A Certain Hut

[Auron0521]

On a certain continent, in a certain country, there was a certain forest, in which was a certain hut. The hut was small, barely large enough for a single person, and crafted simply, out of mud and wood.

One day, I happened upon this hut in the course of my travels. Night was encroaching, and I was weary and sore. Unable to go any further, I walked up to the hut, and knocked on the door.

At first, there was no response. I waited a moment, and heard not a sound. I was about to walk away and make camp for the night, when the door opened, and an elderly man greeted me with a smile.

"Well, well. It's not often I get a visitor," he croaked, in a terribly raspy voice. I tipped my hat to the gentleman and gestured to the surroundings.

"I found myself here right when I was in a bind as to where to spend the night, sir. I seem to have found my luck today," I chuckled. The older gentleman nodded knowingly.

"Yes, yes. Won't you come in and rest the night?" he invited. I removed my hat and stepped inside the hut. As I had suspected, the simple addition of one man made the place feel very crowded.

The hut was a single, four-walled room. Opposite the door was a small fireplace, with a built-in stove. To the left wall was a bookcase, and by the other, the man's bed. In the middle of the room was a small, square table, situated low to the ground.

"Pardon the intrusion," I said, taking a seat by the table, on the left side. The elderly gentleman passed by me and tended to the stove, which I now noticed was cooking a pot, though no scent invaded my nostrils. I rose to aid my host, but he waved me down.

"Far be the day when I fail to do this much myself," he winked. I let out a small laugh, and it echoed across the room. I realized that the hut was even emptier than I had previously thought. The gentleman poured me a glass of water from a jug by the fireplace, and I took it gladly.

"Thank you for your kindness. It's quite a cozy home you have," I commented, indicating the various aspects of the room. Pouring himself a glass, my host took a seat opposite me.

"Yes, it is fine for a single person. However, I'm afraid I've nowhere for you to sleep," he explained, pointing to the only bed in the room. I shook my head, understanding.

"It's fine, sir. I've slept against walls before. Just what you've done already is more than enough," I said. As I spoke, I could already feel sleep's warm grasp taking hold of my senses, and I let out a loud yawn. Realizing my rudeness, I rose from the table and bowed to my host.

"I believe I shall take leave of your company now. Do you mind if I take the wall by the bookcase as my own?" I inquired, motioning to the wall behind me. The gentleman simply nodded, and so I lay my back against the wall, my head leaning against the bookcase. Soon after, sleep took me.

When I awoke the next morning, the elderly gentleman was not in sight. I rose from my night's post and stretched my limbs, in preparation for my day's journey. I studied the bookcase out of slight interest, and learned that my night's host was well-read in both classics and science.

Knowing not where my host had gone, and in a rush to continue my journey, I left the hut and hiked off in the direction I had been headed the day before. Being unhindered by personal affects, I made quick headway.

Rather, I thought I was making headway. However, as the day continued on, I noticed I was passing by landmarks I had noted the previous day. Just as night fell and my limbs began to ache, I happened upon a clearing which held a familiar sight.

It would seem that, throughout the course of the day, I had been turned around, and had tread a large circle. Before me, in the center of the clearing, was the old man's hut.


To be continued...

 

[Gram]

*o* intriguing! that old man seems suspicious reminds of something the english class made me read in high school.
this seems like it'll be good >:] will read more.
also thanx for not making all that a wall of text X'D i hate that lol.

 

[KingdomKey]

I have to agree, this is very intriguing. The way you wrote it out, was nicely done. Especially adding in the details, while keeping the story moving along. This also reminds me of little red riding hood for some odd reason. The old man appears to be friendly, but I'm curious to what he had cooking in that pot and if the water he gave him, wasn't entirely water. Almost makes me think of the fae (fairies). Not sure what kind of story this will turn out to be, all the same, I look forward to reading it.

