Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Omnishambles (05/01/14)
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TITLE: Surprise, Surprise! | Previous Challenge Entry
By LaRue Kendrick
05/08/14 -
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Kate practically bounced in the car seat as she and Jacob neared the turnoff to their summer cabin. How she loved the cabin with its red and white gingham curtains in the windows, flower boxes under the windows outside and the tall pines all around. In fact there just wasn’t anything she didn’t love about the cabin.
As the SUV moved along the dirt drive toward the cabin, Jacob and Kate saw glimpses of the cabin through the trees. Something in Kate’s sub conscience sent up a warning flag, but she wanted to ignore it. When Jacob said, “Kate, there’s something very wrong here,” she batted away a tear, knowing that he was right.
Parked near the cabin door, Kate’s door creaked as she slowly opened it and stepped out. Jacob gave a whistle before he spoke. “What in the world has hit?”
Fighting back the tears, Kate answered. “It looks like a tornado went through here, but there aren’t any tornados in these mountains . . . are there?”
“No tornados, but something sure came through. It had to be a storm with that tree being forced through the wall like it is. I’m going inside to see what damage is in there.”
“I’m coming with you, even if I’m not sure I want to see the inside.” The door pushed open, although one hinge was broken so it sagged on the remaining hinge. Carefully, Jacob entered with Kate behind him, hanging onto his shirt.
Neither could speak as they surveyed the scene. Windows were broken; shattered glass covered the floor. The pretty curtains were torn and hung limp. Kate squealed as a field mouse scurried over her foot and out the open door. “Jacob, this is awful. Our beautiful little cabin has been taken over by the forest critters!”
The shelves that served as kitchen cupboards were bare. Every dish that normally sat on them was on the floor, broken. Mice and other vermin had left behind their tell-tale tracks everywhere her eyes looked.
Just as Jacob was about to speak, a raccoon and four babies scurried out from behind the bathroom door. Both Jacob and Kate jumped back to give them exit room. “I thought some of this chewed up, broken mess might claim raccoons as the culprits,” he mused.
Kate’s shoulders shook with her sobs. In between sobs, she wailed, “The mattresses on the beds are even chewed up! The kitchen sink is full of bird feathers and parts of a nest!”
Jacob stuck his head out of the bathroom to say, “There’s a dead snake in the bathtub. I guess it slithered in but couldn’t slither out again.”
“Absolutely everything is covered in mud and dirt,” sobbed Kate. “I don’t even know where to start to clean up this mess.”
Jacob took her in his arms and smoothed her tousled hair with his hand. “First of all, we are going back to town and gather the equipment we need to tackle the job. Then we are going to call your brother and my sister and see what they have going on this weekend. Maybe we can recruit some help. And most important of all, we are going to ask the Lord to give us strength and wisdom to know where to start and how to best do what we have to do.”
“You always have a plan, Jacob. I thank God for you and that we can face this together.”
“We will face it with Him, and we will give thanks even in this situation. It is right to be thankful in all situations; not thankful for the situation, but thankful in it.”
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Well done.
God bless~