Wet Tundra

Prompt: We spent the night writing horror prompts, and one of my biggest fears is running into a real live Tundra Swan. They are the largest bird in the swan family, and probably twice as ferocious!

My snowshoes squelched through the snow,

Wet and crunchy at the same time. Ahead of me was an endless sheet of white,

Behind me was a cold moaning sound that covered my old tracks greedily.

It was time to accept the facts.

I was lost.

Horribly lost.

My breath wasn’t coming easy anymore. Snot had frozen to my face, but what truly worried me more were the eyelashes I couldn’t see. I couldn’t feel my toes or fingers, but I could tell they were wet. A bad sign, one of many I had long ago lost sight of Rick’s bouncing back pack. Long ago given up hope that I hadn’t already stepped on his frozen face. He must be. He’s gotta be behind by now.

The storm came out of nowhere.

“Just a quick peek!” Rick had called, as he slid down the other side of the hill without my blessing. And then a bristling roar caught us up like a cat’s grasp and squeezed,

Before sauntering off well-fed, and well pleased.

I coughed.

Knowing I couldn’t stop, shouldn’t stop, or the cold would grab me. But I wanted to, oh how I wanted to. Just the thought made my knees quake and my feet sink

And then so did I.

The shaking overtook me.

Not enough to make snow slide into snow, yet it was sliding.

Not enough for powdered clouds  to rumble anew, yet they were  puffing

I knew.

I knew it wasn’t me shaking the ground this day, but I couldn’t look behind me.

I didn’t need to.

For whatever it was burst the earth beside me, before me, in front of me.

Wings beating like loud gongs, they rang like cowbells in my head.

The sound of sharp whistling as feather met wind and said back off.

Back off! My brain said—but I couldn’t move….and the orange eyes were glowing.

Wings were folding, and a great maw was gaping.

It let out a hiss.

Oh shit.

It weaved its neck from to left right

Oh crap.

The snow was wet and crunchy, I knew this because it flew up in wild, flopping arcs as I ran.

My snowshoes squelched and slipped, squelched and gripped.

In front of me loomed an endless white sheet accented by the dark shadow of my angel of death, flying over me

Hungrily watching me

Guarding me

For itself.

The moaning wind greedily stole all my tracks.

It was time to accept the facts.