“Fresh,” Anne muttered, holding up the sagging bouquet of flowers. “Fresh like—a daisy!” She forced a smile and tried to add the cheery note to her voice that Susanna always used.
It didn’t work.
Her voice echoed hollowly in the old cabin.
Shoulders slumped, head bowed, lips pursed. She couldn’t put this into words. The feeling of standing there, staring out into the frosted wood with the wilted bouquet in hand.
Behind her, the charred interior of the cabin seemed ominous.
Anne sighed. She turned away from the window and moved to where the fallen wreckage from the roof had impaled the once smooth floor.
Laying the wilted flowers atop it, she clasped her hands in front of her and whispered a quiet prayer.
Head bowed, hands hugging her elbows, she shuffled out through the shattered doorway of the front door.
On her fifth step from the gutted wreck of a home, the rest of the cabin fell in. Neatly piled in on itself, the creaking and groaning began.
Growing louder with each step she took, the cabin groaned and moaned. Wood snapping, glass breaking and snow crunching softly beneath her feet.
Anne resolutely continued on.
She didn’t look back when the wildflower vines sprang to life, curling over the wreckage and twining around the burnt remains.
She didn’t flinch when the final crack of the earth splitting open sounded as the blackened pieces of wood vanished into the ground.
And she didn’t look back at all—when the final remains vanished beneath the flowered, grassy carpet and a spray of white flower petals mimicked the snow that blanketed the rest of the hill.
A/N: So welcome to the first prompt of the new year! Yes, I’m still going to keep on trying my hand at these. I love writing short pieces, especially when I don’t have the time for the longer ones that I am so fond of. There will be a lovely year recap post to come. (granted that I can make myself write it tomorrow–LOL), so stick around for it. Have a fabulous new year! Many good wishes and hopes for you and yours. ~Sara