Aurthur chopped wood for the fire for tonight's blizzard. He heaved the axe over his head then brought it down over the prepped log, splitting it in two. He picked a cigarette butt out from the corner of his mouth, blew a steady stream of smoke out across the yard then flicked the butt into the snow. He propped the axe back beside the woodshed, collected what he needed and proceeded to the front door.
Like every night, Aurthur would look out over his front yard, then over to a fenced off field, vast and hilly on the far left side, sloping down to further reaches of the town. A radio station would sit upon that crown of the hill, never being touched or entered, however fully operational for years. Or so a lone metal street lamp would suggest, always beaming its pale orange light over the moldy husk of what was once part of military communications during the soviet war. This night, something other than the usual stillness of the hill: A faint fluttering noise hung in the air, the street lamp flickered to random flashes of wings. Owls, Aurthur thought. They dove around the light, catching the insects attracted by it. Snow hampered his sight of better observation as it sheeted down into the fields. He thought nothing of it, but it was interesting none the less.
He shook snow off of his shoulders and replaced his coat back on the hook. He wandered over to the fire and dropped a few into the spitting hearth. They crackled, sizzling away the moister from the snow as they slid over the old coals. Eve appeared with a sandwich on a plate.
"Hey Aurthur, I thought you were supposed to be done cutting that wood an hour ago." She said, slumping down into the coach in a corner then took a rather large bite from her sandwich.
"I was -- distracted," Aurthur said. Eve gave him a narrow glance.
"You mean you were taking a fag out by the shed again." Continuing to eat, she turned on the TV and set it to the news. He dragged out a sigh of irritation. "It's not easy you know, trying to quit smoking. I try to last, but it gnaws at me."
"I'm sure it does," she said sarcastically. Aurthur just shook his head and threw himself onto the couch next to Eve.
On the television, a broadcast was issued for the area: The blizzard was suspected to block all road usage for more than three days and potentially cause black-outs. Another program during the night, they were discussing the phenomena of island gigantism. How creatures grew to ridiculous sizes while the naturally large creatures would revert to smaller sizes.
"Hey, want some bourbon?" Eve said, nudging Aurthur in the ribs. "It's freaking cold and I could use a warm up."
"No thanks-- I'll pass," he said as he watched the documentary.
"Fine." She stretched and groggily wandered into the kitchen, gripping and rubbing her hands fiercely.
Aurthur's eyes limped, lazily flicking open and closed as he tried to keep interest in the show. As his eyes just sealed the envelope to sleep, something jolted him back into alertness. A fluttering noise filled the air, then a curious tapping noise on glass. He looked around, nothing. Eve was still in the kitchen, but he'd doubt she'd be making that much noise. He searched aimlessly, until he passed by the window nearest to the TV. The tapping increased in urgency. Against his better judgment, he knew what would probably be beyond that curtain. A swift wrist movement, he flicked the curtain out of the way as an exhibitioner would do revealing a piece of art. He stared dead-eyed at the face of a shadowed figure staring at him. He jumped back and cried out. Eve rushed in, splashing her drink onto the carpet, bourbon soaking down her wrists.
"You bloody idiot. It's me!" A muffled voice rung out from the other side of the frosty window.
"What's going on!" Eve shouted, flicking the bourbon off her hand and setting her drink down on a small stand next to the couch. She pushed Aurthur out of the way and opened the window; snow splashed from the sill as it slid open. "It's just Gustav, Aurthur," she said, giving him an angry look. "No bloody need to scream like a girl." She said and turned to Gustav. A smile slicked over a cracked canyon of an aged face as he approached the window. "Ah -- Eve, how are you tonight, my dear?" he asked, leaning on his walking stick.
"I'm doing just fine, sir. Why are you out in this blizzard; you'll catch your death!"
"My dog ran off," Gustav said, turning left and right, peering through the sheets of cotton darkness. "Something spooked her real good, before I could pull her in. So, she just ran off into the snow trying to find whatever it was. Possibly a fox, or bear even." He shivered, almost tumbling over in the snow. Eve frowned. "You sure you don't want to come inside for a hot drink?" She offered. "I'm sure she'll come back on her own, Gustav."
"No, I'm fine, dear." Gustav righted himself, stabbing the snow with his stick. "You've seen her?"
Eve shook her head. "No."
"She's the only thing I have left that would come close to a companion these days," Gustav murmured. "I have to find her."
"I hope you do. This storm is getting worse by the minute." Eve said, ducking back in from the window and retrieved a woolen scarf from the arm of the coach. "At least cover up with something." she pleaded.
"Thank you, dear." Gustav accepted the scarf and wrapped it around his pale face." As he was about to leave, he turned to the window again. Something hung to the upper sill of the glass. It flicked snow off of itself with it's curling two brush like protrusions around its narrow head. Gustav stared as it wiggled around with its grip. The television played weird light tricks as the creatures fur shimmered silver and a slither of teeth could be seen with a curling tongue ducking behind them. Then took off into the darkness, toward the radio station.
In the distance, a faint howl from a nearby wolf radiated across the landscape, over the hills in the nearby field. Gustav picked up his cane with a slight tremble in his heart and began to stomp off into the darkness.
Eve closed the window and slid the curtain back to its original position. "Who did you think it was Aurthur?" she chuckled. "A monster or something?"
"I truly don't know." Aurthur said, rubbing his fingers through his hair.
"You dream to much. I'm going to bed." Eve declared to no one too specifically, and began to shuffle for the stairs. Aurthur placed the hearth protector over the fire and sat on the coach for a moment before heading to bed.He turned towards the window once again and heard a faint flutter of wings, and a long deep-set groan far out in the blizzard.
Midnight came and went, followed by continuous winds that made the old house they lived in groan under the strain of the snow and ice. Aurthur awoke in his bed under his covers. He stared at his L.E.D clock. The green light shone the time: two-thirty. For a moment, he shifted around and stared out his window. White specks hurtled across the silhouette of a void. He thought of space and its infinity.