· Gällivare, Sweden
The quiet barn.
From the journal of the Wolf of the North · a work of fiction
A barn full of quiet was worse than a barn full of noise. I found the Marklunds holding still behind the feed bins while a reindeer stood at the open door, blocking their exit.
I stepped into the snow where it could see me and backed slowly toward the empty field. It followed for a few paces, then broke away. By the time I returned, the family had shut the barn and made coffee.