While Cole slept, the death of his family lingered in his mind, tormenting him relentlessly. Cole shouted as he jolted awake, sweat pouring down from his face. “Damn it, stupid dream,” he spoke softly as he wiped the sweat off his face. As Cole looked around him, his stomach began to growl.

“I’m starving,” he groaned as he took hold of his father’s sword and stood up. “I guess I should get food,” he decided to travel into the woods to look for food. The forest was thick and dense. The leaves blocked almost all sunlight. There was an underlying smell of decaying leaves and damp earth.

It was also cold, oh so very cold. Cole’s hands shook and his breath was visible. Even the very air around him felt like an anvil crushing him. As he searched through the forest, he found a bush full of dark purple berries. “These should do for now,” he took a good look at them before picking a few more.

As he began to walk back to his campfire, he grabbed a few of them and put them in his mouth. Once he started to chew down on the berries, he was revolted by the acidic and bitter taste of the berries. “Ugh!” He exclaimed as he placed his hand over his mouth. Cole felt as if he was going to vomit, and he decided it was best to find something else.

Cole's stomach growled as he scoured the forest for any signs of food.

He then unsheathed his father’s sword slowly wandered further into the forest, not wanting to scare off any potential food. The faint sound of leaves rustling and twigs snapping echoed in his ears. Soon enough, he spotted a small red squirrel standing on a large branch. The squirrel was facing away and unaware of the young boy’s presence.

As Cole readied his father's sword, he swiftly slashed the squirrel, knocking it off the branch. The squirrel lay on the ground, not fully dead but not fully alive. As the squirrel squirmed and bled out, Cole felt a strong wave of nausea and guilt. He quickly beheaded the squirrel and picked it up. Right after picking it up, Cole wandered back to the camp and lit the campfire.

He started by crudely skinning the squirrel and removing most of its internal organs. However, as he pulled them out, he began to feel his stomach knot. Cole was not used to preparing meat and was not particularly good at it either.

He then grabbed a clean stick and stuck it though the squirrel before holding it over the campfire. As the squirrel began to cook, the savory aroma filled the air, and for a split second, he was distracted by the horrendous flavor of the purple berries once again. Once the squirrel was done cooking, he grabbed it and began to dig in.

The lightly sweet taste of the meat melted on his tongue. However, bite after bite, the vile taste of the berries began to come back, and even the meat began to taste repulsive. Soon, an unexpected wave of discomfort flooded him.

As he continued to eat, his nausea increased. Cole’s grasp on his father’s sword grew as he began to feel sicker and sicker. Then, he dropped the meat and let go of the sword. He took a few steps back and began to vomit intensely.

The taste of the berries and the squirrel meshed together, and the taste was horrific. As well as that, his nose started to burn due to the abhorrent scent. His body shuddered with every retch. By the time he was finished, his body began to feel weak, and he fell to the ground.

His stomach was empty, and he was in pain. His stomach began to cramp, and it felt as if it was gnawing at him. Everything hurt so much, and Cole could barely take it anymore.

As he lay on the ground, he began to reflect on his situation. He was alone, cold, and hungry. To make matters worse, he was also sick due to what he ate. Everything felt like it was going wrong. “Why is this happening? Why!?” As he tried to yell, the sound that left his throat was more akin to a guttural cry.

He felt weak and could barely even move. Despite his fatigue, Cole was still able to sit up. Tired and hungry, he looked into the sky and realized he had barely eaten, and it was already evening. Cole felt weak and pathetic; he had little to no energy and was barely able to stand.

“I need to eat so bad,” he whined as he slowly stood up. Cole started to walk towards the area he typically sleeps in. As Cole lay down, he began to think back to the better days. Back when he was happy, back when his family was still with him.

He remembered the day his father first made him and his sister’s favorite deer stew. It was not anything special, yet their father, Leonard, made it in such a way that even the fanciest of meals paled in comparison. As he recalled days like that, tears began to fall down his face. “I hate this. I hate everything! I wish this never happened. Why!? Why did they have to die!?” He grieved with tears begining to well up.

