Young Writers Society

Outskirts of Frostvale, 1120 of The Year of Light.

Matthew lifted the tree logs from the snowy ground and put them in his small cart. He pulled the cart with a rope, dragging it across the snowy landscape toward his house. He was excited to go back home, after working from morning to noon he would finally get some well-deserved rest. That wasn't the only reason he was excited to be home, because today was his birthday. To be precise it would be his four-tenth birthday finally making him an actual adult, and he knew that his father had a gift prepared for him or at least he hoped so. Even though his father was strict and always yelled at him for making even the smallest mistakes he knew that his father did all of this to make him ready for the world.

‘I wonder what gifts da has prepared for me, i can't wait!’ Matthew Sayed happily. Yesterday he couldn't sleep all night because of the sheer excitement, throughout the night he heard noises from his father's craft room where he usually makes tools. Hmm, is it going to be an axe or is it something else. I really hope it's an axe it would make woodcutting much easier; Matthew thought. Matthew dragged the cart until he was able to see the outline of the cabin. Then he noticed an outline of his father outside the cabin. Matthew sprinted with excitement toward the cabin almost flipping the cart-full of logs over. While sprinting he noticed the town of Frostvale, Matthew snared. It awakend bad memories to him.

Upon coming closer to his house, he was able to see his father. He was tall and broad shouldered he wore a thick animal hide that went from his shoulders down to his legs. His father was chopping wood on his favorite cutting board, which was a tree stump, as far as he knew that tree stump was older than him and his father, itsa stump passed down his grandfather. Matthew noticed that his father was waving right and leftindicating that a storm was emerging and that he had to come home quickly. Matthew quickened his pace and in less than a minute he was standing next to his father.

‘Matthew, we got no time, the storm is brewing. We got to go inside’ His father said with a tone of seriousness in his voice.

‘Ay, but father where should i put the logs, if we put it inside then the water will leak from the logs to the floor in turn making a mess Matthew replayed.

His father then sighed, then with an annoyed face he proceeded saying ‘How many times do I have to tell you, you are a man, and from today on you are officially going to become an adult, so stop being so weak minded. Remember you are a man’

There he goes again; Matthew thought. Matthew hated it when his father went off like this. He knew very well that he was doing this to make him tough and all, but does he have to be so loud and obnoxious all the time? Matthew didn't respond to his father he knew that if he started to argue the situation would get worse. Then Matthew went in to put the wooden logs inside the cabin.

The cabin was warm and spacious, there were a total of two rooms. The first room was their bedroom where the fireplace was. It was connected to the main door. Then right next to the fireplace was the door that led to the second room where his father worked all the time. Matthew was prohibited from entering that room, his father always talked about how it was “A room for room for adults and not for childrens”.Matthew stacked the logs next to the fireplace in hopes that there would be less leakage of water on the wooden floor. Upon finishing stacking the logs Matthew took of his sweaty shirt and sat next to the fireplace to dry off.

Whilst Matthew was drying himself his father entered the house and, on his way, closed the door behind him.

‘Father what kind of storm will it be today’ Matthew asked his father. In silence, Matthew was hoping that it wasn't a star storm or else they would have to spend the rest of the week inside until the storm was calm.

‘Just a simple snowstorm, but it might change since the clouds are a little bit unusual today.’ His father responded calmly. The anger was gone from his voice. Matthew was overjoyed to hear his responses. Matthew then got up and took a black tunic out from under his bed and put it on.

_+_

Night soon reigned upon them. They covered the windows with custom wooden boards that his dad crafted. In fact, everything from the cabin to the windows to the doors were all built by his father. Matthew looked to his right to find his father come out of his craft room, his father was holding two bowls of soup.

‘This is the last bowl of meat soup we will have, and the rest of the winter we will have to survive by drinking birch bark soups, so treasure it while it lasts’ His father said while handing him a bowl with his right hand. Matthew took the bowl of soup with a nod, he was anticipating this, but he didn't think he would have to start eating bark soup again until later in the winter. Matthew stared down at the last meat soup that he would have for this winter.

In less than five minutes the bowl was licked clean by Matthew. He was never the one to take his time eating. That was a lesson dug into his head by his father. Matthew looked back at his father to find him with a full bowl. Which was quite strange as it was he who always finished the food the fastest.

‘Father, are you okay, why is your bowl still full’ Matthew asked. His father jerked, and then he looked at him in Suprise. He didn't look good

‘Thank you for reminding me son, I was distracted in thoughts’ His father replied. Matthew just nodded in response showing no reaction. Whilst in his heart he was overjoyed, he was overjoyed to be thanked by his father, it was rare for his father to ever complement or even thank him.

‘Matthew today is the day that you will be reaching adulthood, and for this joyous event I have prepared a gift for you’ His father said. Finally, I have been waiting all yesterday and today for this; Matthew thought. His father then goes into his wood room and comes out. In his hand, there was a box. His father handed the box to him.

Matthew slowly opened the box trying not to ruin whatever was inside. Inside the box, there was a nice plain white handkerchief.

‘Father, if I am being ungrateful, but why are you giving me a handkerchief’ Matthew asked politely trying his hardest not to anger his father.

‘This was the last thing your mother left before she died’ His father calmly replayed. Matthew was flabbergasted. It had been years since his father had mentioned his mother, whenever he tried to ask his father about his mother, he would always stay quiet or get really mad at him for asking. His father then continued.

‘Matthew your mother died while giving birth to you, and before she died, she told me to give this to you when you were an adult as your gift’ His father said. Matthew noticed that his father was trying his best not to look directly in his eyes. Matthew understood that his father was holding his tears back. Abruptly before Matthew could open his mouth his father collapsed on the floor.

Matthew ran to him; his father's face was becoming redder and redder. He has a fever; Mattthew thought. He quickly dragged his father to bed. Matthew looked around his room panickily to find something that could help his father. Before he could observe further his father tugged a piece of his tunic. Matthew looked back to find his father's face red and looking like it was going to explode.

‘Matthew sit down i have to talk to you’

‘Okay father’ Matthew said, he could hear his father's voice weakening. Matthew took a seat at the end of his father's leg.

‘Matthew please forgive me for all of the things i have said to you, forgive me for all of the times i yelled at you’ His father said feebly. Matthew wanted to protest, but he let him continue.

‘Matthew...my life is waning away and i know. I don't have more time to live, but please don't hate me all the things i have said and done to you, it was for your own good so do not hate your father.’

‘Father i would never hate you for anything, you were the greatest father that anyone could ever hope for’ Matthew said. Matthew held his father's hand, and then he felt the warmth of the hand slowly leaving and was being replaced by the cold.

Matthew looked at his father, his eyes were shut closed, and his face became pale. Matthew felt lonely now, the whole world felt as if it had stopped. The hot room felt cold to him, and the air was now suffocating. He knew that the phantoms were taking his father, but he couldn't see him.

In less than two seconds the whole room was hot again and the air soft. Tears started to drop fro Matthews eyes. He tried to hold it in, but the tears were like an uncontrollable flood. Stop crying, you are a man Matthew you are a man; Matthew thought.

Matthew looked at his father, he sat there as if waiting for the lifeless body of his father to wake up.