''The Festival of Snow: The Full Story’'' | THE CLASSIC YETI CREEPYPASTA [EXCLUSIVE STORY]

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so today we finally<font color="#CCCCCC"> reached the</font> concluding part of<font color="#E5E5E5"> a story I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> think I</font> started way back<font color="#E5E5E5"> a last November or</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">maybe December</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but you've been waiting a</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">long time for this and I think</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it's time</font> I<font color="#E5E5E5"> finally delivered yes ladies</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">gentlemen the fourth and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> final part of</font> the festival<font color="#E5E5E5"> of snow is with us this</font> evening<font color="#CCCCCC"> now for those</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of you who are new</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to the channel</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> please take your time and</font> enjoy<font color="#CCCCCC"> this one I know it's quite</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> long</font> but<font color="#E5E5E5"> it's worth it I think for those</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font> you<font color="#CCCCCC"> who've been following the sporadic</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">adventures well I put timestamps in the</font> video description<font color="#CCCCCC"> so you can write it go</font> right<font color="#E5E5E5"> on to part 4 if you need to well</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my friends sit back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> relax with your</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">favorite</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> drink</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> because now it's time</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">listen</font> amongst the mountains<font color="#E5E5E5"> of Montana</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> there's</font> a town with a history<font color="#CCCCCC"> almost forgotten</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to those who reside there the truth</font> about<font color="#E5E5E5"> the early</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> days of Jupiter</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Montana</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">has been diluted and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> become but a legend</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">each year this legend is still</font> celebrated<font color="#CCCCCC"> by the residents who number</font> are about<font color="#CCCCCC"> seven thousand three hundred</font> along with the many tourists who visit the town for its<font color="#E5E5E5"> winter beauty and snow</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">season being at the base</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of winter Rock</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Mountain juniper becomes the temporary</font> home to hundreds if not thousands of people<font color="#CCCCCC"> enjoying the skiing snowboarding</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">another wintertime festivities each year</font> the festival of snow<font color="#E5E5E5"> held annually is</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> only remaining hint</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to the origin of</font> this friendly town the legend speaks of the<font color="#E5E5E5"> Norse</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> God allure his Queen and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Prime Minister a very long time</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ago due</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to his subjects seeming to slowly forget</font> him and move past the older traditions <font color="#CCCCCC">vellore along with his two closest began</font> wandering<font color="#E5E5E5"> the world</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> morose</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in search</font> of a new dwelling place when they<font color="#E5E5E5"> came</font> to a valley surrounded<font color="#CCCCCC"> by</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mountains</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> they</font> fell<font color="#E5E5E5"> in love</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with the beauty</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and wonder</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of the landscape</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> deciding</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to settle here</font> they made the top of a mountain<font color="#CCCCCC"> their</font> home soon they discovered<font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they were</font> not<font color="#CCCCCC"> alone in these mountains a group of</font> creatures<font color="#CCCCCC"> called yetis roamed the land</font> they<font color="#E5E5E5"> were fierce and savage beasts that</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">only found pleasure in causing mischief</font> and pain one night<font color="#E5E5E5"> they attempted to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">kidnap Lulu's</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> queen but was swiftly</font> beaten back by<font color="#CCCCCC"> ulu his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> minister and the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Queen herself both parties learned then</font> to live in the presence of the<font color="#E5E5E5"> other</font> with only<font color="#E5E5E5"> occasional and minor run-ins</font> years<font color="#E5E5E5"> passed and humans began moving</font> into<font color="#CCCCCC"> the valley</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and settling down all</font> the prior residents<font color="#CCCCCC"> watch the new</font> inhabitants<font color="#E5E5E5"> and worried over the</font> invasion<font color="#E5E5E5"> to their homes it soon became</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">apparent</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> allure however that no human</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was aware</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of his or any other presence</font> on the mountain thus<font color="#E5E5E5"> they considered</font> themselves to<font color="#E5E5E5"> be alone in this new land</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">well or continued to watch and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> study the</font> men when he<font color="#E5E5E5"> discovered they took part in</font> and enjoyed winter sports<font color="#E5E5E5"> and referred</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to him as a patron saint of winter</font> celebrations<font color="#E5E5E5"> he excitedly donned the</font> clothes of men and walked<font color="#E5E5E5"> among them the</font> yetis were not as fascinated or pleased by<font color="#E5E5E5"> anything these humans did them they</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">began trying to drive the men away</font> each of these attempts was thwarted<font color="#E5E5E5"> by</font> the men<font color="#E5E5E5"> with aid</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from the Lord</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">once subdued</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the lure was pronounced</font> their<font color="#E5E5E5"> king and here it was sworn that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">bear would be</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a festival each and every</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">year in honor of the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Lord and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his calls</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">this became known as the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> festival of</font> snow the events have grown and some have <font color="#CCCCCC">changed in the past seventy</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> years but</font> one thing remains<font color="#CCCCCC"> the same costumed</font> humans pretend to be yetis coming down from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the mountains in order to cause</font> mayhem<font color="#E5E5E5"> interfere with the celebration</font> and attempt once again to steal away the <font color="#CCCCCC">Queen</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of course the yetis never win and</font> are<font color="#CCCCCC"> always driven</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back to the wilderness</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> spend another year brooding and</font> planning last year brought<font color="#E5E5E5"> to light the</font> terrifying realization that this story may<font color="#CCCCCC"> not be a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> completely fictional legend</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to borrow from the Norse pantheon</font> it began with a seemingly<font color="#E5E5E5"> isolated</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">animal</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a small ranch on the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> edge of town</font> was ravaged overnight<font color="#E5E5E5"> several horses and</font> cows<font color="#CCCCCC"> were found torn to shreds mutilated</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and missing sections of meat the owner</font> of the ranch<font color="#E5E5E5"> was of course in shock over</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the state</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of his livestock</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> when he</font> discovered them in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the morning he called</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> sheriff's office and reported it</font> deputies along with<font color="#E5E5E5"> members</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of Fish</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Wildlife</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> went to the property began an</font> investigation<font color="#CCCCCC"> aside from the animals on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the ranch</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it was found</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that up to two</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">miles inside the woods there are</font> bordered small animals were also<font color="#E5E5E5"> dead in</font> unnatural<font color="#E5E5E5"> manners it was determined that</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a small pack of Warblers must have moved</font> through<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> area and viciously attacked</font> the other animals<font color="#E5E5E5"> eating only parts of</font> them<font color="#E5E5E5"> before moving on admittedly it was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">strange behavior for a wolf by the</font> amount of prey<font color="#E5E5E5"> cause them to rule out a</font> mountain<font color="#E5E5E5"> lion or</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> bear fresh snow had</font> started to<font color="#CCCCCC"> fall in the early</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hours of</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> morning</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and went on until</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> midday due</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to the lack of tracks in the snow it was</font> assumed that the attack was<font color="#CCCCCC"> delayed to</font> the previous night either shortly before it began snowing or even in the first moments of snowfall<font color="#E5E5E5"> either way there was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">nothing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> follow and help determine</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> exact animal<font color="#E5E5E5"> responsible for this</font> brutality the community was alerted to the possible presence<font color="#CCCCCC"> of wolves in the</font> valley it wasn't unheard of for wolves to be seen in the area<font color="#E5E5E5"> but it was rare for</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">them to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be so close to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> civilization not</font> a single person doubted<font color="#CCCCCC"> that wolves were</font> the conference<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> therefore everyone</font> kept an eye<font color="#CCCCCC"> out for any sign of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> them</font> in the first<font color="#E5E5E5"> few days</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a handful of calls</font> came<font color="#E5E5E5"> in to various law enforcement</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">agencies</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> claiming a wolf sighting but</font> when looked into they<font color="#E5E5E5"> were either</font> unfounded<font color="#E5E5E5"> or ended up being a lone</font> coyote<font color="#E5E5E5"> talk</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> around the town brought</font> suggestions that<font color="#E5E5E5"> maybe coyotes were</font> responsible<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> not wolves</font> those who knew enough<font color="#CCCCCC"> about them</font> understood that coyotes done typically hunt in packs<font color="#E5E5E5"> and they rarely go for the</font> larger<font color="#E5E5E5"> game such as horses</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in cattle</font> after<font color="#CCCCCC"> a week</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> no</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> new attack or</font> confirmed wolf sighting conversation of the attack dwindled and<font color="#E5E5E5"> was forgotten</font> more people were forgetting<font color="#E5E5E5"> the audio</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and focusing on the holidays Jordan were</font> looking<font color="#E5E5E5"> forward to their vacations</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">adults were busy with end of year work</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">gift buying and preparing for either</font> leaving or hosting holiday family <font color="#E5E5E5">get-togethers any fear</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of animal danger</font> became mostly limited to deer<font color="#E5E5E5"> causing</font> wrecks on icy roads<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was the night of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">December the 13th and the early hours of</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> morning of the 14th when the call</font> was<font color="#CCCCCC"> made</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my brother works nights as an</font> officer for the<font color="#E5E5E5"> Juniper Police</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Department</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">most of the time he mainly deals with</font> the drunks and domestic calls <font color="#CCCCCC">mid-morning on the 14th</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> though he showed</font> up at<font color="#E5E5E5"> my small coffee shop looking</font> Haggard<font color="#E5E5E5"> and exhausted</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was surprised to</font> see<font color="#CCCCCC"> him at this hour</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> considering he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> usually<font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> by now his expression and</font> overall<font color="#E5E5E5"> appearance made me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> worried</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">immediately without a word</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he wore</font> behind the counter<font color="#E5E5E5"> and poured</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> himself a</font> cup<font color="#E5E5E5"> of coffee</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a couple of patrons</font> watched him confused<font color="#CCCCCC"> but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> let</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it go when</font> they saw me approach him<font color="#E5E5E5"> and called</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> him</font> by<font color="#CCCCCC"> name</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Scott</font> what's wrong<font color="#E5E5E5"> I asked he sled the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">coffeepot back in its place</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> then look to</font> me and<font color="#E5E5E5"> took a sip of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> steaming black</font> coffee<font color="#CCCCCC"> before</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> answering</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> oh</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> you're never</font> gonna believe<font color="#CCCCCC"> me</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">cor I raised an eyebrow at him and</font> motioned him to<font color="#E5E5E5"> the back office</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I told</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the barista</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Dana to take</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> her over</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for</font> bids she nodded<font color="#CCCCCC"> and I follow Scott</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> into</font> my office<font color="#E5E5E5"> shutting the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> behind me</font> Scott<font color="#CCCCCC"> sat down immediately</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in one of the</font> chairs<font color="#E5E5E5"> and continued sipping his drink</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">pushed myself on the edge of the desk</font> and waited quietly for him to compose himself<font color="#CCCCCC"> I got a call this morning</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font> was out<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the ordinary</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> finally said</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">pausing to look at me and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> shake his head</font> as<font color="#CCCCCC"> if he almost couldn't believe it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">himself</font> okay so why was it<font color="#CCCCCC"> out of the ordinary I</font> queried him<font color="#E5E5E5"> the first thing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that set it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">apart was they dealt with the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> newspaper</font> girl<font color="#CCCCCC"> dispatch said she was frantic and</font> they couldn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> really understand what</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was trying to explain only there was</font> something<font color="#CCCCCC"> following her I thought to ask</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">him then if it was just someone thinking</font> that she was up to<font color="#CCCCCC"> no</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> good</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but he held a</font> finger up<font color="#E5E5E5"> gesturing me to wait a minute</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">before it dejected</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he continued that</font> wouldn't be too<font color="#CCCCCC"> odd in itself</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it's</font> happened<font color="#CCCCCC"> before but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this young woman was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">been working in the paper for years</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">anytime that I've</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ever encountered her</font> or heard of<font color="#CCCCCC"> Cole</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she had to make she was</font> always<font color="#E5E5E5"> calm</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I can't say I've ever</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> spoken</font> more than a few<font color="#E5E5E5"> sentences with her but</font> she seems<font color="#E5E5E5"> like the quiet type she's the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">one I told you about that last year</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">someone called in saying there was a</font> drunk driver<font color="#E5E5E5"> but really it was her she</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> very polite when I approached him</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and explained that her wheel bearing</font> broke and she had to maneuver<font color="#E5E5E5"> her truck</font> so it wasn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> middle of the</font> the entire<font color="#CCCCCC"> exchange was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> light-hearted</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and she seemed very easygoing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but quiet</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">you know I nodded</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he took another</font> drink<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his coffee before</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> setting</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the desk in front of him he rubbed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his</font> forehead<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> took the moment</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to speak</font> so what made her<font color="#E5E5E5"> freak out Scott took a</font> deep<font color="#CCCCCC"> breath</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> let it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> out slowly as if</font> preparing for something<font color="#E5E5E5"> intense</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I called</font> it<font color="#CCCCCC"> myself</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> saddled