Chilly

Journal Entry

You only find what you’re looking for.

The day had started wonderfully. In fact, it had started perfectly. Smudge and Biscuit were finally on their way—paws pattering, boots stomping, heads high. The sky was bright, the breeze was warm, and the path ahead stretched out like it had been rolled out especially for them.

“Nothing can stop us now,” Smudge said proudly.

Everything felt right. Everything felt easy. Everything felt… well… beautiful.

But journeys have a funny way of changing.

First, the warm breeze turned cool.

Then the cool turned cold.

Then the cold turned very cold.

Little clouds began to sneak across the sky, followed by their big, grey daddies. Colour slowly drained from the world. Even Smudge’s excitement dimmed, which was quite impressive because Smudge was very committed to being excited.

Biscuit began to shiver. Smudge did too. Their tummies rumbled. Their toes went cold. Their backpacks—previously helpful—were now worryingly empty.

They stood together in the cold, the dark, the nothingness. It occurred to Smudge, somewhat belatedly, that they had not planned this very well.

“It could be worse,” Smudge told himself, in an attempt to feel better about the situation.

He was right. It started to rain.

“Don’t panic,” Smudge said, instantly panicking. “ARGH—don’t panic! Biscuit, whatever you do, do NOT panic.”

Smudge ran around in a tiny frantic circle with his hands in the air, screaming, “THIS IS FINE! TOTALLY FINE!”

Biscuit remained perfectly unpanicked, which was admirable.

And then, just when everything felt hopeless, Smudge turned to look back where they had come from… and froze.

A house.

A proper house.

Warm golden light poured from its windows. A small chimney puffed a perfect curl of smoke into the air—the steady smoke of a toasty warm fire. The whole thing stood there calmly, as if it had been waiting all along. As if it had always been there.

“Biscuit… was that there before?”

Biscuit tilted his head. He wasn’t so sure.

Smudge wasn’t sure either. How had they walked right past an entire house and not noticed?

Well, because they weren’t looking for one then.

And now? Now, they definitely were.