diff --git a/src/cli/cli.odin b/src/cli/cli.odin
index 8c13a07..f4c40cd 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.odin
+++ b/src/cli/cli.odin
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ import "core:fmt"
 import "core:os"
 
 Options :: struct {
-	verbose:     bool `args:"name=verbose"                        usage:"Enable verbose output"`,
-	compression: u8 `args:"name=compression"                      usage:"Compression level, 0-12"`,
-	size:        i64 `args:"name=size"                            usage:"Chunk size in bytes"`,
-	input:       os.Handle `args:"name=input,file=r,required"     usage:"Path to input directory"`,
-	output:      os.Handle `args:"name=output,file=wc"            usage:"Path to ouput directory"`,
+	verbose:     bool `args:"name=verbose"                    usage:"Enable verbose output"`,
+	compression: u8 `args:"name=compression"                  usage:"Compression level, 0-12"`,
+	size:        i64 `args:"name=size"                        usage:"Chunk size in bytes"`,
+	input:       ^os.File `args:"name=input,file=r,required"  usage:"Path to input directory"`,
+	output:      ^os.File `args:"name=output,file=wc"         usage:"Path to ouput directory"`,
 	// overflow:    [dynamic]string,
 }
 
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ parse :: proc() -> Options {
 	}
 
 	if opts.compression > 12 {
-		fmt.eprintln("error: compression should be between 0-12")
+		fmt.eprintln(
+			"error: compression higher than allowed maximum:",
+			opts.compression,
+		)
 		os.exit(1)
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/file/file.odin b/src/file/file.odin
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6641a6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/file/file.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package file
+
+import "core:fmt"
+import "core:os"
+
+// TODO:
+// - list files in directory
+//   - get relative path
+// - read file contents
+// - write file contents
+
+Asset :: struct {
+	path: string,
+	size: i64,
+	data: []u8,
+}
+
+read :: proc(f: ^os.File) -> Asset {
+	path := os.name(f)
+
+	size, err := os.file_size(f)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.eprintln("error: failed to get file size:", err)
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+
+	data := make([]u8, size)
+
+	n, read_err := os.read_full(f, data)
+	if read_err != nil {
+		fmt.eprintln("read failed:", read_err, "got", n, "of", size, "bytes")
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+
+	return Asset{path = path, size = size, data = data}
+}
diff --git a/src/main.odin b/src/main.odin
index 612e59b..bb37204 100644
--- a/src/main.odin
+++ b/src/main.odin
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import "core:fmt"
 
 import "src:cli"
+import "src:file"
 
 VERSION :: #config(VERSION, "dev")
 
@@ -12,4 +13,9 @@ main :: proc() {
 	fmt.println("verbose:", opts.verbose)
 	fmt.println("compression:", opts.compression)
 	fmt.println("size:", opts.size)
+
+	asset := file.read(opts.input)
+	fmt.println("path:", asset.path)
+	fmt.println("size:", asset.size)
+	fmt.println("data:", asset.data)
 }