Clandestine House

Chapter- 2 The Letter

Swandrian said to herself, "What the crap! No one is listening to me. Is anybody there? I think I am all alone in this stupid jungle, fully surrounded by tall trees and a thick layer of snow all over and around it. It is even very difficult to walk in the snow. Where did the sound go? How foolish of me! How can I fall into someone's trap like this? In the very first instance, I should have ignored that sound. I shouldn't have come here in the first place. I am so stupid. What I will do now I am already so late. I have to complete my errands today; otherwise, they will not pay me today, and I will be unable to clear the debts as well as the school fees of Diana and Darna. I have to return it anyway. But who has kept this gift and letter for me? Is this a prank too?
Ummmm... I guess I should open the letter and see. What if I get any clue to return to my village or get to know about the sender?"

The letter states that "Hello!!!! Swandrian I heard you run errands for others in return for money, but what do I do? I have no money. But I need your help urgently. I heard that you help everyone; you solve all the problems even without money. But you don't have to worry; just do my work. Just help me out. This is an advance gift for your kind gesture. I know that you will not let me down. You don't know me, but I know you very well, and I trust you too. This is the work that you and no one else can do. Your help can do some good for someone. Please!! I am requesting that you please Help me. This task is not as difficult as other tasks or works of yours that you do on a regular basis. All you need to  do is follow the directions mentioned in the letter, and you will reach your destination. And after getting there, you will find out what you have to do"
  
Yours faith fully
                                              .... your wellwisher....

Swandrian asked herself, "How is it possible to have a letter without a name? Who is this well-wisher? As far as I know, except for my family, I have no well-wishers. How did the letter get here? Who kept the letter and the gift box here? How did that person know that I ran errands for money? How is it possible for me to go to a place where the address of that place is not mentioned properly and only the directions are given? I don't know exactly what the problem is or what its solution is. What relationship do I have with this matter that I can do and no one else can?To whom I have to go and for whom I have to run errands I don't know, so how can I go there? I don't know this place either. Exactly where am I? How am I here? For exactly what reason am I here? How did the person know me? I know nothing about all this. How can I trust a stranger? I even don't know whether it's a trap or not. The thing that I only know is that I am not supposed to come here".

After a sudden pause...

She said to herself, "It's already too late." I have vested my valuable time in something about which I don't know whether it's genuine or not. So, it is better to leave the gifts and the letter here as they were kept before. I don't want any gifts from anyone, and I don't want to help anyone, especially any stranger".

Saying that she started moving in the directions she presumes she has come from.

After one hour...

Surprisingly, She found herself standing in the same location in front of the place where she had found the letter and the gift as before, even after continuously walking for an hour.

Swandrian breathed sighs!

Swandrian said, "How is it possible for me to come back to the same position as I was before? Even when I have walked for an hour. It took me approximately one hour to come here from the place where I heard the sound of someone screaming for help. So, how is it possible to return to the same place instead of the place from which I have come? This is so strange. I don't know exactly what's happening with me. No, I have to go back to my village by hook or by crook. As everyone is waiting for me. I can't waste any more time. I have to go back as soon as possible and fulfil all my duties and responsibilities. I have to think of a way to get back from here."

After a small pause, she again started walking.

One hour later...

Swandrian said, "Oh! No! Again, I have come to the same place. I think it will be better for me to follow the directions in the letter; otherwise, I will be stuck here and will not be able to go back. Oh!!! No!!! I will tell Mr. Jones, Mrs. Martina, Alex, Tim, Simon, and Rosy that they all must be waiting for me to run their errands. They will not believe me if I tell them this. I have to return as soon as possible. I have to inform them as it is already past 9 a.m. now, and I don't think I can reach them anytime soon or even at all. So, it will be better to inform them about my situation today and get some help if possible. I hope they will understand".

And after that, she started looking for her phone in order to make a call.

Swandrian said, "Oh! No!!!! Today, by mistake, I left my phone in the kitchen itself. Now, how am I going to inform them about my whereabouts? They must have tried to contact me but were unable to do so. Today is such an unlucky day for me".

She breathed sighs!

And she again picked up the letter from the ground and the gift as well. And started following the directions.

As she is moving forward, she finds that she is entering a more dense forest, fully covered with snow. Rays of the sun are falling directly on the snow from behind the tall trees.

She said to herself, "This place is so strange. No one is here, and not even I can hear the sound of any birds or animals. All I can hear here is the sound of heavy wind blowing and nothing else. How can a person live here in such a dense forest? How has she or he been surviving all these years? I haven't heard anything about this place since my childhood. What is this place? Whether such a place really exists For how long do I have to walk like this? I shouldn't have made this decision to follow the directions to the letter. I think I have taken the wrong decision again. I have come so far, so it will be a waste to return now. When I have already come so far, it will be better for me to help the person in need. In the letter, it was said that I had to reach them immediately. So, it must be very serious. I am almost there to the destination, I think, as per the directions".

Swandrian exclaimed with joy, "Yay!!!!!! I have finally reached my destination. Now I can quickly do my work and go back to my own village".

After reaching her destination, she found a small wooden house covered with a very thick layer of snow all over and around the house.

She was spellbound.

Swandrian " wow!!!! A wooden house in a place like this. Is anybody really staying there, or is it just a desolate house? Is it safe for me to enter or not? I am here alone, and if it is a trap, there is no one from whom I can seek help. What should I do? Should I enter or not"?