The light was fading and the trail was getting harder and harder to see.
She rued that she had not taken the flashlight from the back of the car.
Flashlights always seemed so cumbersome but as she shifted the weight of her backpack from her hip to her shoulder while half stumbling over a muddy rut , she thought of the fully charged red emergency 'lantern' as her father called it sitting unused but not unneeded a fifteen minute walk away in the opposite direction.
She quickened her pace as the roof of her destination could be seen through the tops of the trees.
The 18th century wooden house was set two miles from the main highway on an unused dirt road. A mere trail would better describe the grass covered route. How it could be considered a road on the computer map was beyond her or anyone's guess. But she had finally arrived , flashlight or no flashlight, road or no road.
The two story structure had only two windows on the ground floor and two on the top. A door faced the approaching path. The windows seemed to gape wide eyed and dark as she approached the door and took out the key that had been sent to her along with the directions in the mail. That was a few short dsys ago after she had placed the ad on Kijji Real Estate Section for Out of town property.
The key slipped in easily and as she turned the lock there was just the slightest resistance and then a click and the door swung inward into the darkness beyond.
Grasping her backpack strap she stepped in and slid her hand along the inside wall searching for a light switch or panel. None could be found. Her eyes gradually became used to the grey light inside and she could make out a the shape of an cosl oil lantern on a shelf not far from the entrance.
She placed her knapsack in the doorway stoop to hold the door open to let in the dimming evening light . She walked towards the lamp. Taking out her lighter, being grateful for her smoking habit, she removed the glass from the lantern and touched the lighter flame to the wick.
Light in the form of a fading arc shone from the flame.
As her eyes grew accustomed to the pale glow she became aware of an unease that perhaps was due to the damp and cold that seemed to surround her . She raised the wick in the lantern and as she did so the light grew brighter but the dampness seemed to became colder . She sensed a movement of air across her face as she leaned over to pick up her backpack which allowed the door to close slowly and without sound.
Picking up the lantern she proceeded to explore the room where she found herself. The floor was of a dark wood. The room itself was bereft of any evidence of furniture or even usefulness. There were no obvious clues to determine its past useage be it kitchen, living room or a combination of both. There was a doorway in the far corner and with lantern and knapsack in hand she walked over and discovered a curving stairwell leading to the second floor.
She started the climb upward. The wooden stairs were worn and cut so as to accommodate the circular design of the stairwell . Therefore she could not see the top of the stairway until she was only a few steps away. The lantern light seemed to fade as she climbed higher until the light from the waning flame dwindled to nothing until only a weak orange glow remained at the precise moment her foot touched the top landing.
She looked downward at the stairwell and was tempted to return but as she could only see an enveloping darkness combined with what seemed to be an actual encroaching mist now instead of the intense dampness that was felt on the main floor she decided against it.
She sensed rather than saw the outline of a window about 10 steps away . She carefully, with one foot sliding in front of the other, approached the outline. She tightly clinched her knapsack in her fist as she peered through the dirty window pane. She saw only the forest that surrounded the building and the faint trail that brought her to it.
There seemed nothing left to do but to stare out of the window and wait and watch.
The darkness grew deeper.
The lantern grew cold inspite of concentrated efforts to relight it with the lighter.
She felt rather than saw the mist wrap around her. She began to feel a deep and penetrating chill.
Taking out her cigarette pack she decided that at least the burning cigarette would provide solace as well as a bit of warmth against the seemingly insidious moistness that even started to cause a dampness on her clothes and made her grip on her knapsack wet to the touch.
Time dragged on. She decided to sit down and wait until daylight as she daren't try to manoeuvre that now slippery circular stairway in the blackness.
The darkened silence that settled in the building was strange to someone who was used to city lights and sounds.
That quietness of one that makes the individual believe that they are the only living thing in existance fell upon her.
That quietness that allows one to hear their own heartbeat and their own breathing . The intake of air and the body's momentary stillness followed by the inevitable explusion of warm C02 and smoke became oddly comforting to her.
She could almost believe she wasn't alone and that she had a living breathing companion near her in the dark.
She put her dying cigarette out on the cool moist floorboard.
In spite of the chill she slept. She dreamt of warm sunshine on a beach. The dream was so real that just for the slightest moment she felt the pressure of something coarser than sand pressing over her body and neck. She seemed to be caught in the strap from her knapsack . She struggled to free herself ...but for only a moment.
What was that red flashing light?
The newspaper article stated that the cause of the fire was attributed to careless smoking. The victim's name will not be released.
In other news, the authorities reported that an abandoned car was found in the same area of the fire. They noted that a red lantern type flashlight was found blinking on the front seat of the car by a passerby. Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of the owner are asked to call their local police.
