Maddie's Cabin

         A thin wisp of smoke curled slowly from the chimney, dancing and flitting as the breeze carried it higher into the sky. Madeline stopped chopping wood and admired the serene scene before, leaning on her ax. Snow had covered the ground and frozen overnight so that everywhere she looked, a million glittering crystals winked back at her. There was even a blanket of snow still covering the driveway, unmarred by human activity. And there was her home, her sanctuary, a small cabin that blended right into the scene around it. But it was well made and kept the elements out, even on devastatingly cold days like this one. The hurried chirps of a chickadee returning to its nest broke Maddie from her reverie.

         "If I don't finish soon, she thought, I'll freeze tonight." Comforting and warm as her cabin was, these logs she chopped were all that kept it that way. She flexed her fingers and blew on them to help keep the feeling in them a little bit longer. She didn't have much more work to do out here. She went back to chopping and tried not to think about the work that still awaited her inside, the tidying up and making of dinner. And of course, she still didn't know how Josie was faring. It would be a few more days at least until she got news about that. She sighed and shook her head, gathering up the wood she'd chopped in the carrier and slinging the ax over her shoulder. Huge caverns were left in the snow as she tromped back to the cabin. Brushing snow off of her, she stepped inside, savoring the smell of fresh bread in the oven. Stumbling out of her boots, she pulled her jacket and scarf off and threw them in a pile on top of the wood next to the fireplace. Her gloves still on, she gingerly pulled the bread out, examining it for imperfections.

         "Mmmm, just like Grams' bread. Perfect."

         Now all she needed was some good soup to help warm her up. Thankfully, she had gotten most of the ingredients ready before she'd gone outside. Putting a pot on to boil, she added her favorite ingredients, potatoes , carrots, celery, and her own special blend of spices. Satisfied that all that was needed now was time, she pulled a blanket around her and curled up next to the fire and gazed out the window.

         "Just in time," she thought, as she watched the snow start to flurry again.