Trials of Tribulation

It was a dark and snowy night. The roads were covered in a thick white sheet of snow, and it was hard to tell where the road curved, and where it didn't. Grace was doing her best to keep the car under control and on the road at all times. She had been visiting family for the weekend and was heading back to her cabin when the blizzard had started. All seemed calm throughout the drive, except for the fact that Grace can't see very well at night, so she was panicking. "One wrong turn and it's over." She thought over and over again. She decided to try and calm her nerves by putting on some music. As she shuffled through her car for a CD, she began to swerve slightly off the road. Once she noticed, it was too late. The road had curved to the left and she was drifting to the right.

BAM!

Everything fell silent and something warm ran down her face. She had crashed into a tree and her head was bleeding profusely. "Ow..." she says. "That was stupid of me.." She then quickly gathers herself and proceeds to free herself from the seat-belt. Upon freeing herself, she smells gas leaking and dashes out of the car. She stops and goes back for her purse before fleeing the scene. Grace watches as her car bursts into flames and explodes before her eyes. "Fuck. That was my only way home. My poor baby." Grace ponders for a moment, then tries her cellphone - dead. "Shit, I left my charger in the damn car." *she groans* "Ugh. What am I going to do now?" she cries. She decides to walk in the direction she was heading to see if there's a gas station or someone who can help her. Since her phone is dead she can't check to see what's close or call anyone to come and get her.

Grace has been walking for about 20 minutes now and still hasn't found any signs of life. "Fuck my life." she says angrily. "Where is the next town?" she thought. "Just a bit further," She says. Grace continues walking for what seems like an eternity, until she comes upon a sign that reads: "Loveland 5 Miles" *She groans* "Ugh. Five more miles." she hisses. *She sighs and continues walking* The cold has set in now. She was fine when she crashed, probably because of the adrenaline pumping through her veins like wild snakes. *She shivers* "Should've grabbed my coat." She says. Grace sucks it up and continues walking towards the town.

After about 45 minutes to an hour, Grace spots a small hut off in the distance. "I'm safe!" She thought. She proceeds to walk towards the hut and notices a light on inside. "Hello?" She calls out. "Is anyone there?" She approaches the door and knocks softly, yet hard enough to be heard. A young woman answers the door. "Oh my word, you're bleeding! Are you okay??" She asks. "Yes ma'am, I was in a car accident about 2 hours ago and I was wondering if I could use your phone to call someone to come and get me." she says calmly. "Of course, but first let's get you cleaned up." She says. Grace proceeds inside the woman's house and looks around.

It's a cozy little hut with a strong cinnamon smell. Bookshelves line the living room walls and a roast sits upon the stove. "Are you hungry? I just made a roast." She says. "Yes ma'am I'm quite famished." Grace replies. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Natalie," she says warmly. "I'm Grace, nice to meet you Natalie." The two women talk about themselves as Natalie prepares a plate for Grace. She sets the plate down and sits down at the table. "Come, sit." She says smiling brightly. Grace sits down at the table and inhales deeply. "Mmm... it smells so good. Thank you Natalie." says Grace smiling. "Of course. She says. "But before you eat, do you mind if i take care of your wound first?" She asks. "Oh, right. Of course not." says Grace warily.

Natalie proceeds upstairs to grab her first-aid kit, then sits down at the table. "Are you afraid of needles?" Natalie asks. "No ma'am." She lies. Grace was in fact afraid of needles and anything sharp. She's always had others handle knives and such for her. *Natalie nods and continues gathering supplies from her kit, then she sterilizes the area and begins to stitch the wound* Grace holds her breath as the pain intensifies. She's learned her lesson. After a few more minutes, Natalie is done. "All done." She says smiling. "That wasn't too bad, was it?" she asks. "No ma'am." She lied. Every single second was excruciating and every pull of the thread stung like wildfire, but at least her head was patched up and cleaned.

After Natalie cleaned Grace's wound, she went back upstairs to put away her first-aid kit. While she was gone, Grace decided to dig into the food before her. She takes a bite and is instantly in heaven. The juicy roast melts in her mouth and she can taste hints of rosemary and garlic. "Mmm.." She moans. "This is so good." She says to no one. "Glad you like it," says Natalie. *Grace jumps slightly* "Haha. Sorry hun, didn't mean to scare you." She says giggling. "It's okay," says Grace laughing. Grace continues eating and upon finishing her plate she notices Natalie standing behind her. "Is something wrong?" Says Grace facing away from her. "Welcome to your trial..." *Natalie then, whacks Grace over the head with a blunt object*

Grace falls over like a freshly chopped tree. It's dark, quiet, and cold. She can't see or hear what's going on around her as she drifts in and out of consciousness. "These are your Trials of Tribulation." says a strange voice. "Enjoy the journey..."

TO BE CONTINUED