The After

She opened the front door of the cabin and paused on the porch. The screen door creaked and settled shut behind her. A cool dry breeze swept across her face as the sun came up over Sheephead Mountain. Wisps of cloud lay across the sky, pink and yellow, like brushstrokes. Miles of brown and gold grass ran out over the barren land. Distant trees dotted the plains, dwarfed by the blue mountains. She had come out for water and she stood there and did not go for it. This was…