The Old Man and the Cabin
Written By Brian Mundt

Cold air blew in through the open chimney and gently stirred the hair of the old man sitting in the rocking chair. With every push of his tired legs, the chair creaked and the noise bounced off the wooden walls.
The cabin was dimly lit; the only thing keeping blackness from invading was the lone candle flickering on a rotting table to his right. The candle danced in the cold breeze.
Crash
The old man slowly craned his head toward the origin of the noise; the stack of frozen firewood behind the house. Heavy footsteps ran from the noise and circled the cabin. The feet stopped in the front window.
Through the menacing blizzard, the man could make out the shadow in the window. It was a hulking creature, probably standing the better part of six and a half feet. The old man had never seen what the thing looked like, and this year was no different. It came at the same time every night and the same night every year, and so did the man. Every year he would light the same candle and sit in the same rocking chair. Every year the monster would get closer and closer, and every year, no one would believe him.
The thing peered into the cowering log cabin; slowly turning it's head from side to side. Through the darkness, their eyes met. The old man couldn't see its eyes, but could feel them. The creature didn't break eye contact; it stood perfectly still. There was nothing for it to worry about; the cabin was hidden in the mountain, miles away from any sort of civilization.
An uncomfortable feeling rose in the stomach of the old man, he shifted his weight. The rocking chair groaned and creaked. With a slow movement, the man lowered his arm from the rest and laid it across his stomach. The sinking sensation started again; the same it had in years past. The monster cocked his head, remained still for a moment, and slowly left the window. This time, it was careful to walk silently. Light from the moon filtered in through the glass to reveal a smudge of fog.
It appeared in the window of the front door. The man's heart skipped a beat and the creature left. Disappointment spread through his withering figure. Again, he shifted his weight, this time propping himself up into a straighter position. He knew it was only a matter of time.
The snow on the ground silenced the footsteps to a certain extent, but even in his old age, the man could still hear them.
.Plop.
The sound disappeared into the night behind the cabin.
Fatigue was starting to pull at the old man. Three consecutive nights of waiting were starting to take their toll. His head lowered slowly and then rose with lightening speed. With all the strength left in his sleepless body, he opened his eyes as wide as he could. Struggling to fend off the dark haze that was threatening to take him over, he listened closely for the footsteps.
The sounds appeared again, this time on the opposite side of the cabin. The creature had circled the house.
The old man smiled as the door exploded off its hinges. It was a smile of content, a smile of happiness. His heart beat its last restless beat and was forced into dormancy by the soothing melody of the creature's footsteps in the cabin.