Days 0-2 can be read here.

Day Three

I found the basement to the cabin. I didn’t think they had them, but apparently this one does. It looks like it’s been carved out some time after the cabin was built, with timber and some really rubbish plaster work making the walls more solid. I could see damp getting in, but hopefully that’s not going to be my problem while I’m staying here.

Apparently this used to be a bit of a workshop, with a work bench and old tools. A lot of them are rusty, I didn’t dare touch them lest I get tetanus. There’s an old sofa which felt distressingly moist when I pushed on an arm of it. Basically, I’m going to keep the basement alone.

When I was on my way out, I caught sight of a carving in the timber. There were a few little ones dotted around, I figured they were just some kid mucking around with a penknife, but this wasn’t. It looked like two suns, with lines like they were circling each other. Feeding off each other. I’m not sure where that thought came from. I decided against getting my phone to take a photo of the carving and just went back upstairs.

I finished Rats, there are a couple of dry looking war books on the shelves here. Beever, mainly. I figure I’ll read one of those, as it’s unlikely to give me bad dreams or make me think of the noises on the roof.

Day Four

I couldn’t get through the Beevor, so I spent last night just laying around, unable to get to sleep and trying not to focus on the sounds on the roof. I had a look this morning and it looked like it was just snow and branches moving in the night.

The weather was rough enough that going up a ladder was as daring as I was willing to be. I like snow, but from the other side of a window. Deciding it’s an indoors day, I decided to make some pancakes. They’re more of an Easter thing, really, but I had the supplies and the process is kind of meditative. After years of wrecking pancakes, I’ve got them down to a fine art. Fairly thin and light, but that’s not a bad thing. A little Nutella, some bananas. It’s nothing fancy, but I like it.

Day Five

The snow stopped overnight, so I decided to put on some walking boots and have a bit of a hike. rather than going into the woods, I wanted to go somewhere a bit more open. I’ve got my old digital camera which has about half the megapixels or whatever of my phone, but hopefully it’ll all look a bit retro instead of just shit. 

I found some fields to walk through and took some photos of big vistas, distant woods, hedges. The usual nice snowy things people take pictures of. The snow wasn’t too tricky to wade through and left a satisfying trail which made me more confident in finding my way back to the cabin. After a few hours, I found the lake. It was a stunning sight in the brightness of the afternoon and the cold air. Massive and frozen. It looked like it was from a painting or a cartoon or something. I tried to find a good vantage point a little higher up to get a good shot of it.

After taking a photo or two, I just sat, watching some birds on the lake. As the sun was beginning to go down I could see the pale shadows touching the edge of the lake from some nearby woods. I retraced my steps and made my way back to the cabin.

Advent of Abomination is by Black Armada and available here.