The Journey
A story of survival
The wind pushed hard against her face as she struggled through the dark of night. Her destination wasn’t too much further but, in conditions like this, it felt like it would take an eternity to get there. The snow was knee deep and every step drained her of the strength that she no longer had. She lowered her head to avoid the shards of ice which pierced her skin like needles in a pin cushion. Her thoughts were focused only on what was in front of her. Although her journey had been arduous, it had been rewarding.
Not far ahead, her children desperately huddled together to stay warm. There wasn’t much shelter in these parts, so you had to make the most of what you could find. The three siblings sought refuge in an old homestead on an isolated station. The people who lived there had died long ago and, judging by the condition of the house, it seemed like noone had lived there since. Most of the property was badly damaged now and open to the elements, but it was still better than being outside without any cover; just like where their mother was now.
Enduring the weather, she pushed forward, knowing that her making it back to the station was a matter of survival. She thought of the family members that she had already lost recently, and knew that her young ones wouldn’t last much longer without her. She carried with her vital supplies from the nearest town — life-giving food to curb the hunger of her growing children. It was hard to find now as most of the people from the town had slowly left for warmer weather. This was a winter like no other; none that she had seen and probably would ever see again in her lifetime.
The walls of the homestead were barely in existence when the family first arrived, and there were even less standing now. Some parts of the stairs remained, though, and this provided the most cover they could find. The wind had been brutal and the snowstorms relentless. Gusts whipped through the ruin like a knife, but the children felt safe together in their corner. They were hungry and longed for their mother’s arrival. She was strong and had kept them alive thus far, so surely it wouldn’t be long until she returned.
As the homestead came into view, she took all the strength she had left and fought against nature’s cruel game. Taking her final steps through the snow and up into the house, she was relieved that her children were still alive. Dropping the food, her aching body followed as she watched her hungry children eat. Exhausted, she curled her tail around her and tucked herself under the stairs. While she slept deeply, her mother’s instinct was still aware of her pups’ presence as they snuggled up to her. Her family was together again, and would keep each other warm through another cold night to face yet another winter’s day before the spring eventually arrived.
