The Returners by Thomas Washburn Jr Read Free Book Online

kind Jacob, thank you. Now lets eat."
    The three dug into the food like they hadn't eaten in weeks. The only sounds in the room was of clattering silverware against cheap ceramic plates and the consumption of food. Outside the moon rose high in the sky, casting a subtle light through the slits in the windows. Warmth from the fireplace covered them with a blanket of comfort, a peaceful ending to a chaotic and difficult day.

Chapter 5
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Jacob woke to the sounds of early morning life creeping in through the cabin walls. He couldn't remember a time in recent memory when he'd slept so well. He sat up and got out of bed, being as silent as possible he made his way to the fireplace. The cabin was a bit chilly as the fire had burnt down to nothing but a pile of ash and glowing coals.
    Taking a few small pieces of kindling wood  from the wood box, he placed them on the glowing coals and gently blew on the embers. After a few repeated attempts, the kindling began to catch. Once the flame had taken hold and he was sure it wouldn't go out he put on larger pieces of wood. Walking over to the window by the door he peaked through the slit in the boards. The sun was just beginning to rise and cast a reddish orange hue against the clouds.
    He couldn't see anything near the cabin that would be cause for alarm. There was however a large pile of firewood that could use attention. Grabbing his shotgun and removing the large wooden latch that held the doors shut, he opened it. Doing so slowly, trying not to make any unnecessary noise that might wake up Jessica and Emily. He was sure to be just as careful about shutting the door the behind him.
    The chill of the morning air hit him almost immediately. There was something magical about the cold air of an early spring morning. It was refreshing, it breathed new life into the soul and helped clear the mind. He saw a splitting maul stuck in a large hunk of wood that was obviously used as the base for splitting. He pulled the maul out and grabbed a piece of wood from the pile, placing it upon the base.
    It had been awhile since he'd split wood, but with his first swing it all came back to him. The maul struck the wood squarely, splitting it down the middle into two almost perfect even pieces. He grabbed another log and repeated the process, finding himself quickly getting into a rhythm. It was good to stay busy, it helped keep his mind off what had transpired yesterday. Sweat began to bead down his forehead, he wiped it away and continued, getting lost  in the task at hand.
     
    Jessica slowly opened her eyes. She had slept extremely well last night, which was a bit of surprise to her. The air in the cabin was nice and warm, the heat from the fireplace kissing her skin. Someone, either Emily or Jacob had kept it going. Emily was currently sound asleep next to her so it must have been Jacob. She looked over to the bunk he had been sleeping on and noticed he wasn't in it.
    She looked towards the door and could see his shotgun was gone, but his backpack still sat by the chair. He hadn't taken off, because he wouldn't have left the backpack. Maybe he was hunting, it was then she heard the sound of firewood being split. It was hard to mistake that sound for anything else.
    Jessica slowly slid out of bed, being careful to not wake Emily and walked to the window near the door. Peaking out she could see Jacob splitting wood. He had quite a pile around him and she wondered how long he'd been at it. With a smile on her face she walked to the stove and opened the front door, putting starter materials and wood in. She grabbed a match and struck it against the coarse metal, the flame quickly coming to life.
    Lighting the starter materials she watched as the flame greedily licked at the wood. Satisfied it wouldn't go out she closed the door. The stove now roared with the crackle of burning wood. Grabbing a tea-kettle of water and placing it upon the stove, Jessica began searching her