As we packed up and prepared to move, Ethan was the first to notice it—smoke, rising in the distance, a thin column of gray snaking its way up into the sky. It wasn't thick like a wildfire, but controlled, like someone had built a fire deliberately. My stomach twisted at the sight. Smoke meant people. People meant danger, or possibly help. It was a gamble either way.
"Hey," Ethan said, pointing toward the distant smoke. "You guys seeing this?"
I squinted, following his gaze. "Yeah… it's coming from over there."
Daisy was quick to react. "Alright, we need to check it out. Could be a camp, could be something else."
Yabe and Liza had just finished getting dressed after their river bath. They hurried over when they heard us talking, curiosity and concern etched on their faces.
"What's going on?" Yabe asked, tying her long white hair back.
"There's smoke coming from over there," I said, nodding toward the direction of the woods. "We're gonna check it out."
Daisy grabbed her rifle, slinging it over her shoulder. "Let's move. But stay sharp—we don't know what we're walking into."
We set off toward the smoke, moving cautiously through the trees. The woods were dense, the ground covered in a thick carpet of leaves and twigs that crunched softly underfoot. The air was cool, with a faint breeze rustling the branches overhead. It felt quiet, too quiet, but we didn't dare make much noise ourselves. The thought of running into more zombies or, worse, hostile survivors weighed heavy on my mind.
As we got closer, the outline of a small cabin appeared through the trees. It looked old but sturdy, with a chimney puffing out the thin smoke we'd seen. The windows were dark, and the place gave off an eerie feeling like it had been abandoned for a while. But the smoke said otherwise.
"Looks like someone's home," Ethan muttered, eyeing the cabin.
Daisy raised a hand, motioning for us to stop. "Hold up. There's something there."
We all froze, and I followed her gaze. Trip wires. Several of them, barely visible in the underbrush but definitely there. Whoever lived here had set up some defenses.
"Shit," Liza whispered, her eyes wide. "They've got traps."
"Nothing we can't handle," Daisy said, her voice low. "We'll just have to be careful."
We moved slowly, carefully stepping over the trip wires one by one, making sure not to set anything off. My heart was racing as we approached the cabin. The air felt heavy with tension, like we were walking into something we didn't fully understand. When we finally reached the door, I hesitated for a moment before knocking.
KNOCK KNOCK
The door creaked open. It wasn't locked.
"That's not creepy at all," Ethan muttered, glancing at me.
"Should we… go in?" Yabe asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Daisy didn't wait. She pushed the door open with the butt of her rifle, and we stepped inside, one by one. The interior was modest, with a small fireplace, a few worn chairs, and a table in the middle of the room. There were shelves lined with books and various old supplies, but otherwise, the place looked empty. The fire in the hearth was still burning low, though, which meant whoever lived here couldn't be far.
We poked around the room for a minute, careful not to touch anything. It didn't feel right, just walking into someone's home uninvited, but at the same time, we needed to know what we were dealing with.
Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps from behind. We all turned at once, weapons ready, as a man in his 60s stepped into the doorway. He had a full beard, graying at the edges, and wore a plaid flannel shirt with suspenders. His eyes went wide when he saw us, clearly not expecting company. He looked like every stereotype of a friendly Canadian woodsman you could imagine, but there was no mistaking the surprise—and fear—in his expression.
"Whoa, now," the man said, holding up his hands, palms open. "Didn't expect to find anyone else out here."
We all lowered our weapons a little, though none of us fully relaxed. Daisy stepped forward, her voice steady but cautious. "We're survivors. Just passing through. We saw the smoke and thought we'd check it out."
The man's eyes flicked from Daisy to the rest of us, still processing the situation. Then he nodded slowly, lowering his hands. "Right, right… name's Liam. Just me out here. Been here for years, even before all this mess started."
There was a moment of silence as we all glanced at each other. He didn't seem dangerous—no weapons on him, and his demeanor was more shocked than anything—but we'd learned not to trust people too quickly.
"We're just looking for a place to settle down for the night," I said, stepping forward a little. "We don't mean any harm."
Liam scratched his beard, still looking a bit stunned. "Well… I'll be damned. Haven't seen another soul in months. You're welcome to stay for the night. I've got plenty of room, and I wouldn't mind the company, truth be told."
Daisy eyed him carefully, her guard still up. "You sure about that? We don't want to impose."
Liam waved it off with a chuckle. "Not at all, not at all. You're the first folks I've seen in forever. Come in, make yourselves at home. Just… be careful of the traps outside. They're more for the wildlife, but they've kept me safe so far."
"Thanks," I said, giving him a nod. "We appreciate it."
Liam motioned for us to sit, clearly trying to make us feel comfortable. "Y'all hungry? I've got some stew on the fire."
Ethan grinned, clearly relieved that things hadn't gone south. "Stew sounds amazing right about now."
Yabe smiled politely, her soft voice barely cutting through the tension. "Thank you for letting us stay, Mr. Liam."
"Aw, just Liam's fine," he said with a smile, his Canadian friendliness shining through. "Y'all have had a rough go of it, haven't ya? Well, you're safe here, don't worry."
We settled in, slowly letting our guard down as the warmth from the fireplace eased some of the day's tension. Liam didn't seem like the type to pose a threat. If anything, he seemed more excited to have company than concerned about strangers in his cabin.
"Why are you out here all by yourself?" Liza asked, eyeing the old man curiously.
Liam shrugged, sitting down in one of the chairs with a contented sigh. "Always liked it out here in the woods. Peaceful. When things went to hell, figured I'd just stay put. Got all I need out here—food, water, shelter. Not much reason to leave."
Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "Must be nice, living the simple life."
Liam nodded, his eyes twinkling with a bit of pride. "It's not for everyone, but it suits me just fine. Y'all can stay as long as you like."
The rest of the evening passed with easy conversation, the tension slowly fading as we realized Liam was exactly what he seemed to be—a simple, kind man who'd found peace in the wilderness. We weren't used to meeting people like him anymore, and for the first time in a long while, it felt like we could relax, if only for a little while.
Q: Would you trust Liam?