 

[Auron0521]

Confused by this occurrence, I approached the hut. I knew I had been travelling the proper direction, so how I could find myself here again was beyond my comprehension. I was going to ask the old man if the forest were shaped oddly, or perhaps had strange hill formations. These were incredible, theories, yes, but there had to be an answer.

I knocked on the door to the hut and waited a moment. Much quicker than the last time, the door was answered. However, it was not the elderly gentleman I was expecting; rather, a middle-aged man, clothed in hunter's attire. He greeted me with a smile.

"Well, hello there! It's nice to get some company for a change!" he spoke energetically. I tipped my hat to the gentleman and glanced about the hut. Certainly, it was the right hut.

"Excuse the sudden inquiry, sir, but is there perhaps an elderly gentleman living here as well?" I asked. The man threw his head back and chuckled loudly.

"Does it look like someone else could live here? No, no. Just come inside, friend. It's getting late," he invited. I removed my hat and entered the hut, for the second time in two days.

On the wall opposite the door, I saw the fireplace that I was expecting to see. To the left, of course, was the bookcase, though it had considerably fewer books than previously. To the right was the man's bed, seemingly unused. I inferenced that the man had recently been out hunting, and was camping at night.

A fire crackled in the fireplace, cooking the same pot I had seen the night before. Once again, I noted there was not a smell to indicate what was in the pot.

"Pardon my intrusion," I said, and I was about to take a seat when I realized that the table was no longer there. Instead, I sat my back against the wall and felt the stress leave my body. The man poured a glass of water from a jug near his bed and offered it to me. I took it graciously.

"So, what travels bring you here, my friend?" the man asked of me. I sipped at the water and looked up to the man's face, meeting his gaze.

"Well, I was actually hoping you could tell me where 'here' is, sir. You see, just last night, in this very wood, I came across a hut extremely similar to your own," I responded. The man's eyes went dark for a mere moment, but quickly returned to their cheerful demeanor.

"I don't know of another hut out here. Ah, I know, you must be hungry. Care for a bite of jerky?" he offered, removing a strip of dried meat from a package near the jug.

It was then that I realized I had not been hungry since the morning before, when I first ventured into the wood. I respectfully declined the invitation, and engaged in idle chatter with my host for a time.

After a while, I became terribly drowsy, and was forced to excuse myself. I closed my eyes where I sat, and drifted into a fine sleep. It was a sleep with no dreams, or at least none that I can recall.

I awoke in the dead of night. My hearty host didn't appear to be in, yet the pot was still cooking over the fire. Interested, I crept up to it and lifted the lid, just enough to peek in. Before I could, however, the door to the hut slammed shut.

"I'll have to ask you to leave," the man said sternly. I replaced the lid and turned, fearful, to face my host.

"I apologize for my rudeness, sir. It merely piqued my curiosity," I explained hastily, but the man's expression remained unchanged. I crept around him to the door, fearing for my life were I to disobey his request.

Stumbling off into the woods, I left the hut far behind, and did not look back.

To be continued...

Originally, I was going to wait until Tuesday to post this, but this story is just so interesting for me to write that I ended up writing it on Sunday, as well.

A bit of backstory on why I'm writing this, so you can get a general idea of where this is going: this story is the product of my desire to write a ghost story. I never have before, but have always been interested in them.

So, I hope to interest you even further in later chapters! Thank you for your support!

 

[Gram]

oh oh new one! gets better each time~ >.> i like how yer doing this i cant figure the hut out im not sure if he's a ghost of this is some time of twilight zone time thing...i like it >:

well yer doing good if its a ghost story yer after

 

[nelly <3]

DOES THE OLD MAN HAVE ALZHEIMERS?! wtf, it's getting good

 

[KingdomKey]

This just keeps on getting more interesting, wasn't expecting a middle age man. Almost thought a woman would be greeting him at the door of the hut this time. I suspect the old man is actually the middle aged man, but I could be wrong and they could be two different people entirely. Seeing how you said its inspired to be a ghost story, has the feeling something bad happen in this hut and the heart of it all is in that pot.

