Page 36 of Monsters and Beauties

This was camping, which I was more than used to.

I quickly went out and got my third bag, hauling it inside. I shut the front door and stared at the lone bedroom, the door partially open so that I could make out what looked like a bunk bed with no mattresses.

The lone window in the room looked foggy, the glass old. I used the sleeve of my raincoat, still wet from the weather, and moved it along the glass, smearing some of the dirt away so I could see outside a bit more.

I could see the outhouse directly across from the bedroom window and wrinkled my nose.

Nothing like looking outside and seeing where someone relieves themselves to get your day going.

I left the bedroom and started going through my bags, setting the food on the table, the portable stove and the propane canisters I’d bought in town onto the counter, and putting the rest of my “electronics” on the table.

I brought my clothes and sleeping gear into the bedroom and walked back out into the kitchen to set my toothbrush and any kind of bathing items in the sink.

Since I still had my outside gear on and the rain had let up, I set up the outdoor shower and took a walk around the cabin.

After filling up the bag with the water in the large plastic rain-catching container—something I was thankful the renters had included in the “amenities” description—I hung it up and walked along the “boardwalk” that ran the perimeter of the cabin.

Because of the recent weather, the forest looked more like a rainforest, with water dripping from the leaves and the scent of earth and moisture filling the air.

The boardwalk only lined the back and sides of the cabin. The outhouse was directly behind it, and there were a couple of manmade trails leading off into the woods.

Making my way back to the front and toward the shore, I walked the waterline and listened to the sound of the gentle lap of waves. There were snails stuck to the rocks, and fish creating ripples as they jumped above the water before diving back into the ocean. When I kicked a rock, I jumped back, watching a crab scurrying away, its home being disturbed.

Tomorrow, I was going to take the skiff to the island and do a little exploring.

After heading back inside, I unpacked my drawing pad and sat at the table. Despite not having any service, I still got my cell out and pulled up some music.

And then for the next hour I sat and drew, and found peace I hadn’t felt in a really long time.

I started sketching my grandmother’s face, then added flower detailing. I drew hyacinth for the framework, and wisteria behind her profile.

When my hand cramped, I shut off my phone and set my pencil down, realizing I heard absolutely… nothing.

It was the first time in my life where there wasn’t the sound of the neighbors down the hall screaming at each other, or horns blaring outside my window.

I inhaled deeply, not smelling car exhaust or pollution or somebody burning something on the stove next-door. Sure, there was age and a musty smell in the cabin, but I’d take that over all the polluted scents I was used to back home.

I rested back and closed my eyes, thinking for the hundredth time since arriving just yesterday that I wanted to live here, just burrow in deep, nestled away from everyone, and pretend like nothing else existed.

ChapterFive

Marcella

Scratch-scratch-scrape. Scratch-scratch-scrape.

I pulled my sleeping bag up to my chin as I stared wide-eyed at the bedroom window. I’d been hearing that sound for the last ten minutes.

There was something outside the cabin, something big walking around the perimeter, its nails scraping over the boardwalk.

My mind said it was most likely a bear, which I knew there were plenty of in this part of the world before I’d made the trip. But a part of me had clearly been naïve in thinking I’d never come across one.

The footsteps were heavy, intermittently stopping as if the animal were checking out something before it resumed. And then I heard it come closer.

Scratch-scratch-scrape. Scratch-scratch-scrape.

I white-knuckled the hell out of the sleeping bag. I’d bought a bear repellent air spray in town, not sure if it would even work, but I’d been so tired when I went to bed last night, I totally forgot to grab it and keep it close.

No amount of videos I’d watched online about taking precautions and being safe on this trip could prepare me for living it.

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