The Perfect Story by E. L. Gross - Part Two

  Fireworks were going off somewhere in the distance. John could see the muted glowing bursts and then they would fade. With such clarity, he remembered being on the sandy beach of Cape Cod and watching the 4^th of July fireworks display with his parents. With every explosion, his mother hugged his little body tighter and whispered "oohs and aahs" in his ear. He had been six years old and the bursting of the colorful spirals made his head spin in excitement. As they spread out in to the night sky, lighting everything up, they would change from reds to blues, then yellows and greens. Then slowly, they would trickle to the earth and disintegrate in to nothingness. His mother's lap had been warm and secure and he felt safe from any wayward sparks that might float down and land on them.

  He twisted his body and realized that he was laying down and something very soft was under his naked body. Burnt, orange, light warmed his eyelids. Opening his eyes, he saw that he had been lying in front of a large, stone fireplace. A radiating heat flowed from the flames that stretched out towards the chimney grasping for more oxygen.  There was a loud crackle, and then a pop as a log with its scorched underbelly gave way. The flames readjusted themselves and grew taller from the fresh burst of air.

  He almost dozed again from the overwhelming heat when his mind suddenly came back to life "Where am I?" Heavy pelts were covering him making it hard to turn his body. As he surveyed his surroundings, he became cognizant that he was in a tiny log cabin.

  "Ah, you are awake!" A melodic voice floated towards him and he perched himself up on to his elbows to see beyond the rocking chair that was to his left. An old woman was coming in from a doorway, holding a stack of wood.

  The woman walked towards him and gently placed a stack of wood on the ground by the fireplace. Brushing the chips off her clothes, she stood up straight, and smiled at him. "How are you feeling?" she said.

  John pulled the pelts to cover his chest and smiled wearily back at her. Confused, he said, "Where am I?"

  Again, the old woman smiled, and then reached on top of the mantle and took down two mugs. "You are in my cabin. Don't you remember getting lost in this storm?"

  All of a sudden, John remembered his trek through the woods. He remembered his frozen body, the bitterness of the storm, and his desire to give in to the cold. "The cabin, I'm in the cabin."

  Inside the fireplace was a cast iron stand placed to the left of the fire. Sitting on top of this stand was an old pot. The woman picked up a cloth and gently lifted the pot from its place by the fire. Pouring the steaming liquid into the two mugs, she returned the pot to its stand and placed the cloth on a peg on the bricks. "Yes, you are in my cabin. You had collapsed at my door, so I brought you in and placed you by the fire. Your clothes and body were frozen solid. In fact, I had to use a knife to remove your backpack and that was not an easy task. I felt it was best to lay you between the pelts for extra warmth."

  The old woman knelt down next to him and handed him one of the mugs. Picking up the metal poker, she poked the fire, giving it more life. Then she settled on the corner of his pelt and drank from her mug. "Drink the tea while it's hot."

  John took a sip from his mug. The liquid was hot but did not scald his mouth. It had been lightly sweetened and had a light fruity flavor. "Thank you, this is delicious. Actually, thank you for everything. I guess you can say you saved my life."

  The old woman chuckled, as she brushed a stray hair from her face the light from the fire made her glow. John noticed that her hair, which at first, he thought was gray, was actually blonde, with silver threads flowing through it. Her face, which had appeared to be old and withered, was really much younger than he originally assumed.

Stay Tuned For Part Three!
(copyright 2012 E. L. Gross)