Winter had sunk her claws deep into the forest. With little else to do at the ebb of the year, she's wrapped herself in her pinny and retreated to her kitchen, to turn her cold hand to the art of patisserie. In the main, she favours simple, bold designs, and has blanketed this corner of the earth in thick snow.
The wolf pack moved in unison, their hearts beating as one. Should a hunter pierce the ribs of this one, you almost feel certain that that one over there will yelp with pain. Should this one be fortunate enough to assuage that hunger gnawing his belly, that one will surely lick her chops lazily and enjoy a nap, fully sated.
The air is sharp in every pair of lungs, and each panting outbreath is marked by a frosty plume.
Muscles and bones nestled deep under generous coats of fur nevertheless ache for the warmth of spring. Damp noses miss the scent of young shoots, and wide, furry paws are ready for the rustle of fresh leaves underfoot.
Winter has been bitter and long. Only a mammal with a solid stone heart doesn't yearn for thawing and renewal, for some warmth from the flinty sun.
Even the coldest and darkest winters must eventually give way to light, warmth, and new life.
About the Creator
L.C. Schäfer
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By L.C. SchäferExclusive • 2 months ago
Comments (14)
Beautifully evocative and sorry I missed it earlier.
I was expecting one type of story and got something else entirely. Whimsey turned to descriptive feral kapow. Great language use.
It's the pack that survives and the lone wolf that dies. Makes me think about how groups of people start religious sects and even whole new religions, and how praise to one person or being could make one into a hero or false-god. Makes me wonder if the same thing would ever occur amongst animals, especially the more sentient ones. A wolf pack could embody a great wolf spirit that leads them on their hunts, or one leader is thrust farther above the pack in status till the point that the pack's beliefs elevate its physical abilities to what one might deem supernatural.
Well-wrought! I think perhaps that those animals who have evolved to hibernate are at the least instinctually wiser than the rest of us...
Lol, I was waiting for something bad to happen. But I still loved your story hehehehe
Love the imagery of nature here! 🤩
I felt their pain, the frost and long wait. I absolutely loved the opening paragraph
Thought this was simply stunning. Loved the para with stone heart and flinty sun. Clever and beautiful.
That was a lesson in creative writing if I ever did see one. Absolutely fantastic.
I could feel the bitter cold of winter in the opening, the longing for spring in the middle and the warmth and release bursting from the thaw in your final line. I agree with Donna, it definitely a chef’s kiss. I liked flinty sun, too!
🩷another great story, L.C
Beautifully written! Almost feels like a prose poem. The last line of the first paragraph was one of my favorites
That last line... was just chef's kiss! The perfect ending to the story! Great work LC!
This was a great job. I love the ending . Keep up the good work.