The Woodsman
Smoke curled out of the chimney on the log cabin, curling like a python wrapped around a mouse as tightly as possible. The fire inside was built with care and conservation in mind, as the wood pile next to it was nearly empty. A dog lay curled up on the rug, its paws kicking every now and then through the air.
A loud thump sounded at the door, as a great big man pushed it open with an armful of logs, a small sleigh behind him carrying several more stacks that were freshly-cut.
His dog rose immediately, and walked over to him, wagging its tail and inspecting the freshly-cut wood. The big man just smiled, patting the dog on the head as he dragged in the logs, stacking them neatly on his wood pile so he could keep track of exactly how many he had left, while carefully adding one more to his dwindling flames.
Then he unfastened his coat and set it beside the fire to dry, dropping himself onto the worn-out couch in front of the hearth to bring some life back to his fingers and toes. It was a night he didn’t relish staying out in for long, and he was glad to be back inside.
At that moment, the phone rang out on the other side of the room. Groaning in disappointment as he lifted himself away from the warmth of his fire, the large man ambled over to the phone and picked it up, wiping some of the snow out of his beard.
“Clark, we need you down here right now!” said the woman through the phone. “Something’s come up that you’ll want to see!”
“Can’t it wait, Lynda?” Clark said, rubbing his aching back. “I just got back from-“
“Listen, we need you right NOW. We aren’t going to get another chance like this, just-“
“Alright already then!” Clark shouted back, irritation in his voice. “It’s damn cold out is all. I’ll be down there in an hour. Should I bring Sparky?”
“No, we won’t need him today, Clark. Just…drive safe, alright?”
Clark, despite himself, blushed a little. Lynda sometimes treated him like a little brother, even though he was nearly twice her height and looked nothing like her. But she knew what a soft heart he had, despite his…preferred lifestyle.
“You know I will, Lynda. I’ll see you in half an hour.”
He hung the phone up, letting out a great big sigh, as he reached into the closet and grabbed a white lab coat. As he walked over to grab his drying winter coat, he rubbed his robotic dog behind the ear, smirking as it nuzzled against him like a real dog.
“See you later, Sparky. They need me down at the lab. Probably to help finish building your brother more’n likely.” He grinned, proud of his work on the dog that now happily curled back up on the rug. Putting on his cap and shrugging on his coat, he walked outside to his truck, and began the long drive down to the research center at the base of the hill.
Down there, he would make strides in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. But back home, he would lead the simple life of a woodsman.
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