This is the first story I have written, and may well be the only. I don’t have a great deal of confidence in it; I think the idea is pretty half baked. But it was very persuasive, and I felt like continuing. I’ve managed to type out from an introduction and up to the sixth chapter; which was finished today. I have posted the story, to date, on Fox Tales Times and Deviant Art. I cleaned up the intro, and if it catches anyone’s interest, I’ll consider posting the rest here. ^^
Cabin Fever
INTRODUCTION
Janadriel Retzinsky managed to open that door. She wasn’t quite sure how, but the woman of twenty seven forced her way into the overlarge log cabin in the middle of the mountain. It had been snowing for hours; the four little girls inside had been all alone ever since their parents and older siblings had left. A full four feet of snow had already fallen. And somehow, after twenty minutes of digging and shoving and struggles, the heavily clothed woman managed to muscle her way into the door. Only a little bit of snow spilt in, as the woman collapsed onto the floor. She’d look up quickly; making sure everything was alright in here. Then, heavily panting and out of breath, she forced herself up and shut the door. It was warm in the house, but there was no telling how long the power would last; or even if it would go out at all. She would have to check the generator. Once the door was closed, the woman leaned against it, breathing heavily as she began to remove bits of her heavy clothing.
“A…Are you…girls alright…?” She would call out into the cabin in a loud, panting voice, but received no answer. Janadriel sighed…of course nobody was here. It was only eight in the morning. They were probably still asleep; she had come down there with hot cocoa and chat for the families, and made some for the children around eleven. She’d finally removed the hood of her coat; revealing the long, deep black hair of her head, and the scarf from around her neck, revealing lips still painted black from the party last night.
Maybe they could get out if they hurried. She was a little scared, herself…she didn’t know how long she was going to be there, and she wasn’t sure what kind of supplies they had. As she looked out the window…her gut sank, and she scowled to herself. It would already take a superhuman effort to re-open the door she had just managed to pry open…and she still had to gather up the children. And so she located their room…and seeing them all safe and snug in the bed, she was relieved…
There was the Jenkins daughter, Susie…clad in bluish white footed pyjamas. A bashful looking child, despite a punkish streak of purple in her short black hair. Her older sister had the same streak; it was doubtless from the older girl’s personality that she gave it to Susie as a sign of affection. It was their parents who had rented the cabin for the group; she wasn’t totally sure what they did, she just knew they had a high position in a breakfast cereal company. And there was her adoptive sister Ginger. She was a very pudgy girl of colour, with darling curled hair, who hugged her adoptive sister lovingly; protectively even, and wore yellow pyjamas with little white duckies. There was Yuzu, the daughter of the Yamada family. Yuzu was the eldest child of a first generation Japanese immigrant family; a bit on the pudgy side herself, her hair also deep black and just past shoulder length, and sucking her thumb furthermore. Her pyjamas were obscured totally by the blankets. And finally, the smallest of the four, Lotte DuMarrier, whose grandfather knew the mountain well, in spite of his assumed senility. It was he who had guided the lost group through the blizzard, and to safety. Lotte herself sported long blue hair…snored loudly, drooled on her pillow, had kicked her covers up, only seemed to wear a thin shirt and underwear. An obvious tomboy; though a particularly girly one, and despite her tiny stature, the oldest of the bunch. She didn’t seem as bothered by the cold.
She wanted to stand there and admire the adorable picture of the four children so snuggled together forever. That was just her nature. But she had a duty to do; they had to get their bearings, and she wasn’t going to waste a moment, knowing that every second counted. She stopped hugging her elbows, to gently nudge Lotte and Susie…a little pat and rub to Ginger’s tummy; a gentle swat to Yuzu’s bottom. Rousing all four girls in a series of yawns, whines and groans. Revealing Yuzu’s white pyjamas with vertical black stripes. Her voice was serious, but warm, as she did not want to alarm them. “Come on, darlings, we have to get up…hurry.”
“Ranger Jana…? What’s goin’ on?” Lotte would ask with a mutter and yawn, instinctively reaching down and tugging her pyjama pants back up; she was the first to awaken fully it seemed. And had furthermore kicked her pants down to her ankles during sleep. Lotte, despite being the smallest of the group…was the oldest, at ten, and definitely the ‘brains of the outfit’, and the one with the most nerve…she’d gathered as much last night when they played games together. Jana had dubbed her the ‘alpha female’ the night before, when the child bested her at a game of Poker.
Jana smirked adoringly; those black painted lips curling upwards, but answered the question in a very serious tone. While she gently began to lift the other three into a sitting position; ears catching the sounds of an odd rustling sound, but giving it no mind. The kids were awake now, of course, and they were all aware that something had happened. “A sudden snowstorm, kids…everybody was going out for a walk this morning, remember? The storm got intense, and…oh, don’t worry, they’re all fine!” She had to specify as much…all four were worried instantly; Susie looked particularly so, and Ginger seemed to be steeling herself for something awful. She sat down on the bed in front of them, legs curled up.
“They couldn’t get back to the cabin…they had to go down to the station, and they’re safe and sound as we are.” She chose her words very carefully. “Mr. DuMarrier was exhausted just getting everyone down here, so…so I hurried on up here as quick as I could. I know these woods just as well as he does! …but, there’s bad news. Now, we’re all going to be okay, but I think we’re trapped until the snow dies.”
