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The ax felt solid in ht it down onto a stump of wood The methodical movements always calmed my mind The wood splintered, and the ax stopped The sounds of nature yielding toin a world that had taken everything from me

The sun was bearing down on my back as the sounds of my niece drifted fro energy like a camp fire with driest of woods Those were the only two sounds that could calm me, the sound of nature, and the sound of Lanie

They gave me solace in a world where peace and harmony were a myth

Shoving the wood off to the side, I pulled a rag fro wood for the past two hours, and I could drops of sweat running downin the sun, even as the air around rees The mountains of North Carolina had fickle weather, and while its winters weren’t harsh, the terees

And we used our last supply of wood last night to burn for heat

I heaved another stu off in the distance Out here, it wasof birds Unless it was the nanny co up the driveway to tend to Lanie, there were no otherby No aot off school buses

The sudden sound of a car off in the distance caught my attention

I shared this face of the mountain with another home, but it hadn’t been occupied in at least four years I leaned against my ax as I listened to the noise of the car on the road, hoping the vehicle wouldn’t come any farther

I hatednew people

I purchased this cabin, assu the house down the road would rehbors who felt the need to be friendly

Whisking Lanie away to this secluded paradise was the best da I could’ve done for both of us After the unforeseen death of my sister, I was the only one Lanie had left in the world and I’d be damned if I left her to fend for herself She was much too innocent for this world

The sound of the car shut off, and I went back to chopping wood I didn’t care as co abandoned for so many years, it probably needed a lot of work I checked up on it every now and again, seeing if there was a “for sale” sign in the yard If anything, I thought I could purchase it so no one else could live up here alongside us

I never saw a “for sale” sign, so I figured the house had been abandoned, left behind by someone with no family while it rotted away on its foundation The wood desperately needed to be treated and soether No matter the condition of the house, however, I hoped the person pulling up to it was the type to keep to themselves

I wasn’t a hospitable person, nor was I willing to expose Lanie to soer

I sliced stu the a stash that would last us for the rest of the winter I had to start thinking about dinner since the nanny couldn’t stay late tonight, and I groaned just thinking about it If rocery trip within the next two days