Winter Song

The wind swirled glittering snow through the frigid night air and a pair of eyes watched from in the trees. She had been outside for hours now, lonely, frozen hours, her skin had gone blue. She was looking for something... what had it been? The forest seemed to laugh, tall and menacing as a hooded statue, cruel flakes of snow nearly cutting her skin. Where was she, and why? Black ebbed at the edges of her vision, burning, icy pain puncturing her ribs, and she could smell death.
"I don't want to die!" She choked out to the night, the only answer the howling wind and... a chuckle? No, impossible. She was alone, she was always alone. Wasn't she?
"Foolish mortal." A voice like black ice hissed, fog curling through the trees. She desperately stumbled towards the voice, frantically searching.
"Help! Please!" A tear fell and froze on her face, body shaking harshly.
"Help? You are beyond help...."
"Where am I?! What's going on?!"
Then it stepped out of the trees, liquid and smoke all at once, constantly moving, and yet perfectly still. "Do you remember?"
"Remember what?" Sinking to her knees, terror in her eyes, too weak to get away.
"Your son, pathetic woman. Kevin."
"....No. No, no, no!!"


The van was hurtling along the road at an alarming rate.
"Mum.... slow down...."
"We're fine, Kevin, and you need to get to hockey, you're late."
"Mum, please, you're scaring me!"
"Kevin, be qu- oh my god!" The tires screeched as she spun the wheel frantically. It had just appeared in the road, unblinking and unaware of the turmoil it would cause. The van smashed into a tree and the deer ran as fast as it could away from the road. She groaned loudly, and turned to look back at Kevin. He was gone, and there was no evidence he had ever been there. She ran out of the car, screaming his name, trailing blood behind her as she frantically searched for her son. Farther and farther through the woods, colder and colder, she forgot her name, her son, everything, in the haze of white. Her fingers had gone blue, and she couldn't see her face, but she knew it must be the same. Her blood had felt frozen in it's veins, and the only thing keeping her going was the need the find something.

It laughed, a vile sound, and picked her up.
"Worry no longer, for you need not find him."
"Why? Where is he?"
"In the van."
"No he isn't!"
"Yes, he is. You were the only one to depart that van. Look around you."
She gazed at the world from it's arms made of shadows, whispers, and lies. "I see nothing different!"
"You have either spent your life blind, or you are lying. Look, fool, but see this time."
And she knew. She was dead, dripping blood all over the front of the car, half her head missing while Kevin screamed in the back, tears dripping down his face, teeth chattering.
"It's not true!"
"It is the truest thing you will witness in this world."
"He'll freeze! I have to save him! Please!" She sobbed, closing her eyes.
"It is not his time. Someone will find him before I have to collect him."
She looked up at it's face, and realized it was never in one place. It was fluid, pure darkness and frost.
"What are you?"
"Winter, in a way. 'Tis the season of death, mortal."
"Why me?"
"That, I cannot tell you." It set her down. "Follow me."
"Where?"
"To eternity."
And with that, she set out with it through the snow, and realized she was no longer cold. She would never be cold again.