What was that sour smell that suddenly filled my nose as I slowly opened my eyes? There was something unsettling about the smell. Words to describe it flashed my mind as I sat up on a cold dirty floor that looked a bit worse for wear. The decaying odor of the room filled my nose more as I looked around, causing my eyes to water.
I looked about in my surroundings. Was I in a cabin? Fragments of the ceiling hung loose in the air. Water seeped through the window frames around me, rotted and blistered, nursing the mildewed wallpaper causing them to peel. Spiders ran around the decaying floors and up the worn walls, hiding from whatever had seemed to startle them.
I was appalled. How did I end up in such ahorrid place? I looked at my clothes. Ripped jeans and t-shirtswere both caked with mud and my hair was a matted mess. My white snickers were muddy and torn at the seams around the heel.
"What happened to me?" I asked myself out loud. "Where am I?"
I stood up and tried to untangle my unruly golden ringlets and get the mud off as best I could.
"I need to see where I am," I said aloud, walking towards the front door that was hanging off its hinges.
I peered out the door frame and looked around. The dappled shade of woodland gave off an eerie feel. The woods were silent and still. A cold breeze blew the trees causing me to shiver a bit as a few snowflakes floated down gracefully and landed on the tall grass that surrounded the area.
"I'm in a cabin... in the woods," I said, rubbingthe templesof my head.
Turning around to go back inside, a gust of wind blew right through me.Someloose strands of my hair wereblown by the wind. I felt a sadness come over me. I felt as though somethingwas wrong. Something off. I wasn't supposed tobe here and how did I get here? I couldn't remember anything, and it scared me.
"Okay, Norah," I said sternly to myself as I paced the floor inside the cabin. "Pull yourself together.Now woman up and go outsideand find your way to a town or something."
I shook my head, stood up straight and walkedto the door again and peered outsideonce more. Snow wasfalling heavier this time. Frosted air forced its way through me, stirring up leaves inside the cabin. But I took a step forward outside of the building and took a deep breath. Leaving wasn't a good idea, but I need to get away from here.
As I took another step forward, I was suddenly pulled back inside and forced onto the floor. The door hanging suddenly slammed shut. I sat up, supporting myself on my elbows as I stared at the now closed door. A wave of fear shot through me.
I slowly raised myself up and stared at the now closed door and blinked in disbelief. Standing up slowly, I kept my eyes locked on the door and moved towards it.
"What's happening? Why can't I get out?" I asked myself, placing my hands in the doorway and feeling that force that was keeping me from me leaving.
Stepping back to the other side of the room, I turned to face the door once more. I would give it all I had until I was released from this prison. Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes I ran full force towards the door with a champion yell.
Sabal Cloonan
