Today I saw her again

Seasons Change

Things seemed to change decades later as the colder seasons started to roll in. The chill in the air brought about the rats of humanity to my home. It started during the rain, the thud of winter boots fell along my patio, and a rough looking man unlocked the door for the first time in forty years. He mumbled under his breath, taking notes of the home and speaking low to someone on a rectangular device. There was a high-pitched noise when the receiver would answer his message with a question or answer one in turn. I do not like these devices. They annoy me.

Soon after a team of workers moved into the home, they installed a heavy steel door in one of the downstairs rooms. Stripped the walls of paintings and decorations and set a flat smooth floor down. Curious, I once visited the room. The floor felt like concrete, with a gel-like cover over it and a drain in the center of the room to make for easy cleaning. They allowed one small window, it was barred shut and strangely opened from the outside.

I once had a hunter stay in my home. He had made a similar room in the basement to gut and bleed his kills. I liked him quite a bit. He never asked questions when the mess he would leave would disappear. He would just silently thank me and allow my meals. He, unlike many others, knew to never question the forest and was one of the few I allowed to live out his life here. I wondered in anticipation what sort of animals this new family would hunt for me.