Natural Cruelty

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. As he stood in the tree line watching, he knew at that moment he was ready for the evil that lived there to welcome him home.

“The air out here is like nothing else.” Noah stated as they trudged through an overgrown pathway, pushing what branches they could to make their way through.

Natalie grimaced at every stray that dragged across her bare skin, while Noah didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Once we get deeper in, you’ll know. This place is just so special.” Noah assured.

"It really better be something special, after this hike just to get there. I know I already asked, but how much longer? I feel like it’s been a few hours." Natalie said with exhaustion in her voice as she struggled to keep up with Noah’s fast pace.

"It’s just up ahead, Natalie. I promise its worth it, just please keep up."

Natalie hadn’t known Noah for long. She started to doubt if he even knew his way. How could he through all this mess of branches and leaves? There was barely a trail to follow. She was starting to grow tired. She could feel blisters forming on her feet, her hair and clothes stuck to her sweaty body and she found it hard breathing through the humid summer air. She started to get annoyed by Noah’s energy and enjoyment of the hike. His big deep inhales and loud exhales as he took in the fresh air. But she was still in awe of how strong yet beautiful he was. The forest was dense but the limited light that was let in illuminated is already shiny and shaggy blonde hair. She watched as it bobbed up and down from the bounce in his step. His sweat glistened and his skin glowed. It was almost as if he was energized from the exertion.

It had been years since Noah had been to these woods. Although he hadn’t forgotten how amazing he felt out there, he couldn’t believe it had taken this long to be back.

He parts a curtain of branches with his strong hands to reveal a small opening in the dense wooded forest.

"Ah, here we are. On the right track for sure!” Noah exclaimed as he held back the branches inviting Natalie to step into the clearing.

“Isn’t it amazing?!” He exclaimed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

“Uhm, what do you mean?” Natalie asked, completely underwhelmed.

“You can’t feel it? There was a complete shift in energy as soon as I got close. Look, my hair is standing straight up!” Noah exclaimed as he stuck out his forearm for Natalie to see.

Natalie’s eyes moved upwards from his arm to his eyes staring blankly at him.

“Oh, yeah that’s cool.” She responded with fake enthusiasm as her gaze returned to her surroundings.

“Maybe you just need to put down your bags and settle in. Then you will see.” Noah assured as he lifted his other arm and placed his hand on her face, turning her towards him.

“Here, we’re setting up here? But where is your family’s cabin?” Natalie asked slightly confused.

“Oh, it's still about the same hike further into the woods. I figured since it was such a long drive and you are clearly exhausted from the hike, we would stay here for the night. But if you do have it in you Natalie, we can continue.” He explained as he brought his hand off her face to point to the trail.

“No, I-I just didn’t realize this was the plan. Why wouldn’t you tell me it would take this long Noah? I am very much exhausted. Its what then, a six-hour hike?” Natalie asked with complete frustration. She steps back out of his embrace.

“Well, there is no use in arguing. If you don’t want to continue, we will stay here.” Noah stated unempathetically as he turned his back to her.

“As much as I wish we were staying at a cabin, I suppose we can stay here for the night.” Natalie knew this wasn’t discussed, but felt the need to let it go since she really didn’t want to hike anymore.

“How about this, I will get the fire built and you can set yourself up here and try to relax.” Noah stated as if that was the solution to her worry.

Natalie unravels her sleeping bag to sit on while she drinks from her canteen, watching Noah build a fire close to her.

“What have you packed that we can eat over the fire tonight?” Natalie asks.

“I haven’t packed any food. It’s all at the cabin. Its in the water, the air and the woods. This place will feed us once we get to the cabin.” Noah nonchalantly explained as he gestured to the trees around them.

“You didn’t pack any food?! So, like we’re fishing and hunting and gathering all weekend!?” Natalie asked with anger and disbelief.

“Yes, it's all here. Well not right here where we are. But if you had told me, you weren’t much of a hike-it’s just, whatever. I’m not even hungry, are you actually? I just feel so alive out here, full of life you know? I just want to embrace this. I can feel the trees breath. The wind rustles the leaves to the timing of blood pumping in my veins." Noah expresses with sincerity and passion as he continues to build the fire.

Natalie was at a loss for words. She was so tired and filled with anger towards Noah’s carelessness. She still did not understand this unusual connection Noah was feeling to this place. She was so uneasy with the situation but felt stuck there. It was growing too dark to suggest trying to make their way back. As long as she could ride out an evening without food and another long hike in the morning, maybe it will be worth it when they actually do get to the cabin.

