My not so peaceful vacation

I only wanted to get away for awhile, to unwind, relax, take some time off from my busy life. I just wanted to spend some time alone. I never dreamt it would be the worst mistake of my life.

I didn’t tell anyone where I was going or how long I was gonna be gone. Quite frankly I didn’t know. I packed a bag with enough clothes and supplies for a week, turned off my coffee maker, turned down the thermostat, made sure the apartment was locked up tight, got in my car and drove north.

It was snowing lightly when I left but over the last hour the flakes had gotten bigger and it was coming down much faster. I could barely see the roadway when a couple hours later I decided I was hungry. I stopped at the only place I had seen since leaving the city behind me. A roadside restaurant called Millie’s. The small cafe was very neat and tidy. It offered breakfast and lunch only. There was one other person inside when I opened the door against the harsh winter wind and went inside. It wasn’t much warmer inside than it was outside but at least I was out of the wind. I chatted with the waitress for a few minutes after placing my order. I explained to her that I was on vacation. I asked her if there were any motels in the area. She confirmed my suspicions that there was nothing within a few hundred miles. However, she did tell me about a local gentleman who had a cabin he rented out from time to time. I finished my meal, tipped the waitress and collected the napkin that she used to write down the directions for me.

After driving for what seemed like many hours, I finally came to a bend in the road near a gravel driveway that veered off to the left. The waitress said this was the entrance to the man’s property. By now the snow was piling up in drifts along the sides of the road and turning to mush under my tires as I slowly made my way down the long driveway. I got a glimpse of a small pale blue house in the distance. I didn’t see a vehicle parked anywhere, nor did I see any lights on in the house. I started to think maybe I was at the wrong address. But then I spotted a wooden box on the front porch with a laminated sign attached to it. I got out of the car and slowly walked up to the porch pulling my scarf around my face to shield me from the cold. After knocking on the door several times and getting no response, I turned my attention to a weather beaten, old looking box sitting near the front door. It was about a foot across with a hinged lid. There was a pad lock hanging on the hook. It was made to look like it was locked but it wasn’t really locked. The sign on the box read:

“If the keys are inside, the cabin is vacant. Leave the deposit ($50 per night) and take the keys. Drive 2 miles past my house into the woods. The cabin is on the right side of the road, you can’t miss it. There is no internet, no electricity and no phone. Firewood is stacked on the west side of the cabin. Please clean up after yourself when you’re done. Thank you!

Hank

P.S. no drugs, alcohol or pets allowed.”

I looked inside the box, there was a gold key on a red plastic key ring. I went back to car to get my wallet. Before leaving town I had stopped at the bank and drawn some money out of the ATM. I put $200 in the box and took the keys. I left the lock on the box the way I had found it.

On the road once again, I checked my odometer so I could keep track of how many miles I had driven. Just as the odometer showed two miles I spotted a tiny log cabin off to the right of the narrow dirt road. Relieved to finally be at my destination, I parked the car and started unloading my things. I unlocked the door and stepped inside. The cabin was small and dark. I let my eyes adjust to the darkness as I breathed in a musty smell. No one had been here in awhile. The room was neatly furnished with a couch, chair and coffee table arranged near the fireplace. To the left of that was a wood stove and a small table with two chairs. Next to that was a short cabinet with pots, pans and dishes inside. I noticed a manual can opener and a few cans of soup, beans and veggies. In the bottom of the cabinet were some oil lamps, oil, a flashlight and some candles. A few spices sat along the window sill above the sink. The two windows were covered by thin green curtains. A bear skin rug was laid out in front of the fireplace. Above the fireplace on the mantle sat a painting of a log cabin in the woods that looked a lot like this one.

After a few minutes I discovered that the couch folded out to make a bed. It was already made with a sheet and a blanket neatly folded inside. The bathroom had a toilet, a sink and a tub, but no shower.

As I unpacked my things I thought to myself, this is a little more rustic than what I had in mind. But I decided to try and make the most of it. At least I wouldn’t be bothered by anyone for a few days. I did bring some books to read. And I could always go for walk once it stopped snowing outside. (If it stopped snowing.) It was still daylight outside but not for long so I set about getting things ready to spend the night.

First I got the oil lamps and checked to see if they had enough oil in them. I set one on the table. The other one I put in the bathroom. Then I went outside to get some firewood. As I struggled to load myself up with as many logs as I could carry, I noticed some prints in the snow. I figured it must be from some animal because they were too small to be human footprints. Probably some squirrel or rabbit looking for food or a place to get out of the storm.

I got the wood inside and started to build a fire. I found matches in a drawer of the cabinet. I lit the oil lamps. I also put a few logs into the wood stove so I could heat up my dinner of beef stew. I was getting the table set when I thought I saw something go past the window from the corner of my eye. I didn’t think much of it because it was still snowing outside.

Finally, the cabin was getting warmer. The fireplace was really roaring now. I could hear the crackling logs and smell the wood burning. My soup was ready too so I poured it into a bowl and sat down to eat. Suddenly I heard a loud crash then running feet and some growling sounds. I looked out the window but couldn’t see anything. It was almost dark now but the snow had stopped coming down. I didn’t want to venture out so I decided it was probably raccoons in the trash. I finished my soup, washed my dishes in the sink and settled down on the couch to read a book.

I was a few chapters into my book when something hit the front door. I let out a screech and jumped to my feet. It startled me so much that I dropped my book. Then something hit the side of the cabin. It sounded big and it shook the whole place. All at once I did not feel safe here anymore.

My cell phone was in the car. I had to charge it on the way here in case I needed to use it later. I forgot to grab it when I was unloading my stuff and then I was so busy setting up everything that I didn’t think about it again.

I didn’t want to open the door but I knew that was the only way to get my phone and possibly get help. I put on my coat and boots. I grabbed the flashlight from the cabinet and opened the door. Nothing was there. I quickly walked/ran to the car. The doors were locked! I had left the keys inside the cabin! I heard a low growl behind me. I slowly turned around. There in the dark stood the biggest Grizzly bear I had ever seen. He was standing on his hind legs. His mouth was open and snarling. He was showing his teeth. I was terrified!

I dropped down to the ground. I didn’t look at him. I tried to be quiet. I was shaking from fear. I heard him drop onto his front paws and come towards me. He got right on top of me and I could feel his hot breath on my neck.

I was still holding the flashlight. A thought occured to me then. Maybe I could throw the flashlight and distract him long enough to run back inside. So I heaved that thing as hard and far as I could away from me. As soon as I did he turned and wondered off in the opposite direction. I didn’t waste any time getting to my feet. I ran as fast as I could to the cabin and threw open the door. Once inside I locked the door and braced a chair under the door knob.

I didn’t sleep at all that night. I stayed awake listening for the bear to come back. Thankfully he never did. I packed my things the next morning and left. I drove back to the blue house, threw the keys into the box, collected my $200 and drove home. That’s the last time I take a vacation by myself.