It's really good, Auron. I look forward to seeing another update

 

[Auron0521]

Standing in a clearing, I was at a loss. Certainly, this clearing was the hut's clearing. And certainly, there was the hut. However, once more, the occupant had changed. It was neither the elderly gentleman, nor the middle-aged hunter.

In front of me, oblivious to my presence, was a young boy, hanging his laundry. This had confounded me for several minutes, when I decided I should go and speak to the boy. I approached him from the front, so as not to startle.

"Hello there! Why are you here all by yourself?" I greeted. The boy looked up and and showed me a large, toothy grin.

"Well, 'cause I live here, o'course!" he replied, hanging a bed-sheet over the clothesline. I recognized it as the same bed-sheet both the elderly gentleman and middle-aged hunter wore on their beds.

"What do you mean, you live here? Where are your parents, child?" I inquired. The boy's smile faded and he looked back to the laundry, though he had nothing left to hang.

"I got separated from them in the forest, and when I searched for them, I ended up here. I've been alone ever since, and can't get away."

"I see..." I responded. This was actually good. I had finally learned something about these strange circumstances. Though the boy didn't realize it, the only explanation is that the hut, or something related to it, refuses to release any who approach it. Of course, there may be another explanation, but I was sure that the hut was involved.

Placing my hand on the boy's shoulder, I attempted to comfort him. He looked up to me and plastered on an even brighter smile than before. I returned it, though I could hardly be cheerful with this latest revelation.

"Evening will be coming soon. Why are you hanging out your laundry?" I asked. I hadn't thought of it before, but it was incredibly odd.

"Eh? The summer heat'll dry it out, either way," he answered, which was even odder. It was winter, and I was incredibly cold. What did he mean by "summer heat"? I chose to drop the subject.

"Do you mind if I stay here tonight?" I asked, growing accustomed to asking to stay in the same shelter, night after night. It almost felt like I didn't even need to ask, as if the hut were my property, and my hosts the visitors.

The boy nodded, and I entered the hut. Finally, I was in the hut alone, with no real threats hanging about. I needed to look at the pot again. I thought I had caught a glimpse of something the night before, but wasn't sure.

The bookcase was no longer in the hut. In it's place was a desk, with papers thrown about. It appeared that the boy was self-educating. I walked past it toward the fireplace, but was surprised when I stubbed my toe. The table had returned.

Passing around the table to the right, I came upon the fireplace, the one fixture in the house that never changed. I could hear the pot boiling something, and lifted the lid.

Immediately, I dropped it. One moment's look was all I need to be terrified, and to realize that I had not yet fully understood the depth of my situation.

Inside the pot, boiling in water, was the middle-aged hunter's severed head.

To be continued...

I think I'm going to keep up this pace of every day/every other day updates. As you can see, it's starting to get truly interesting, and I already have plans set in place for the next few updates.

Some of your speculation has been confirmed as either right or wrong, and others have yet to be answered. I'd like to add in this post that some things about this will NEVER be answered, because speculation is a wondrous thing to see, especially in a ghost story. I like to leave a little mystery.

Well, until I post the next update, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter, my supportive readers!

 

[MegaWallflower]

This is a really interesting story! My curiosity is certainly piqued. Can't wait to see where this goes!

 

[Gram]

D: holy crap a head!? this keeps getting much better! > oh oh i bet the wandering man is the ghost and all the people in the hut are his victims or something, im calling it now! keep this up sir i really like it~

 

[Auron0521]

I backed away from the fireplace slowly. I wasn't sure how it had come to be here, but that was definitely the hunter's head in the pot. I couldn't be caught looking at it, I knew, so I went over to the desk and glanced at the papers halfheartedly.

However, it wasn't the schoolwork I was expecting. What was written on the sheets of paper appeared to be the recounts of certain people, tales of their adventures. As I looked closer, I noticed a name on every sheet.

