Dust drifted up from the old country road in dry, choking clouds as Evelyn Parker slowly made her way forward.
Every step felt like a struggle against the weight of the large bundle of oak branches strapped across her bent shoulders. The load seemed almost too heavy for someone her age, yet she kept moving. Her hands, rough from years of labor and marked by deep wrinkles, clutched the worn rope tightly.
Winter was approaching, and she knew those pieces of firewood might mean the difference between warmth and another freezing night.
To anyone passing by, Evelyn was easy to overlook. She appeared to be just another forgotten elderly woman living on the edge of a fading rural community. Most people never spared her a second glance. They saw an old figure on a dusty road and continued on with their lives, never wondering about the story hidden behind her tired eyes.
