Chapter 12

I was lying on my straw, but sleep wasn't happening. I kept replaying everything that happened that day. What really got to me was how chill these people were, and I really wanted to hang with them, but I was too nervous to.

I remembered how rough the villagers were to me the night before, so I decided that, no matter what I ended up doing, I’d just chill in my little shack for now, watching and trying to figure out why they were doing what they were doing. The cottagers woke up before sunrise the next morning.

The young woman tidied up the cottage and got the food ready, and the young man left after breakfast. The day was just like the one before. The young man was always outside working, and the girl was busy inside doing chores.

The older man, who I realized was blind, spent his free time playing his instrument or just thinking. You couldn't ask for a better vibe - the younger cottagers were so loving and respectful towards their grandpa.

They did everything for him with so much kindness, and he’d just beam at them with these sweet smiles.

They weren't exactly thrilled. The young guy and his friend often drifted off and seemed to cry. I couldn't see why they were so down, but it really got to me. If creatures as sweet as them were miserable, it made sense that I, a flawed and lonely person, would be too.

But seriously, why were these chill people unhappy? They had an awesome house (at least, to me) and everything they could want. They had a fire to stay warm and yummy food when they were hungry. Their clothes were on point, and they loved hanging out and talking, always giving each other sweet looks.

What were their tears about? Were they actually hurting? I couldn't figure it out at first, but paying attention and giving it time helped me understand a lot of things that seemed weird before.

"It took a while before I realized one of the reasons this nice family was so bummed: they were broke, and it was a serious problem. They basically ate veggies from their garden and milk from one cow, which didn't give much during the winter, and they could barely feed it."

"They were probably super hungry a lot, especially the two younger ones. I saw them put food out for the old man when they didn't keep any for themselves. "That was so thoughtful, it really touched me.

"I used to sneak some of their food at night, but when I realized I was making the cottagers sad, I stopped and just ate berries, nuts, and roots from the woods nearby."

"I also figured out another way to help them out. I noticed the young guy spent a ton of time gathering wood for the fire every day. So, at night, I’d grab his tools - I totally got the hang of them - and bring back enough wood to last for days. "I remember the first time I did it.

"When the girl opened the door in the morning, she was seriously shocked to see a huge stack of wood outside. She yelled something, and the young guy came over, super surprised too. I was stoked to see he didn’t head to the forest that day. Instead, he fixed up the cottage and worked on the garden."

Slowly, I realized something huge. These people had a way to share what they felt and experienced, using sounds. I noticed that the words they used could make people happy or sad, bring smiles or tears. It felt like a superpower, and I really wanted to learn it. But I kept hitting walls.

Their words came out fast, and they didn't seem to connect to anything I could see. So, I couldn't figure out what they meant. I studied for months - seriously, like, through several moon cycles - while hiding in my little shack. Finally, I started to get somewhere.

I learned the words for things I saw all the time: fire, milk, bread, and wood. I also learned the names of the people who lived there. The young man and his friend had a bunch of names, but the older guy just had one: Father.

The girl was called Sister or Agatha, and the young man was called Brother or Felix. I was so stoked when I finally understood what each sound meant and could say them myself. I picked up a few other words too, like "good," "dearest," and "unhappy," even if I didn’t totally get how to use them yet.

I basically spent the whole winter like that. The cottagers were just so sweet and beautiful, and I totally grew to love them. When they were down, I felt bummed too, and when they were happy, I was stoked for them.

I didn’t really see many other people - and if anyone else showed up at the cottage, their rough ways just made my friends seem even better. The old man would often try to cheer up his kids, I noticed. Sometimes I’d hear him telling them to shake off their sadness.

He's talk in a happy tone, with a good vibe that even made me feel good. Agatha would listen respectfully, and sometimes her eyes would get all watery, which she's try to hide. But I usually saw her looking and sounding happier after hearing her dad’s pep talk. Felix was different.

