The Widow's Cabin (Completed)

Chapter 3

Dry leaves crunched in rhythm with Hendrix's foot dragging and nonstop nagging while we were tracing the steep dirt road, winding endlessly before us. The dirt road, which was named "Rattlesnake Road," got its name from the inhabitants of a nearby village because of its endless winding. The road goes downhill and ends with a thick line of bushes, which, I suspected, has never been touched by civilization probably since the Big Bang Theory. I took it the bushes are nature's way to juxtapose the yin and the yang, beauty and unpleasantness, and order and chaos, because the bush opened into a clearing with luscious green grass that would put a Birch Tree commercial to shame. A few yards away from the clearing lies a creek that is a gift from the gods, and like earth's very own nectar from Olympus, it's as clear and tranquil and enticing as can be.

"So tell me, why do you keep on coming there? I mean, there's nothing to do there. It's like a dead spot. Yeah sure, the scenery's nice, but that's just about it. Nothing more to do with your little boring life," Hendrix sneered.

"I can always write, you know," I answered with confidence.

"Wrong. Omit the 'can.'"

"Huh?"

"Go on. Try it."

"I.. uh.. I always write, you know?.."

"ding-ding-ding! Exactly," He answered with his game show host mimicry.

Here we go again.

"You never hang out, you never go out on Saturday nights, you almost never talk to me anymore because you're always busy talking to yourself like a total looney, thinking 'oh, what rhymes with duck? Oh yes! FU--."

"You know that's not true."

"Oh yeah? What about last week? When our friends from the football team went to Freddy's for a few bottles? Where were you? Huh? What about the week before that? When Jose wanted to let us try his brand new Playstation four? Where were you? Brand new man, it's what hurts the most. And what about the week before that? And the week even before that? And the.."

His voice trailed off and faded in my mind as I forced-shut my ears temporarily. I glanced at him and saw him nagging me eloquently, with such vigor and enthusiasm. I looked back straight ahead and followed the pathway. I nodded my head sideways and couldn't help but smile. Best friends.

We arrived at the clearing and took a few steps towards the creek. The sun was turning the skies into hues of burgundy and purple, indicating that it's almost twilight. I looked up and closed my eyes, inhaled the soft, clear breeze deeply, imagining the burgundy skies slowly making its way into my nostrils, like therapeutic smoke from a nebulizer. I was close to meditating when I heard a crunching sound. I opened my eyes and saw Hendrix walking away, towards the big boulder with another set of bushes around it. I sprinted and caught up to him, puzzled why he was such in a hurry.

"Let's get to that damned cabin pronto. The earlier we can get there, the sooner we can leave," He said.

"Why are you in a hurry?"

"Look, Caleb, I've got plenty things to do. I still have to fetch mom from work and drive her home. Jose and Jasper are waiting for me at the pizzeria.''

We increased our pace and finally reached the boulder. For newcomers, the way to the other side of the boulder would seem impossible to find, but me and Hendrix know the way like the back of our hands. We've been coming here for almost two years now, if not every day, then every week. It's like a personal sanctuary of mine. Hendrix just almost always tags along with me. We started to climb the top of the boulder, firmly planting our feet in every rock gap we can find. A couple of grunts from the efforts we exerted when we finally reached the top of the boulder. We looked slightly to the right and saw the Widow's Cabin looming like a mysterious creature ahead.