One Day We'll Meet at the Cabin

Arlo goes back to the cabin to finish some tasks.

The leaves floated down from the trees and were carried by a soft breeze until they landed in the river. Bright reds, oranges, and yellows decorated the dark waters like confetti. In the distance a tall bridge towered over the water. A train charged on as the sound filled the air all around. Nothing really stirred as the wild life had become accustomed to its metallic roar.

Arlo sat on a chair facing the river. The cabin had been built and it created an empty patch in the thick woods. There was a small dock, but the sun bleached woods and broken boards made it clear it was no longer safe to stand on.

Arlo took in a breath and smelled the chill in the air. It wasn’t just feeling the cold of your skin but something you could breathe in. The small box sat on the ground by his feet, it held a bag of ashes. It had once been his Dad, but now it resembled something you found in a vacuum waste bin.

In his will he said he wanted his ashes to be spread out in the river by the cabin. The one he made more promises of going than actually doing. Arlo grew up hearing all the things his Dad planned on doing which was a mix of dreams, hopes and plans, but time didn’t wait for unfulfilled promises. They both could blame life, but in the end even procrastination was a choice.

He looked out at the river realizing they had finally made the trip to the cabin. When the sun was setting he would release his father. Tomorrow he will get some wood and fix the dock. He would do the things his Father no longer could.