Day 274: 8 August 2026

 Short Story -- Part Two 

The wind howled.

The wind bit.

The wind felt like a monster in its own right.

And it wasn’t a forgiving one.

But inside the small cottage was warm and cosy, the fire in the hearth casting a cheerful glow. A family of four sat in various occupations around the room. And a cat sat on a cushion near the hearth.

Ariana was the one who looked most comfortable. Her parents kept casting tentative glances towards the cat. And her sister was tired and standing up to head to bed.

‘This wind is brutal,’ Ariana’s father was saying. ‘Perhaps I should go check on the animals in the barn.’ They had two cows, a horse and some chickens.

‘If you go out, who’s to say you’ll return?’ his wife answered, reaching out to him. ‘I’d rather lose one of them than you.’

He smiled gently and patter her hand. He didn’t get up.

The wind rattled the door.

But the room remained snug.

Eventually everyone went to sleep and the fire burned down to just embers, keeping the cat warm.

In the morning, Peter, for that was the husband and father’s name, went out. The wind had abated. A heavy snow lay thick on the ground. The barn was cold when he went in, but all of the animals seemed well. And he started his morning chores.

Over breakfast, he commented that he was surprised none of the animals had died in the cold.

The cat opened one eye from its cushion. ‘I protect my own,’ he said. And went back to dozing.