For a moment, neither of us moved. The only sound was the faint hiss of the fire and the wind brushing against the cabin walls.
My mind scrambled through possibilities — Kelly, back early? A lost hiker? Or… him.
"Stay here," I said, more firmly than I felt. I crossed the room slowly, each floorboard seeming to creak louder than usual. My hand hovered over the doorknob.
Another three knocks — slower this time, deliberate.
I glanced back. Amelia was half off the bed now, her eyes fixed on the door, her knuckles white where they gripped the edge of the blanket.
I took a breath, opened the door —
— and found a man standing there I'd never seen before.
He was in his late thirties, maybe forty, tall, wearing a heavy winter coat dusted with snow. His expression was calm, polite even, but his eyes… they were sharp. Assessing.
"Good morning," he said, his voice carrying easily over the cold air between us. "You must be Brandon."
I gripped the doorframe a little tighter. "Yeah," I said slowly. "Can I help you?"
The man smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Didn't mean to startle you. Name's Mark. I've been staying a few miles down the ridge." He gestured vaguely toward the trees as if that explained anything. "Ran low on fuel for my generator. Thought I'd see if you had any to spare."
Behind me, I heard Amelia shift her weight. I didn't turn, but I could feel her watching, tense as tightrope.
"Bit remote for a neighbour," I said carefully. "Haven't seen anyone else out here since the storm."
Mark's smile widened a fraction. "Yeah, well… most people don't stick around in weather like this." He tilted his head, peering past me into the cabin. "Nice place you've got here. Cosy."
Something about the way he said it made my skin prickle.
I stepped slightly to block his view. "I'll have to check to see if there's any fuel."
"Of course," he said easily, but his gaze flicked over my shoulder — toward Amelia — before returning to me. "Appreciate it."
I forced a polite smile.
"Why don't you walk with me round the back? I think I've got a spare can out there."
Mark's expression didn't change, but something about the way his shoulders relaxed told me he'd expected me to say yes.
I stepped outside, closing the door firmly behind me. The cold bit into my face, sharp and clean. Out here, the silence was deeper, the snow muffling every sound except our boots crunching in unison.
We made our way toward the shed at the edge of the clearing, me keeping my posture loose, my tone casual, as though this were nothing more than a neighbourly errand. "So, you've been up here a while?" I asked.
"A few days," he said. "Not as long as her, though."
I glanced at him, careful not to give too much away.
"Her?"
Mark smirked, like we were sharing some private joke. "Amelia. That's what she's calling herself now, right?"
My stomach tightened, but I kept my voice steady. "You know her?"
"Oh, I know her." His tone shifted — still calm, but there was an edge to it now. "And I know you probably think you're doing the right thing letting her stay here. But you need to be careful, Brandon." He slowed his steps, turning to face me fully. "She's not who you think she is. She's… unpredictable. Dangerous, even."
The words hung in the cold air between us.
Mark leaned in just slightly, lowering his voice. "You seem like a decent guy. Just… don't let her get too close. For your own sake."
I let my eyebrows draw together, like I was mulling it over. "Dangerous? She doesn't seem —" I stopped, lowering my voice. "What did she do?"
Mark gave a small, knowing shake of his head. "Not my story to tell. Just… keep your guard up. People like her can be real convincing."
I forced a slow nod, glancing back toward the cabin. "I appreciate the warning."
"Good." He clapped me on the shoulder, his hand heavy and lingering a fraction too long. "Like I said, you seem like a decent guy. I'd hate to see you get hurt."
I pulled the shed door open and ducked inside, I found a fuel can on the ground. It was half full, but it would have to do. I handed it over, offering a polite smile I didn't feel.
"This should get you through until you can make it into town."
Mark took it with a nod. "You're doing the right thing, Brandon." He started back toward the trees, his boots crunching over the snow. He didn't look back.
I watched until the forest swallowed him, my jaw tight, my breath fogging in the air.
Whatever his story was, it didn't matter. What mattered was that he knew her — and had come all the way out here.
I turned toward the cabin, my pulse quickening. We needed to leave. Today. Before the snow made the road worse. Before he came back.
I stepped back into the cabin, shutting the door hard behind me, making Amelia flinch.
"What happened?" she asked.
I crossed the room in three strides. "We're leaving. Now."
She frowned, clutching the blanket tighter. "What happened?"
I didn't respond. I grabbed my coat from the hook and shoved her boots towards her. "Just — trust me. We can't stay."
Her gaze searched my face, looking for answers I wasn't ready to give. "We could go to Kelly's cabin. She'll — "
"No," I cut in, sharper than I intended. I softened it with, "It's not far enough. We need to get off the mountain entirely. My car's at the bottom of the climbing trail. If we start now, we can make it before dark."
She hesitated, glancing toward the window like she could see what had happened outside. "Brandon… Kelly will be back —"
I crouched in front of her, meeting her eyes. "We can talk on the way, but we have to move now."
For a long moment, she didn't move. Then, slowly, she pushed the blanket aside and reached for her boots.
"Fine," she said quietly.
I grabbed my back pack from beside the door, shoved in what food I could, and swung it over my shoulder. "Let's go."
The wind cut sharp against us as soon as we stepped outside, but I didn't look back at the cabin. Whatever it had been for the past few days — a shelter, a cocoon, a haven — it wasn't safe anymore.