My name. It was my name, the papers the recounts of my travels. As I studied each sheet, I recognized some of the stories as things I personally had experienced. Others were unknown to me, but how did the boy know my name, my stories?

The severed head, the knowledge of my travels... I couldn't piece together the puzzle. It was so confusing, so terrifying, and, honestly, so intriguing. Now, I wanted nothing more than to solve the mystery behind this hut.

I peeked out the door to check on the boy, or rather, to ensure he wasn't about to come in. I didn't see him around, so I closed the door and turned to the room. Certainly, the missing puzzle pieces were here, somewhere.

While searching the boy's bed, I knocked over the jug of water. The liquid spilled across the floor and dripped through cracks in the floorboards. Then, I heard it. The echoing sound of a splash.

I put my head to the floor to try and hear the sound better, but as the last of the water disappeared, so did the sound. My head so close to the floor, I noticed something I wouldn't have thought about otherwise.

Pushing the bed away, I lifted the trapdoor open. A ladder led down into darkness, which ended with a flickering light reflecting off the light of a small pond, or perhaps an underground river.

Grabbing onto the side of the hole, I lowered myself in. I climbed down the ladder, wanting a better look at what was at the bottom. Halfway down, though, my foot slipped, and I fell the rest of the distance.

I landed in only a few inches of water, but the splash I created completely drenched me. Standing, I looked about my surroundings, and realized it was indeed an underground river.

It was the very beginning of said river, in fact. A few meters away, to my left, was the spring, constantly pushing water up past the surface of the river. The water was tremendously cold, and there was a certain fragrance about it. A sweet smell that infatuated me, made me yearn for a drink.

I saw what I saw thanks to the light of a torch, hanging on the cave wall beside the ladder. Though I would have much liked to take the torch and explore further, I needed to get out before the boy returned.

I grasped the ladder once more and began a slow, cautious climb up. As I reached about the three-quarter point, where the opening into the hut was quite big enough to see into, a shadow appeared above me, and a voice rang out.

"You might be the smartest of us all, brother. You found this place far too quickly. Now, I have no choice but to get rid of you, before you do the same to me."

The trapdoor closed, and I could hear the bed being replaced to it's position.

To be continued...

This was honestly my favorite chapter to write, for a couple of reasons. One was that there was very little dialogue in this chapter, whereas others have been comparatively dialogue-heavy. The other is that you just learn so much during this chapter, that it's kind of like the climax before the climax. It was just so fun to write how the narrator discovered so much, only for it all to be shut in his face.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this one as much as I did, and look forward to the next installment!

EDIT: Also, Anagram, when I said this is a ghost story, I didn't mean it actually had a ghost, I meant that it fits into the creepy, mysterious genre of stories people tell at campfires. That kind of ghost story, not a literal ghost story.

 

[KingdomKey]

I gotta say, this was quite a turn of events. I didn't expect there to be a trapdoor beneath the hut and for the traveler to be locked inside of it, after being caught. I almost thought the traveler would have been caught for touching the pot, instead of what he was caught for. The head inside of the pot confirmed my theory, but this curve ball has thrown me off. This story gives me a lot to speculate about, that it will take some time for me to come up with a theory or two.

"You might be the smartest of us all, brother. You found this place far too quickly. Now, I have no choice but to get rid of you, before you do the same to me."

This is the biggest mystery of it all, that there could be endless possibilities to what it could mean. With all this in mind, it will take some time for me to come up with some theories. This story is brilliant, Auron. That I can't wait to see what happens next in the new update.

 

[Auron0521]

Hehe, that line was meant to carry heavy weight. I'm not sure why, but I actually like this little boy more than the narrator. I love evil little boys. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

But, yeah. The true meanings behind that line, the only line of dialogue, are many.

