The dull dirt roads of Summers stretched out long and narrow through the snow drifted plains, any semblance of plant growth stamped out by the winter winds and storms- only the Evergreen trees at the forest line stood strong, yet their branches groaned with the weight of the snow blankets that coated each and every tree. Tonight was a bad one, the gale howled with a vengeance and with that it brought sleet. It berated at Selby’s skin and thin clothes in a terrible piercing way, like it wanted to freeze her very bones and crack them apart like icicles. But it wasn’t like there was any reprieve besides her destination, her car’s battery had given up on her a little ways back and there wasn’t any inns or gas stations this far out- so the only option for Selby was to grit her teeth and breath hot air onto her fingers to keep them from freezing while her legs did the arduous work of walking. A little off in the distance stood a small cabin, sat at the end of the dirt road and where the trees always stood tallest- at least that’s what it always felt like to Selby. The idea of climbing up those trees like the old times lightly pulled at her, but she’d be lucky if she wasn’t hypothermic at this point and it wasn’t like she’d planned to be here for long anyways. She shoved one of her trembling cold hands into her cargo pockets- delicately touching at the dull edge of the pocket knife, assuring it did not disappear into the air while she was trekking through the snow. Selby walked up the gravel driveway and up to the wooden door and made fists with frozen numb fingers to knock. Selby kept at it until the windows flickered with light, like a beam in the dark, and locks clicked open. The door opened so fast it frightened Selby making her stumble back, the light inside the doorway was so much brighter than the windows that it made her dizzy. The women holding open the door, Flossie, had gone through many faces upon opening and seeing her- Anger, shock, confusion, and worry. Flossie stepped forward but the light and shock of it all made exhaustion suddenly weigh tremendously heavy on Selby, who had been running on energy drinks and sleepless nights the past couple days. Flossie said something that Selby couldn’t understand, the words like water in her ears. “I’m sorry” Selby said, before falling backwards and smashing her skull on the dirt. Her head lolled to the side, facing towards the forest. Seconds before passing out, she saw a pair of eyes watching in the shadows of the evergreens.