He was always the most sad of the bunch, and even I could tell he’d been through a lot. But when he talked to his dad, his voice was actually a little brighter than his sister’s.

"I could point to tons of little things that showed how sweet these folks were. Even though they were broke and struggling, Felix would happily bring his sister the first tiny white flower he found poking through the snow."

Early every morning, before she was even awake, he’d clear the snow blocking her way to the milk house, fetch water from the well, and bring in wood from the shed. It was wild - he’d always find his wood supply mysteriously refilled!

Sometimes he'd work for a farmer nearby, since he’d often be gone until lunchtime, but he never brought any wood back. Other times, he’d work in the garden, but there wasn't much to do when it was freezing, so he’d read to the old man and Agatha.

"At first, this reading totally confused me, but slowly I realized he made a lot of the same sounds when he read as when he talked. So, I figured he was seeing symbols on the paper that meant words, and I really wanted to understand them too."

But how could I, when I didn’t even get the sounds they stood for? I did get better at it, though, but not enough to follow a conversation. I was super focused on it, because I knew I couldn’t just show myself to the cottagers until I knew their language.

"That knowledge might help them forget about how freaky I looked - I’m used to seeing how different I am."

I’m not gonna lie, I was totally obsessed with how perfect my cottagers looked - their style, their looks, their flawless skin. But then I caught a glimpse of myself in a clear pool, and I was shook! I literally jumped back, like, was that really me staring back?

Once it hit me that I was actually this monster, I was hit with the worst feelings of sadness and embarrassment. Seriously, I didn’t even realize how much this messed-up look would mess with me. As the sun got warmer and the days got longer, the snow melted away, and I saw bare trees and dark earth.

After that, Felix was busy, and the signs of them being totally broke disappeared. Their food was simple, but it was good, and they had enough. Plus, new plants popped up in the garden, which they used, and things just got better and better as the weather warmed up.

The old guy, with his son helping him, would walk around every day at noon, when it wasn’t raining - which they called it when the sky just dumped water. That happened a lot, but a strong wind dried everything out, and the weather got way better than it had been.

"My life in that little shack was pretty much the same every day. In the mornings, I’d watch the villagers, and when they scattered to do their own thing, I’d crash. The rest of the day was spent just chilling with my friends."

When they went to bed, if the moon was out or the night was clear, I’d head into the woods to find food and firewood for the cottage. When I got back, I’d clear their path of snow and do other things I’d seen Felix do.

Later, I realized they were totally freaked out by these chores being done by someone they couldn’t see. Once or twice, I even heard them say, "Good spirit, amazing!" But I didn’t get what they meant back then.

"My thoughts started getting intense, and I really wanted to know what made these awesome people tick. I was curious why Felix seemed so bummed and Agatha so sad. I thought (total idiot!) that maybe I could bring some happiness back into their lives."

When I was sleeping or out of sight, I kept seeing the blind old dad, gentle Agatha, and Felix - they were all I could think about. I saw them as these higher-up people who would decide my future. I played out a million scenarios in my head about showing myself to them and what they'd think.

"I pictured them being grossed out at first, but then, with my chill vibes and nice words, I’d win them over and eventually earn their love."

This totally hyped me up, so I dove back into learning languages with renewed energy. My voice wasn’t exactly smooth, but it was flexible enough. Even though it didn't sound like their melodies, I could say the words I understood pretty well. It was like, a donkey and a fluffy lapdog, you know?

But seriously, even though the donkey was a little rough around the edges, he meant well. He deserved better than getting yelled at and punished. Spring totally transformed everything. The weather was amazing - warm and rainy.

People who’d been holed up before started working on farms and doing other stuff. Birds were singing way more upbeat tunes, and buds started popping out on the trees. "Happy, happy earth! It was a perfect place for the gods, unlike how bleak, damp, and gross it had been just a little while ago.

Nature's beauty totally lifted my mood. I forgot about the past, and the present felt chill. The future looked bright, filled with hope and the promise of good times.