In the Woods Somewhere

A menace lurks in the shadows, slinking between the trunks of the snow-covered evergreens guarding the dense forest and what exists within its realm. The menace flicks its tail, a fluff of orange and black against the puffs of white.

A cry, a scream, a wail.

Hairs stand at attention, instantly intrigued. My eyes follow the menace as it enters the thicket, and my legs move numbly through the trees to a snowy expanse. The menace pads across the field, its small paws tracking a delicate line of prints. Light on its feet, the menace trots a few yards ahead, stopping to peer over its shoulder.

A taunt, a beckoning, a reassurance.

Its eyes shine in the burst of snow, its copper coat elegantly dusted with white like sugar.

A delight, a temptation, a dare.

I shield my eyes against a gust of wind, a howling in my ears as frigid flakes bite at my bare skin. The menace has vanished, its prints have disappeared. Confused, I frantically search. But only my clumsy footprints remain. My breath billows and I stumble, falling onto a soft blanket. A soft blanket that harbors an icy secret.

A crack, a shift, a rush.

I gulp as the lake swallows me. I plunge helplessly into the freezing water, body encased in a frozen tomb. I reach, grasping at the icicles of light piercing the darkness. The menace appears, a silhouette in the warped glow above.

Watching, laughing, shaming.

I am the fool who followed.