Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Yeah, this was a dumb fucking idea. I’m freezing my ass off and have been wandering around for what feels like hours.
Either the trees are way too tall, or the stumps are way too thick for me to realistically get through alone.
I’m trying to be practical about this. I know what I can and cannot handle.
I still have to drag the damn thing back, and honestly, I would have turned back a while ago if it wasn’t for my irritating determination to do this.
With each step, my feet sink into the ground.
There must be four feet of snow on the ground right now, but at least it’s still fluffy and not mushy.
It makes it easier to travel in. It's quiet out here, peaceful you could say, and I’ve been able to do a lot of thinking on this walk.
About what happened with Liam and Kaci, about how I’m going to tell my family after this trip, about this morning.
So many thoughts jumble my brain, all boiling to a head where it’s starting to feel a bit overwhelming. I really need to find a tree soon.
At that thought, I stumble across a bit of a clearing.
The trees are less dense in this area, and there are a few smaller, less thick trees.
Perfect. I inspect each one, making sure it’s not too bald, that there aren’t any critters living inside, and that it’s dense enough to look “full” when decorated.
Finally, I spot the perfect tree. It meets all the criteria, so I get to chopping.
Each swing feels like pins and needles dancing across my skin with how cold it is outside, and with each contact of the axe to wood, my hands vibrate, but I push through, swinging and chopping all the way until the tree falls.
I secure the rope around the base, wrapping it around the stump and fastening it into a handle.
Then, I start dragging, making my way back to the cabin.
This is a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I’m making slow progress as I fight through the thick mounds of snow.
The wind is starting to pick up, and my face is practically numb at this point.
I know snot is running down my face, but I just can't feel it, and I’m regretting this decision rapidly with each pull of the tree.
A loud snap to my right grabs my attention, and I jerk my head in that direction.
“Hello?” I call out, but I’m only met with silence. Must have been an animal.
I keep going, continuing to pull the tree through the woods until another crack startles me, stopping me in my tracks.
“Hello?” I call out again, looking in every direction, but still, I’m met with silence. I can practically feel my heart beating in my throat, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on alert.
I go to pull the tree again, but I’m suddenly overwhelmed with fear when I hear growling coming from three different directions.
The growling starts off faint, but it gradually gets louder until I see four wolves all stalking in my direction.
They move slowly. Putting one foot in front of the other, their heads low and their teeth bared.
I drop the rope, backing up slowly in the only direction they don’t have me cornered. They stalk closer, and I know there’s only one option I have here.
I run.