. I was allowed online classes and got some interaction. Everything of course was done online and I did make a few female friends when we had to team up on a project. Ones that I hoped to meet someday.
Emma put it in my head that I could leave and go to college now. There was a lot of things running through my head, but the one thing I did know for sure. Was this winter I would be home alone. I wasn’t ready to leave. I would go to town and get all the necessary that I needed or the winter. I was also hoping to get a television. I knew the Internet wouldn’t work during the storms. I planned on getting a DVD player and movies as well. I guess I would spend my winter learning new things.
I have only ever driven my fathers truck on the property, but I don’t have a license. Emma was picking me up this morning to go into town. She would drive my father me truck. We needed the space for all the supplies. “You know I could stay with you for the winter if you would like.” She asked as we drove to town.
“Honestly Emma, I want to be alone.” She looked at me and then back to the road.
“Are you sure? I mean at least before you I’d your parents. Your going to go stir crazy all alone up there.” I just smiled to myself.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Emma just shook her head.
“I’ll have no way to check on you.” I turned and patted her arm.
“I’ll be just fine. I’m going to get so many movies. That I won’t even have time to go crazy. Besides I still have chores to take care of and cooking to do. I’ll have my hands full.”
“I guess your right, but I will still worry.” I smiled at her and looked back at the road. It took us the whole day to get all the supplies together. I think I over did it. I got myself a large sixty inch television and a DVD player. I also got over a hundred different movies from all sorts of genre. Action, Comedy, romance, horror and move. I also got more books and so much food. I was sure I would have lots left over when winter ended. The truck was loaded down as we made our way back home. “You think we can set the tv up on our own?”
“I’m sure it will be no problem. Thanks Emma for helping. I couldn’t of done it all without you.” The air was getting cooler and I knew the first snow was on its way. There were only a few homes up on my mountain, but those family’s always left for the winter. Plus they were miles from me. I would literally be the only one of the mountain. I was actually glad. I missed my parents, but I knew this was now my time. The next couple of days I spent huge tying all the animals Secure for the winter. My freezers were full and so were my cupboards. I covered all the water pipes and made sure I had enough wood chopped for the fireplace at night.
My father taught me how to shoot at a young age. I had the weapons where I could get to them in case of a bear or mountain lion. We have ever only had one problem while I was growing up. My father had to shoot a bear that had become a problem for us. I sat down on the couch and just popped in a movie. The large windows that cover the entire wall in the living room. Looked dark and a tad intimidating. In all the time I have lived here. I don’t think my parents ever closed the curtains. Being alone gave me a bit of a different feeling. I got up and grabbed the cord and started to close them. There that’s better I said to myself.
I stood outside after feeding the animals. Emma had dinner with me tonight and the first snow started to fall. I made Emma call it an early night as I didn’t want her to get stuck up here. I had a feeling the roads would be gone by morning. I was correct when I opened my eyes the next morning. The sun was gone and the snow was falling. I smiled to myself as I got out of bed and ran the house in nothing more then a tank top and panties. What most people didn’t understand was I was used to be alone. This winter was going to be a test for myself. I needed to know that I would be okay in the world. If I could survive the winter alone. There wouldn’t be anything I couldn’t handle.
It’s been a week since the snow started to fall. Things here have been going good. I did a good job of securing everything. So far there have been no power outages and I still have warm water. I know it will happen and Im ready for it. I took my night shower and made myself a pot of spaghetti. I made enough for a few days worth. My mother taught me all about cooking at a young age. Her food always tasted so good. I have already watched a few movies and tonight I decided on a good book and a fire. I kid out on the couch in nothing more then my tank top and panties. My long brown hair fall down my back. I pulled out a romance novel. I was ready to get lost in a world of love and sex. Two things I truly knew nothing about.
I was about ten chapters deep when I heard what sounded like someone knocking on the door. I snapped my book shut and grabbed for one of the loaded guns. I looked over at the front door. I always make sure everything is locked up tight. There was absolutely no way I heard someone knock. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me? Whatever it was I wouldn’t be able to sleep without checking. That much I knew was true. I pulled back the curtain to see if I could see anything, but even with the porch light on. It was just to dark to see anything, and from I could see there wasn’t anything on the porch. Damn, I ran upstairs and tried to look out the windows. I just wasn’t seeing anything.
Still my Curiosity was getting the better of me. I grabbed my coat and placed it on. With my gun still in my hand. I unlocked the front door and took a step out. The snow was coming down pretty hard. I could barely see past the porch. That’s when I saw what looked like a black spot laying in the snow. I watched it for a moment and I didn’t think it was moving. Then I heard the bear. Damnit I silently said to myself. Thank watched the bear move closer to the black spot. I couldn’t see things to good. That’s when I heard the scream. It was so loud it made me jump back. I lifted the gun and shot it in the air. It worked and the bear took off into the trees.
I took off, off the porch and ran I got he snow with no shoes on. A man laid on the ground with snow starting to cover him. I could see the blood all around him and I knew the bear would be back. “Sir? Can you hear me?” I shouted but he didn’t move. Hell I knew he was going to die out here and I had to get him inside. God only knows what This bear has already done. He will die if I didn’t move him. What the hell was he even doing out here in the first place?