As he wiped the tears from his eyes, yet another memory came to mind. He realized that never again would he be able to go back to days like that; the happy life he enjoyed for years was gone, and in a way, so was he.

Then, as he shut his eyes, the sound of footsteps resonated in the air. “The hell?” He whispered to himself as he jolted up. “Is anyone here?” He yelled out as best as he could. Soon after that, he saw an old man carrying a basket of ripe fruits. “Oh lord! Are you alright?” The man asked as he walked towards the boy.

Cole’s heart began to race, he tightly grabbed his father's sword.

“Stay back!” Cole shouted at the old man, raising his father's sword. His voice cracked from fear and exhaustion, his hands trembled, and his legs were weak. Cole could barely make out what the man was saying. “Calm down son, I’m not going to hurt you.” Although the old man was taken aback by this reaction, he still offered to help.

The man raised one of his hands, taking slow and careful steps towards the young boy. Soon, he had realized the old man was not threatening him. Cole, whose arms were still trembling, decided to sheath his father's sword.

The old man then sat down near the campfire and offered Cole one of the fruits in his basket. Hesitant, Cole’s hands hovered over the fruit before he finally grabbed the apple and took a bite. He was finally able to eat something good that did not make him sick. “Thank you,” the boy said with small tears falling down his face.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“May I get your name?” The old man asked, his voice gravelly yet soft at the same time. His head was entirely bald, and he had a large gray beard. “Cole,” the boy said to the man as he finished the apple. “So, Cole, where are your parents?” He asked, curious as to why the boy was all alone.

“They... They are not here anymore,” he said to the old man. “What is your name?”

“My name is Edward. If you want, you can stay at my house; it is not much, but me and my wife should be able to help you,” Edward said in a reassuring tone. “Thank you,” Cole said before standing up.

As Edward began to walk to his home, Cole followed closely behind him. After only half an hour of walking, they ended up at a small village. They continued to walk until Edward stopped at a small wooden house.

The village was small yet lively, just like his village. The warm scent of fresh bread filled the air. Each house had thatched roofs with small cobblestone paths. Edward’s house was a modest yet strong stone house. Cole knocked on the door, and within a few seconds, a short old woman with light brown hair and hazel eyes opened the front door.

“Edward my dear, you’ve returned!” she said, welcoming her husband back inside. Her voice was sweet and soft-spoken. “Who may this be?” She asked her husband Edward about Cole. She seemed worried about the young boy who looked ill and malnourished.

“This is our guest, Cole. I found him outside in the cold. He looked like a corpse when we met,” Edward said as he and his wife Adelaide sat down. “Take a seat, dear. Do you want me to pour you something to drink?” Adelaide asked the young boy while she sat up, still looking at Cole.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Cole said, his voice still shaky. Adelaide then grabbed a large jug of water and poured the water into a small cup.

“Thank you,” Cole muttered, accepting the cup from Adelaide’s hand. Cole took a large drink from the cup, the cool water soothing his dry and scratchy throat.

“Make yourself at home,” Adelaide said in a warm tone. “I need to go buy more food for the sheep, bye!” She said as she quickly ran outside.

“Well Cole, if you need a place to stay, I have a guest bedroom right there,” he said, pointing to the closest room left of them.

“Thank you,” Cole said before getting up and walking towards the door. As he opened the door, he noticed a small bed pressed against the left wall and a nightstand right next to it. To the far-right side of the room stood a medium-sized wardrobe.

Cole walked over to the door and lay down. As he gazed upon the ceiling, he began to ask himself why. Why his family had to die. He did not understand what they had done to deserve such a fate.

His mind began to wander back to what his father said to him, “God says that no man has the right to kill another,” despite that, Cole felt that taking a life was justified if it was a form of payback. After all, the man he was looking for massacred his entire family, taking one life is nothing compared to the slaughter of an entire innocent family.

As he lie there, his muscles started to relax, and he soon began to rest. Then, a subtle knocking sound is heard, and Edward opens the door to his wife Adelaide coming back inside with raw food in a bag. “Should I go get Cole?” Edward asked Adelaide, placing the hot food on the table. “Why not, after all, I did get enough for all of us,” she replied.