Noah steps back as flames rise between them, illuminating their tiny sleeping area. He turns his back and prepares his bed for the evening.

Natalie stares into flames as hot as her anger burning in her stomach. She sits with her knees up so her elbow can rest as she picks dead skin off her bottom lip until it bleeds. She curls her lip into her mouth to nurse it back to normal. Natalie knows her anxiety is at a high. She hates herself for thinking this was a good idea. She is not an outdoors woman. Just a girl sick of her office job that she decided to take right out of high school. A job that fills her with the need to relax at a cabin for a weekend. She realized how much worse she was making herself feel and decided to think about how great it will be once they get there. She imagines herself relaxing by the water bathing in the perfectly warm sun while Noah catches some fish for them to eat.

Natalie watches as Noah removes his shoes then moves his bare feet back and forth on the soil, slightly burying them as a child would do in the beach sand.

Noah and Natalie sit for awhile in silence and watch the flames dance. The tension eats away at Natalie. She has to try to move past this mishap of Noah’s if she wants to stay there and salvage their weekend.

“So have you brought anyone out this way before?” Natalie asks.

Noah stares at her through the flames. They began to rise higher, obstructing his view. Slowly they came down revealing to him a familiar yet forgotten face. Her hair is much lighter than Natalie’s and takes on the warm glow from the flames that frame her. Her dark eyes reflect the fire more as they widen in horror at the sight of him. He can feel the soil beneath his feet move as roots break through. He feels the coarse wet roots move under then across his feet. He braces himself for the sting of them entering his skin that would soon turn his body numb.

Natalie looks into Noah’s dead stare through the flames. He appears to be in some kind of trance.

“Noah, are you ok?!”

Noah blinks. “Yes, I’m fine Natalie."

“I asked you a question Noah, did you not here me?” Natalie asks with concern.

“No, sorry. I suppose I am tired after all. It has been a long day. I think I will lay down now.” Noah response emotionless.

Natalie’s stomach turns with the regret of coming into the woods with a man she has known for barely a month. She considers packing her things and attempting to go back, but heavily doubts her ability to find the way back on her own. She considers moving her bag over to Noah for the night, to be held in his warmth. But she would rather not be close to him after today.

As she lies down and closes her eyes, she tries to rationalize Noah’s strange behaviour. Maybe exhaustion did suddenly hit him. Maybe he truly did think anyone could do the hike in one go with no food. If it's normal for him, maybe he believes its normal for anybody. These lies she tells herself helps her get to sleep. As Noah lays on the other side of the fire, wide eyed into the sky.

Natalie wakes up. Her entire body aches from the hike and sleeping on the hard forest floor. She covers her eyes with her hand to block the bright afternoon sun. She looks over to Noah leaning against a tree with his bags packed.

“Are you ready to go now?” He impatiently asks.

“Wha-what time is it? Is it the afternoon?” Natalie asks bewildered as she sits herself up.

“Yes, getting on late afternoon by the time you pack up, so I hope you’re ready to move on.”

“You didn’t have to let me sleep in so late, why didn’t you wake me?” Natalie asks angrily.

As Noah narrowed her stare at Natalie, she could tell her tone was upsetting him. She felt it was best to reel herself in. She knew if they got into a fight, he could just leave her there alone. She would struggle to find her back, if she could at all.

“It will only take me a minute to get my bag together. Believe me, I want to get to the cabin as fast as you do.” Natalie explains in a more pleasing tone.

Natalie packs up and they head deeper into the woods. The sounds of cracking pinecones beneath her shoes and the snapping of branches seem to grow louder. She can feel blisters from the previous day rupture, the open sores sting with every step as the rub against her shoes. Branches sting at yesterdays scratches, her stomach aches with hunger, her bones feel weak and her muscles ache. Her head pounds with frustration and fear. She feels she is almost not in control of her own body anymore. That it is only the need of food and shelter that is piloting her forward.

“Noah, can you honestly tell me how much longer until we reach the cabin?" Natalie sheepishly asks.

Noah moves faster through the path, evading her questioning. Natalie feels helpless. There is no choice but for her to try to match his pace but Noah is much taller and stronger than her. He seems to effortlessly stride through the path while Natalie struggles to keep him in sight. Her exhaustion forces them to continue in silence as she can’t spare the energy to speak.

Natalie can smell that rain is on the way. She prays that they will make it in time to be sheltered. But it isn’t long until she feels tiny drops of rain turn into a downpour. The rain drenches them and the soil. Her already weak legs struggle more to keep her standing as her shoes slip against the muddy terrain. She continues onward crying in silence. She is too deafened by the rain and her throbbing headache to even know if Noah is waiting ahead or if he has ditched completely. Her heart races as she begins to panic. She forces herself stop crying so she can make out his tracks in the mud for directions.

