Volume 7 Chapter 5 (1/2)
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Chapter 5: The Story of a Tea Party in the Woods
-Thank You-
This story takes place in a forest
A dirt road ran between the trees in the deep, dark wood It was straight as an arrow and flatter than a pancake, occasionally rising and falling with the terrain
There wasn’t a country to be seen anywhere around Nothing but nature for miles and miles
A gentle creek wound its way across the forest, a little shallow for swi around The water was so clear that the muddy floor was clearly visible
When the road reached the creek, it becae was made of stone and very, very old
An oldpole beside him
He was tall and elderly, half-bald and the rest of his head covered in white hair He was dressed in a pair of overalls like a farmer Next to him was a pail of water, but without any fish inside
The sun hung high up in the sky, casting war, thin clouds floated overhead, too faint to even cast shadows What season was it, you ask? Almost summertime
The old —a car was lazily drawing near, leaving a trail of dust in its wake
The car was small, yellow, and messy It was even rusted and broken in places The oldat the car
It stopped on the bridge with a worrying noise
Two people were inside In the driver’s seat on the right was a slightly short but handsome man, a holstered autoer seat was a woant clothes and arht side They exchanged surprised glances
“You two must be travelers,” the old man exclaimed
The woman replied, “It’s nice to meet you, sir We didn’t expect to see a person all the way out here”
“I’ve abandoned my country My wife and I live alone in the forest now,” the old man said, and invited the travelers to his home for tea He asked them to tell stories about their travels, and even offered to let theht at the house if they were tired
“We’re not in any rush Thank you for your hospitality,” the woman said
The old man beamed “Wonderful! It’ll be a fine day with the two of you around I’ll go on ahead on foot; the house is just up the creek You can come by car It’s a bit of a detour, but just follow the road all the way and take the first left, down the hill”
The wo before he went to the car “Are the fish biting?”
“They sure are,” the oldrod and the pail of water He reeled in the hook with an expert hand and went off on foot “We’ll be waiting for you”
“Master, are we really going?” the man asked
“Yes,” the woman replied immediately “A tea party in the woods has its charms”
The man muttered, “I suppose so…”
Deeper in the woods was a house
Part of the house was a metal structure, which had probably once been part of a truck The ere covered with plywood, and attached to it was a log cabin
The house stood next to the creek, and was surrounded by an orderly vegetable patch There was even a small barn in the back with animals inside
The run-down yellow car hobbled down the narrow road and finally ca
The travelers greeted their hosts The old wouests inside The raised porch was made of plywood, and decorated with potted flowers in full bloom
Just through the front door was the living rooer than it looked There were even more rooms further in the back
The cabin was huether with love and care The furniture and the tools were all handmade Wooden trays and fra cabin’s walls Matching plates were arranged neatly in the cupboard A pair of carved broo pillar
The s on either side of the building were large, scavenged from old windshi+elds A cool breeze wafted in froreen fields, the beautiful woods, and the gentle creek
The table was cut froether with intricate craftsmanshi+p The travelers thanked the couple and took their seats The old man sat across from them, and his ent to the stove in the corner to brew them tea
“Lovely house you have here It’s a pleasant surprise to see people living like this,” said the man
The old lad to hear that”
Then, he told the story of how he and his wife ca time, but were childless He explained that they left their country on a trailer when they were er, and fell in love with the warm but deserted forest they happened to pass by They built the house with the things they found in nature, raised livestock and vegetables, and s they needed with all-natural materials as they lived in isolation for decades He also explained that he and his wife invited over any travelers who happened by (ere not many) to serve them tea
“I’m impressed I’d like to live like this once I’m older, myself,” the woman said quietly
The man was shocked “I had no idea,” he exclaimed
“Even I can’t stay on the road forever”
“I suppose that’s true”
That hen the old man asked, “Where are you two headed?”
The man saw an opportunity to speak He explained that they had no destination in mind, and that they had no homes or families to return to He added that they were not merchants, either “I suppose you could just call us wanderers,” he said with a hint of a
“I see Traveling does come with its share of troubles and wonder,” the old man mused
“Personally, I think I’d get bored of living in one place forever,” said the man
The old s to discover Like the joy of working the land and living off nature”
“Tea’s ready,” the old woe teapot
Curious, the wo it upside-down It was shaped to perfection and even colored “Are the cups handmade too? They’re works of art”
The old wo, her husband explained that they had scoured the woods for years looking for the right clay for dishes and cups, until they finally found it right under their noses, on the shores of the creek by the house
“Go on, now The tea’s getting cold,” said the old wo them all tea She placed one cup each in front of everyone at the table and took a seat
“Thank you,” the wo the teacup to her lips to check how hot it was, before taking a sip She made sure to emphasize how delicious it was The old couple drank their tea as well
Finally, after some hesitation, the man sipped his tea
“I only wish I could have served some cookies with the tea We just finished the last of the batch yesterday,” the old woetically
The woman shook her head “Not at all, ma’am”
“Travelers, since you’re not in any hurry, why not spend the night here?” the old man offered “We’d love to have you for dinner, listen to stories about the outside world”
The woman took a sip of tea and shook her head “I’m afraid we can’t do that”
The couple seemed a little surprised The woman put down her cup, rose from her seat, and threw her chair at the
There was a deafening crash as theshattered The chair broke on impact
“Ah!” the old woman screamed The man threw his chair too It hit the wall of the cabin and fell apart
The woman strode over to the dresser and kicked it The thin plywood snapped, and the srabbed the plates in the cupboard and threw every last one of theround They shattered one after another
“Wh-what is the ed to speak, eyes filled with shock and fear, tre hands clasped in front of his chest “P-please stop! I beg of you!”
Ignoring his pleas, the travelers went around the house and broke everything in sight The man kicked in the otherThe woman threw the pictures to the floor and stomped on them, frames and all
“Please stop this!” cried the old wos! They’re filled with our memories! I’m so sorry if we’ve offended you! Please, please!”
But the travelers continued to destroy the house They refused to show mercy
“Please, we’re just a pair of helpless old people If it’s valuables you’re after, please take anything you like! But please, don’t destroy this house—it’s our only shelter! Please!”
The travelers did not stop They did not see and crushi+ng the things they saw as if they were doing routine exercises
“How could you do this? Have we offended you somehow? We built this house with our oo hands…our memories…”
The old wo The old rabbed one of the broo on plates by the wall But the travelers were more than five paces away, too far for him to reach
“G-get out! Stop bothering us!”
The rabbed the wall shelf, snapping it in half with both hands
The woave him a look of disbelief and drew her revolver
BANG
There was another deafening noise
Both the old wo the shelf looked up at the noise
The old man died before he even had the chance to be surprised HIs tall, thin frah his teushed from the hole in his head
The wo the revolver
“Agh”
The old woasp and scrambled to the corpse She cradled its head in her ar the blood soak her clothes
“AAAAAHHHH! AAAAAHHHH!”
When she realized that nothing would bring her husband back, the old wo like the wind
Theand went to the woman, curious That hen the old woman rose
“Ah…”
Her hands and chest were stained with blood A peaceful s on her lips
“My, when did this roo,” she said, grabbing the broo—“
BANG