Violet's Arc

Chapter 4 of 10

The fog rolled in fast, swallowing the path. Violet wrapped her grandmother's bright patchwork quilt tight around the basket and tucked the mountain violets deep inside. Cornelius nudged her toward an empty cabin. They waited there, listening to the drip of mist on the roof. The quilt was stitched from a hundred small squares. Her grandmother's hands had made every one. Violet pressed her palm flat against a faded purple patch and counted her breaths until the mist thinned. When the air cleared, she walked back to the tall stone message post at the trailhead. Her note still waited under a small carved flower. She folded it into her pocket. "Walk fast," Cornelius said. "Petals won't last." Violet started down the long path. The basket stayed cool against her side. The blooms were safe for now, but every step took heat from the day. She knew the truth in her arms: she would reach her kitchen, but not with hours to spare.