"The Old Cabin"

Trudy A. Goold

Five-year-old Mark studied the view across the lake. It was a clear morning, and the lake was quiet and calm. Through the crisp spring air, Mark could see all the way to the other side of the lake, and the clear reflections of the trees growing there.

Suddenly, he felt his heart stop in shock as he saw a car parked beside the old cabin by the water. The car, a modern four-door sedan, clashed with the calm of the forest in a way that the cabin, even with its peeling paint and cracked windows, did not. The car was too... too modern.

<A car,> thought Mark, staring harder at the other side. Someone had actually bought the Henleys' place!

There'd be no more secret expeditions through the attic with Eric, he realized. No more Minotaur's Labyrinth in the woods, no more polar bear hunts by the dock. It wasn't the Henleys' land anymore.

As he leaned forward to get a better look at the car, Mark felt a great shout of rebellion welling up inside of him. He took a deep breath, threw back his head and screamed in rage and loss, shattering the calm that pervaded the forest and the lake.

He could hear his scream echo off the trees and the water, and for a moment, the forest froze in a terrible quiet. Nothing moved; nothing called. There was only silence.

And then everything restarted with a lurch that was almost audible. He could hear the birds calling to each other, the water slapping around the dock, the crickets chirping, as the calm returned.

The front door opened behind him, and Mark heard his mother come out to the porch.

"What's wrong, Mark?" she asked, concerned.

Mark ignored her. She wouldn't understand; adults never did. Instead, he continued to stare across the lake at the Old Cabin and, parked right next to it, the modern car.

I hope that you enjoyed The Old Cabin. Please send me any comments, suggestions, and/or constructive criticism you might have, in order to help me improve both The Old Cabin and my other stories.

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Last modified June 29, 1997.
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Trudy A. Goold/tag@myna.com