I throw myself back as laugher escapes my throat. Unable to contain the pure glee that flows through my body. Ben can’t stop the chuckle building in his either. I feel a hand slam into my shoulder as Dan stables himself; he leans in, body pressed against mine, giggles sounding like jingle bells. I hear the snow crunch under Ben’s feet as he stomps away trying to contain himself with hands on his knees. I take deep cold breaths in, air rattling in my lungs. Whipping a frosted tear out of my eye I breath heavy.

“You—ha—o-okay down there Duke?” I yell, clearing my throat after in an attempt to stifle my laughter. While I can’t help finding the situation hilarious, I should make sure the poor guy is okay.

“Did you see his face?” Dan is stil leaning against me, cheek resting on my shoulder with an arm now hooked around my neck.

“I know! I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone’s eyes pop out as big as his did. You would think he had seen a fucking Sasquatch or some shit!” Ben let out another cackling laugh at that, I can’t help but snicker.

“I knew the snow was rather icy, but I didn’t expect the sled to slide down as soon as he got in it. He was so fast I didn’t see what direction he went.” I try and block the sun’s glare out of my eyes, looking for the trail his sled should’ve left behind.

“He probably won’t ever let us take him sledding again, so much for a ‘good first time’ for the little Floridian boy.” Coming down from his high Ben looks towards the trees as well.

“Hey Luke…you don’t think he went to far past the tree line right…” Looking over I see the worry forming on Dan’s face.

“No, I don’t think so, or, at least I hope not. If he did he shouldn’t be too injured.”

“HEY DUKE!” Ben’s gruff voice shakes across the trees, “Where you at?” We all scan the tree line, waiting to hear a answer, even movement, but it’s still. Cold, still, and dead, I feel Dan’s hand slip into mine, worry still present in his face.

“…Let’s head down.” Any past joy melted away, tension now laying heavy in the air. The trek down the steep hill was slippery, I kept a tight hold on Dan’s hand. I pull him up as he slips on a patch of ice a few feet down from the top. “Hey Ben, remember the ice spot that’s here when we head back up. Don’t want Duke to slip down the hill again.” With a laugh Benny hums in an aknowlegment.

Even with the dazzling white snow, the dark thick trees up front suck in all the reflected light. Pillars of brown and black obscuring any view of the forest behind. We’re 30 feet away went he hear it.

“Fuck!” A snap of a stick.

In a blink, the forest is still, only for Duke to come running out. His foot catches on one of the roots, falling to his knees, bare hands sinking into the snow.

“What the hell!” Ben rushes over, hauling him up to look at him. “You okay? Where the hell did you go? You-Yo, where the fuck are your gloves?”

“We have to go, we-I saw,” shaking his head Duke tugs at Ben, dragging him back to us, away from the tree line. “We have to go!” I can see his hands shaking, eyes whipping back and forth scanning the tree line as he reaches for us, pulling our cloths til we’re in front of him. Duke pushes on our backs towards the winding path up the hill.

“What’s going on Duke? What’s got you freaked out?” I can’t help the question, nothing in a forest could scare a jock that claims to walk alone at night through his wooded back yard for hours. Duke is practically the epitome of fearless, or at least Dan sure thinks so. But Dan’s always been a little fearful.

“I can’t-no, I won’t tell you until we get our asses out of here and far away enough where we can get signal and call the police!”

“Police!” I almost slip as Dan grasps my arm, looking down his eyes scream in alarm. “Hey it’s alright, I’m sure it’s nothing to bad, Duke seems fine, right Duke?”

“Fuck, I am not fine, I don’t even know if what I saw was right, but I am in no way taking a chance!” We made it to the start of the path when a murder of crows scatter across the trees soaring into the sky. They fly, crying and croaking as the speed over our heads, away from the forest.

“What is that.” Dan shakily points back at the tree line. I have to squint my eyes to avoid the nearly blinding glare of the snow, but I see it. I feel as the air leaves my lungs. Ice freezing my veins, a choked question building in my throat. “You, you guys see that, right?” I angle my head towards the other two, but not daring to break eye contact with, with the thing.

“No, no-no no no! Run, we have to run.” With one last push on our bodies Duke sprints through the snow, catching himself with every minor slip, he’s the best wide receiver for a reason. In a blink Ben is running after him. I pull at Dan’s arms, “Come on, we’re going!” Grabbing his hand with a crushing grasp I drag him up the hill, hauling him up any time he slips. I can hear the sniffles and panting behind me. Looking back I see as pure terror clouds his face. I flicker my eyes past him. “Oh god!”

It running, sprinting. Dan flicks his eyes back as well, seeing the sight. A garbled scream escapes his lips as he looks back at me, eyes pleading for this to be a nightmare. I try to keep us running.

“Shit.” I feel Dan slam into my back as he slips. Almost at the top, but I forgot about that damn ice patch. I twist my body around, facing him. I grip at Dan’s shoulders as his face digs into my stomach. Sitting up in a hurry I pull at his clothes. We scramble trying to stand.

I look up, I feel the cold dropping into my stomach, a pit as I’m frozen in fear. Breathless as tears burn in my eyes. All I see is the silver reflection, a mini sun piercing through my eyes. The bloodied metal raised high in the air, crows circling above, a hypnotizing dance that glued me to the snow.

It’s almost as if time froze when I move. The axe swinging down as I turn, pulling Dan with me and curling against him. The cold that soaks my skin and taints my bones erupts in a hot searing warmth. I can’t help the shrill scream that tears my esophagus. The squelching of my back as it’s hack and hacked makes me collapse. Sobs pour out of Dan’s mouth. His body fully shielded under mine, I pull him tighter into me. His arms and hands bound against my chest, face buried in my collarbones. I feel my spine crack. My scapulas shattering. I feel myself go limp as the pain becomes a wave of numbness. Iron pools in my mouth, saliva and blood dripping on the snow. Black frames my vision, splatters of red on the delicate snow the only thing left in my faded sight. I hear Dan scream again before it all goes.

Echoes of a deep guttural laughter ringing in my ear before silence.