A thick layer of snow covers the forest floor like a blanket
A cabin appears in the distance
I see a small white-haired woman sitting in a rocking chair on the porch
Slowly, a black cat swirls its tail around the woman’s leg
Words slide out of her mouth like smoke
I cannot understand what she is saying
I take five steps and duck behind a tree
Freezing snow glides down the back of my sweater
The usually familiar forest is eerie at night
And the sky is almost black now
The white-haired woman stares unblinking at the cat
Still murmuring the words I cannot make out
I must get closer
One more step and-
CRACK
A broken branch trembles beneath my boot
My head quickly turns toward the white-haired woman
But she is gone
The cat is gone
The cabin is gone
And I am left in the black, snow covered forest
Alone.