Portraits

The hunter packed the last of his equipment, eagerly double-checking to see that he had everything. He was going on a big hunting trip in the woods, and would be gone all day. He couldn't wait - hunting was his passion.

After a long, exhausting (but satisfying) day, the hunter noticed it was getting dark. He was still far from home, so he decided to just spend the night in the woods - he had enough supplies. He started looking for a good place to set camp.

It was almost pitch black by the time he entered a clearing and found an old cabin in the middle of it. It was obviously uninhabited, deep in the middle of the forest as it was. Hardly believing his luck, the hunter cautiously opened the door (it was unlocked) and peered inside. It was even tinier than it looked - it was only one small room, completely bare of any furnishings. Still, it would be better than sleeping on the wet ground beneath the gaping sky.

The hunter walked inside, and as he unslung the pack from his shoulders, he was surprised to see portraits covering the walls. He was delighted - painting was his other passion in life. There were dozens of paintings, all over the walls, and they all seemed to share a common theme. The hunter peered closer at them - they were all portraits of pale, white faces against a dark background. Some of the faces looked angry, some of them looked sad. Some were young, some were old. They all seemed to be staring directly at him, although it was hard to make out details in the dark. Feeling slightly unsettled, the hunter lay down to go to sleep, promising himself that he would study them closer in the morning. The last thing he saw before going to sleep were more portraits on the ceiling, their white faces staring down at him...

The next morning, the hunter woke around dawn. He lay with his eyes closed for a bit, before suddenly remembering where he was. He also remembered - the portraits! He had to examine them closer. He sat up - and could only stare in astonishment. The portraits...were gone! Only their empty frames remained. No, that wasn't right...the hunter stepped closer to the wall, unable to believe his eyes. They weren't portraits at all. They were windows.