 

[Gram]

0~0 that kid creeps me out man...just...just damn......i like it! > you sir do good work~

EDIT: Also, Anagram, when I said this is a ghost story, I didn't mean it actually had a ghost, I meant that it fits into the creepy, mysterious genre of stories people tell at campfires. That kind of ghost story, not a literal ghost story.

aaaahhhhh my theories!!!! oh well now i think that river is like a fountain of youth or somethin. (yes i will keep doing that til the story is over XD)

 

[Auron0521]

I don't know how long I was down there, sitting in the water, drifting in and out of sleep. I'm not really sure why I stayed there, either. Perhaps I thought this was all a mere joke. Or maybe I had just given up.

I drank water when I was thirsty, but every time I did, I grew even more drowsy. Unsure of what else this water might do, I decided to drink it sparingly.

After a time, I stood and grabbed the torch. I began to follow the course of the river, half-walking, half-stumbling. The river was far from straight, whipping and winding its way through its self-made cavern.

The river had, apparently, been much deeper at one time, as I had no trouble standing completely straight. Occasionally, I would see something in the water, only for it to disappear when I took a closer look.

Finally, I came to the exit. Dawn had yet to break, but the mere moonlight was enough to burn me eyes for a moment, as thay had become acquainted with the torchlight.

I was at the top of a waterfall, somewhere in the forest. I didn't know how far away from the hut I was, or even in which direction it lied.

That didn't matter, though. As long as I kept walking, the forest would bring me back to the hut. I picked a direction and began to walk, fully awake now that I had left the river.

As I walked, I held the torch in front of me, to see if there were some occurrence that would place me back at the hut. However, even when I had reached the clearing, no such occurrence happened.

The question now was, was it still the boy living in the hut, or was there a new occupant? So far, the hut had changed hands everyday, though I didn't know exactly when. If the boy was no longer in the hut, I might have to start from the beginning.

I walked cautiously into the clearing, remembering the boy's words from earlier. I didn't want to be caught off guard and have the boy "get rid" of me. That didn't sound pleasant at all.

Walking to the door of the hut, I tripped over a stump and fell flat. The torch rolled away from me, spreading fire wherever it touched. The occupant of the hut heard the commotion and opened the door.

It was the boy. He grinned devilishly down at me, the fire flicking light across his features. The boy walked across the clearing and stood right above me, the grin looking more wicked by the moment.

"You really are incredible, brother. Too incredible. You might even have the power to end this. But I won't let you. I like it here, and I won't be going anywhere else."

I stood up and spat out some dirt that had found it's way into my mouth. Straightening and dusting off my clothes, I backed away from the boy a couple of steps.

"What do you mean by calling me "brother"?" I inquired. The boy took a step toward me.

"You still haven't figured that part out? Let me explain, then. I am you," he replied.

To be continued...

Well, sorry for the late update, but I had no motivation yesterday. Actually, I had no motivation today, either, but I promised I'd update everyday/every other day. So, enjoy!

 

[MegaWallflower]

Every chapter seems to introduce a new twist! I hadn't even imagined the possibility of a trapdoor, or the little boy turning out to be like this. You're doing really well on this story. :3

 

[Gram]

0,0 whoa another good chapter. that boy creeps me out X'D

 

[KingdomKey]

This just keeps on getting better and better, everytime I read this. I did not expect the boy to say this

"You still haven't figured that part out? Let me explain, then. I am you," he replied.

Now, if what the boy says is true, it would now make a whole lot of sense why all those papers have his name on it. However, does this mean the old man and the middle aged man, we're the traveler as well? Then again, the boy could have lied, and just be messing with him. Because the middle aged man, is dissemble and dead. I would have said its some sort of alternate universe, that shifts every time the traveler comes to the hut. An with that in mind, that the middled aged man is dead, how is it, the traveler still alive?

If the boy is truly the traveler, then that can only mean something happen to the middle aged man and old man. However what could have happened, to either one of them, is still a mystery. How is it, the traveler can be there at the same time and have no memory recollection, each time he has come back to the hut, is another one that bothers me.


