Robin Hood forest is a lot bigger than people realize. Like nearly all woods in New Hampshire, it stretches out from the town that gave it its name and connects with other forests to build a network of trees that covers much of the state. Most people just stay on the trails and think its just part of the park, but there is so much more. I've made it a personal goal to explore the forest so completely that it will be impossible to get lost.
That's when it happened; when my eyes opened wide for the first time and I saw things I never thought could exist. It changed my life, setting it on a course so wholly different from the one I had planned. I don't regret it now. It's been my focus for the past few years, and I wouldn't want it any other way—but I digress. Let me start from the beginning, so that you will understand...
It was a beautiful day. The noonday sun tried hard to reach me through the thick canopy above me, and I thought I could see some blue poking through the leaves. A slight, chill breeze brushed my cheek and I breathed in a great draught of spring air, reveling in the nature that was all around me. I took the last bite of my sandwich and adjusted my seat on the boulder. This was just one of thousands of big rocks that littered the uneven floor of the forest. You see, glaciers went through here ages ago and they left behind huge boulders—natures litter. There are tons of these in the forest, and many of them have piled on each other to form caves that bears and other animals use for shelter. One such cave is not far from me, but it’s empty now but sports a bed of old bear fur to show who once lived there. My lunch eaten, I stowed the remains in my backpack, stood up, and continued on my way.
Travel wasn’t exactly easy. The trees grew pretty dense, but what made it worse was the uneven, rocky ground. At any time, I ran the risk of tripping over a root, or twisting my ankle on a loose rock. The dead autumn leaves that had recently been uncovered in the spring thaw crunched under my boots as I walked, but I tried to remain aware of the other sounds around me. Mostly, I heard birds. They were everywhere, their chirping and cawing creating a pleasant background to my plodding feet. Occasionally I would hear a light scurrying in the leaves to one side, and I’d glance to see a squirrel or a chipmunk. They watched me as I walked by, but they showed no fear. People typically don’t go after the likes of them, and they know they’re faster than me.
And so the day passed until I noticed a slight dimming in the sky. Looking up, the sky still spread clear blue above the treetops. I looked at my watch, and it read four thirty-two. I had been walking longer than I had expected. I paused and looked around to get my bearings and saw that the trees thinned out off to my left. There was some kind of clearing over there. “Well, I’ll be,” I thought as I studied my surroundings. “I’m in uncharted territory.” Never being one to resist my curiosity, I crept over to the clearing and, kneeling down, I peered through the brush.
The clearing was about a hundred feet wide, and almost that deep. The sun shown down on dead leaves, branches, logs, and the occasional rock. There was no sign of recent activity here. But what drew my attention was the log cabin standing in the exact center of the clearing. It was old, real old, but it looked solidly built. It was plain looking, and quite weathered. My guess was that it was at least fifty years old, but could be older. The door was on this side of the house and was closed. The single window to the left of the door was covered by some kind of wooden covering or hatch on the inside of the building. As I said, there was no sign of recent activity, including no trail leading to the door. It honestly looked like no one had been here in at least ten years!
I’m rarely careful when I’m exploring, and this was no exception. Besides, what danger could there be? There is no sign that any people have been here in ages, and bears don’t close doors behind them. So, I walked right up to the door. A quick examination showed that it was solidly built and still sturdy. I pushed on it, but it didn’t budge. It felt like it was just stuck, so I pushed hard on it and this time it did budge, but only a little. I stepped back from the door, took a deep breath, and threw myself against it as hard as I could. With a crash, the door swung open and I hurtled headlong into the building. I stumbled in, tripped on something and fell. The door swung hard, struck the wall and swung back, almost closing again. I lay for a moment sprawled on the floor of a cabin that had not been occupied in decades, and it was pitch dark.
This is the first installment of a story based on the upcoming Storytelling game “Strange World” that will be published by Carnivore Games. If you enjoyed the story and want to play an RPG in that setting, check out the following two web sites for more information.
www.strangeworldrpg.com
www.paranormal-foundation.com
