Alaska Beckons

Thad leaned back against the log wall of the tumble-down shack. Closing his eyes, he envisioned his beloved Leah's smiles of love. The warmth of her love quelled the chill of the storm-rammed shack and filled Thad Tucker with inner strength and determination to get back to his bride-to-be and, the sooner, the better. "What are you smiling about?" Tyrone interrupted Thad's musing. "I can smell that perfume all the way over here by Charlie. You're a lucky man, my friend." Thad chuckled as he slipped the scented letter back into the envelope and inside his arctic jacket pocket. "I have a hunch you will be too, Tyrone. Thad had a question. "Say, Tyrone, do you know anything about something called Song of Solomon?" Tyrone frowned at the odd question then shrugged. "Not much. It's a book in the Old Testament of the Bible. I've never read it, though." The fire needed more fuel, prompting Tyrone to move and add chunks of chopped wood from a neatly stacked pile near the stove to keep it ablaze. As the wind outside the shack grew in ferocity, it seemed as though the wall of the shack would collapse. One gust of wind hit with a driving thud, startling both men. Again, another thud hit the shack with such intensity that Thad and Tyrone sat alert, listening, each running survival scenarios in their minds. A third and fourth thud came, and it seemed that there was a pulse to the persistent thud against the barricaded door. One word came to both their minds. "Bear!" they both yelled, jumped up and reached for rifles.