The Old Woman and the log cabin

Outside the cabin, the wind howled through the trees, while inside, the old woman's fire was nearly out.

The old woman was at the cabin by herself. Her grandchildren no longer visit. Its been years since shes heard the voice of another human being. The shutters from the attic bang loudly on the window still. The bristling of the trees is getting louder and more violent.

"A storm is coming"

She said aloud to herself in this damp lifeless room. As if the mere utterance of words could somehow make this bleak exsitance less drule. There use to be a cat name regenald. But he disappeared years ago. And with him the last hope of contact from another living thing. The cat very much reminded her of her love. The one guy she loved, the days spent by the river bend. The long walks. The tears. The laughing.

"Things would have turned out differently if only he didn't have to go off and fight".

Thats what she began telling herself. But it was just willful thinking at this point. Her life was over and she had nothing to show for it. Life as far as she was concerned was over.

**bubububub**

The first sound of thunder.

"well I'd better go close the back door"

As she got up and wobbled towards the door a flash of light illuminated the whole dark house and what looked light the siloute of a mans shadow flashed across the wall.

"No one lives around here anymore"

She told herself. as if saying it would help her realize that what she saw was nothing. Her eyes were going bad along with the rest of the wretched body.

**bububub**

Another flash of light. This time the siloute was closer to her and there was no denying it this time. What she saw was a person and could be nothing else. She did a quick glance around the room. The cabin only had a living room and stairs leading to 2 bedrooms upstairs. she should be able to see everything from where shes standing but theres no-one there. Its not quiet dark outside yet so she decides to take a look out the window after shutting the door.

The wind still races outside. The bristling of leaves is the most audible noise which seems werid considering the banding of the attic shutters.

"why am i focusing on the leaves?"

She thought to herself. It seemed queer to single out the most unimportant thing out of the series of events taking place. But shes been in stressful situations before and remembers this feeling. The way the mind focuses on things that makes no sense. Maybe its just a way for the brain to rationalize an irrational situation.

Upon glancing outside of the window there was nothing there. Just the same oak trees as always. The old rust bucket in the dirt driveway that never gets used anymore. and the leaves. The dead autumn leaves bristling past everything. The air is starting to smell of moisture. The storm was getting close, she could feel her bones starting to ache due to the change on pressure.

"Maybe it really was nothing"

she thought to herself. just then a full figure appeared in front of her. It was just an instant because she turned away immediately. but when she looked back it was gone. The figure looked like a man. But clearly wasn't. He had pale skin, a black shirt, stringy hair. And cold white lifeless eyes. If it was a person it was one shed only ever seen in movies that had dead bodies.

"but that can't be"

she tried telling herself. Suddenly she was very scared. And with that the starting signs of panic started kicking in. Her first thought was to get her bible from the coffee table. But then she thought that maybe franks old gun might be a better choice. With this she steeled herself and went for the stairs.

These old stairs made quiet the noise going up. Even with the rick rack of the stairs and her hurried steps, the leaves outside were still very noisy.

"why the leaves?"

She asked herself as if the answer to that question would solve all her problems. Once she reached the top of the stairs she made a break for the door on the left, half expecting the thing to come back at any moment.

upon oping the door the lighting flashed without any precedence of thunder and there was Mark. Her first love. The one she wished could could have lived her life with but ultimately had to chose frank. He looked just like he did at 17, in the same uniform he was deployed in. but only for that instance with the bright white light filling the room. and then he was gone just as quick as he appeared.

She dropped to her knees and noticed the tears on her cheeks. "how long have I been crying?" she wondered.  only because she thought she should ask the question and not because she wanted an answer. Afterall there was no one there to answer her questions.

He had died in the pacific. His body was never found. Most likley his body is rotting at the bottom of the ocean. She had dreams of it before. Always nightmares of how he died. In every dream he was standing on the deck of the ship. holding a picture of her, staring off in the sunset when a plain flys over and drops a bomb that blows it to smithereens. Then hes gently sinking in the ocean under the inferno and wreckage above. His eyes wide open as the picture floats peacefully up top.

The room starts getting blacker. The wind is still raging outside. The leaves have gone quiet though. She tries to stand back up but is unable too. The room starts spinning and swirling. Swirling until the darkness is complete and she falls over. Never to get up again.