like she was in</font> tears<font color="#CCCCCC"> I could hardly understand what she</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> saying</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it sounded like she was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">talking too fast in the words were</font> meshing together<font color="#CCCCCC"> I got her to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> agree to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">meet</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me at the little</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bus depot over in</font> Wildwood because she was in<font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> area I</font> drove over there and saw her sitting<font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font> her<font color="#CCCCCC"> truck</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> waiting</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for me Cora the girl</font> looks scared to death<font color="#E5E5E5"> worse than if</font> she'd seen a ghost<font color="#E5E5E5"> she'd obviously been</font> crying and it was sucking<font color="#E5E5E5"> in gulps of</font> air<font color="#E5E5E5"> trying to calm down</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I asked her what</font> happened<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> if the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> person who had been</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">following was still around</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she said it</font> wasn't<font color="#CCCCCC"> a person that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> fallen her and she</font> hadn't seen<font color="#E5E5E5"> it since leaving sapphire</font> Creek Road<font color="#E5E5E5"> she finally calmed down</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">enough to point a shaky finger towards</font> the back of<font color="#CCCCCC"> her truck</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and said that it</font> hit her <font color="#CCCCCC">I turned on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the spotlight</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I looked to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the end of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> her truck bed sure enough</font> there's a dent back there<font color="#E5E5E5"> next to the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">taillight I turned the light back off</font> and asked her to<font color="#E5E5E5"> explain if she could</font> what she told me made<font color="#E5E5E5"> no sense</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> first I thought she</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">might be on drugs</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I had never seen her</font> drive like she was under<font color="#CCCCCC"> the influence</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of anything</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and there were no other</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">signs of drug use but her story was</font> insane she told me that at a<font color="#E5E5E5"> turnaround</font> point on sapphire Hill she saw something <font color="#E5E5E5">in her side mirror</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she was</font> positioning herself to deliver some paper tubes<font color="#E5E5E5"> she said that at</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> first</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> thought<font color="#E5E5E5"> it could</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> be a person standing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the road back</font> but when she did<font color="#E5E5E5"> a double-take she saw</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">it wasn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> human</font> it had a humanoid<font color="#CCCCCC"> shape but it was at</font> least<font color="#CCCCCC"> eight</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> feet tall and really pale</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">almost as pale as</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> snow it had</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">something on his shoulders</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> like an</font> animal<font color="#CCCCCC"> Pelt or something that she didn't</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">notice</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at first only</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> when the snow fell</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">off the trees it stood under did she see</font> that<font color="#CCCCCC"> his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> shoulders were actually covered</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">by something it chased her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> almost the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">entire way back growling and making a</font> rumbling<font color="#E5E5E5"> sound when she got to the last</font> corner<font color="#CCCCCC"> it darted</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> into the trees and cut</font> across<font color="#E5E5E5"> the yard to emerge on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the road</font> and lunge for her truck<font color="#E5E5E5"> she swerved and</font> missed it but just as<font color="#CCCCCC"> quickly swung a</font> fist water<font color="#E5E5E5"> and hit the back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of her truck</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">causing the dent he didn't</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> follow her</font> after<font color="#CCCCCC"> that and she called</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she taught</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that the pail fell away</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at some point</font> she thought she<font color="#CCCCCC"> saw spiky grey fur</font> running the length<font color="#CCCCCC"> way that's</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> fine other</font> than<font color="#CCCCCC"> that it didn't seem</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to be hairy but</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">also didn't look completely naked either</font> that sounds<font color="#E5E5E5"> like a crock of shit</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I said</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with a raised eyebrow</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he nodded drained</font> his coffee<font color="#CCCCCC"> mug and returned it to the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">dance yeah exactly what I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> thought but</font> with no reason<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> actually think</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she was</font> on<font color="#E5E5E5"> drugs</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I thought maybe someone was out</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">digging around in a costume</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> or something</font> scared the living daylights out of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> poor one so I left her shortly after I <font color="#E5E5E5">went to sapphire Creek to investigate</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for myself when it didn't answer</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I made</font> a motion with<font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hands as if to say</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> okay</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> straightened up in his chair</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">looked me dead in the eye and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> said I saw</font> it caught it was real<font color="#CCCCCC"> I almost hit it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> going down</font> the road<font color="#CCCCCC"> is huge</font> taller<font color="#E5E5E5"> than any human I've ever heard of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">he'll</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> make 100 the giant any of them it</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">wasn't someone</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> playing a prank it was an</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">actual monster</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> you're messing with me</font> Scott it's not even<font color="#E5E5E5"> spring time let alone</font> April Fool's Day<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Halloween is over</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">you're not gonna scare me that easily I</font> told him rolling my eyes and<font color="#CCCCCC"> standing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> feeling a little frustrated that he</font> pulled me away<font color="#E5E5E5"> from my duties</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to try and</font> pull a joke but he grabbed my arm<font color="#CCCCCC"> as I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> took a step</font> towards<font color="#E5E5E5"> the door I looked down him and</font> furrowed my brows at his expression<font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font> seemed to<font color="#E5E5E5"> be genuine and his eyes were</font> full<font color="#CCCCCC"> of fear</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> confusion</font> I'm not lying<font color="#CCCCCC"> cor this isn't a joke</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font> was crossing<font color="#E5E5E5"> the road when I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> came around</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a curve</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> only a few feet in front</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I had to turn</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> quickly into a</font> driveway<font color="#E5E5E5"> you know</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that not to hit it the</font> it saw<font color="#E5E5E5"> me it locked eyes with me she's</font> in those eyes they weren't<font color="#E5E5E5"> animal eyes</font> they were close<font color="#E5E5E5"> to human but there was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">just something off</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about them they were</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">too gray like a snow cloud it grunted at</font> me and I got<font color="#CCCCCC"> the hell out of there I</font> think it's the thing<font color="#CCCCCC"> that attacked those</font> animals<font color="#CCCCCC"> before his voice was low</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> almost</font> a whisper<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was pleading for me to</font> believe<font color="#E5E5E5"> him I searched his face and saw</font> the signs of exhaustion<font color="#E5E5E5"> around his eyes</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">i softened</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> step back and took his hand</font> off of my arm<font color="#E5E5E5"> to hold in both of mine</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I Coutu him in a gentle voice it's okay</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">you're okay</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his shoulders relaxed he let</font> out a long<font color="#CCCCCC"> breath i crouched down next</font> to him and<font color="#E5E5E5"> rubbed his arm trying to</font> soothe him it wasn't<font color="#CCCCCC"> like my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> brother to</font> get scared<font color="#E5E5E5"> of anything when we were</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">little he was a stereotypical tough job</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hard to rattle it made me nervous to see</font> that something<font color="#CCCCCC"> had spooked him so much</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">days went by and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as much</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as I'd love</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> say things calm<font color="#CCCCCC"> down</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they didn't report</font> started<font color="#E5E5E5"> coming in nightly of sightings</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">of this beast</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he was easily</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> discovered</font> that there wasn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> only one the some of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the reports mentioned multiple</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> creatures</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">all of the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sightings took place around</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the base of winter</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> rock in the woods</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">surroundings one night during a</font> particularly bad storm<font color="#E5E5E5"> decorations</font> around<font color="#E5E5E5"> town were vandalized</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> this was the</font> first time<font color="#E5E5E5"> these things had come to a</font> more<font color="#E5E5E5"> densely populated area of town</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> snow</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">flakes that were fixed of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> holes</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Garland's</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that were stretched from one</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">side of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> road to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> other</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> lice</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that were wrapped in the garland and</font> hung around<font color="#E5E5E5"> straw</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> fence were pulled down</font> and destroyed<font color="#CCCCCC"> anyone who saw it</font> happening<font color="#E5E5E5"> made</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> themselves scarce</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> notified the<font color="#E5E5E5"> police but there was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">nothing anyone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> could do everyone agreed</font> on the conclusion that<font color="#E5E5E5"> they</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> were</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">responsible</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the attack</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ranch</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">we were all terrified the town's winter</font> spirit was being destroyed by these <font color="#E5E5E5">things after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they was seen almost</font> every night in town<font color="#E5E5E5"> on the north side</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">they would climb onto</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the rubes of</font> businesses and hide amongst the shadows <font color="#CCCCCC">no one knew why they were doing this or</font> what they even were anytime someone police or otherwise<font color="#E5E5E5"> tried to go after</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">one of them a vibrating roar</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> would be</font> heard from<font color="#CCCCCC"> behind the</font> and then another<font color="#E5E5E5"> in a different</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">direction it was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> always low enough</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> it made<font color="#E5E5E5"> your head feel like he would</font> rattle off of your shoulders and distract you just long enough for<font color="#CCCCCC"> them</font> to disappear at once<font color="#E5E5E5"> again she Aldrin</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">stopped playing in the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> open even though</font> the monsters were only<font color="#E5E5E5"> seen at night</font> night businesses began declining<font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font> their number of<font color="#E5E5E5"> customers</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> after</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> nine and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the town became more desolate</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> than it</font> should have<font color="#CCCCCC"> been after two and a half</font> weeks of living<font color="#CCCCCC"> in terror nothing more</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">had happened</font> the creatures<font color="#CCCCCC"> were still seen</font> occasionally<font color="#CCCCCC"> but there were no attacks</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">no</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> more vandalism with their hands as a</font> community we gathered and wondered<font color="#E5E5E5"> if</font> the festival<font color="#CCCCCC"> of Snoke should go on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> in the<font color="#CCCCCC"> end almost</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> everyone agreed that</font> if anything<font color="#E5E5E5"> we all needed this we needed</font> to celebrate<font color="#E5E5E5"> and be merry</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stop</font> living<font color="#CCCCCC"> in fear</font> so<font color="#E5E5E5"> plans continued and the festival king</font> and queen were to be crowned on the 14th of January<font color="#E5E5E5"> three days</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> before the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> events</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I came across what seemed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> be</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">single person who thought this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was a bad</font> idea<font color="#E5E5E5"> mr.</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Hansen was a regular at the</font> coffee shop<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I greeted him fondly as</font> I always<font color="#CCCCCC"> do</font> that witness day<font color="#E5E5E5"> that he seemed to be in</font> a downright<font color="#E5E5E5"> foul mood grumbling</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">himself more than talking to anyone else</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">are you</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> okay mr. Hansen I asked him</font> while preparing<font color="#E5E5E5"> his large Americana he</font> grunted in reply so I followed my first question with<font color="#CCCCCC"> another what's going on</font> this he gestured outside and then to the post right<font color="#CCCCCC"> pinned</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> wall behind</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> counter and that this town thinks they can<font color="#CCCCCC"> just ignore</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> what's been happening</font> and half the celebration<font color="#E5E5E5"> like usual</font> why shouldn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> we no one's been attacked</font> other than that first sighting<font color="#E5E5E5"> and she</font> was only shaken up yeah the<font color="#CCCCCC"> festival's a</font> tradition<font color="#CCCCCC"> I answered him calmly</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> curious</font> as to why exactly<font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font> was against it<font color="#CCCCCC"> I can't say they did ever</font> be in the very festive person<font color="#E5E5E5"> but he was</font> a usually happy man<font color="#E5E5E5"> don't you</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> think</font> that's what they want<font color="#E5E5E5"> has it occurred to</font> anyone that<font color="#E5E5E5"> they want us</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to be caught</font> off<font color="#CCCCCC"> guard they want us to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> think we're</font> safe<font color="#CCCCCC"> so when they try</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to take the Queen</font> and we won't<font color="#E5E5E5"> expect it he slammed a palm</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">onto the counter</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> making</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me flinch The</font> Snow<font color="#E5E5E5"> Queen</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I managed to ask somehow</font> remaining calm on the outside<font color="#CCCCCC"> internally</font> though<font color="#E5E5E5"> my nerves were beginning to work</font> in overdrive<font color="#E5E5E5"> and his outburst he granted</font> once more<font color="#E5E5E5"> looking down at the counter</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> handed him<font color="#E5E5E5"> his coffee and he left</font> without<font color="#E5E5E5"> another word to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me that was odd</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I heard Dana say from beside me I nodded</font> in agreement<font color="#E5E5E5"> very</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> odd</font> I couldn't help but spend the rest of the day wondering if he knew<font color="#E5E5E5"> something</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that no one else did</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the night</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the</font> coronation<font color="#CCCCCC"> that police presence</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was felt</font> but<font color="#CCCCCC"> not feared</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> security had been stepped</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">up just in case</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Scott was one</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">officers assigned to walk around</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> through</font> the crowds and keep an eye out<font color="#E5E5E5"> for</font> anything dangerous<font