Robert
storms across the meadow, reaching the trees in what seems like no
time at all, feeling that he has somehow been tricked into wasting
time. As he does, he turns to look back across the meadow. When he
does he gasps with surprise. There at the far end of the meadow is a
cottage from the pages of a child's book of fairy tales, with smoke
curling out of its chimney. Somehow the cottage has rebuilt itself.
“What
the...” he says out loud, then “Maybe. I wonder...”
He turns and
walks back toward the cottage, his eyes fixed grimly on the roof.
