What was I doing In the middle of a frosty night, so far, far away from my home aboud? Well, I was getting a ring for my wife, Karla. It was near christmas and I had just gotten enough money at my low-end job as a janitor. I had wanted to get Karla a ring, but I just didn’t have enough money. She said she didn’t mind, but I did. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I snuck out of bed and drove off to the nearest jewelry store, which wasn’t close. In fact, it was a couple hours away, but I didn’t care, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep thinking about it.
Once I had gotten the ring, sadly the cheapest one in the store, I walked back to my ol’ truck. As I strolled I inspected the sky blue shimmer of the ring. I then shoved it into my coat pocket, blessing it wouldn’t somehow make its way out.
I grabbed on to my frost covered door handle and jumped in, the old leather seats ripping from all the years of use. As I started my truck the engine sputtered, I slammed my hand desperately onto the dashboard. The truck started along and I began my long journey back.
For a good hour there was just a straight path, aligned with sharp pine trees all lined up, strangely even. There were no other cars, not at this hour. I put on the radio hoping for something more than just “Jingle Bells’ ‘ or ‘Rudolph’, but my pursuit ended shortly with defeat.
A half an hour had passed on the rough, dark road that seemed to go along for an eternity. My eyes began giving out, I had to force them open at this point. As I struggled to keep myself awake the truck began to uncontrollably slide across the icy road. I jerked the steering wheel to stay on the track, but it’s pull became stronger and stronger.
The truck catapulted off the road and raced across the snowy forest. I panicked as I tried my best to narrowly avoid trees that seemed to be at every corner. As I swerved across the landscape I felt more and more claustrophobic, I wasn’t sure if I could hit the breaks without crashing headfirst.
As I scarcely veered around the slender landscape, something leaped onto the window of my car. At the time I didn’t get to get a good look at it as in my panic, I slammed right into a tree.
I wasn’t sure how long I was there, unconscious, as frosted flakes trinkled themselves upon me. But, surprisingly my eyes eventually creaked open in my scrap of a truck. I had major double vision and my right leg was looking pretty damn bloody, but with the crash I was in, it was a miracle.
I grabbed onto the door handle and thrusted hard to pry it open. Not a budge, so I resorted to kicking the door with my hard, black boots. Ultimately I was able to break the door down, but as I did cold air rushed to my face. I stepped out onto the snowy scenery and looked around.
Nothing but trees as far as my damaged vision saw. I checked my pocket for my trusty flip phone. It cracked pretty bad but looked functional, I dialed 911 but nothing happenedl. I got to the trunk of my truck and forced it open. I grabbed a dirty rag and wrapped it around my right leg tight to hopefully stop more blood loss. I then grabbed a flashlight, knowing I’d have to make the rest of the journey on foot. I then checked my coat pocket, the ring was still there, safe and sound. I then began my long journey home.
As I trudged forward in the frost as the trees loomed over me it almost felt like it got darker somehow. But I kept going forward, knowing that it’d all be worth it in the end. I thought about all the warm hot cocoa I could drink to keep my mind off the whistling wind that passed right through my thin coat.
After some time walking through the thick snow with my flashlight only shining a small slither I heard something in the branches of a tree. My shaking hand shined the flashlight over to the origin of the sound, but nothing was to be seen.
I wasn’t sure if the freezing temperature was messing with my head or there was some kind of predator but I stopped in my escapade, nervous. I then whipped my head back to the direction I was walking and something stood right in my face.
I stumbled back as the lanky creature inspected me.
The creature was short, with slender limbs. It seemingly had no skin and was made of pure white muscle. It’s head was covered in two orange, bulbous eyes, even stranger was the creature was missing a mouth.
I just stared at the creature as it stared back at me, it’s sharp eyes sending a chill down my spine.
The creature then started to climb over me, almost as if examining me.
It’s three-fingered hands eventually made it’s way into my pocket where it found my ring. It loomed over the ring and then darted onto the nearest tree climbing in a way I couldn’t even describe.
I grabbed my flashlight and sprinted as fast as I could, I wasn’t sticking around near that thing.
I powered my aching legs with utter horror, not daring to look back.
My sprinting stopped at a halt when I heard a “Hello? Who’s there?” and out of the darkness came Karla. She looked freezing and teared up as she saw me. She rushed over and immediately hugged me as hard as she could.
I felt her thick brown hair as she squeezed me tight. I felt a sense of relief, but something felt off. I didn’t feel this was right and I recoiled from Karla and fell backward, I looked up.
My leg was utterly covered in blood as the rag had somehow managed to fall off. Karla wasn’t there anymore and was replaced by a tree, a hallucination from all the blood loss. I didn’t have much time left so I grabbed my phone out of my pocket, my frostbite hands desperately dialing Karla’s number so I could maybe, maybe say one last thing.
Somehow I got a signal, I heard “Hello? Jack, JACK ARE YOU THERE!?”
I then said a final “I’m Sorry” to my wife who may or may not be a hallucination at this point.
My wife found my numb, bloody body the very next day.