I squeezed this one in between NaNoWriMo and the 20BooksTo50K conference. It's inspired by:
Ogres' Home
The curved posts were reminiscent of giant elephant tusks clad in brick. Posts and beams filled the spaces between them. The floor was compacted dirt, but otherwise clean. The whole structure had the feel of a communal long house, or a Viking hall. Its mixture of stone, brick, and wood belied any pretension to an aboriginal origin, however. Instead, it matched the sensibilities of the ogres who called it home.
Instead, it offered a warm, welcoming vibe. The heat leaking beneath the tall, wide door melted the snow from the stoop, and the yellow firelight set the windows aglow. They cast orange panels onto the snow.
When Jennifer entered the structure, she did not notice any of the visual discontinuities. Instead, what assaulted her senses was the smell.
She crinkled her nose. Rotting flesh. A dead, bloated rat, maybe? She sniffed tentatively, and caught a whiff of slimey, moldy cabbage, also. The scent made her eyes water.
She strode forward confidently and climbed the wooden ladder to the loft. The smells were stronger up there.
To anyone else, the odor would have been revolting, but to her it just smelled like home.
"Dinner's ready," her Mom called from the next room.
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