Countless rays of dawn’s sunlight streamed through the forest canopy. The last traces of night vanished, transformed into a chill breeze that carried the fresh scent of early spring and budding flowers. Throughout the forest, nocturnal animals retreated into their dens and burrows, hiding from the encroaching sun, while other creatures stretched, preparing for the day ahead.

Lukas was already awake, basking in the golden glow of sunrise and the melodic song of the morning birds. He sat comfortably on the rickety porch of his cabin, rocking back and forth in a handmade rocking chair as he gazed out over the dew-covered landscape.

He appreciated being out there in the middle of nowhere, far from everyone and everything that could introduce unwanted complications into his life. Out here, his only concerns were his chickens and gathering enough firewood to last through the winter. Those were manageable responsibilities, and if something went wrong, the only person affected would be him.

Other people were just too difficult to deal with. Lukas had never known how to handle them; connecting with others and their problems had always been a struggle. It wasn’t that he lacked empathy—he understood other people's emotions—but he simply didn’t have the energy to navigate it all.

All his life, Lukas had felt muted and dulled, as if he were trapped under a mountain that weighed him down. Moving through life often felt like he exerted twice the effort as others for something as simple as walking. Everything around him was a blurry daze, and even after purchasing land and building his cabin, things had improved only slightly.

At this point in his life, Lukas knew he wasn’t truly living; he was merely waiting out his days, passively observing the passage of time without purpose or direction. Sunup to sundown, day after day, month after month. If he were honest with himself, he would admit he was miserable.

Lukas stared vacantly toward the forest, mentally reviewing his day's chores when his phone began to ring. Digging it out of his pocket, he checked the caller ID. It was his younger sister, Cassandra. He wasn’t sure why she was calling so early in the morning, but he answered without hesitation.

“Hey, Cas.”

“Oh!” Her surprised voice came through. “I didn’t think you’d be awake yet. Isn’t it super early there?”

“It’s sunrise; I’m always up around now,” Lukas replied, frowning. “Why are you even calling if you thought I’d still be asleep?”

“I was kind of hoping to wake you up and annoy you,” she said, her grin audible.

“That can’t be the only reason.”

“Why not? I’ve done it before,” she teased.

Lukas paused for a moment before Cas relented. “Alright, fine. I’m on my way home and wanted some entertainment for the drive.”

“And you thought I of all people would help keep you entertained?” He questioned.

“Would you believe me if I said it’s because I miss my big brother whom I love very much?” she asked sweetly.

“No,” he replied succinctly.

“Yeah, that’s what I figured, but it has been a while.”

“Cas, you call me nearly once a week and send those stupid pictures and videos multiple times a day.”

“First of all,” she began, her voice thick with faux offense, “they’re called memes, and they’re funny—something you’d know if you weren’t such a stick in the mud. Secondly, we did everything together growing up, so I’ve gotten used to you always being there. My two best friends going off to college together kind of sucked. Then everything exploded, and you ran away halfway across the country to live as a hermit.”

“Yeah, well…” Lukas muttered, scratching at the wood grain of his chair’s arm.

“You don’t need to sound so guilty. None of it was your fault,” Cas said before pivoting to something she knew would annoy him. “So, how’s the twig fort? It hasn’t fallen down yet, has it?”

“It’s not a twig fort,” he sighed.

“I don’t know about that. We used to build stick forts in the woods all the time, so I think I know what one looks like.”

Stolen story; please report.

“I chopped the trees down with my own two hands and built the thing. It’s a cabin.”

“I know you built it; that’s why I’m surprised it’s still standing.”

“Hilarious. Everything’s fine here. What about Mom and Dad?”

“They’re doing alright,” she said, a rustle on the other side of the call indicating a shrug. “They’re excited to see you after so long, especially Mom. She’s been hounding me all week, trying to figure out when I’ll be home so we can head out to you. As if getting home an hour early will change when the plane leaves.”

It had been too long since he’d really seen his family. He had intended to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but a blizzard had trapped him in his cabin during Christmas, and an incident at the airport prevented him from flying home for Thanksgiving. As a result, Lukas hadn’t had much, if any, human contact over the past year. Normally, that would have been fine by him, but he still wanted to see his family.

“When are you guys leaving?”

