Self Apocalypse: The Beginning by John French Page A

on my adventure.  It was relatively flat going between the hill I just left and the mountain I was approaching.  The forest here was mainly hardwood and very open.  There wasn’t a lot of undergrowth either, which made my hike much more enjoyable.  The sun didn’t make it threw the canopy much here, but the rays that did make it through felt warm and kept the area from being gloomy.  Squirrels chattered to the left and right of me as I made my way threw the valley.  Birds seemed to be densely grouped here as well.  Their chirping and songs were loud and gave one the feeling of walking through a jungle.  Before long I could here another noise in the distance.  It was definitely water.  I hadn’t seen any large openings from the hill I had lunch at, so it must be a small brook which serves as a mountain runoff.  It took me another twenty minutes before I found myself looking at a small waterfall.  It was a good size brook and flowed rather swiftly considering the flatness of the terrain.  I took a break here and drank liberally from one of the two canteens I had with me.  I wanted to take the opportunity to refill with water now, as I was not sure if there would be another chance to do so later. 
     
    I drank as much as I could bear to, and then topped off the canteen.  I was going to worry about treating the water later.  While I was filling the canteen I saw something slowly moving in the pool that the waterfall was graciously filling.  It was definitely a fish.  What luck!  I couldn’t believe it.  I took the extra time to take out the hand line I had brought with me, and found a couple worms under a nearby rotting log.  It took me a few tries, but in the end I had two small brookies hanging from a tree branch I had cut down to carry them.  My luck doubled with the discovery of crayfish in the pool.  That took a little longer, but in the end was worth it.  With two fish in hand and five crayfish I placed in a small thermos I had to keep alive until tonight, I repacked my gear, took another compass bearing, and went out along my way again.
     
    My expedition through the forest continued as the land now gradually sloped upward toward the mountain top.  My hike was now becoming a little more time consuming with the incline that now faced me.  After reaching what I believed to be the half way point, I realized I had probably spent a little too much time gathering dinner at that pool.  It was now well pass three in the afternoon and I would need to start worrying about finding shelter and starting a fire if I didn’t reach my destination soon.  I continued my climb upwards while keeping close tabs on the time.  The cabin was definitely further away than I had realized, and the mountain much higher as well.  Another hour of hiking passed by before I found myself near the summit.  I started to scan my surroundings for the cabin as I hiked through.  Realizing I needed to walk more to the right, I adjusted my direction and shortly after that found the cabin.
     
    I called out before approaching so I wouldn’t startle anyone.  The last thing I needed was for someone to get jumpy with the presence of a stranger bearing a firearm.  No one called back and I couldn’t see or hear anyone moving about.  I walked up to the cabin and got the immediate feeling it was abandoned.  The structure itself seemed to be in good shape, but the surrounding area and outer walls were definitely neglected.  There was actually a small yard on the side of the cabin which I thought was neat.  I walked up to the door and knocked.  I grasped the handle and began to open the door. “Hello?” I called in as the door began to move.  As the door opened it fell off the top hinge.  I had to pick it up a bit to open it the rest of the way.
     
    Inside, the cabin dimly lit from what daylight was left.  It was warm inside though, obviously a great benefit from being on the south facing side.  Placing my rifle against