Still trying to wrap my head around this, but, its pretty hard to grasp or to make sense out of it all.

I'm also beginning to think, I'm missing the bigger picture of it all. Something like this, could be used as a distraction and make certain things unnoticeable, until the following chapter. Because every detail is important, that it's pretty easy to over look something. I also want to know, if the head was inside of the pot, the entire time the traveler has visited there. Especially when the traveler met the middle aged man, that something else could have been inside of it.

Unless... Yeah, think I'll hold on to this thought as well and wait to see, what you do in the next chapter, Auron. Can't wait to see what happens next and your doing a marvelous job, keeping me guessing.

 

[Auron0521]

A special double feature day! What has prompted this sudden gift?! He says jokingly.

"What do you mean? You're just a boy, you can't be me!" I argued. As I spoke, my head began to ache, all the memories of the past few days splitting and melding.

"I don't really understand it completely, but there has never been more than one occupant of this hut. You are the only to ever live here. I am the only one to ever live here. Therefore, we are one and the same," the boy explained.

I was stunned. This little boy, no more than a decade old, was supposed to be me? Certainly, we shared the same hair and the same eyes, but beyond that? I could not see the similarities.

But what if what he was saying were true? Does that mean the reason I was constantly being drawn back to the hut was because it recognized me as it's owner? Then who were the elderly gentleman and the middle-aged hunter? Were they also me?

Then how did the hunter's head come to be in the pot? What was the significance behind that? Some kind of ritual you have to perform in order to claim the hut as your own? A spell of some kind?

The hunter's head had not decomposed in the slightest, I recalled. A detached head would've looked at least slightly dead. The head was boiling in water. Water from that underground river, perhaps? Then, was there some sort of magic to it?

It did have a sweet and tempting smell. The water was also what made me drowsy, not just drinking it, but merely standing in it. Was it a natural form of sleep aid?

Then, could it be that the hunter hadn't been dead at all, but a head trapped in suspended animation? That should be impossible, but all of this seemed impossible. That kind of grotesque ritual didn't seem out of place at all.

Also, there were the papers on the boy's desk. Recount of my travels, and travels yet to be undertaken. The middle-aged hunter was older than me, so if I was him, and him me, he would've traveled farther than I had yet to.

If the middle-aged hunter had written his travels down, then that would explain how they had come to be in the boy's possession. He had them on the desk because he was reading them, studying them. Studying them... for what?

I looked around. The fire was spreading toward the hut, uncontrollable and raging. It had lit the fabrics on the clothesline, making it appear larger than it actually was. I turned to the boy.

"I need only ask one question. I have surmised most of what was bothering me, but everything that matters hangs on this one question," I said through the sound of flames. The boy's grin disappeared.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Where does the river lead?" I inquired. The boy thought for a moment, before the expression on his face darkened. I needed no further answer. I charged toward the hut, throwing the boy out of my way.

The fire reached the hut and quickly began to burn through the timbers. The hut was made of wood, unable to withstand flames. I rushed inside and tossed the bed aside.

Just as I was going to open the trapdoor, I felt a weight on my back, and teeth digging into my shoulder. I shrugged it off and turned to see the boy, a bloody grin spread wide.

"I won't be letting you," he growled, his voice that of a feral beast.

To be continued...

Reading everyone's theories gave me some motivation and inspiration, so I thought I'd post the next chapter now. As you can probably tell, the story is drawing to a close. I haven't answered all the questions, and I might not answer them at all. Narrator knows what they are, but he chose not to share them, as he does not want anyone else to use this hut for ill.

Happy reading!

 

[Gram]

*O* how do you keep making this more awesome!? i dont know what to think of this and can usually guess a story half way thru!
and damn...that boy just keeps getting creepier >.> ........

it may be odd but the biggies mystery to me is the boy over that river >.> how can he not remember being such a deranged kid? if it some sort of time paradox?