color="#E5E5E5"> whether it was a</font> monster<font color="#E5E5E5"> or someone who had just</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had a</font> little too<font color="#CCCCCC"> much to drink the king and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">queen</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> year were crowned and the</font> real party began everyone was having fun <font color="#CCCCCC">and thoughts</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of anything</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> other than</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> festivities was far from anyone's mind <font color="#CCCCCC">that was until there was a loud</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> crash</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and a scream rang out over the music</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">causing people to scatter</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I'd been</font> visiting<font color="#E5E5E5"> with Scott for a moment after</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">bringing him a hot chocolate</font> the second we heard the scream<font color="#E5E5E5"> he shoved</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> cup into my gloved hands told me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> get home and hurried off through the crowd<font color="#E5E5E5"> moving against the flow to the</font> source of the<font color="#E5E5E5"> commotion</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that was the</font> last time I saw my<font color="#E5E5E5"> brother</font> instead of<font color="#E5E5E5"> heading home</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I went back to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">my clothes shop a few</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> blocks away where</font> my car was<font color="#CCCCCC"> parked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I unlocked the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">door quickly</font> I saw Dana and her boyfriend approaching as I closed the door<font color="#E5E5E5"> they'd also parked</font> at the<font color="#E5E5E5"> shop a walk to the celebration in</font> order to avoid the headache of<font color="#CCCCCC"> trying to</font> find<font color="#E5E5E5"> a parking spot there I held the</font> door<font color="#CCCCCC"> open</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> about a foot and stuck my head</font> out<font color="#E5E5E5"> calling to them</font> Dana<font color="#E5E5E5"> veered her boyfriend in my</font> direction<font color="#CCCCCC"> I assured</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> them inside before</font> locking<font color="#E5E5E5"> the door it's gonna be hectic</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">out there</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> better to wait here</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for it to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">calm</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> down</font> I told them Dana nodded<font color="#E5E5E5"> and her</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">boyfriend Josh</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> began pulling chairs down</font> for us to sit<font color="#CCCCCC"> on because she was still</font> young<font color="#CCCCCC"> and in college I felt Marley</font> toward her<font color="#E5E5E5"> wanted to be sure she was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">safe as we began to sit down</font> we<font color="#E5E5E5"> heard the distant shots of a gun</font> being fired<font color="#E5E5E5"> the three of us sat in</font> silence<font color="#E5E5E5"> and shadows for a while watching</font> the deluge<font color="#E5E5E5"> of cars vacating the area</font> after<font color="#E5E5E5"> a few minutes</font> Dana offered to make us all some<font color="#E5E5E5"> coffee</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">while</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we waited I agreed that it was a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">good idea</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and stared out of the window</font> while she<font color="#E5E5E5"> worked when she brought</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> over</font> the cups<font color="#E5E5E5"> of coffee for each of us and</font> sat back down<font color="#E5E5E5"> she asked did you see what</font> happened <font color="#E5E5E5">no I shook my head</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> blew the steam</font> off of the liquid<font color="#CCCCCC"> before taking a tiny</font> sip <font color="#E5E5E5">Scott's out there though he took off</font> when<font color="#E5E5E5"> he heard the scream Dana's eyes</font> widened<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> worried flashed over</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> her</font> face<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm sure he'll be okay</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and as soon</font> as<font color="#E5E5E5"> things settle</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">you'll let Cora not what happened Josh</font> said wrapping his arm around the frightened Dana<font color="#CCCCCC"> she</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> nodded and sipped</font> her arm coffee<font color="#CCCCCC"> I checked my phone</font> periodically<font color="#E5E5E5"> and found no call or</font> message<font color="#E5E5E5"> from Scotts even half an hour</font> after ducking<font color="#E5E5E5"> into the shop the traffic</font> had died down by now<font color="#E5E5E5"> and the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> coffee was</font> gone Dana<font color="#E5E5E5"> and Josh suggested that we</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> all go</font> home<font color="#CCCCCC"> and try to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> relax</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> now that things</font> seemed calm<font color="#CCCCCC"> I agreed and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we exited the</font> building<font color="#CCCCCC"> I bid them goodnight and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">watched them drive</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> away</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> before starting</font> my car<font color="#E5E5E5"> and making</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my own way home I was</font> worried about my brother<font color="#CCCCCC"> and had an</font> awful pit in my stomach but<font color="#E5E5E5"> I did my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">best to convince myself that would be</font> okay<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I would hear from him by</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">morning I'm not sure when</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but at some</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">point after returning home I curled up</font> on my couch<font color="#E5E5E5"> and fell asleep</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> still</font> waiting to hear<font color="#E5E5E5"> from Scott</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I awoke to a</font> knock on<font color="#E5E5E5"> my door it took me a groggy</font> minute to understand that what had<font color="#CCCCCC"> woken</font> me but when<font color="#E5E5E5"> the second knock came I</font> jumped to my<font color="#CCCCCC"> feet and answered the door</font> hoping<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Scott's instead I saw</font> another officer standing<font color="#E5E5E5"> there with a</font> grim look<font color="#E5E5E5"> on his face</font> the entire day is a blur<font color="#CCCCCC"> to me but I</font> know that<font color="#CCCCCC"> the man officer</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> right check</font> explained to me<font color="#CCCCCC"> that Scott was missing</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he had gone to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> aid of the newly</font> appointed<font color="#CCCCCC"> queen</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and in the scuffle he in</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> Queen had been</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> taken by a group</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> the creatures<font color="#E5E5E5"> that appeared without</font> warning<font color="#CCCCCC"> at the party</font> they destroyed equipment<font color="#E5E5E5"> and when they</font> snatched<font color="#CCCCCC"> out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> queen scott and another</font> officer<font color="#CCCCCC"> along with a good citizen</font> charged the monster<font color="#E5E5E5"> slamming into it and</font> trying<font color="#E5E5E5"> to free the second officer and</font> brave civilian were both torn to shreds by the creatures<font color="#E5E5E5"> other civilians were</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">also found dead</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> killed at the hands of</font> the monsters<font color="#E5E5E5"> scott however was lost in</font> the commotion<font color="#CCCCCC"> and when the group of</font> monstrous bandits retreated<font color="#E5E5E5"> he was</font> nowhere to<font color="#CCCCCC"> be found</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> dead</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> or alive</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">someone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> came forward a few hours later</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to tell</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the police</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that they had</font> witnessed scott knocked out<font color="#E5E5E5"> and carried</font> off with the<font color="#CCCCCC"> Queen I was lost for days</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">only</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> going through the motions of life</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> had yet to<font color="#E5E5E5"> cry and what is in a</font> perpetual<font color="#CCCCCC"> nom state hardly hearing</font> things said to<font color="#E5E5E5"> me or seeing things</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">front of me Dana was an incredible help</font> in<font color="#E5E5E5"> running the store</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> or</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> during this time</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> we kept the flyer on the door that</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">read help bring me home with a photo</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Scott before long everyone near the</font> story in the family<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the Queen</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a woman</font> named<font color="#E5E5E5"> Tessa Murphy began coming in</font> regularly<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> talk with me her husband</font> and doctor would ask how I was<font color="#CCCCCC"> doing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> we would share in a<font color="#E5E5E5"> collective grief for</font> our losses<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was during one of these</font> little meetings<font color="#E5E5E5"> that I finally broke</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">down and cried</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I think I continued</font> crying for a month<font color="#E5E5E5"> after wishing my</font> brother would just<font color="#E5E5E5"> return</font> our mother had died when<font color="#CCCCCC"> we</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> were very</font> little<font color="#CCCCCC"> and our</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> father joined us six</font> years<font color="#CCCCCC"> ago when I was twenty Scots was</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> only family</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I had left it slowly got</font> easier to go on with<font color="#E5E5E5"> my life not a day</font> passed where I didn't think<font color="#E5E5E5"> about him</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and I checked with</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Juniper Police</font> Department twice a month<font color="#E5E5E5"> to see if there</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was any progress or news they stopped</font> looking<font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> March but left the case open</font> it's now the<font color="#E5E5E5"> beginning of December</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> again</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and I was prepared to spend this winter</font> hiding away<font color="#CCCCCC"> in my home mourning</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> anniversary of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the horror our town went</font> through and the loss of scones plans for the festival are still being<font color="#E5E5E5"> made and as</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">far</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as I know this</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> year will keep with</font> the tradition<font color="#CCCCCC"> would include a moment of</font> silence for<font color="#E5E5E5"> those who died and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> those who</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">disappeared last year</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I wanted</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">pretend the entire thing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> wasn't</font> happening<font color="#CCCCCC"> but today mr.</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Hanson and I had</font> a very<font color="#CCCCCC"> interesting conversation started</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with something</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he overheard in the</font> coffee shop<font color="#CCCCCC"> while waiting in line he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> shaking his<font color="#CCCCCC"> head when he approached the</font> counter<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I asked him what</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wrong</font> the tourists over<font color="#E5E5E5"> there talking about</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the festival it's a shame what happened</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">last year I don't know if I can believe</font> won't happen again his tone wasn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> angry or enraged</font> it was<font color="#E5E5E5"> can't this time with a hint of</font> hopelessness<font color="#CCCCCC"> I began preparing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his usual</font> order<font color="#E5E5E5"> without him having</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to tell me what</font> do<font color="#E5E5E5"> you mean again</font> I couldn't<font color="#CCCCCC"> imagine the pain we'd gone</font> through<font color="#E5E5E5"> becoming a new part of the</font> tradition mr.<font color="#E5E5E5"> Hanson looked at me</font> intently<font color="#E5E5E5"> with an expression that made it</font> look<font color="#CCCCCC"> like</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he wanted to tell me something</font> I wasn't sure if<font color="#E5E5E5"> he should he didn't</font> answer<font color="#CCCCCC"> until I handed him</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his coffee</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> oh</font> my dear<font color="#E5E5E5"> you</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> deserve answers</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I can't give her more tea</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but I'd like</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> tell</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> you a story if we could</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> speak in</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">private</font> he said piquing my interest<font color="#CCCCCC"> i gestured</font> for<font color="#E5E5E5"> him to follow me behind the counter</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and into the office with only a glance</font> at Dana<font color="#E5E5E5"> I saw her not</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> signalling</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> would handle things out here<font color="#E5E5E5"> when we're</font> in the<font color="#E5E5E5"> office</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> i sat</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at my desk</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> motion from mr.<font color="#E5E5E5"> Hanson to sit across</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me he obliged and took a seat in</font> the chair<font color="#E5E5E5"> that Scott it sat in so long</font> ago<font color="#E5E5E5"> when he explained the first sighting</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Cora do you know the legend of fuller</font> and the yetis<font color="#E5E5E5"> he asked I nodded in</font> response and he continued<font color="#E5E5E5"> who did the</font> yetis<font color="#E5E5E5"> always try to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> kidnap the answer</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">immediately came</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to mind but realization</font> hit me like<font color="#E5E5E5"> a soft and awkward punch to</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> gut causing me to take a few seconds</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to respond</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the Queen mr. Hanson nodded</font> solemnly<font color="#E5E5E5"> and removed the lid from his</font> coffee<font color="#E5E5E5"> before setting</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> berth lid and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> cup</font> on<font color="#CCCCCC"> the desk people</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> believe the yetis are</font> more like the<font color="#E5E5E5"> Bigfoot just white and</font> prefer cold climates slightly this idea <font color="#E5E5E5">stems from the same idea that polar</font> bears evolved<font color="#CCCCCC"> from grizzly bears but</font> what if the<font color="#E5E5E5"> description of a typical</font> Yeti is incorrect<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm not sure I follow</font> I said scientists<font color="#CCCCCC"> have supposedly proven</font> that yetis were actually bears<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> imagine the bear<font color="#E5E5E5"> that someone claimed</font> was a Yeti was<font color="#E5E5E5"> in fact not really what a</font> Yeti even looks<font color="#E5E5E5"> like imagine it doesn't</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">resemble the universal description of</font> what a Bigfoot looks like not<font color="#E5E5E5"> many</font> people<font color="#E5E5E5"> are left in the world that</font> understand<font color="#E5E5E5"> how a creature in one part of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the world can share</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the name of an</font> entirely different creature in another people move<font color="#E5E5E5"> from one place</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to a new</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one</font> and use terms that<font color="#E5E5E5"> they already have and</font> understand<font color="#E5E5E5"> to describe something new and</font> it eventually becomes called by the same name therefore losing at some point what it <font color="#E5E5E5">truly is or what it might truly look</font> like<font color="#CCCCCC"> okay I think I understand what you</font> say<font color="#E5E5E5"> I responded with</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a slope not the</font> hairy<font color="#E5E5E5"> Yeti</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> beasts from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one place could</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">have been used as</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this type</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font> descriptive<font color="#E5E5E5"> name for another non hairy</font> beast in a different place<font color="#CCCCCC"> in fact</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this</font> is what happened when<font color="#E5E5E5"> people began</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">moving into the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> valley and creating</font> homes and communities<font color="#E5E5E5"> they were attacked</font> by things that<font color="#CCCCCC"> they could only think to</font> describe<font color="#E5E5E5"> as yetis when in fact</font> physically<font color="#E5E5E5"> they</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> are much different</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> both</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">share pale skin and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> fur and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> act</font> aggressively<font color="#E5E5E5"> but the yetis of our</font> mountains<font color="#E5E5E5"> are not the same as the yetis</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> some West such as Nepal so you're</font> saying that<font color="#E5E5E5"> those things last year were</font> yetis<font color="#CCCCCC"> I asked mr. Hanson</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> not it indeed</font> they<font color="#CCCCCC"> are the yetis that our ancestors</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">encountered they are the yetis from our</font> legend<font color="#E5E5E5"> they've been silent for so long</font> but<font color="#CCCCCC"> now they are back</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and we</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> don't have</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> guard</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> King to protect us anymore</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> legend is<font color="#CCCCCC"> true I posed another question</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">trying to grasp my head around what he</font> was saying and implying<font color="#CCCCCC"> I wouldn't have</font> believed<font color="#CCCCCC"> him before but after</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> everything</font> I'd seen last<font color="#E5E5E5"> year I was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> willing to</font> believe<font color="#E5E5E5"> almost anything well yes and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">most of it at least</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we can't be sure</font> really that there ever was<font color="#CCCCCC"> a god-king</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that came to our rescue or if it really</font> was<font color="#CCCCCC"> real look but there was a family</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that lived here</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> before anyone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> else</font> they made their home on the<font color="#E5E5E5"> mountain the</font> wife was said to be<font color="#CCCCCC"> very beautiful</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> the yetis did try<font color="#CCCCCC"> to take her on several</font> occasions<font color="#E5E5E5"> it is unclear how exactly they</font> were beaten back all I know for certain <font color="#E5E5E5">is the man of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the family was crowned</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> first festival of Snow King and his family continued to thrive<font color="#E5E5E5"> creating a</font> lineage over the decades<font color="#E5E5E5"> I believe that</font> the end of this line has something to do <font color="#E5E5E5">with the yetis returning</font> of course<font color="#E5E5E5"> they went after the snow queen</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">as they had done so long ago he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> took a</font> drink<font color="#E5E5E5"> of his coffee while I pondered</font> what he was explaining<font color="#E5E5E5"> the end of the</font> line<font color="#E5E5E5"> did the family somehow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ward them</font> off all this time<font color="#E5E5E5"> why did the line end</font> mr.