Over the hill, not far away.

"Look there, on the horizon. What do you see?"
I was puzzled, why would he ask about that? "Well, there's the hill and above it a line of ugly grey clouds. Why do you ask, grandpa?"
"And tell me, boy, what is behind that big green hill?"
"Well, there's the big evil hole."
"Yes, yes. The Abyss" he shunned a little, with a fearful, disgusted and worried look on his face. "Now, how far is it?" he continued.
"Very far!" I said. He looked satisfied with my answer.
"Yes, it looks like it's very far. But what if the hill wasn't there?"
"Well... uhm... I guess..." I was thinking for some time with my confused face on, I rolled my eyes and then my expression turned into the most solemn and proffessional that I could perform, and with abundant proudness in my eyes I exclaimed: "It would be just as far as it is now."
Grandpa looked at me, obviously doubting my scientific conclusion: "Would it, though?"
I, with the look of a dignified researcher with tens of years of practice, was not going to start doubting my hypothesis: "It indeed would, grandpa. Because hill is just a big pile of mud. If there wasn't the mud and if there would be only a field instead, the distance from our cabin to The Abyss would be very much the same."
"Well, we shall see about that, young man."
I was pleased that he called me 'young man', it made me feel even more scientist, but I didn't understand what he meant by 'we shall see'. "What do you mean, gran-" I was interrupted by him saying: "Now go get some sleep. We'll go on a walk tomorrow."

He sure didn't want to go down that line, to explain me how 'we shall see'. It was rather strange, really - I mean the whole thing - grandpa usually does not talk at all. He has always been a silent wise man, he almost has an image of a wizard. If only would he ever open his mouth, that would be to teach and advise, not to talk about some hill. It's weird.
But at least, we go for the walk tomorrow. We usually go to the village and people there, recognizing grandpa as the brightest moral authority in as far as this land goes, often give us gifts. Last time the blacksmith gave me a shovel. So I could search for treasure, he said. It was very nice of him.

I woke up in the morning and stretched my back. Then I looked out of the window and I've seen something very very wrong. The hill simply disappeared. It wasn't there anymore. Grandpa was sitting on the porch, smoking his pipe. I came to him and in panic I started yelling: "Grandpa, grandpa! What is happening? Why is The Abyss so close? How could the hill have disappeared?

He looked at me, in his eyes I could see his calm wisdom and with a lowered voice so typical for him, he said: "I made the hill go away. But The Abyss, The Abyss is just as far as it was. It does look much closer now, though, doesn't it? We can no longer hide behind the hill. If we look out of the window, we can only gaze into Its darkness." He took a deep breath and a look towards The Abyss and then he went on: "I hope this will be a lesson to you. Only the present and near can we ever see thruthfully. Hiding may not protect you, but rather leave unprepared. Now come, let's pack our bags. We are leaving this placce once and for all. We will live in the village from now on."

And so, just like that, we saved our threats from the most massive threat in our lives. If the problem won't disappear, it's time for you to do it. Some things just can't be solved.

As The Abyss expanded, it consumed our former cabin not many days after that. But here we are safe. Hidden, but already prepared.