Light on the Hill

This was going to be a quick trip through the backwoods. He didn't need anything, but his survival instincts weren't wrong. Good thing he kept up with his training. The wild can take a turn for the worse if you don't keep up with your abilities. This had set him up to survive the change in the world when it all fell down.

The quick trip was to a nearby park he and his wife frequently visited. At least once or twice a week, they had taken a trip down to the lake. He knew these woods inside and out. Well, he knew them, or so he thought. A storm came up in the late afternoon. It was the kind of storm that would normally last an hour, then move on. The sky turned black, the wind picked up, and then the rain became so hard that it was blinding.

It only lasted 15 minutes, but the woods were not recognizable when it ended. Branches were down, the temperature dropped 40 degrees, and the air went from thick and humid to cold and crisp. What had just happened?

He needed to check on his wife. He was just a mile from where he had left her to relax with a book. He walked back in what he thought was the direction of the lake. He made it in record time, but the lake was gone. There was just a stream where the lake should be. A stream that fed into another stream. Where was the trail? Where was the lake?

He walked around the area, looking for something that looked familiar, but everything had changed. It was like he was in another world. He found some items that were clearly modern, but he could not find anything of his own. Not even the chair he’d carried in for his wife to relax in.

He looked for her, called for her, and found nothing. He was alone and he began to think about how he would find his way out. Night was approaching and with the wind picking up, he was getting colder. The items he’d found would have to help.

He found some tarp and string. There was also a light. He looked around and found a couple of fallen branches. He used the string to tie them together and then the tarp to make a shelter. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He used the light to look for some wood to build a fire, but everything was wet from the rain. He finally found some dry wood under a fallen tree. He used his lighter to start a fire.

He sat by the fire, thinking about what had happened. It was like he’d stepped through a portal or something. But how? Where was he? Was he still in the park? Where was his wife? He had so many questions, but no answers.

The night was long and cold. He barely slept, waking up at every sound. He was worried about his wife, but he didn't know what to do. Morning came and the sun was shining. He looked around and saw that the woods were still different.

He decided to follow the stream. Maybe it would lead him back to the lake or to a road. He walked for several hours, but there was no sign of anything familiar. He came across some old ruins that looked like they belonged to an old town. He walked through them, looking for any sign of life, but there was nothing.

He found an old, rusty knife. It was still sharp and he put it in his pocket. He also found an old map. It was hard to read, but it seemed to show the area. He followed the map and eventually came to a road. It was an old road, but it was a road. He followed it and finally came to a small town.

He walked into the town and saw that it was deserted. It was like everyone had just disappeared. He looked for any sign of life, but there was none. He found an old store and went inside. He found some food and water and took what he could carry.

He continued to walk and eventually came to a house. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He went inside and saw that it was empty. He looked around and found a picture of a man and a woman. It was him and his wife.

He was confused. How could there be a picture of them in this house? He looked around and found more pictures of them. They were in every room. He felt like he was in a dream.

He went to the bedroom and saw his wife. She was lying on the bed, asleep. He went over to her and touched her shoulder. She woke up and looked at him.

"You're back!" she said, smiling.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"In our house," she said. "Where have you been? You've been gone for hours."

He looked around. The house was exactly like the one they lived in. But the woods were different. The lake was gone.

"What happened?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "We've been here all day."

He was more confused than ever. Had he imagined everything? But the tarp, the string, the light, the rusty knife, and the old map were still in his pockets.

He looked at the picture of them again. It was the same one he’d found in the other house. He looked at his wife and saw a look of fear in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling.

He looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the man staring back at him. He was older, with a beard and grey hair. He looked at his clothes and saw that they were old and worn.

He realized then what had happened. He had stepped through a portal and been gone for years. He was now an old man, and his wife didn't know who he was.

He looked at the old map again. It showed the area, but it was from a different time. He realized then that he was in the future.

He looked at his wife and saw the fear in her eyes. He knew then that he could never explain what had happened to him. He was a stranger in his own home.

He turned and walked out of the house. He walked back to the woods and followed the stream back to where the lake should be. He sat by the stream, thinking about his life. He was alone, but he was alive. And he had his survival instincts. He knew then that he would survive in this new world, whatever it may be.

He looked at the rusty knife in his hand. It was a reminder of what he had lost, but also of what he had found. He was a survivor, and he would always be.

The sun was setting and the woods were turning dark. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was different. There were two moons. He knew then that he was not on Earth anymore. He was on a different planet.

He felt a sense of peace. He was in a new world, with new challenges and new opportunities. He was ready for whatever came his way. He was a survivor, and he would always be.

He looked at the old map again. It showed a path that led to a mountain. He decided to follow it. He knew that his journey was just beginning. He was an explorer, and he would always be.

He walked into the dark woods, ready for whatever lay ahead. He was a survivor, an explorer, and a man who had seen the end of one world and the beginning of another. He was ready for whatever the future held. He was ready for his next adventure.