<font color="#E5E5E5"> Hanson gave me a smile</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> there was a</font> mix of sadness<font color="#E5E5E5"> and appreciation for my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">curiosity Jeremy Hogan was the sole heir</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> that legacy he was killed in the</font> summer<font color="#E5E5E5"> of 2016 by a drunk driver</font> gee poor boy<font color="#CCCCCC"> was only</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 17 years old not</font> old enough<font color="#CCCCCC"> to have started a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> family of</font> his own<font color="#E5E5E5"> he had no</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> siblings</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and his and</font> his<font color="#E5E5E5"> father</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his who knows</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> where at this</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">point when his parents divorced Jeremy's</font> father took off<font color="#CCCCCC"> heartbroken and threw</font> himself into his<font color="#CCCCCC"> work his mother</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> not of</font> the Hogan line became addicted to<font color="#E5E5E5"> drugs</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">soon after and he was put in the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> care of</font> his grandparents<font color="#CCCCCC"> his grandmother passed</font> away<font color="#CCCCCC"> a few years ago</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but his grandfather</font> is of the right descent<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I'm sure was</font> teaching him<font color="#CCCCCC"> the ways of warding off the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">yetis when Jeremy died however he was</font> moved to a care facility because something in him broke<font color="#CCCCCC"> his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> heart I would</font> assume he<font color="#CCCCCC"> lost everything he once had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> so</font> his son<font color="#E5E5E5"> Jeremy's father arranged for him</font> to be<font color="#E5E5E5"> placed in a home somewhere down</font> south<font color="#E5E5E5"> with a warmer climate my heart</font> sank<font color="#CCCCCC"> I remembered hearing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> about the</font> accident <font color="#CCCCCC">a memorial held at a high school</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> Hogan<font color="#CCCCCC"> family had been around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for as</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> long</font> as anyone<font color="#CCCCCC"> could remember I never</font> realized the<font color="#E5E5E5"> name was so close</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> being</font> lost<font color="#CCCCCC"> at time well they might possibly</font> have had more to them<font color="#CCCCCC"> than anyone knew</font> without anyone to do whatever it<font color="#E5E5E5"> is they</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">did the yetis are</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> gonna come back every</font> year<font color="#CCCCCC"> aren't they I asked in almost a</font> whisper<font color="#E5E5E5"> mr. Hanson nodded glumly</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I asked him how</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he knew all of this</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> Hogan family in the Hansen family</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">got way back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I happen to have some old</font> journals<font color="#CCCCCC"> from a long deceased</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> relative</font> that outlined the legend and<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> beginning<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the festival</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 70 years ago</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> never<font color="#E5E5E5"> thought</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> any of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the ramblings of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">what was believed to be</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a madman could</font> be true<font color="#E5E5E5"> but when the monster started</font> appearing last year<font color="#CCCCCC"> I knew it had to be</font> we didn't talk much<font color="#CCCCCC"> after that there was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">nothing more really to say so here I am</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">now hours after the exchange</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> typing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> all</font> this out<font color="#E5E5E5"> and trying to research how to</font> make yetis go away<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm having no</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> luck</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">but perhaps someone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> out there knows</font> something<font color="#E5E5E5"> it's been a fairly dry</font> beginning to the winter and there's no <font color="#E5E5E5">snow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on the ground</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> yet but I'm</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> sure it</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">could start any day now and with the</font> snow the yetis<font color="#CCCCCC"> woke up how am I supposed</font> to stop<font color="#E5E5E5"> them</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and is there any hope my brother could</font> still be<font color="#E5E5E5"> alive somehow</font> [Music] it snowed last<font color="#E5E5E5"> night when I went to bed</font> a soft white blanket was being laid generally across everything<font color="#E5E5E5"> but by</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 5:00</font> a.m.<font color="#CCCCCC"> it had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> turned to rain all across</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> valley the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mountaintops and higher</font> elevations were still getting<font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> good</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">amount of snow but down here in juniper</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">it became a dreary morning it was almost</font> as if<font color="#E5E5E5"> the sky itself wanted to match the</font> tone of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the day to come with ethereal</font> tears<font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> said everything</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> into an ugly</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">melting slush</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the beautiful pure snow</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">wouldn't be left</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to try and lift any</font> spirits <font color="#CCCCCC">old or young I suppose for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> some the snow</font> now would seem more like a curse<font color="#E5E5E5"> but to</font> me no matter what<font color="#CCCCCC"> it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> brings the snow</font> itself is still something<font color="#E5E5E5"> good something</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">peaceful and comforting I just can't</font> help but<font color="#CCCCCC"> to still love watching the</font> flakes of all sizes<font color="#CCCCCC"> drift languidly to</font> the ground in<font color="#CCCCCC"> my profession</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> seeing many</font> locals and non-locals<font color="#CCCCCC"> bringing news</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> rumors like wildfire it didn't take long <font color="#CCCCCC">for me to hear about the tourists that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">had disappeared</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a small group</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of five</font> athletic out-of-towners were spending<font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> weekend in a cabin that<font color="#E5E5E5"> either one of</font> them owned or was owned by<font color="#CCCCCC"> one of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> their</font> families<font color="#CCCCCC"> I'm not sure of the exact</font> location but<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was somewhere on the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">backside of winter</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> rock</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Mountain where</font> there are less tourists and more and land two of them were<font color="#E5E5E5"> taken in the night</font> leaving the other three to frantically contact the police and flee to<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> bottom<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the mountain and all the way</font> into<font color="#CCCCCC"> town</font> according<font color="#CCCCCC"> to the grapevine the three</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">survivors were in hysterics</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and refused</font> to return to the cabin<font color="#CCCCCC"> all step another</font> foot onto<font color="#CCCCCC"> the mountain ever again</font> we still<font color="#E5E5E5"> don't have any official details</font> but<font color="#CCCCCC"> from the stories being told</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and one</font> of the officers<font color="#CCCCCC"> who worked with my</font> brother<font color="#CCCCCC"> I know that although they don't</font> want to admit<font color="#CCCCCC"> it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> or announces the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Sheriff's</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Office</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> is determined that</font> those monsters<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> yetis are behind it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> overcast and wet weather seems to be</font> permeating from the citizens<font color="#E5E5E5"> of Juniper</font> themselves let me take you back<font color="#CCCCCC"> a bit</font> though<font color="#E5E5E5"> and share with you when I've been</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">doing after a couple of days scouring</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> Internet I came</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> up</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with nothing on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">defeating or preventing Yeti attacks</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">after a particularly frustrating</font> internet search<font color="#CCCCCC"> session I made myself a</font> mug<font color="#CCCCCC"> of red wine hot chocolates and</font> sipped<font color="#E5E5E5"> it while</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> absent mindedly looking</font> towards the computer<font color="#E5E5E5"> screen it sat on</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> table</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in front of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me but my mind was</font> far from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the object instead</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was</font> remembering my brother<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Snowman we'd</font> built together the winter<font color="#E5E5E5"> sports we've taken part in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the last time I saw him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> have</font> turned 30 back in September I smoked myself<font color="#E5E5E5"> internally</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> teasing him for being</font> that old and not even having<font color="#E5E5E5"> a serious</font> girlfriend<font color="#CCCCCC"> let alone a wife it wasn't</font> that my brother was<font color="#E5E5E5"> not attractive he</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">definitely wasn't bad with the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ladies</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Scot</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> just primarily focused on his</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">career he wanted to become</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a detective</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> always did his best to respond to</font> any crime<font color="#E5E5E5"> scene although we rarely had</font> any horrific ones<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> helped the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">detectives in any way he could he did</font> this sometimes even on his days off<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">not sure exactly when I finished my hot</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">chocolates or climbed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> into band but I</font> remember waking up well<font color="#E5E5E5"> before the Sun</font> in this part of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the world how that isn't</font> too difficult<font color="#E5E5E5"> as the winter nights are</font> long it begins<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> get dark as early as 5:00</font> in the afternoon<font color="#E5E5E5"> and where it begins to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">get light at about 4:30 a.m. in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">summer the Sun hides away until around</font> 8:00 in the morning in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the winter what</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">did surprise me was that I had woken up</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">on my own before</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my alarm went</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> off at</font> 4:15<font color="#CCCCCC"> hmm owning and running a coffee</font> shop<font color="#CCCCCC"> I tend to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> rise</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> very early so I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> can</font> be<font color="#E5E5E5"> open for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> those making their way to</font> work<font color="#CCCCCC"> i sat up</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in bed the feelings of a</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">dreams still clutching</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my mind and my</font> heart<font color="#CCCCCC"> have</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> you ever woken up and you can</font> just<font color="#CCCCCC"> sense the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> dream becoming fainter</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> fuzzier around the edges that's</font> exactly how<font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was my heart was racing I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">felt like there was something of great</font> importance bestowed upon me<font color="#CCCCCC"> I knew I had</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to remember whatever it was that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had</font> come to<font color="#CCCCCC"> me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> sleep I shut my eyes</font> tight and<font color="#E5E5E5"> worked to clear my mind</font> thankfully<font color="#E5E5E5"> the images from my dream</font> returned<font color="#E5E5E5"> without too much difficulty</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I've been standing on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a frozen</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> lake</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">somewhere in the mountains</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from where I</font> stood I could see the shoreline and trees lining the<font color="#CCCCCC"> entire</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> body of iced</font> over<font color="#E5E5E5"> water snow was gently falling and</font> although I<font color="#E5E5E5"> was in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my pajamas and not</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">bundled up I didn't feel</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> calm</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as I</font> looked<font color="#E5E5E5"> around I realized that I was not</font> alone<font color="#CCCCCC"> a woman</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> confidently stroked or</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">warned me as skin was pale</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but not</font> sickly and for under the hood of<font color="#E5E5E5"> her</font> cloak I could see it long flowing<font color="#CCCCCC"> red</font> with a steady approach<font color="#CCCCCC"> I heard a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> strange</font> flute song grow louder and louder underlying the flute<font color="#E5E5E5"> was a low bass</font> feeling but I couldn't place<font color="#E5E5E5"> any type</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font> instrument that<font color="#E5E5E5"> could be making it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> It</font> was<font color="#CCCCCC"> as if the land</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> around us was humming</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the woman stopped just</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> before me and I</font> know she stood<font color="#CCCCCC"> red</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> tree shaped brooch</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">clasping her cloak around her she didn't</font> speak at first<font color="#CCCCCC"> and I couldn't bring</font> myself to remember<font color="#E5E5E5"> how to form words</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">instinctively I knew this woman</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> special<font color="#E5E5E5"> someone more</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> than human she</font> studied me in silence<font color="#E5E5E5"> as if judging my</font> worthiness<font color="#E5E5E5"> of her presence</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she must have</font> approved<font color="#E5E5E5"> because she spoke at last</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Cora</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Miller you have been searching</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">something the inflection of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> her words</font> made it a<font color="#CCCCCC"> statement rather than a</font> question<font color="#E5E5E5"> she knew I'd been</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> searching</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> she knew<font color="#E5E5E5"> what for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I could feel</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my bones</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I nodded</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> without a sound and</font> she continued I am<font color="#CCCCCC"> air I have felt your</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">plight and pain I cannot heal heartbreak</font> but I can help<font color="#E5E5E5"> you it is not common</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">those like myself to interfere</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> lives of men<font color="#CCCCCC"> nor beasts of this age</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> I<font color="#E5E5E5"> will impart to you a single word of</font> assistance my mind soaked up every syllable she<font color="#E5E5E5"> spoke</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but I was left mildly</font> confused at her last statement before<font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> could control myself<font color="#CCCCCC"> I found myself</font> asking<font color="#CCCCCC"> Lyle</font> a single<font color="#E5E5E5"> word what good is a single word</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">is it a magic word</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> heirs face</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> which was</font> previously solemn contorted into<font