“We’ll spend the rest of the day packing and getting ready. Our flight leaves around two in the afternoon tomorrow, so we should be there around six or so since you don’t want to pick us up from the airport.”

“My truck can only fit two people. Wait, how many are coming? You’re not bringing your boyfriend, are you?” Lukas scowled.

“No. It’s just Mom, Dad, and me. I’m not dumb enough to bring Jackson along,” she scoffed.

Lukas had met Jackson only twice and had quickly realized what kind of person he was: the type who thought he knew everything, constantly correcting others or interjecting with obscure facts. The kind of person who assumed he was smart but was actually insufferable. To make matters worse, the guy did little more than smoke pot and lounge around, convinced he was one of the greatest minds of the generation.

“Good, because if you had brought him, he probably would’ve ‘gotten lost’ somewhere in the forest.”

“Exactly why I didn’t let him come, even if he wanted to,” she snickered. Then her tone turned serious. “You know there’s someone else who wants to come.”

“No,” Lukas said adamantly.

“That’s what I thought,” Cas sighed. “I told her as much.”

“You don’t still talk to her, do you?”

“It’s kind of hard not to, Lukas. Even if I try to avoid it, her parents live next to Mom and Dad, and we go to the same college. Hell, we live in the same building.”

“Well, there’s a reason I moved out here.”

“I know, Lukas,” she paused. “How are you, by the way?”

Lukas picked at his shirt and spoke quietly. “I’m fine, Cas.”

“Lukas, you’re the most dull and inexpressive person in the world. Growing up with you taught me how to read people, you better than anyone. What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, I just… It’ll be nice to see you guys.”

They chatted a while longer, and Lukas finally hung up when he could no longer endure his sister’s teasing. Despite how unbearable and infuriating she could be, he looked forward to seeing her and his parents. The last time they’d all been together was nearly a year ago when he visited during the summer.

Now they’d be arriving tomorrow evening, leaving him with more chores than time. Cas had already warned him that his cabin had better be clean when they arrived. Thankfully, the cabin was small, so cleaning wouldn’t be too difficult. Unfortunately, it also meant there was no guest room. The cabin consisted of three rooms: a bedroom, a bathroom, and a combined kitchen and living space. Lukas would naturally give up his bedroom to his parents, despite his sister’s objections, while he and Cas would sleep on the couch and armchair, respectively.

Standing on the porch, Lukas took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and decided it was time to get to work. For the rest of the day, he busied himself tending to the chickens, preparing the garden for planting, and breaking ground on a second wood shed.

By evening, Lukas was dirty and exhausted, ready to spend the night relaxing. After a cool, refreshing shower, he made dinner, using homemade spices a neighbor had given him after he helped clear some fallen trees. When he finished, he cleaned up and turned his attention to the living area.

Blankets were strewn everywhere, books and puzzles cluttered the coffee table and every available seat. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the light revealed just how much dust had accumulated since his last cleaning. Glancing at the floor, he noticed muddy footprints from when he had come and gone.

Looking at the mess, Lukas could only sigh and shake his head. He was too exhausted to tackle it today.

He would take care of it tomorrow; for now, he plopped down on the couch and picked up a book from the top of a nearby pile. It was the one he’d been reading the night before. As he opened it to the bookmarked page, he half-mindedly grabbed a puzzle box from beside him and began to fiddle with it.

Lukas had always loved puzzles and the challenges they presented. They provided another way to escape and distract himself from the gray haze of reality, and the satisfaction of completing a complex puzzle was gratifying. It felt as if he understood the nature of the universe just a little bit more.

Naturally, Lukas didn’t come close to solving the puzzle; he merely wanted something to keep his fingers busy as he read. Hours slipped by like this, with him absorbed in his book while idly fidgeting with the box in his free hand. When it became too dark to read, he turned on a lamp. Eventually, when he could barely keep his eyes open, he made his way to bed.

Even as he stood and shuffled toward his room, he tried to squeeze in a few more paragraphs, maybe even a page or two. Only when he reached the edge of the bed did he snap the book shut and set it on the nightstand, finally preparing for sleep.

Peeling off his clothes, he tossed them to the floor and fell onto the bed. As he settled under the covers, Lukas stared up at the ceiling, listening to the soft night breeze and the quiet creaking of the cabin’s walls.

Shutting his eyes, Lukas wondered if he would ever start truly living his life instead of simply waiting it out.