The wind that whispers to me leads me towards a new future and away from the past that I am fleeing. As it slinks through the foliage of the woods and between the mountain sides, I hurry to follow it to the destination that it seeks in hope of finding a place where I can escape my memories and evade those that chase after me.

As I trudge through the woods a sudden calmness surrounds me, for I have not seen any sign of civilization for almost two weeks, and I no longer feel that I am being closely followed. Those that wish to find me have not made any new efforts to capture me and for once I am able to rest. As I take in my surroundings, I search for the stream that I know I can find at the bottom of the ravine where I rest. When I locate the stream that is as clear as the mountain air, I follow the sound of the water rushing over rocks and helping to shape the Earth. After I fill the two canteens that have traveled with me since the beginning of my flight, I look at my small pile of belongings and am thankful for getting this far. I know that soon my food will run out, but I hope that before then I will have evaded those who stalk after me. I know I will survive though, and to prove it, I get up and once again trudge through the underbrush of the woods. As I travel the path of the winding stream out of the ravine, I am startled by the scene that unfolds in front of me.

In front of me lays an old weathered cabin with a farm field and a pond. I jump behind a fallen log and flatten my body against the ground, and search for signs of life. For I have not come this far only to be found and turned in. When I cannot find any evidence that someone is present, I inhale a deep breath of the cool, crisp mountain air, and as the soothing air enters my body, I relax. I look up to the sky and see small crystals of snow as delicate as a newborn animal drifting down from above and twirling in the breeze. Upon seeing this, I begin to creep out into the open. As I sneak along the pond that is coated in thin, brittle layers of ice along its shoreline, I still search for evidence that someone is here. However, when no signs appear, I approach the cabin. I travel on a path that lends me the most security from being seen from inside, and I slowly make my way along the backside of the cabin underneath the foggy window panes. As I pause for a moment I lean into the worn wood beams and wait for the pace of my heart that beats like a drum to slow. I feel the wind surging around me and urging me on, and after some time I once again begin my journey to the door that may lead me to a new life. As I creep around the last corner I spot a sturdy green door that is as strong as the Hemlocks that stand nearby. I hold out my knife in anticipation and shift onto the balls of my feet, ready for anything. Even though I am tentative, I know that there is only one way to figure out if this quiet cabin is inhabited. Therefore I take one more step towards the door that leads to my future. I grip the cold and rusted golden doorknob with frozen hands that shake with fear of what I may find, and I slowly turn the knob and push. However, the door does not budge and I collapse into a heap on the ground filled with relief. Now I know that this cabin in the middle of the mountains is deserted. I then get out my wire, pick the lock, and enter this new place that I will call home, that will give me a new beginning.

Outside of my small cabin nature carries on and blankets the frozen ground in a soft sheet of white as the wind swirls and dances in the sky filled with joy. I have reached a place where I cannot be found, and I can create new memories to live with. I can sit down by the old wooden bench that lies underneath the trees, and listen to the wind spiraling around me telling me that it too has found a place in which to stay. As the wind tells me these things it no longer comes as a whisper but as a shout of sheer excitement. I will survive. I have found a place where I will be safe and can dance in the wind that can be as peaceful as the mountainside or as wild as a stallion protecting its herd. Thanks to this secluded cabin in the middle of the mountains I can begin a new life where my past cannot chase after me and I am free as the wilderness that surrounds me.