It had only been a few days since my birthday. My life returned to its daily routine, though one thing kept reminding me of what had happened—learning to read and write. I had been eagerly waiting for this. During the day, Mark worked in the fields, and Antek, who was already twelve, helped him. Izabela and Aniela took care of the house and the animals—five chickens and one cow.
Evenings were my favorite time. After dinner, when everyone had a moment to rest, I would begin my writing lessons.
Of course, we didn't have any books. In this land, where there was no mechanical way to copy them, books were a luxury. An ordinary farming family couldn't afford them—they cost more than the entire village.
But humans can be creative. We used pieces of wood chopped with an axe and wrote on them with charred sticks taken from the stove. Maybe it wasn't the best method, but to me, one thing mattered—mastering the letters.
"Very good, Ball, that letter is B," said Izabela, patting me on the back.
"And this one?" I asked, pointing to another letter. Naturally, I held each wooden board in my hand, repeating them daily.
"D," she replied with a warm smile.
"Booring!" came a loud yawn from Ksawery. "Antek, let's go play hide-and-seek?"
"Let's go. Mama's boy can play with his little boards," laughed Antek.
Ah, Ksawery. Always interrupting my education. So important. Who would've thought it was so easy to trade "B" and "D" for a game of hide-and-seek?
The letters I was learning were different from those I knew on Earth, but the pronunciation was similar, which made learning fairly quick.
Izabela was an excellent teacher. Her methods, though simple, were effective. She definitely had something about her that made learning enjoyable. I often wondered about her past. I knew she was a traveler, but what did that truly mean?
We were alone. My cousins had run outside, and Mark and Aniela had gone to bed. It was the perfect moment to ask the question that had been on my mind for some time.
"I'd like to ask something," I said hesitantly.
"Yes, Ball?" she replied, looking at me with interest.
"Is… is my father… out there somewhere?" I asked, feeling my heart race. I wanted more than a dry answer. Perhaps this question would shed light on Izabela's past.
"You know…" she began, her voice trembling. "You should know…" she added after a moment.
And bingo! This was the moment I had been waiting for. Time for real confessions!
I sat up, holding my breath. I could see this was a difficult topic for her. Every word she spoke felt like scratching at old scars.
"He's not here…" she finally said. "He's dead…" she added, exhaling the words all at once.
"He died before you were born. I'm sorry you never got to know him," she continued, looking at me with difficulty.
Oh, of course he's dead. Because why not? After all, who doesn't love a tale about absent fathers?
"What happened?" I asked uncertainly. With every word, I could see the pain I was causing her.
"He… he was overwhelmed by… certain things," she said, lowering her gaze. Silence fell. After a moment, she added, "That's enough for today. Go to bed, son."
She clearly didn't want to continue. I felt she was hiding something. "Overwhelmed by certain things"—those words echoed in my head. Was it debts? Illness? Maybe some addiction? Or perhaps it was a death by his own choice? It was just a clue…
The day after my conversation with Izabela, I returned to my tasks. At the top of my to-do list was hunting a pheasant. I wouldn't give up. If I was to approach Old Jan for help, I'd better bring him something worth his attention.
I decided my first step would be to catch a pheasant. I didn't intend to steal a knife without knowing if I could get the bird. That's why, a few days ago, I started practicing with a slingshot. I knew that without it, I wouldn't be able to catch a bird. The approach I used last time was sheer luck—in normal circumstances, the pheasant would have fled before I even got close.
Of course, the task wasn't easy. If it were, anyone could hunt on their own. After a few attempts at throwing stones at a target, I set out for the Eastern Forest, unaware that someone was watching me.
I decided it would be best to start where Old Jan had caught his last pheasant. I moved from tree to tree, combing through the undergrowth, carefully observing every movement. And then, after an hour, I spotted something—a tuft of blue feathers near the forest's edge. I felt it was my day.
I cautiously approached the bird, trying not to make a sound. When I was almost upon it, I picked up a stone and prepared my slingshot. The pheasant seemed unaware of my presence, which surprised me a bit. I thought animals at the bottom of the food chain would have better instincts.
I swung the slingshot and released. The stone flew just behind the bird, ready to hit if it noticed me and fled backward.
And then something unexpected happened—the pheasant ran toward me. Surprised, I grabbed another stone and this time hit its wing. The bird didn't fly away. It was right in front of me.
"Catch it!" I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Ksawery, grab it!" Antek shouted, pointing at the pheasant.
Damn it! They had followed me. They came to steal my prize.
"Stop, it's mine!" I shouted, trying to hold Ksawery back, but Antek grabbed my arm.
The boy was already near the bird, but then I noticed something strange. It all happened in a flash. A massive shadow darted out of the forest, lunging straight for the pheasant and the boy. I couldn't tell what kind of creature it was until it stopped.
"Ksawery, watch out!" Antek shouted.
At that moment, the beast sank its jaws into Ksawery's neck. It was a wolf—huge like a bear, with gray fur and terrifying red eyes. Blood sprayed like a fountain, and we could do nothing but watch as it unfolded.
"Help! Help!" Antek cried, sobbing. "It's a mutant!"
I stood paralyzed. I knew there was no hope for Ksawery. He had died the moment he approached the bird—he just didn't know it yet.
The wolf turned and ran off with its bleeding prize in its jaws, disappearing into the forest.
"What now? We have to do something!" Antek wailed, unable to contain his panic. "We have to save him!"
A mutant?
"Antek, what's a mutant?" It was all I could ask in my shock.
"I… I, he… Ksawery's been t-taken by a monster and you're asking that?!" he snapped angrily and ran toward home.
Before returning, I should still take that pheasant, even if it's dangerous. Who knows when I'll get a chance like this again.