She loses her footing up a slight incline and falls to the slippery forest floor. She lays there for a moment assessing how much pain she is in. She pushes herself up and realizes her hands and knees are scrapped from the hard tree roots below her.

“Noah! Noah, help me! I fell, I can’t do this anymore! Please come back!” She cries.

Natalie doesn’t wait long before she pulls herself up, grabbing onto a tree to help her. She continues up the muddy slope, grabbing at branches to help her along the way. She hobbles along as fast as she can with her head down following the only trace of Noah before the rain washes that away.

The rain continues for an hour and as more hours pass by, Natalie reaches another clearing in the woods. Noah is waiting with arms crossed. He tosses his bags down against a tree. He spins towards Natalie as she slowly straggles her way into the clearing.

“I suppose we should stay here the night too!” Noah yells throwing his hands in the air.

“Noah, we had to have walked the same amount of time, if not more! Why aren’t we at the cabin yet? You didn’t get us lost, did you?” Natalie asks in exasperation as she lets her bag onto the ground.

“No, I didn’t get us lost. Its just a bit further than I remember. You’re slowing me down. If you weren’t here, I would have made it by nightfall yesterday!” Noah yells back.

Natalie is shaking uncontrollably as the cool evening air moves in against her wet body. She feels nauseous and dizzy. She drops to her knees and looks up at Noah towering over her.

“So, we stay another night, then what? How long until we are at the cabin? And then we have to walk back shortly after we get there? No, I can’t do this. We will have to head back. But what we will eat tonight? I’m so hungry and drenched from rain. I fell and I’m hurt. Where were you? Why did you leave me so far behind?! We will have to make it to the cabin tonight, I-I just can’t do this.” Natalie cries out.

Noah ignores Natalie and unravels his sleeping bag before he begins to make another fire.

Natalie sets up her sleeping bag to sit on with her face in her hands. She is so angry yet helpless. A tight burning knot forms in her throat as she chokes back more tears. She dreads the long hike back to the car after a small rest, but knows there is no use continuing on with Noah to the cabin.

Noah gets the fire going. They sit across from each other watching the flames. Natalie wishes her stare could burn as hot as the fire, straight though Noah.

Natalie watches as Noah removes his shoes again to move them back and forth against the soil even more this time. Until they are buried slightly deeper.

“What exactly are you doing Noah, what is wrong with you? You are not normal. This is not normal. We are starving, we are dehydrated and we are exhausted. But you, you sit there as if you are relaxing as if none of this is bothering you!”

Noah is fixated on the flames. He pays no attention to Natalie. She watches as his stare moves upwards. His neck stretches as his head moves back to lock eyes on the moon directly above him in the sky.

He feels his connection to the earth. His body is completely grounded as roots come out of the earth to enter his body.

Natalie’s fear grows as she watches him. She begins to move back and contemplates getting up to attempt her way into the forest without Noah. But before she can lift her body up, roots penetrate the souls of Natalie’s feet.

Noah can feel the warmth of her body. Roots slither around her bones as the move up inside her legs. The roots make vein like ripples under her flesh. He is being nourished from the earths feeding on her. It is all so overwhelming to him that he can’t even hear Natalie’s screams of agony. Small branches break through her skin as some continue to grow in her body, moving upwards. She chokes on the branches and spews blood as they scrape her throat. They begin to escape her body, reaching towards the light of the moon that is beyond her mouth.

Noah wakes to the warm light of day on his bare skin. He gets up and walks towards Natalie. She is lying just how Sarah had. He remembers her now. A bundle of decaying flesh and branches weaving through bones and broken skin. He kneels down to observe her hollowed out sunken eyes. He runs his hand along her shoulder. Her skin peels back like thin strips of dry bark. The earth has claimed her body. Just like before.

He knows why he didn’t want to return to the woods. As he feels her energy pulsate through his veins, he is reminded of why he had to. He feels one with the forest. The force ahead beckons him further into the woods.

Noah steps out of the clearing and continues his journey. He feels almost transported to the tree line that surrounds the cabin. He moves towards it with anticipation for who is waiting for him and to receive praise from his work.

As he approaches the door, he wonders to himself how much longer until he is forced to leave again only to come back with a new sacrifice, knowing that there is no possible end. He wishes still, that this could be one last nightmare before he is welcomed home for good.