The Huntsman

No Escape

The door opened smoothly without even a squeak and I stepped through into the cave. My hand came up to my mouth as even in the dim shadowy grayness of the room, I could see an interior I hadn’t expected.

“Just a moment.” He called out from the darkness.

A match flared and then a lamp was coming alive followed by several candles. The cave or as much of it as I could see was now bathed in light.

A sitting area with carpets on the floor and of all things a leather couch was directly before me. Two shelves filled with books were lined up along the cave’s sides behind the couch and on the opposite wall was a fireplace that even as I gazed upon it was coming alive as prepared tinder caught flame.

Beyond the sitting area was a kitchen area and gazing in that direction I realized that some of the residual daylight in the cave was coming from a skylight in the ceiling above the kitchen table. Up till now I had been breathing, but I stopped as my eyes took in the shelves loaded with canned food and other items. This man had more food than a small mini Mart!

Beyond the kitchen I recognized the outline of a bed. My eyes darted away from it and back to the fire that was now blazing and casting its welcome heat into the room.

Could all this really be possible? Was this a dream?

“Tamara?” I glanced up startled and blinked away my dazed confusion as I met Wyatt’s eyes.

I couldn’t help but feel as overwhelmed as I did and as usual emotion did not let me down by not making its presence known. I rubbed away at a tear and asked him point-blank, “Is this place for real?”

“Yes, it is. I about broke my back to get that couch up here. Strangely, at the time it never occurred to me to take it apart in pieces and reassemble it, until I already had it in the cave. It would seem I am a bit dense minded at times.”

I glanced from him to the bookshelves. Somehow I doubted him as being any form of dense when it came to intellectuality. My gaze ran over the titles of books on the shelves with interest as in a way they were keys to understanding the man who stood before me.

“Are you hungry?”

My gaze came back to him meaningfully and he shook his head with a rueful expression, “That was a stupid question wasn’t it.”

He started away for the kitchen and softly I asked, “You don’t mind sharing all of this with me?”

He looked back at me and said, “With you, no, with someone else probably. That said, as much of a loner as I have been in life, I’ve been going crazy without anyone to talk to. Tell me have you read any of those books on the wall?”

“Yes.” I whispered before then adding, “My job in school was serving as an assistant to the librarian. I love books. The right books anyway.”

Something I saw as pleasure crossed his face and softly he said, “You are an ever evolving surprise Princess.”

So was he, but I left that thought unsaid. I gravitated his way, taking everything in and yet still doubtful that it all could be real. Had God really landed me down into this oasis nestled in the midst of a wilderness?

I didn’t deserve this! So many had died and sitting down in one of the kitchen chairs I said as much out loud.

In a way I didn’t know I’d said it out loud until Wyatt responded with, “Actually, as things go it seems that what we deserve in life is rarely what we get.” I wasn’t sure where he was going with that and at the moment I was really just too embarrassed by having dispersed my thoughts out loud to respond to his statement.

A bowl of food that actually smelled like food and looked like food was set down before me. All thought of everything else disappeared.

“I’ll have hot coffee in a few minutes.”

I looked up at him. He had to be joking!

No, no he wasn’t, as I took in the sight of him fixing a pot over the fire in the other room. Forcing restraint I prayed over my meal as I always had, but this time I did it silently.

He took notice, but said nothing and with relish I began to eat. The bowl of food was soon gone and for the first time in years I had the relish of having consumed vegetables, so what if they’d been canned vegetables. I was actually still hungry, but I would not ask for more.

I started to get up, but a hand on my shoulder obstructed the action. Another bowl was put down before me that had steam lifting off of it even as his voice so near to my ear that it sent shockwaves through me said, “A stew made with deer meat.”

He’d put quite a bit of emphasis on the deer part. I stared at the bowl before me only moments later to see it joined by a cup of coffee.

He set a jar of what I took to be sugar down beside the coffee cup. I was struggling and glancing up I met his gaze that was perhaps the warmest I had yet seen it and heard him say, “Eat up Princess. You haven’t made it this far by not being a survivor, so don’t stop now.”

I took a hold of the spoon and getting a bite I ate it. The stew was the best I’d ever had in my life. I ate it quietly and I drank the coffee. When I was done, I glanced up at him again.

He’d been staring at me the whole time and meaning every word with all my heart I said, “Thank you. This…. this is all very unexpected. I….. I can never repay you for sharing this with me.”

He shrugged and said, “I’m not asking you to, but I do want all that you have to give.”

I nodded and honestly said, “I’m yours.”

He nodded all the while staring at me intently, only to simply say, “I know.”