[despite the circumstances, the cabin appears to be lively even after the events of the recent round. those knowledgable of first-aid helped those injured, while the unaffected continued their routines around the cabin as usual. everyone still has a job to do, after all. and even if the people he was stuck with despised him in one way or another, it didn’t mean that he was void of any responsibility.]
[as the tired father carried firewood to keep themselves warm, another clean and crisp white envelope was tucked in one of the smaller logs. unlike before, however, the front had a neatly drawn token of a fish and a flower—a signature that itched in familiarity. of course, chores should be finished first before anything else.]
[once he was free of any responsibilities around, he took a spare seat and opened the contents of the envelope. a letter was neatly folded, evident of writing. but unlike before, there was also a spare page and a feathered pen. with careful hands, he gently opened the letter itself, and inside read the following;]
apologies for the previous letter. where are my manners?
i understand your confusion, especially with a rather…opening letter such as the one i had sent before. but fear not, i mean you no harm.
you may view me as a messenger of sorts (perhaps from another dimension, despite living in the only plane of existence), or you may view me as your friend—someone you can vent out your frustration and struggles, even if i may know a thing or two in advance. it may, at the very least, help you to ease your burdens a little.
enough about me. how have you been handling in this world so far? i could tell that you’ve been burdened with…a lot of things—from the harsh gazes from your peers, to the supposed loss of your son. it is a mental toll, i know. and if you’ve seen the spare sheet and pen i had prepared, you are free to write me back with whatever clouds your mind, but you are not obligated to write back if you do not wish to.
where to leave the envelope? leave it by the edge of the woods. you do not need to know how i will be able to retrieve your message in the chance you do.
this letter may be long, but i hope you understand where i am coming from. should there be something else i must warn you of, i will write to you back.
with kind regards and support, 🌸 🐟
[the letter ends there. the pen feels rather heavy in his hands.]
The weary man hesitated at first to do anything in regards to the letter, letting the words roll over in his head, processing the information he was given. He was unaware if he could truly trust this source, but it didn't seem harmful in any way, shape or form. He could really use a friend right now...
It wasn't until everyone else in the cabin had tucked in for the night that he decided to finally reapond, taking a seat by the fire with a pen and paper in hand. He thought his words over carefully before he wrote them, engraving his thoughts into the parchment he'd been provided with delicate ink.
" I have many questions about many things, but j believe that would be ill mannered of me as well. I'm not sure I quite understand you, nor do I understand what you've implied, but I do appreciate the hand you've extended out to me. In times like these, it's a relief to finally have someone I can talk to.
Might I ask, do I know you at all? You seem to be very familiar with me and my life, and you've said as such within the previous letter, but is there any possibility at all that I may know who you are, even slightly?
Questions aside, I have many worries, but I wish not to burden you with the dreary thoughts that plague my mind. I know you've an open invitation for me to vent, but I still feel as though it would be rude, especially in my first letter to you.
To be honest, I thought for a long time about what to write, and I'm still not entirely sure what I should put down. I am admittedly not used to this kind of thing. I think I'll leave it there for now. My last question for now is what should I address you by...?
With curiosity and thanks,
The hacker looked at his letter after he wrote it, sighing a little. He was dissatisfied with the contents of it, but this was new to him and his mind was elsewhere, as it always was. He had so much more to ask, but he didn't want to fill a page with questions. This was good enough for now.
Following the instructions he'd been given, 7n7 left the neatly folded letter at the edge of the woods and returned to the cabin for an attempt to get his own share of rest. He wondered what would come to him in the next letter, but tried to clear his head in the mean time. Now was the time for rest, and he would find out eventually.
