Elliot waded through the snow in the waning afternoon light. The chill stung his cheeks and made his nose runny, but he was happy. After shoveling what had felt like a ton of snow at the cabin, he’d spent the afternoon with Emma—the older sister of a friend from high school—from whom he rented the cabin. She lived with her husband Hank and their two kids a couple miles further up the mountain, in an off-grid house they’d built from scratch.
Elliot could never imagine life almost entirely without electricity, but he respected their choice and tenacity. He hadn’t been as admiring of their lifestyle when he’d had to use the outhouse, though. It was so cold, he’d thought it best to plead with his p***s, trying to convince it not to crawl into hibernation inside his body as he took care of bus