color="#CCCCCC"> a small</font> smile and their edges appeared<font color="#CCCCCC"> too</font> softly<font color="#E5E5E5"> I saw something move in the</font> distance over a shoulder and<font color="#E5E5E5"> watched in</font> awe<font color="#CCCCCC"> as a beautiful</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> babe</font> trotted to stand beside this mysterious <font color="#E5E5E5">woman gripping the dark</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> main</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> air mounted</font> the strong creature with the<font color="#E5E5E5"> ease and</font> grace<font color="#CCCCCC"> of an ancient</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> warrior her gaze</font> moved to<font color="#E5E5E5"> something behind her</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> looked in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the direction the horse had</font> come from again<font color="#CCCCCC"> I saw movement</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> immediately knew the monster<font color="#CCCCCC"> that stole</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> trees the skin</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> paler than Aires</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">almost as white as snow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the inhuman</font> height the anger<font color="#E5E5E5"> and hatred that began</font> to permeate the<font color="#CCCCCC"> area the mare snorted</font> and step to<font color="#E5E5E5"> the side wanting to vacate</font> the spot in which<font color="#E5E5E5"> it stood the one</font> guided the horse in a small circle <font color="#CCCCCC">around me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> keeping</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> her eyes trained on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the Yeti the entire time</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> both watched</font> as<font color="#CCCCCC"> it let out a deep roar before leaving</font> the cover of the trees<font color="#E5E5E5"> it broke into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> run<font color="#E5E5E5"> towards us</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt my body begin to</font> panic<font color="#E5E5E5"> but I was frozen in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> place next to</font> my ear<font color="#CCCCCC"> the man that had a frustrated</font> whinny and<font color="#E5E5E5"> air patted it snatch she</font> spoke<font color="#CCCCCC"> a single word to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Fry I was</font> more<font color="#CCCCCC"> confused and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> only half</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> heard</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> over</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the rushing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of blood through</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my ears</font> what<font color="#CCCCCC"> I broke my stare at the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> rapidly</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">approaching monster to look over</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> her she</font> was positioned to run in the<font color="#E5E5E5"> direction</font> behind<font color="#E5E5E5"> me mayor nervously</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> who f---ing</font> the icy ground<font color="#CCCCCC"> on Fry she said once</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">again a little</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> loud</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> then she was off</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a breeze pushed past me from the force</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the horse pushing itself</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> immediately</font> into a lope<font color="#CCCCCC"> i watch them disappear on</font> the horizon for just a<font color="#CCCCCC"> few seconds</font> before<font color="#CCCCCC"> turning back to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the dangerous</font> thing just as I returned my<font color="#E5E5E5"> sight to the</font> direction<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the Yeti</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it was upon me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I felt his hot breath against my entire</font> face as it roared at me only<font color="#E5E5E5"> inches</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> away</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the second it raised an arm to greet me</font> with<font color="#E5E5E5"> what I was sure would be a</font> horrifying fate<font color="#CCCCCC"> I covered</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my head with</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my arms and fell into a crouched</font> position<font color="#E5E5E5"> and then I was awake as I still</font> sat in<font color="#E5E5E5"> bed the entire mental encounter</font> remembered<font color="#E5E5E5"> I whispered to the dark and</font> empty room<font color="#CCCCCC"> on Fry I didn't want to</font> forget<font color="#E5E5E5"> the word whatever it might mean</font> after another few moments<font color="#CCCCCC"> of calming</font> myself down<font color="#E5E5E5"> I reached my bedside table</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and push the on button to light up my</font> phone<font color="#CCCCCC"> screen that I am</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> red 357 a.m. it</font> will be time<font color="#CCCCCC"> to get up</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ahead to the shop</font> soon a shiver radiated<font color="#CCCCCC"> through my body</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and hit me how cold I felt sliding out</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> bed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I made</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my way to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> bathroom and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">took a long hot shower the rest of the</font> morning<font color="#E5E5E5"> was uneventful</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with me zoning</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">out most of the time still trying to</font> make sense<font color="#CCCCCC"> with the dream about</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">mid-afternoon a young woman who looked</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to be around my age walked in and</font> approached the<font color="#E5E5E5"> counter I didn't know her</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but she was still familiar</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> because she</font> had been coming<font color="#E5E5E5"> in several times a week</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for a few months now she was never very</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">talkative but seemed sweet and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> plights</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> smiled at her and<font color="#E5E5E5"> stood up straight</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">abandoning my absent-minded doodling on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a scrap</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of paper</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she returned the smile</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">an order the latte she normally</font> requested<font color="#CCCCCC"> I asked how her day was and we</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">exchanged very limited Smalltalk</font> now just like the conclusion<font color="#CCCCCC"> I come to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">some time before I assume that she was</font> just a very<font color="#E5E5E5"> shy purse and felt awkward</font> in public it was when I sat the drink on the counter and took<font color="#CCCCCC"> her cash that she</font> caught me off guard on<font color="#E5E5E5"> Freud</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> is that</font> your name she asked in a<font color="#E5E5E5"> voice that</font> hinted at a pleasant surprise I looked at her<font color="#E5E5E5"> my brows furrows</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> no I</font> shook my head<font color="#CCCCCC"> and responded she had just</font> given me a clue though it's a name the young woman shrugged a little<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> made a facial<font color="#CCCCCC"> expression that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> matched</font> her answer<font color="#CCCCCC"> I assumed it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was it's the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">name</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of a road at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> least well it's more</font> like<font color="#E5E5E5"> a long driveway there's only one</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">person up there how do you know</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> couldn't deny<font color="#CCCCCC"> that I was immediately</font> intrigued<font color="#E5E5E5"> by the knowledge this stranger</font> possess<font color="#E5E5E5"> um she hesitated and looked down</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">at the coffee now held in both of her</font> hands<font color="#CCCCCC"> I could see her biting</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> inside</font> of her lip<font color="#CCCCCC"> as</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she worked to find the</font> words<font color="#E5E5E5"> after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 9 or</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 10 seconds of silence</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">she took a breath through her mouth and</font> spoke without<font color="#E5E5E5"> looking up at me I</font> delivered the newspaper<font color="#CCCCCC"> the road is on</font> my route<font color="#CCCCCC"> and then one of my customers I</font> actually<font color="#E5E5E5"> I met your brother before</font> realization hit me<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> felt my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> heart sink</font> deeper into<font color="#CCCCCC"> my chest</font> you're the one<font color="#E5E5E5"> that first saw one of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">those creatures she looked up at me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> nodded quietly standing<font color="#E5E5E5"> before me was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">someone I hadn't even thought about</font> through the entire<font color="#E5E5E5"> ordeal</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Scott said she</font> had<font color="#E5E5E5"> been so terrified that night</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> oh</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> how</font> many people<font color="#CCCCCC"> beside myself had forgotten</font> about<font color="#CCCCCC"> her experience sure she wasn't</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">missing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and she was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> still alive</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but</font> she'd still encountered one<font color="#CCCCCC"> of those</font> things at a close proximity<font color="#CCCCCC"> I stepped</font> from<font color="#CCCCCC"> behind the counter</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and wrapped her</font> in a big hug my body<font color="#E5E5E5"> tense from the</font> shock<font color="#E5E5E5"> but then relaxed after a second</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">she removed a hand from her coffee and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hugged me back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I stepped from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> her</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> saw that<font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had tears in her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> eyes</font> her brother<font color="#CCCCCC"> was really nice to me I wish</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">there</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> could have been something more</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for</font> me<font color="#CCCCCC"> to do to help I know it's only</font> wishful thinking but I just wonder<font color="#E5E5E5"> if I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">could have</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> done anything</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she said I</font> smiled at her there might be something <font color="#E5E5E5">you can do now I led behind the counter</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> offered her a seat on one of the</font> stools<font color="#E5E5E5"> that Dana</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and I kept back</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font> for slow times when<font color="#CCCCCC"> our feet</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> needed a</font> rest<font color="#E5E5E5"> after properly introducing myself</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and learning that her name was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Jessie we</font> spent the next<font color="#E5E5E5"> half hour talking about</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">where on Froylan was and the single hell</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">silence I didn't realize how easy</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> talk to she was<font color="#E5E5E5"> and till after she'd</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">left</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but it was surprising how</font> comfortable her presence made she was open to<font color="#CCCCCC"> telling me her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> story in her</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> own</font> words<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I found myself remembering how</font> Scott had explained<font color="#E5E5E5"> it a year before</font> before she left<font color="#CCCCCC"> we exchanged</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> numbers</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> she assured me<font color="#CCCCCC"> that she was still</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> being</font> at<font color="#E5E5E5"> least a couple</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> times a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> week</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font> turns out she<font color="#CCCCCC"> started</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> coming to my</font> little coffee shop specifically because <font color="#E5E5E5">I don't it although</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> too shy to say</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">anything until now</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she's still returned</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">not only in hopes of overcoming her</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">sensation to speak to me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but also</font> because she<font color="#CCCCCC"> really did</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> love my coffee</font> on my<font color="#CCCCCC"> next day off Thursday I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> planned on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">going out to the lone house on on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> fry</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Lane I wasn't sure what I would find</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> or</font> what<font color="#E5E5E5"> I was even really</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> looking for but I</font> had to try<font color="#CCCCCC"> something anything</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I just</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hoped that I wouldn't</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> upset who lived</font> there too much<font color="#E5E5E5"> the drive took me north</font> of town<font color="#E5E5E5"> past the main road to the</font> mountain itself<font color="#E5E5E5"> and to a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> driveway</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that I</font> almost missed<font color="#CCCCCC"> it wasn't quite a quarter</font> of a mile long<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was close</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font> making me understand why it<font color="#E5E5E5"> might have</font> its<font color="#E5E5E5"> own name if you didn't know it was a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">driveway it would be easy to think</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it</font> was a road with several houses on it<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> driveway itself came to<font color="#CCCCCC"> a dead end at a</font> relatively modest<font color="#CCCCCC"> looking house</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it was a</font> single-story home with a large<font color="#E5E5E5"> garage</font> attached to the left side<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> outside of</font> it was<font color="#E5E5E5"> covered in brown wood paneling</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that gave it an earthy and relaxed look</font> I stopped<font color="#E5E5E5"> my car and opened the door to</font> hear loud barking<font color="#E5E5E5"> before I could even</font> see a dog I closed my door<font color="#E5E5E5"> and stood</font> next to my car unsure<font color="#CCCCCC"> of approaching the</font> house now<font color="#E5E5E5"> the dog sounded large and</font> angry I didn't want to make a wrong move and get eaten by whatever breed it might be the front door opened and a hulking mass of fur bounded<font color="#E5E5E5"> through the entryway</font> in towards me<font color="#CCCCCC"> I flattened my back</font> against the<font color="#CCCCCC"> car</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and fell around blindly</font> trying<font color="#E5E5E5"> to find the door handle</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> without</font> looking I was sure this beast was going to devour my face<font color="#E5E5E5"> he was in front of me</font> in<font color="#E5E5E5"> maiya seconds sniffing at my feet my</font> legs before rising<font color="#E5E5E5"> up on its hind</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> legs</font> and pinning me<font color="#E5E5E5"> to what should have been</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">my safe a metal box of protection with</font> two<font color="#E5E5E5"> giant front paws on my shoulders</font> it was<font color="#E5E5E5"> a level with me I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> heard my breath</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> shut my eyes tight waiting to feel</font> the hot breath<font color="#E5E5E5"> and teeth sinking into my</font> flesh <font color="#CCCCCC">I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> fell the humid air from its mouth but</font> never felt the sting of my skin<font color="#E5E5E5"> being</font> ripped<font color="#CCCCCC"> into instead</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a large pink tongue</font> began to drag itself up my cheek over and over<font color="#CCCCCC"> I opened one eye and then both</font> and<font color="#CCCCCC"> pour my face back trying to get the</font> dog breath away from<font color="#CCCCCC"> my nose Frost I</font> heard a voice bellow from<font color="#E5E5E5"> a short</font> distance<font color="#CCCCCC"> away the giant</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> canine ceased</font> the slobbery assault on my face<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> didn't get<font color="#E5E5E5"> down keeping me still pinned</font> to my<font color="#E5E5E5"> car</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> crane my neck and peered in</font> the direction of the speaker in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> doorway of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> home</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stood a man whose</font> size matched that of<font color="#E5E5E5"> his dog from</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> what I</font> could see<font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had broad shoulders and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">thick arms my first impression was that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">of a stereotypical lumberjack</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> right down</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to the plaid shirt he wore the dog</font> turned its head<font color="#E5E5E5"> to look at his master</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> man hollered again led</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the last down</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">you big oaf the licker obliged and two</font> front paws<font color="#CCCCCC"> studied onto the ground in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">front of me with a huff the beasts</font> plotted back to the man who turned<font color="#CCCCCC"> his</font> gaze<font color="#CCCCCC"> to meet mine I'm sorry I didn't</font> mean to intrude<font color="#CCCCCC"> I stammered out the man</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">let out a hearty laugh and waved an arm</font> to gesture me to approach him<font color="#CCCCCC"> there are</font> nonsense<font color="#CCCCCC"> come</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on in</font> he spoke<font color="#CCCCCC"> with a smile I cautiously</font> stepped away from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the car and walked</font> towards the open door<font color="#E5E5E5"> the man stepped</font> aside and<font color="#E5E5E5"> let me in first followed by</font> the dog and<font color="#E5E5E5"> then him himself he shut the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">door behind him before speaking once</font> more<font color="#E5E5E5"> this is</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> frost</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">yeah his size is</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> daunting I know but his</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">heart's just as big at his body he's one</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> those gentle