There is a strong breeze breaking through the thick wall of trees. The air is bitterly cold, and I desperately wish I had worn a jacket. There is nothing out here to shield me from the freezing wind. I start to jog down the old dirt path to reach the cottage. The sky is gray and there is a thick fog all around me. There is hardly any light seeping through the large green branches. It is almost eerie, because I can hardly see anything to the sides of the trail.
Finally, I spot the familiar small run-down cottage ahead of me. I have been trying to fix it up for the past month or so, but I never have the time to. I stare at the sad, ramshackle building, envisioning what I want it to look like. I want to fix some of the holes in the walls and on the doors, and maybe paint it white or something. Maybe even make a garden or something pretty like that. I don’t know. I just want to make it look a little bit nicer before we have to leave. I know I will never have the time to make it my dream house, but it’s nice to think about. I probably won’t be able to stay here for much longer anyway. Whatever.
You see, we live in a pretty insane world these days. There are strange and magical creatures running freely through the streets. We don’t know where they are coming from, or what they are doing here. We have seen so many nightmarish creatures that seem like they are from another dimension. This has been going on for a while, and we have to do so many things to ensure our safety and keep ourselves alive.
I slowly make my way to the door, hoping that Shaun made it back in time. He went out hunting hours ago, and he always takes too long. He tells me every time that I can’t bother him about it too much, because he is getting our main source of food for the next week.
My main chores are to keep the house clean, and go out into the woods to collect materials. I came up with the second one, because Shaun never lets me go out there unless I am working. I usually don’t work at all when I’m out there; I am always too busy exploring. I just bring home a couple branches and rocks to cover up the fact that I was doing nothing constructive.
When I open the door, I see him sitting on the couch reading one of the few books we have. His short, dark brown hair is slicked back, once again. I shudder. I keep telling him to let it grow a little longer and stop slicking it back, but he doesn’t listen. He looks up at me, and I am shocked once again by his startlingly purple eyes. I see him every day, but I never get over his strange features. He stands up. “Hey, Mellissa! Can you guess what I got you today?” he asks excitedly. I stare at him blankly. Then, a small puppy limps into the room.