The Essence of Water

NEW VERSION Chapter 19

Aiden stands beside me and together we stare the darkened cabin. I sniff the air but though the smell of pine is strong there is no scent of wood smoke, only the memory of it. This cabin has been deserted for a long time. Branches hang over the roof and grow wild in places. If I listen hard enough through the silence I feel as though I can heard the echoes of my parents' memories in this place. We walk forward slowly.

There is a small porch and the two steps at the base creak as I walk up them. Despite the small size Aiden and I can still stand comfortably under the overhang. I grab the curved wooden handle on the door but it doesn't budge. "I think it's locked," I tell him surprised. I'm not sure why I expected it to be open, but I did.

Aiden slips the bag off his back and kneels in front of the door then he looks up at me. "There's no key hole," he says.

"What?" I lean down for a closer look. He's right, there's no key hole. I push on the door again but it still doesn't budge. It doesn't even make a sound of protest against my weight. "What do we do?" I ask.

"We could break it down but if we tend to stay here I think we'd better avoid breaking things," he says.

"I agree."

Aiden and I both push against the door and try to find some form of latch but the door doesn't move and the sun gets lower and lower on the horizon with each passing minute. It will be dark soon. I try peeking through the small windows in the front but there are shutters pulled close so I can't see inside.

"Maybe the door is blocked by something?" I walk along the side of the cabin. Here there's another door and it swings open without any trouble, but the stale room is full of dried wood. The back of the cabin is built right against the rock face so there's no access there.

"There's nothing here," I call to Aiden. "What are we going to do?"

He shrugs. "We're out of the snow here on the porch at least. We could build a fire and try again in the morning when there is more light."

It's maddening to be here at my parent's safe haven without a way inside. It feels like a cruel joke. "There's a wood room here. I'm not sure how much will be rotted away or if it will burn." I open the door again and Aiden comes to take an armful of wood.

"We'll give it a try," he says hopeful.

I go about making the porch as comfortable as possible. I lay out a sleeping bag and prop our bags against the door like pillows while Aiden builds a fire at the base of the steps, far enough away so it won't catch the cabin on fire but close enough that we might get some heat from it.

The fire begins to burn hot and soon it roars before us, sending heat into the cold air. I can barely feel it from here but there is enough warmth to keep some of the chill away. At least I'll be able to sleep without having to curl my legs against my chest.

"Here," I hand Aiden the open bag of dried jerky. He takes out a piece and together we eat in silence. I watch the fire chase away the shadows and I can't help but feel the space that separates Aiden from me. I glace over and watch his face against the harsh firelight. The shadows dance across his skin and make his eyes look fiercer than the ocean. His jaw works on the jerky underneath his beard and I watch the muscle knit together as he chews.

You had your first kiss Adie, don't you feel special?

He didn't mean it.

So why did he do it then?

Because he's insane.

You'd like to think so.

I glance at Aiden again and lick my lips. I taste nothing other than the sharp taste of salt and meat. I don't even remember what he tasted like. I had my first kiss but I only remember how good my fist felt when it connected with his face. I drop my hand into my lap and stare at the fire, my appetite suddenly gone.