giants</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I looked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at the dog</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> who sat and looked</font> back<font color="#E5E5E5"> at me his mouth dropped open</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and he</font> smiled in that special way<font color="#E5E5E5"> only happy</font> dogs can he's definitely a giant<font color="#E5E5E5"> you've</font> got<font color="#E5E5E5"> that right</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> little lady</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he's an</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Alaskan Malamute I rescued him when he</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> just a pup</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that had to be</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> damn here</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">eight years</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ago</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> now he stood</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> next to the</font> cheery face<font color="#CCCCCC"> massive fur and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> padded his</font> hands and I'm<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederick Harker who might</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">you be</font> I don't assume a<font color="#E5E5E5"> salesperson since you</font> have nothing<font color="#E5E5E5"> with you and they</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> don't</font> usually come this far out no I'm not <font color="#E5E5E5">selling anything</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my name is Cora Miller</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I'm actually here because of your wrote</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">knee</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick gave me a puzzled look</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> road</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">name aren't Frye yes</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> know it it's a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">long story but I was wondering what</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> word means<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> can't seem to find anything</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">out</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about it yeah sit sit down would you</font> like something to<font color="#CCCCCC"> drink</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">emotion to a couch</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I shook my head and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">sat</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> down he disappeared into</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the kitchen</font> and returned a moment later with a glass of water and a plate of colorfully frosted cookies he held the plate to me offering one<font color="#E5E5E5"> thank you</font> I responded and<font color="#CCCCCC"> took a cookie he set the</font> plate on the coffee<font color="#E5E5E5"> table in front of us</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and took a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> seat</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in a chair adjacent to</font> the couch<font color="#CCCCCC"> I bit into the cookie</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> tried<font color="#CCCCCC"> to keep from crumbs falling</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick smiled warmly and said no</font> worries<font color="#E5E5E5"> about the crumbs dear for us is</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">not only a dog but also an excellent</font> vacuum<font color="#E5E5E5"> at the mention of his</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> name the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">dog trotted over and sniffed was the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">table before settling</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> down with his head</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">underneath it so you want to know about</font> on<font color="#CCCCCC"> Fry he said more</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as a statement than</font> a question I nodded and<font color="#CCCCCC"> he searched my expression</font> with his eyes<font color="#E5E5E5"> you know</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> okay then</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> fry</font> is a surname it's linked<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the Vikings</font> of Normandy my great-grandmother's name was aren't<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frey</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but once she married the</font> name fizzled out<font color="#E5E5E5"> it's not a very common</font> name in the<font color="#CCCCCC"> world</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> anymore it seems like</font> the original<font color="#CCCCCC"> family is all but</font> disappearing slowly<font color="#E5E5E5"> he mused what do you</font> mean I asked finishing my cookie well the on Friday<font color="#E5E5E5"> MS gone from this corner of the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">world and Hogan is pretty much gone as</font> well<font color="#E5E5E5"> he began to explain</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> seeing my</font> confused expression<font color="#CCCCCC"> he continued way</font> back when the<font color="#CCCCCC"> arm fry ancestors came</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">settle in it was more than just</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> one</font> family<font color="#CCCCCC"> a brother and a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sister</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> along</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with</font> each of their separate families came to live<font color="#CCCCCC"> in these mountains</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the brother was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a holding and the sister after becoming</font> married<font color="#E5E5E5"> was an</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> arm fry why</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> aren't there</font> any arm fries in the history books<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> asked him curious as to<font color="#E5E5E5"> if there was</font> information<font color="#E5E5E5"> about the Hogan's helping</font> shape the<font color="#E5E5E5"> town why not the other side of</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> same family</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederic frowns simply</font> because there were no<font color="#CCCCCC"> honor fries that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">aided in the building of this area at</font> least not officially<font color="#CCCCCC"> I could sense some</font> hesitation from<font color="#E5E5E5"> him as if he knew</font> something<font color="#CCCCCC"> but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wasn't keen and sharing</font> the information<font color="#E5E5E5"> to outsiders as if it</font> was a<font color="#CCCCCC"> family secret</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I made up</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my mind on the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> spot</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and took a</font> leap<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> faith</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederick I'm gonna tell</font> you something that might sound a little crazy crazy<font color="#E5E5E5"> the man laughed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> okay tell me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I took a deep breath</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and readjusted my</font> position on the couch<font color="#E5E5E5"> to sit up</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">straighter</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I'm sure you remember</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> tragedies<font color="#CCCCCC"> of last year I paused and he</font> nodded<font color="#CCCCCC"> in response well the police</font> officer<font color="#CCCCCC"> that disappeared was my brother</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Scott</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I avoided his eyes at this point</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">because I didn't want to see the</font> sympathy<font color="#CCCCCC"> that everybody had when they</font> found this out<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was just too painful</font> still<font color="#E5E5E5"> I continued on rambling off</font> everything I knew my talk with<font color="#E5E5E5"> mr.</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Hanson</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my search was stopping the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 80s my</font> dream of the woman named<font color="#E5E5E5"> ear all the</font> while<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederick listened intently</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">without interrupting when I finished I</font> sat still for a<font color="#CCCCCC"> few seconds</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> eyes fixed</font> on<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> door before</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> finally looking to</font> him his eyes were on<font color="#CCCCCC"> me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and his brow was</font> slightly farmed<font color="#E5E5E5"> we sat in silence for a</font> full minute<font color="#E5E5E5"> before he stood up</font> wordlessly<font color="#E5E5E5"> and left the room</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frost</font> lifted his head to watch his master <font color="#CCCCCC">retreat but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> didn't get up upon walking</font> back to his chair my burly<font color="#E5E5E5"> hosts had a</font> glass on the table<font color="#CCCCCC"> in front</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of me and</font> filled it halfway<font color="#CCCCCC"> with a dark liquid and</font> picked it<font color="#E5E5E5"> back up and pushed it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> into my</font> hands red wine<font color="#E5E5E5"> drink it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I think we might both</font> need more than just a glass<font color="#E5E5E5"> maybe it's</font> not as cliche but<font color="#E5E5E5"> I always preferred a</font> big glass of<font color="#E5E5E5"> this stuff to bourbon his</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">explanation surprised me a little as a</font> large human who fit the image<font color="#E5E5E5"> of a</font> mountain man<font color="#CCCCCC"> I surely wouldn't expect</font> him<font color="#E5E5E5"> to have wine or anything else</font> especially bourbon or<font color="#E5E5E5"> whiskey</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I took a</font> sip of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the warming room temperature</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">liquid while he sat back in his chair</font> when<font color="#CCCCCC"> he noticed my look of surprise at</font> his preference he smiled once again but<font color="#E5E5E5"> his eyes told a</font> different story<font color="#CCCCCC"> I was expecting you to</font> laugh or call me insane I<font color="#E5E5E5"> admit it to</font> him he shook his head<font color="#CCCCCC"> and took</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a long drink</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">from the glass he'd poured for himself</font> no ma'am you won't<font color="#E5E5E5"> get that from me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in fact I'm</font> gonna give you something<font color="#E5E5E5"> else entirely</font> my family is guarded this secret<font color="#E5E5E5"> for</font> many generations<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> now I feel like</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> if</font> I<font color="#E5E5E5"> order from you it could be dangerous</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">especially with what's going</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on in our</font> fair<font color="#E5E5E5"> little town and the fact that it</font> seems<font color="#E5E5E5"> you've</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> been picked by goddess to</font> help<font color="#CCCCCC"> a goddess I almost choked on the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">wine</font> oh yes<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederick</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> let out his hearty</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">laugh once more ere is a Viking goddess</font> she was<font color="#E5E5E5"> mainly a healer but was also</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">helpful to warriors that she saw in need</font> I think it's safe to<font color="#E5E5E5"> assume that she</font> sees you as one of<font color="#E5E5E5"> these warriors</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> looked at him incredulously<font color="#CCCCCC"> but I've</font> never<font color="#E5E5E5"> been</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in a battle</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I've never even</font> been<font color="#E5E5E5"> in a fight no matter is still a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">warrior in today's world you're trying</font> to battle<font color="#E5E5E5"> the yetis</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> or at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> least learn</font> how I can't tell you exactly<font color="#E5E5E5"> but I do</font> want to share what I know with this he finished his glass of wine in an <font color="#E5E5E5">impressive gulp and refilled it then</font> offered<font color="#E5E5E5"> the bottle to me I held up</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font> glass<font color="#E5E5E5"> and he replaced what I had drunk</font> from<font color="#E5E5E5"> it all right miss Cora</font> you're about to<font color="#CCCCCC"> know</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> what almost no one</font> else<font color="#E5E5E5"> does you already know that the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Hogan's and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> armed Freud's well once of</font> the same family and they both moved here the arm for a specifically consisted of a mother originally<font color="#CCCCCC"> near Hogan a father three</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">children and the father's mother</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">while the Hogan's were comprised of a</font> mother<font color="#E5E5E5"> father a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> young son and a teenage</font> daughter<font color="#E5E5E5"> shortly after moving here</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> settling into their new<font color="#E5E5E5"> home the</font> immigrants discovered they were not <font color="#E5E5E5">alone there were</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> monsters that lived on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the mountains and amongst the trees</font> battles between<font color="#E5E5E5"> the two groups became</font> common and it seemed there was no end in sight <font color="#CCCCCC">one night</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a creature stole into the camp</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and attempted</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to kidnap the Hogan</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mother</font> being of Nordic<font color="#CCCCCC"> temperaments</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> daughter rushed to aid her mother <font color="#E5E5E5">alongside her father in the skirmish</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">mother was saved</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but once the battle</font> subsided<font color="#CCCCCC"> it was discovered</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that the</font> daughter had been<font color="#E5E5E5"> taken instead this</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">brug both</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> families hearts</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and a rescue</font> party<font color="#E5E5E5"> immediately</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> set out two of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">three Hogan children remain behind with</font> the two<font color="#E5E5E5"> mothers while the other four</font> left to find the Hogan daughter<font color="#E5E5E5"> they</font> tracked the yetis for two days before discovering<font color="#E5E5E5"> a small lake high on one of</font> the mountains<font color="#CCCCCC"> it was here that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the girl</font> was found<font color="#E5E5E5"> yet again a fight broke out</font> when they attempted<font color="#E5E5E5"> to leave with the</font> girl lives on both sides were lost<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> in the end the<font color="#E5E5E5"> Hogan girl her young</font> brother<font color="#CCCCCC"> and the arm fry father survived</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">made the trek back to their home here</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Fredrik paused to take</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> another long pull</font> from his glass<font color="#E5E5E5"> he swallowed hard</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> before</font> continuing when they returned<font color="#E5E5E5"> a massacre</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was discovered it appeared that all</font> lives were lost<font color="#E5E5E5"> but crying was heard</font> from<font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> distance</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one of the children</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> small boy was found<font color="#E5E5E5"> hiding in the hollow</font> trunk of a large tree<font color="#E5E5E5"> he had run and</font> hidden after<font color="#CCCCCC"> the attack commenced he was</font> badly<font color="#E5E5E5"> injured but alive</font> the yetis backed off at<font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> point</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">leaving</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the remaining</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> members</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> families to heal<font color="#E5E5E5"> and try to go on with</font> their lives<font color="#E5E5E5"> after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a few months</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it became</font> clear that the girl<font color="#E5E5E5"> was pregnant</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she</font> hadn't spoken<font color="#E5E5E5"> much about</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> what happened</font> when she was<font color="#E5E5E5"> gone but finally admitted</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to the others that she had been</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> raped</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and carried in a Baumann nation</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> inside</font> her no matter how hard<font color="#CCCCCC"> she tried</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> baby would not<font color="#E5E5E5"> die in her womb they all</font> agreed and<font color="#CCCCCC"> plan to kill it the Marmot</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">took a breath</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in the world that didn't</font> happen however the night the<font color="#E5E5E5"> child was born the yetis</font> returned to claim<font color="#E5E5E5"> their progeny</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> perhaps</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was a mother's instinct or the bond a</font> woman shares with something she grew <font color="#CCCCCC">inside</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> him but she refused to give up</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the baby and she couldn't bring herself</font> to destroy it either<font color="#E5E5E5"> it looked like her</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">not like a monster they gave up that</font> night<font color="#E5E5E5"> my returned a year later when one</font> of the creatures went to kill her it was stopped in its tracks by an angry scream from<font color="#CCCCCC"> a child</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> itself the yetis</font> retreated<font color="#E5E5E5"> and life again went on over</font> the next<font color="#E5E5E5"> few years</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the arm</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> fry father</font> succumbed<font color="#E5E5E5"> to an illness and died leaving</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">his young son the two remaining hogan's</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and the half-human baby</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to continue on</font> their own in the world when the child <font color="#E5E5E5">was old enough to walk and talk he told</font> his family<font color="#E5E5E5"> of a dream he had in which</font> the winter<font color="#CCCCCC"> God allure showed a ritual to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">fend off the beasts it was a simple task</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> marking trees with runic symbols and</font> hanging metal items<font color="#E5E5E5"> among the branches</font> the key element was the child's<font color="#E5E5E5"> blood</font> though each rune had to be anointed<font color="#E5E5E5"> with</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a drop of the hybrid blood in order to</font> seal the magic<font color="#CCCCCC"> so they began performing</font> the ritual each year at the beginning<font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> winter<font color="#CCCCCC"> I was transfixed with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his tale</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and when he finished and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> leaned back in</font> his chair<font color="#CCCCCC"> again finishing a glass</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> wine<font