Interrupted Thoughts, Unsolicited Advice, Divine Signs - or is it all just senile mumbo jumbo?

The priest was reading as he walked, absorbed in the strange book his nephew had lent him, known as Nadja, when he heard a sickening crunch beneath his foot. After a quick inspection, he concluded he had stepped on the old dried skull of a small, omnivorous animal. His wrinkled face formed a frown, both from pity for the animal and the sudden painful reminder of his own old age. He motioned a quick cross in front of his chest and stepped carefully over the rest of the remains, deciding he’d better watch where he was stepping from then on.

As he continued his short, silent voyage home, the priest’s mind kept wandering back to the brittle bones. It meant death, which of course didn’t scare the priest. It meant loss, which he believed was only temporary. It meant nature, both the bane of - and escape from - mankind.

He stopped and breathed in the fresh air as a breeze tickled his wild whiskers.

“Grandpa, I want to climb to the top of that mountain!” The priest’s grandniece was excitedly jumping up and down, pointing at the tallest mountain in the neighboring range that protected their town from nasty weather.

The old man’s thoughts were interrupted, as they so often were these days, by his loyal Shepherd’s excited bark, heavy paws pounding on the ground as he ran to greet his owner. The clergyman opened his blue eyes, scanning the horizon for his beloved dog. Shading his aqua orbs from the sun, he caught a glimpse of the very mountain his grandniece had wanted to climb.

Was I meant to stop where I did, look where I did, think what I did? Is this a sign?

She always was a smart girl.