Where were the Bears? The porridge pot on the dining table had gone cold and a knitted scarf draped the back of Papa Koala's chair like a fluffy question mark.
But a faint tantalizing aroma of rhubarb tarts in the oven, mingled with the scent of truss'd herbs from the rafters still hung in the air. The house was left behind in a hurry not too long ago.
Goldwynn followed the scent and padded into the kitchen, her curiosity spiking by the minute. Copper pots and pans hung like spotlights, a wooden spoon dunked in a bowl of whipped cream, and more cookie crumbs mapped a trail to the pantry door which was left ajar.
As she peeked in, shelves of jars filled with pickles, dried mushrooms, and jewel-toned preserves stared back at her. A torn label on a jar of "Bears' Special Blend" fluttered pleadingly at her.
Pushing open another door outside the cozy kitchen, her heart thumping like a wild drum all the while, she entered the Bears' bedroom. Papa Koala's big bed was rumpled, blankets tossed in a heap like he'd leapt up suddenly.
Coco Koala's spectacles lay folded on the nightstand next to a half-read book titled "Tales of Old Mansions and Estates" – her bookmark a crotched band adorned with tiny acorn sequins peeked out of it.
A hint of turbulence lingered in the air, like the room was holding its breath.
Her gaze swept the room taking in the cozy disarray. A nightgown thrown haphazardly on the ottoman, a soft, fuzzy jumpsuit with a button-eyed bear on the chest of drawers…
Baby Koala Tasha's tiny slippers lay abandoned on the floor, one upside down like she'd kicked them off.
Goldwynn's footsteps were light as she crossed to the dresser, where a jumble of Coco's crafting bits – beads, threads, and scraps of fabric – seemed to await her return.
A narrow stairway outside the bedroom curled upstairs like a twisted candy cane, beckoning her upward. Goldwynn gripped the banisters, her footsteps as light as a butterfly's wing. She strained to hear any slight sound, but the cottage was silent, except for the occasional creaks when the breeze blew.
The room at the top was... a huge library! Books that once towered in stacks seemed to have been toppled over, now lying in disarray, sheafs of papers were scattered around in an untidy mess and maps of the forest that once seemed to be pinned on the walls were ripped off from it.
A half-written note on a wooden desk read: "If lost, follow the brook to –" The sentence trailed off in squiggles and was smudged…by a teardrop ??
Goldwynn walked to a small, round window across the writing table. The treetops were an enchanting emerald sea below and far across.
There was no sign of any life at all in the cottage. It was frozen in time!
What just happened here ? And why did the cottage feel like it was holding its breath, too scared to exhale ?
To Be Continued....
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
This post is part of the A2Z Blogchatter Challenge 2026.
https://www.theblogchatter.com/blogrolls/egad-shambles-in-the-brambles-day-4-letter-e
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