color="#E5E5E5"> I realized that I hadn't moved a</font> muscle during<font color="#E5E5E5"> his telling of the story I</font> looked down at my<font color="#E5E5E5"> glass and sipped the</font> dark<font color="#E5E5E5"> red liquid trying to wrap my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> head</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">around all</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to the details</font> when I<font color="#CCCCCC"> looked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to him he had a sad</font> smile on his face and was scratching <font color="#CCCCCC">frost behind the ear but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> what happened</font> after<font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font> well the Hogan line continued through the<font color="#CCCCCC"> child Yeti blood</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> continually passed</font> off<font color="#E5E5E5"> although diluted with</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> these</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">generation still seemed to work</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> just</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">fine and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> keeping those</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> things out of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> our</font> lives <font color="#E5E5E5">the on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Freud line continued as</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> well</font> obviously<font color="#E5E5E5"> the town of juniper was born</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Groo</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he answered without looking at me</font> but<font color="#E5E5E5"> the legends but the legend says</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> man<font color="#E5E5E5"> from juniper help fight the yetis</font> and what<font color="#E5E5E5"> about the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hogan brother that</font> survived<font color="#E5E5E5"> did he not have a family</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">question spilled from my lips although a</font> fantastic tale<font color="#E5E5E5"> he gave me the answer</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> i</font> had been<font color="#E5E5E5"> looking for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but I was still</font> curious<font color="#E5E5E5"> about the others know the people</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> Jennifer did have one year when the</font> ritual wasn't performed on time he was an<font color="#CCCCCC"> early winter</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and the first snow</font> caught everyone off guard<font color="#CCCCCC"> they all fight</font> back the creatures so the ritual<font color="#E5E5E5"> could</font> be performed<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Hogan son aided the man</font> in the battle while his<font color="#E5E5E5"> mother did the</font> ritual<font color="#E5E5E5"> the original Hogan brother did</font> begin<font color="#E5E5E5"> a family</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and had a daughter</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his</font> branch of the family<font color="#E5E5E5"> ending with her</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when she married no one is really sure</font> where<font color="#E5E5E5"> the family line ended up living as</font> the daughter moved away<font color="#E5E5E5"> with her husband</font> shortly after marrying<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederik looked</font> up at me and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> could see the distress in</font> his eyes<font color="#E5E5E5"> do you understand why you can't</font> get rid of the yetis though<font color="#E5E5E5"> I nodded</font> slowly there's<font color="#E5E5E5"> no one left with a proper</font> blood<font color="#E5E5E5"> the only people</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with the Yeti</font> blood in their veins no longer live here <font color="#E5E5E5">person he corrected and explained</font> Charles<font color="#CCCCCC"> Hagen passed away in a nursing</font> home<font color="#E5E5E5"> a few months ago that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> only leaves</font> Richard<font color="#E5E5E5"> who not</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> only lives up to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his</font> nickname<font color="#CCCCCC"> he also isn't all where to be</font> found <font color="#E5E5E5">I raised an eyebrow at his comment</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">without saying anything</font> the typical nickname<font color="#E5E5E5"> for Richard is dick</font> and that's he is<font color="#E5E5E5"> have you ever met the</font> man he asked me<font color="#E5E5E5"> I shook my head</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> no but</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">something tells</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me I don't want to we</font> sat in silence for<font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> moment while I</font> finish<font color="#E5E5E5"> my wine and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had another cookie</font> the ritual was simple<font color="#CCCCCC"> enough and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> believed anyone could<font color="#CCCCCC"> probably perform</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">it but with a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Hogan line gone there was</font> no<font color="#E5E5E5"> blood to seal it</font> I stayed<font color="#CCCCCC"> with Frederic for another</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">couple of hours talking and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">brainstorming</font> the conversation turned<font color="#CCCCCC"> to more</font> lighthearted topics and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I found that I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">really enjoyed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his company when I had to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">leave he told me to come back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and visit</font> anytime I wanted<font color="#E5E5E5"> Frost walked me to my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">car</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I promised to bringing some</font> treats next time I<font color="#CCCCCC"> came as I drove back</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">into the Juniper</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> limits the sky was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> dark</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and my thoughts were</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> focused on how I</font> could do anything to<font color="#CCCCCC"> help</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my town</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> didn't have Yeti blood in me and I didn't know<font color="#E5E5E5"> how to get</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> any would I be</font> able<font color="#E5E5E5"> to cut one of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> those things to steal</font> some blood<font color="#CCCCCC"> I thought in his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> self seemed</font> preposterous<font color="#E5E5E5"> but I felt like I had no</font> other option<font color="#CCCCCC"> I stopped at the coffee</font> shop on my way<font color="#E5E5E5"> and chatted with Donna</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for a moment or making a latte for</font> myself<font color="#E5E5E5"> I didn't stay long and almost</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">moment I returned home</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I found myself</font> finishing<font color="#CCCCCC"> the cup of coffee and running</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a hot bath to relaxing</font> I felt drained<font color="#E5E5E5"> and frustrated after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> bath I fell<font color="#E5E5E5"> asleep to snow beginning to</font> lightly<font color="#E5E5E5"> fall outside my window and a</font> question in my mind<font color="#E5E5E5"> repeating over and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">over how do you find and kill a Yeti</font> the following morning brought the horrid news of the campers going missing during <font color="#E5E5E5">the night if I ever entertain the</font> thought of not<font color="#CCCCCC"> trying to do</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> something to</font> prevent<font color="#CCCCCC"> the monster attacks</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> those</font> thoughts are gone<font color="#E5E5E5"> now I have to do</font> something<font color="#E5E5E5"> my brother would have done</font> anything to save<font color="#E5E5E5"> his beloved town and</font> the people<font color="#CCCCCC"> who live and visited just</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> while ago<font color="#CCCCCC"> I texted Jessie and told her</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> be careful out there at</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> night she</font> responded that<font color="#CCCCCC"> she always is and asked</font> if I<font color="#E5E5E5"> found anything else I told her I</font> had<font color="#CCCCCC"> and next thing I knew she</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">walking into</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the shop I made us each a</font> latte<font color="#E5E5E5"> on the house and led her to the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">office to fill her in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I explained to her</font> that<font color="#CCCCCC"> I was going</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to try</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and find one of</font> the monsters so I could take its blood how are you gonna find one she<font color="#E5E5E5"> asked me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> really don't</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> know but I have to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> try</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">too many lives has been lost or</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">destroyed by</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> those things already</font> I replied<font color="#CCCCCC"> alright I'm in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she said in a</font> determined voice<font color="#CCCCCC"> I didn't want to bring</font> harm to<font color="#E5E5E5"> her and felt she had already</font> dealt with<font color="#E5E5E5"> these things enough as once</font> was more than enough<font color="#CCCCCC"> for any person but</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I couldn't help</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but smile and not</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> are</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">you sure</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I asked her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> nodded curtly</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">yes I'm sure</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">so now I sit here the Sun is</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> set early</font> like it does on winter days<font color="#CCCCCC"> and the air</font> outside<font color="#E5E5E5"> is</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> cold but it's not snowing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> storm is rolling in<font color="#E5E5E5"> sooner but for now I</font> prepare for<font color="#E5E5E5"> a different kind of storm</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jessie and I are</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> going Yeti hunting</font> tomorrow<font color="#CCCCCC"> I just hope we don't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> die</font> [Music] the<font color="#CCCCCC"> Yeti hunt was almost unsuccessful I</font> say almost because we didn't find<font color="#E5E5E5"> any</font> yetis but we did find<font color="#E5E5E5"> something else</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">remembering my dream and what</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederic</font> had told me<font color="#E5E5E5"> Jessie and I set</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> out to the</font> lake at the top<font color="#E5E5E5"> of winter</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> rocky</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mountain</font> we accessed it<font color="#E5E5E5"> from the backside of the</font> mountain<font color="#CCCCCC"> after determining that the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> only</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">road</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that did it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was there it was hardly</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">traveled and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> looked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like if left alone</font> for<font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> year</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it would disappear back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> into</font> nature<font color="#E5E5E5"> the road didn't go the entire way</font> to the lake and<font color="#E5E5E5"> we</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had to hike the last</font> mile on<font color="#E5E5E5"> foot</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Jessie was sure to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> bring</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the shotgun she</font> kept for protection<font color="#E5E5E5"> well I brought the</font> hunting rifle<font color="#CCCCCC"> that had been Scott's we</font> trekked through the woods and when we emerged<font color="#E5E5E5"> from the trees I saw that spread</font> before<font color="#E5E5E5"> was the lake I'd been standing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on</font> in my dream<font color="#E5E5E5"> the surface of ice didn't</font> look as thick as in my dream but<font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font> didn't matter<font color="#CCCCCC"> as we wouldn't be walking</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">on it we began to circle around the</font> water<font color="#E5E5E5"> searching</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for any sign of monsters</font> when we found strange tracks in the snow <font color="#E5E5E5">I figured we were in the right</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> place</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> tracks themselves<font color="#CCCCCC"> were similar to those</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a human's</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bare feet would make but the</font> toes were unnaturally long and<font color="#CCCCCC"> wide and</font> there was no place<font color="#CCCCCC"> for an arch as if the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">creature that made them were flat-footed</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">at first they</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> were just a few but as we</font> followed them they increased in number <font color="#E5E5E5">and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> became more difficult</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to tell</font> what direction<font color="#E5E5E5"> they were</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> headed to we</font> followed as best we could<font color="#CCCCCC"> and came upon</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> small cabin type structure it looked</font> as<font color="#CCCCCC"> if it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> had</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> been made in a hurry logs</font> that made up walls<font color="#E5E5E5"> showed gaps and the</font> metal roof didn't seem to<font color="#E5E5E5"> quite fit</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> structure properly<font color="#E5E5E5"> being too long on one</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">side and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> just barely</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> covering</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a house on</font> it also appeared that<font color="#E5E5E5"> the roof was</font> actually a myriad of different<font color="#E5E5E5"> metal</font> sheets<font color="#E5E5E5"> instead</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of one uniform</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> type in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">color there were no windows that we</font> could see from the<font color="#CCCCCC"> front</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the building</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and the door was nothing more than</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> simple plank of wood<font color="#CCCCCC"> pushed up against</font> the entryway from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the outside there were</font> no hinges attaching the piece to the <font color="#E5E5E5">house itself but it was held in place by</font> a large tree limb<font color="#E5E5E5"> that crossed it</font> horizontally in the<font color="#CCCCCC"> center what the hell</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">is this</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jessie asked aloud I shook my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> head</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in a</font> silent response and tentatively stepped to the<font color="#E5E5E5"> ramshackle cabin</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and knocked</font> hello<font color="#CCCCCC"> I call through</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the wood is anyone</font> in there<font color="#CCCCCC"> I heard shuffling</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sounds in</font> response<font color="#E5E5E5"> and then a bang resounded</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from</font> the opposite side of the plank muffled voices that didn't quite penetrate the barrier<font color="#CCCCCC"> accompanied the now rhythmic</font> knocking<font color="#E5E5E5"> I couldn't tell what they were</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">saying but the voices sound panicked</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">without a word</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Jessie</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> joined me at the</font> door we began<font color="#E5E5E5"> pushing the thick limit of his</font> place across<font color="#CCCCCC"> the door with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a grunts from</font> both<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> us we managed to get it up high</font> enough<font color="#CCCCCC"> to drop</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ground</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">unlocking</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the cabbie I pried my fingers</font> around<font color="#E5E5E5"> the side</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the tall plank of</font> wood<font color="#CCCCCC"> and pulled it down</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> learning it fall</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">on top</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the limb that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had held it</font> closed<font color="#E5E5E5"> we were greeted by a man holding</font> on to the inner<font color="#E5E5E5"> wall as if it were the</font> only<font color="#E5E5E5"> thing keeping</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> him standing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Jesse</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I glanced at</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> each other</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then back</font> into<font color="#E5E5E5"> the cabin who are you are you</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> okay</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I blurted out the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> man nodded and let his</font> body<font color="#CCCCCC"> slowly slide to the floor</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I stepped</font> inside the cabin and saw in a glance that<font color="#E5E5E5"> the inside didn't look any better</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">than the outside</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I focused on the man</font> now sitting against<font color="#E5E5E5"> the wall as I</font> crouched down to his level <font color="#E5E5E5">Jessie walked past me and into the room</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the man's lips were dry chapped and</font> cracking<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> when he tried to speak a</font> raspy voice barely more than<font color="#E5E5E5"> a whisper</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">came out</font> thinking<font color="#E5E5E5"> quickly</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I grabbed a bottle of</font> water<font color="#E5E5E5"> out</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of the backpack</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I carried</font> and opened it<font color="#E5E5E5"> offering it to his lips he</font> drank greedily<font color="#CCCCCC"> and shaky arms reached up</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to hold it on his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> own from somewhere a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">little farther into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the cabin Jesse</font> called me<font color="#CCCCCC"> Cora Cara come</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> quick</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I whipped</font> my head around<font color="#CCCCCC"> to look in her direction</font> I saw another<font color="#CCCCCC"> person a woman in similar</font> shape as the man in<font color="#CCCCCC"> front of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font> I stood up<font color="#E5E5E5"> as he continued to drink from</font> the bottle working to drain it as rapidly as he<font color="#E5E5E5"> could</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Jessie</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was