The Winter Prowler

The trees were bare.

But beware, some had a snare.

Not a single leaf remained on the barren branches.

A gentle snow had begun to fall in patches.

The sound of wood creaking achingly –

And wind billowing traveled its way down into the valley.

The forest was inhabited; the creatures hidden from sight,

Hibernating and avoiding frostbite.

It was peaceful, not a disturbance in view.

But wait - in the distance, there – right there – was an object with an odd hue.

Squinting against the onslaught of sharp snowflakes,

A shadow of a figure was made visible right by the lakes.

In a blink of an eye, it had disappeared,

Leaving me wondering if the cold was affecting me as much as I feared.

Crunching of snow could be heard from behind.

I whirled around and met with nothing – Am I losing my mind?

Perhaps I have been out too long in this outdoor freezer,

Increasing the odds of having developed a high fever.

An ice breeze skimmed across my rosy cheeks,

Invading my nostrils with a strong scent of rust that gave me the creeps.

Warm thoughts blanketed my mind with the thought of home,

After finding the winter wonderland scenery too monochrome.

I turned and took a step back.

I froze, noticing something wrong with the track.

Gone were the footprints,

Leaving me no hints –

Of the directions I took.

Something was amiss, so I had another look.

Red thick droplets tainted the uniform layer of white snow.

With a frown, I kneeled and inspected what lied below.

However, I was deeply mistaken.

The source came from above – and it was utterly forsaken.