The freedom that a cabin in the woods enables is a sight to behold.

Our days at the cabin were filled with a kaleidoscope of activities, mostly things we do between having drugs and/or sex. The things you can do when your smartphone has no signal.

We'd snuggle up to watch movies beneath the canopy of towering trees, the dappled sunlight casting ever-shifting patterns on the screen. Our laughter would blend with the rustling leaves and the distant call of forest birds. Then by the night, we coiled inside by the chimney watching horror movies, accompanied by the mysterious dark forest night or the foreboding sound of falling rain, creating the perfect spooky scenario to scare us both. Samuel is amusingly easy to scare, but he still faces onward. Such a brave cutie.

Exploration became our pastime. We took strolls into the woods, our footsteps rustling through a carpet of pine needles. The air carried the earthy scent of moss and the tantalizing aroma of wildflowers. Every walk was a new adventure, and I always got a bit too excited whenever I spotted a mushroom or a squirrel.

The river became our playground, its crystalline waters inviting us to take a refreshing dip. The cool embrace of the current would wash away the warmth of the day, leaving us invigorated and alive. Also, most of the time we'd do it right there by the shore, like a couple of horny merfolks.

We captured our moments of silliness with photos and videos, freezing laughter and joy in pixelated form. Ah, so many good ones, I'll suffer to decide which ones to frame. Sometimes, I would lose myself in the landscape, sketching the majesty of the woods, my pencil strokes becoming love letters to nature. This place left me inspired in multiple ways.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the lake's surface would shimmer like a liquid mirror, mirroring the stars above. By the crackling bonfire, I'd serenade the night with melodies that echoed through the forest, while Samuel's fingers danced over the strings of his guitar, creating a symphony for the wilderness. Our laughter, our songs, and the whispering wind would blend into a harmonious night, a celebration of life and love in the heart of nature.

We also cooked, and he was very good at the kitchen. I'd usually make dinner, and he would make breakfast and lunch mostly. If this were to last, I'm certain we would make up for a great couple. I felt like a child again, for all the good reasons. Well, except for the sex. That made me feel very adult.

When we had enough, we'd just sit beside each other in silence, usually while I read a book and Samuel played video games, or he'd just rest his head on my thighs, and that was still perfect.

- I'm a bit worried - I said to him one night, as we drank while sitting on the balcony - we've been together for so long now. How am I supposed to deal with my farts near you?

- Well... - he says while choking in the drink as he laughs - You may just fart in the woods back there, just be careful not to scare the wildlife.

We both start laughing like two hyenas as I jokingly punch him. One way or another, this guy always makes me happy.

I'm not sure I'd have done anything differently if I knew this would be the very last time I'd have anything other than horror in my life.

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We spent our days in the most light-hearted activities. Everything was fine except for one night, a few days after we arrived.

We were fast asleep in the middle of the night when something unbelievable happened. An impossibly loud bellowing echoed throughout the sky as if a colossal creature was screaming from the top of its lungs. At first, I believed it to be a dream, but Samuel woke up as well, scared shitless. The scream lasted for about five seconds and seemed to have been coming from all directions, echoing in the sky, shaking doors and windows in the house, and triggering the car alarm. The sound of hundreds of birds and wild animals fleeing and screaming could be heard immediately afterward. We ran straight to the balcony, leaving outside to see if we could spot the source of the noise.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Nothing, just pitch-black darkness on a starless, moonless sky. After a few seconds, the forest fell into absolute silence, not a single cicada screeching or any frog croaking. That was really fucked up.

I kept up with Samuel as he fetched the car's keychain to turn off the alarm, and he instinctively kept it close that night. We spent several minutes staring at the darkness outside, now completely devoid of the once abundant wildlife sound seconds earlier, leaving the inanimate sounds such as the flow of the river and the rumble of the wind in the leaves ominously lifeless. Nothing really happened after this.

We spent the next hour debating what could have been that. The first thing that came to my mind was an earthquake. I heard people can hear the craziest shit coming from inside the earth during those. But then, there was no tremor. Perhaps a volcano? But there is none even close to here. Could it be some weird weather phenomena involving wind? Those are quite mysterious. Alas, many tales tell of weird ominous sounds echoing in the sky before catastrophic events, so that was unsettling enough to me, sending chills down my spine. I felt so vulnerable out there in the woods, all alone with Samuel, deep in the dark.

Clueless and powerless, we eventually ignore the occurrence and fall back into sleep. It's kinda funny how things beyond our comprehension can be quickly dismissed as normal when we are not able to find a solution for it, not unlike slow-boiling a frog alive. "There's surely an explanation, we just don't know what yet", we tell ourselves to sleep better. But perhaps that's the very human attribute that enables us to survive what should never be meant to be seen in the first place.

The next day, I could swear I saw a two-headed swan in the lake, but it was probably a perspective trick with a second swan.

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It's hard to say how many days have passed since we arrived. I had trouble counting after the second week, then stopped caring by the third. Nevertheless, we both feel that the time has come.

It's seldom a nice feeling to pack up from a good trip to return home, particularly when home sucks. But still, we needed to do that.

There goes the process of shutting the whole house down and packing everything we brought here. It's so sad to leave behind the memories and feelings we've been through here, but these will live forever in our hearts as, hopefully, one of many such moments.

We say goodbye to our little cabin, as we are ready to depart. I was just about to set foot inside the car when a sudden realization left me puzzled. I stop in my tracks and gaze at the cloudy skies above, focused, trying to see, trying to listen.

- What's wrong? - said Samuel, catching my unease.

I gaze for a few more seconds before answering with a shrug.

- Nevermind.

We enter the car and set our journey back home, but my mind goes into introspection. The forest surely was quiet today compared to when we arrived.

When was the last time I heard any sound coming from wildlife here? Was it the bellowing?

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We set our way out of our little vacation as the cabin nestled deep within the woods gradually faded into the rearview mirror, and the car delved into the setting sun. The car's tires hummed on the winding road, creating a sense of both anticipation and unease. Our quiet conversations occasionally punctuated the otherwise serene drive. I was occasionally leaning against the window, watching the trees and wilderness blur into the distance.

The transition from our remote hideaway to the urban sprawl was marked by subtle shifts. The lush greenery gave way to tall buildings and billboards looming on the horizon as we neared the city limits.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy as the cabin's tranquility faded into memory. It was as if the world we had created together in the woods had been a fragile bubble, now on the verge of bursting.

Samuel, sensing my emotions, reached for my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I managed a faint smile in return, a silent acknowledgment of our shared experiences.

The whole road was surprisingly empty, even as we approached the city limits, and therefore it was an easy trip bellow the sky's orange sunset.

This trip was reinvigorating, and I feel like a new girl - no, a new woman. I feel like now I have the will and strength to make things right. It was no more of a physical journey as it was a spiritual one.

The first thing I'm going to do is go home, and apologize to Mom and Dad, then lay everything plainly to them. Perhaps this will make it easier for us to understand each other. It makes me nervous, but I smile at the prospect. I feel confident for once.

I feel like things are finally going to work out in my life.

I couldn't be more wrong.