Cole, overhearing their conversation, comes walking downstairs. “Oh, we were just talking about you! Do you mind helping me make dinner?” Adelaide asked with a slight smile. “Yeah, that sounds nice,” Cole began to cut up the vegetables as evenly as he could.

After a few minutes, they took the food and put it into a large metal pot to boil. The savory scent of potatoes, carrots, and deer filled the room, and everyone was excited for the meal. As the water began to boil, the food began to cook, and the heat of the pot began to grow.

Soon, the food was done, and it looked amazing.

Once Cole began to eat, the contrast between the soft potatoes, the sweet carrots, and the savory deer created a divine flavor that seemed to melt on his tongue. He noticed that he was not the only one loving the meal either. Both Adelaide and Edward loved the meal.

By the time they were done, each and every one of them was full. “That was amazing!” Cole exclaimed, admiring the deliciousness of the meal.

“I am very glad you enjoyed the meal; it was my father’s favorite,” the old man said, clearly happy about Cole’s opinion on the food. “One more thing. Take this; it is a book a dear friend gave to me. I want you to read it,” Edward handed an old book to Cole. “It is very dear to me so take care of it."

“I will, I promise,” Cole walked to his room and sat down. He placed the book on the table next to his bed and thought to himself. He grabbed his father’s sword and went outside for a bit. “I’ll be back!” He blurted out as he ran out the door, leaving both Edward and Adelaide surprised.

Cole made his way to the forest nearby and pulled out his father's sword. He realized if he wanted to get revenge, he needed to know how to fight. As he held his father's sword, he started by training his precision. He would grab small objects, throw them into the air, and attempt to hit them.

Most of his early attempts were unsuccessful; however, as he continued, he got better with his aim.

As days went by, he would do the same routine of leaving the house and training himself. Within a few weeks, he was already far stronger than before and was now even better at wielding his father's sword.

“I’m done, I’m finally done!” Cole said as he tried to catch his breath. As he sat down to rest, he let go of his father’s sword and lay down on the grass. After laying there for just shy of two hours he decided it was best to go back inside.

“Cole, you are back! You were outside a bit longer than usual,” Adelaide pointed out. “Yeah, I was just laying down for a few hours. I was super tired,” Cole said as he sat down on the nearest chair.

“We are going to be making deer stew for dinner tonight! Does that sound great or what!?” Adelaide excitedly told the young boy.

“Yeah, sounds nice,” Cole’s voice was almost monotone. “Tell me when you finish,” he walked to his room before shutting the door behind him. He sat against the door, his eyes closed, and his fists clenched.

Not a word came out of him. His eyes grew heavy, and he began to drift off. “Dinner is ready!” Edward knocked on Cole’s door. He swiftly jolted awake before realizing what was happening. “Just one second,” he said as he opened the door.

Cole walked towards the table, the scent of the stew filled the room, and he could feel the heat radiating from the stew. Cole picked up his spoon and took a bite from the stew. The flavor was perfect, the taste of the meat and the vegetables blended perfectly.

A single tear fell from Cole’s eye as his mind wandered back to his family. His father’s words echoed in his mind. Was revenge really the right thing to do? Would his father want this?

“Cole, is everything alright?” Adelaide asked him, noticing his distress. He swiftly wiped the tear away.

“Yeah, I am okay. The food is really good. Thank you,” Cole voiced his gratitude as he finished his food.

“I have to leave for something. I will be back soon,” he sat up before running outside. “Wait, Cole! Where are you going!?” Edward yelled out; however, he was left unanswered.”

As Cole ran home, the sky began to darken. No matter how tired he was, he did not stop. His legs were barely keeping him up anymore, yet he continued. The wind was cold and heavy. After a long while of running, he made it back to where it all began.

His home was in shambles. The wood was charred and black as was the rest of the village. As he walked into his house, he noticed just how destroyed everything was. “I swear I will avenge you. I refuse to let that bastard get away from this,” he gave his word. He would kill his family’s murderer if it were the last thing he did.