She rued that she had not taken the flashlight from the back of the car.
Flashlights always seemed so cumbersome but as she shifted the weight of her backpack from her hip to her shoulder while half stumbling over a muddy rut , she thought of the fully charged red emergency 'lantern' as her father called it sitting unused but not unneeded a fifteen minute walk away in the opposite direction.
She quickened her pace as the roof of her destination could be seen through the tops of the trees.
The 18th century wooden house was set two miles from the main highway on an unused dirt road. A mere trail would better describe the grass covered route. How it could be considered a road on the computer map was beyond her or anyone's guess. But she had finally arrived , flashlight or no flashlight, road or no road.
The two story structure had only two windows on the ground floor and two on the top. A door faced the approaching path. The windows seemed to gape wide eyed and dark as she approached the door and took out the key that had been sent to her along with the directions in the mail. That was a few short dsys ago after she had placed the ad on Kijji Real Estate Section for Out of town property.
The key slipped in easily and as she turned the lock there was just the slightest resistance and then a click and the door swung inward into the darkness beyond.
Grasping her backpack strap she stepped in and slid her hand along the inside wall searching for a light switch or panel. None could be found. Her eyes gradually became used to the grey light inside and she could make out a the shape of an cosl oil lantern on a shelf not far from the entrance.
She placed her knapsack in the doorway stoop to hold the door open to let in the dimming evening light . She walked towards the lamp. Taking out her lighter, being grateful for her smoking habit, she removed the glass from the lantern and touched the lighter flame to the wick.
Light in the form of a fading arc shone from the flame.
As her eyes grew accustomed to the pale glow she became aware of an unease that perhaps was due to the damp and cold that seemed to surround her . She raised the wick in the lantern and as she did so the light grew brighter but the dampness seemed to became colder . She sensed a movement of air across her face as she leaned over to pick up her backpack which allowed the door to close slowly and without sound.
Picking up the lantern she proceeded to explore the room where she found herself. The floor was of a dark wood. The room itself was bereft of any evidence of furniture or even usefulness. There were no obvious clues to determine its past useage be it kitchen, living room or a combination of both. There was a doorway in the far corner and with lantern and knapsack in hand she walked over and discovered a curving stairwell leading to the second floor.
She started the climb upward. The wooden stairs were worn and cut so as to accommodate the circular design of the stairwell . Therefore she could not see the top of the stairway until she was only a few steps away. The lantern light seemed to fade as she climbed higher until the light from the waning flame dwindled to nothing until only a weak orange glow remained at the precise moment her foot touched the top landing.
She looked downward at the stairwell and was tempted to return but as she could only see an enveloping darkness combined with what seemed to be an actual encroaching mist now instead of the intense dampness that was felt on the main floor she decided against it.
She sensed rather than saw the outline of a window about 10 steps away . She carefully, with one foot sliding in front of the other, approached the outline. She tightly clinched her knapsack in her fist as she peered through the dirty window pane. She saw only the forest that surrounded the building and the faint trail that brought her to it.
There seemed nothing left to do but to stare out of the window and wait and watch.
The darkness grew deeper.
The lantern grew cold inspite of concentrated efforts to relight it with the lighter.
She felt rather than saw the mist wrap around her. She began to feel a deep and penetrating chill.
Taking out her cigarette pack she decided that at least the burning cigarette would provide solace as well as a bit of warmth against the seemingly insidious moistness that even started to cause a dampness on her clothes and made her grip on her knapsack wet to the touch.
Time dragged on. She decided to sit down and wait until daylight as she daren't try to manoeuvre that now slippery circular stairway in the blackness.
The darkened silence that settled in the building was strange to someone who was used to city lights and sounds.
That quietness of one that makes the individual believe that they are the only living thing in existance fell upon her.
That quietness that allows one to hear their own heartbeat and their own breathing . The intake of air and the body's momentary stillness followed by the inevitable explusion of warm C02 and smoke became oddly comforting to her.
She could almost believe she wasn't alone and that she had a living breathing companion near her in the dark.
She put her dying cigarette out on the cool moist floorboard.
In spite of the chill she slept. She dreamt of warm sunshine on a beach. The dream was so real that just for the slightest moment she felt the pressure of something coarser than sand pressing over her body and neck. She seemed to be caught in the strap from her knapsack . She struggled to free herself ...but for only a moment.
What was that red flashing light?
The newspaper article stated that the cause of the fire was attributed to careless smoking. The victim's name will not be released.
In other news, the authorities reported that an abandoned car was found in the same area of the fire. They noted that a red lantern type flashlight was found blinking on the front seat of the car by a passerby. Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of the owner are asked to call their local police.
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