Chapter 1: Chapter 1
The sound of heavy rain pounded relentlessly, creating a silvery veil behind which the world was hidden. The trees stood in silent sentinels, their branches reaching for the sky and dripping in a constant stream of water. I need to get back to the shelter," Jake thought as he trudged through the muddy water.He had been walking for hours, following a stream that had become his personal river. He had followed it for so long because it had seemed like the right thing to do at the time. After all, who would expect a man in his condition to survive in the wild? Not many, he wagered.The shelter was a small tent, tucked away in a hollow among the trees. It was small enough that a single person could easily fit inside and that's what he did. He fit inside. The door was made of canvas, held shut by pegs driven into the wood.It was simple, but it served its purpose. A small window let in the light of the moon, and a small stove sat in the corner, "home" would be too strong a word for it. There was no electricity, no running water, and no beds. Just a table with a single chair beneath it, and a cot for sleeping in the corner. That was all Jake needed. A place to rest his head and a place to write. He didn't need anything else. Jake woke up early one morning to the sound of heavy footsteps outside his tent. He sat up in bed, expecting to see someone from the town, but it was empty. No one came to visit him in his little camp. It was strange, and furthered his suspicions that the woods were not as lonely as they seemed.