following</font> my<font color="#E5E5E5"> lead and had the woman taking sips</font> from<font color="#E5E5E5"> one of the bottles</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she dropped</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">unlike the man the woman seemed in a</font> daze and couldn't gulp the liquid steadily between drinks she would call out<font color="#E5E5E5"> as if asking for rescue</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> not seeming</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to actually realize that we were here</font> the man dropped<font color="#E5E5E5"> the empty bottle to the</font> floor<font color="#E5E5E5"> beside him and pushed against the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">wall steadying himself as he stood</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> turned<font color="#E5E5E5"> to look at him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> well</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> careful</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">you're obviously pretty weak</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> now the two</font> of<font color="#CCCCCC"> you the campers that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> went missing</font> I asked<font color="#E5E5E5"> hoping they weren't more people</font> missing he<font color="#E5E5E5"> nodded and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> made his way</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">toward Jessie and the woman holding</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> onto</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the wall with each week step I followed</font> him<font color="#E5E5E5"> ensuring he didn't fall down and</font> when we stood next to<font color="#CCCCCC"> Jessie and his</font> companion<font color="#CCCCCC"> I gave him another bottle of</font> water and an energy bar that I had <font color="#E5E5E5">absent-mindedly shoved into the pack I</font> retrieved another bar and<font color="#E5E5E5"> handed it to</font> Jessie for<font color="#E5E5E5"> the woman after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> waiting for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the two missing people to strengthen</font> themselves<font color="#E5E5E5"> with food and water Jessie</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and I helped them both to their feet and</font> began making<font color="#E5E5E5"> our way to the door wait</font> the woman whispered loudly <font color="#CCCCCC">I looked at her with a questioning</font> expression she pointed<font color="#CCCCCC"> to the corner of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the cabin behind us what is it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jessie asked in her sweet voice</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> woman<font color="#E5E5E5"> just gestured repeatedly towards</font> the corner <font color="#E5E5E5">I left a man standing against the wall</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and approached the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> spot cautiously</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">worried about what might</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> be there</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">somehow we had missed the brown blanket</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was hanging</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the ceiling to the</font> floor<font color="#CCCCCC"> I hesitantly reached to it and</font> called him<font color="#E5E5E5"> back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> revealing another small</font> room<font color="#E5E5E5"> with two twin beds one</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> empty</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> one occupied person in the bed was sitting<font color="#CCCCCC"> out facing the wall</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> opposite me</font> with their legs crossed<font color="#CCCCCC"> in front</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of them</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I felt my heart stopped when</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the woman</font> turned her head to look<font color="#CCCCCC"> at us</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in the</font> darkness<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the tiny room it was</font> difficult<font color="#E5E5E5"> to read her expression</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">recognized her features immediate even</font> as shaded as they were<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'd seen photos</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">of her too many times to not be able to</font> tell<font color="#CCCCCC"> that the woman reforest</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> Tessa Murphy the long-lost Snow</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Queen</font> I felt the ability to<font color="#E5E5E5"> form words leave</font> me as i gaped<font color="#E5E5E5"> with an open mouth at the</font> sight<font color="#E5E5E5"> before me no no no no ice please</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> have a squirrel caged already she spoke with<font color="#E5E5E5"> raspy words what the hell</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I heard</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Jessie whisper from right behind</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">me this snapped me back to reality and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> looked over<font color="#E5E5E5"> my shoulder Jessie this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> is</font> Tessa Murphy the<font color="#E5E5E5"> snow queen from last</font> year<font color="#E5E5E5"> my voice was a whisper</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as words</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">finally came out</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Tessa returned</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ahead to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> look back at the</font> wall<font color="#E5E5E5"> my motion for Jessie to wait at</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> doorway before<font color="#E5E5E5"> beginning to walk towards</font> the kidnapped woman<font color="#E5E5E5"> I stepped carefully</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">instinctively not wanting to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> make too</font> much noise or any sudden movements <font color="#CCCCCC">I had no</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> idea what this woman had been</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">through</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but I didn't know</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that it was</font> traumatic<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I didn't want to frighten</font> her when I stood close enough to touch her<font color="#CCCCCC"> I called</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> her in his gentle voice as</font> I could manage<font color="#E5E5E5"> Tessa can you hear me she</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">shrugged slowly and nodded her head</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">quickly at the same time even though the</font> gestures were a little<font color="#CCCCCC"> odd I told this</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to mean that she could in fact him she</font> didn't turn<font color="#CCCCCC"> around or look at me at all</font> her eyes were fixed<font color="#E5E5E5"> on the wall before</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> gingerly stepped<font color="#CCCCCC"> around to place myself</font> in front of<font color="#E5E5E5"> her</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> next to the bed she was</font> seated<font color="#CCCCCC"> on Tessa</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we have to get you out</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of here</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> do you know if Scott I was cut</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">off by my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mind blanking once again and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">making me forget</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> how to speak her gaze</font> met mine and I became<font color="#E5E5E5"> the focus of her</font> sight<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my own attention</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> became</font> fixated on her body<font color="#E5E5E5"> specifically her</font> stomach<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was easy to tell</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that she had</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">lost weight since being taken but what</font> was more alarming was how swollen<font color="#E5E5E5"> her</font> belly was after a few<font color="#E5E5E5"> seconds</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as if on a</font> delayed timer Tessa smiled<font color="#E5E5E5"> and robbed her pregnant</font> belly lovingly<font color="#E5E5E5"> Scott she said as her</font> smile grew wider before her face contorted into<font color="#E5E5E5"> an expression</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of sadness</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and pain I didn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> know what to say or do</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> woman telling</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me that she was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">carrying my brother's child</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">could read the dismal look on her face</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">easily and took it to mean that Scott</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was gone I was nominal Island and the</font> sharp hang in my heart<font color="#E5E5E5"> barely registered</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Quora</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> well we have to go Jessie loudly</font> whispered into<font color="#E5E5E5"> the room again breaking</font> through my haze<font color="#CCCCCC"> I look</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to her and saw</font> the anxiety clearly on her face<font color="#CCCCCC"> I nodded</font> a single time and told him take the other to start<font color="#E5E5E5"> making your way</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">car we're right behind you</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Jessie raised an eyebrow and hesitated</font> but nodded herself and disappeared from <font color="#CCCCCC">sight I could hear her helping</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the two</font> campers<font color="#E5E5E5"> get to their feet and make their</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">way to the door as the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> noises from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> their</font> feet receded<font color="#CCCCCC"> I crouched in front of</font> Tessa<font color="#CCCCCC"> and looked at her face</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">looking back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me expectedly</font> like a child<font color="#CCCCCC"> waiting to be told of an</font> assignment <font color="#E5E5E5">all right Tessa we're gonna get you out</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> here okay I need you to take my hand</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and stand up</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> can you do that I asked her</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Tessa nodded with a small smile and</font> shifted to uncross her legs<font color="#CCCCCC"> I stood up</font> and held a<font color="#E5E5E5"> hand out to help her to her</font> feet<font color="#CCCCCC"> with a strength that surprised me</font> she pushed herself off<font color="#CCCCCC"> the bed and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> slid</font> her hand<font color="#E5E5E5"> into mine interlocking our</font> fingers<font color="#CCCCCC"> I returned her smile that felt</font> tears welling up in my eyes<font color="#CCCCCC"> his growing</font> woman<font color="#E5E5E5"> seemed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to reverted back into</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> just</font> a child<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> not only was she like a kid</font> now<font color="#E5E5E5"> she had one growing inside of her as</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">well</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I shook my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> head slightly</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in bling</font> ridding the moisture from<font color="#E5E5E5"> my eyes I</font> needed to concentrate<font color="#CCCCCC"> right</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> now and</font> worry<font color="#CCCCCC"> about everything</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> else later</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Tessa</font> and I made our way out<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the cabin</font> easily quicker<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I heard Jessie in the</font> campus<font color="#CCCCCC"> leave</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I led her the entire way</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> trying to keep</font> a steady<font color="#CCCCCC"> pace but also not</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> move too fast</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she couldn't keep up or fall down</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> guided her around the lake<font color="#E5E5E5"> following the</font> tracks<font color="#CCCCCC"> Jessie</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and the others</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> have made</font> I saw them slip<font color="#E5E5E5"> into the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> treeline just</font> as it came into view<font color="#CCCCCC"> I constantly</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">scanned the landscape waiting</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for a</font> group of yetis to<font color="#E5E5E5"> rush into view and</font> attack but none came<font color="#E5E5E5"> in fact no sounds</font> other<font color="#E5E5E5"> than our own could be heard until</font> we caught up<font color="#CCCCCC"> with the other</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> three Jessie</font> had stopped to<font color="#E5E5E5"> let the weak couple catch</font> their breath<font color="#CCCCCC"> and prepare</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> themselves for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> last half of a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mile to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the car</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as</font> the five of us began continuing our hike down<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mountain and to safety</font> Tessa started laughing like<font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> five-year-old<font color="#E5E5E5"> getting to ride her first</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">pony she still clutched my hand tightly</font> not seeming to<font color="#E5E5E5"> want to let it go but</font> walked about<font color="#E5E5E5"> a step behind me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I glanced</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">back at her then to Jessie how confused</font> faces<font color="#E5E5E5"> mirroring one another in an</font> instant<font color="#CCCCCC"> the confusion we both felt</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">turned to terror as branches cracking</font> and pounding steps began softly sounding through the forest from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the direction of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> cabin we assured the three we had</font> saved<font color="#CCCCCC"> onwards</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the man and woman with</font> Jessie pushed themselves to<font color="#E5E5E5"> move as</font> rapidly<font color="#E5E5E5"> as possible</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> no doubt</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wanting to</font> get<font color="#E5E5E5"> the hell off winter</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> rock as soon as</font> they killed Tessa sped up with me<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">also continued to laugh get the</font> unmistakable sounds of yetis chasing us through the trees grew louder and closer <font color="#CCCCCC">we had less than</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> half</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a mile to go</font> though<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I mentally begged our bodies</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> be able to get there in time from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">behind us</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it sounded like entire trees</font> were<font color="#E5E5E5"> being knocked asunder and branches</font> were being ripped<font color="#E5E5E5"> from the trunks with a</font> brute and<font color="#E5E5E5"> angry force</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I tugged gently on</font> Tessa's<font color="#CCCCCC"> hand and she skipped a couple</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> times none<font color="#CCCCCC"> of this could be good for the</font> baby she carried the end of the trail came into view<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> with it<font color="#E5E5E5"> the sedan I drove it would be a</font> tight<font color="#CCCCCC"> fit but we could all make it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">shoved my hand into the pocket of my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">jacket and yanked the keys from their</font> place inside<font color="#E5E5E5"> slamming my thumb into the</font> unlock button multiple times to be<font color="#E5E5E5"> sure</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">all the door was unlocked it was</font> overkill<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was too scared to care</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jesse opened one of the back doors and</font> guided first the man<font color="#E5E5E5"> then the woman</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">inside</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> before climbing in herself as she</font> did<font color="#CCCCCC"> that I pulled open the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> passenger</font> door<font color="#CCCCCC"> Tessa</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> getting the car I demand it</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">then realizing I needed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to be gentle</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with her I added</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> please Tessa let go of</font> my hand<font color="#CCCCCC"> and clapped hers together</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> while</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">looking back into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the evergreens</font> readjusting<font color="#E5E5E5"> merge from she laughed</font> loudly<font color="#CCCCCC"> and I followed her gaze to see</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">movement</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in the distance barreling</font> towards us Tessa<font color="#E5E5E5"> now my firm tone made</font> her flinch but<font color="#E5E5E5"> she nodded took a seat in</font> the car<font color="#E5E5E5"> I shut the door once she was in</font> and ran to<font color="#E5E5E5"> the driver side almost</font> flinging myself<font color="#E5E5E5"> in positioning the rifle</font> next to my knee<font color="#E5E5E5"> shifting the car into</font> drive<font color="#E5E5E5"> before I shut the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> door I used the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">small clearing to flip the car around</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and began</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> accelerating down the mountain</font> quicker<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I normally</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> would have I was</font> big on safe winter<font color="#E5E5E5"> driving but right now</font> I<font color="#CCCCCC"> needed to be big on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> getting us all to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">safety</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jesse I said while glancing in the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">rearview mirror</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> her she looked at me</font> and waited for<font color="#E5E5E5"> what I had to say in</font> about<font color="#CCCCCC"> a mile</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm gonna stop the car</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> I<font color="#E5E5E5"> need you to jump in my seat and take</font> them to<font color="#CCCCCC"> the hospital motherfuck</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> no</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Korra</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">just drive to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hospital yourself</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> exclaimed<font color="#CCCCCC"> I have to go back and get the</font> blood<font color="#CCCCCC"> I need to kill one of those things</font> my voice raised a bit as I<font color="#E5E5E5"> half pleaded</font> half demanded<font color="#CCCCCC"> police the woman</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from the</font> back<font color="#E5E5E5"> spoke in her low weakened voice</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Cora we weren't lucky</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> enough to find</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">these three and get the hell out of</font> there before the<font color="#E5E5E5"> yetis came down us</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">these two need</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to get to the hospital</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">ASAP</font> and I'm sure crazy<font color="#E5E5E5"> pants up there does</font> too don't stop<font color="#E5E5E5"> until we get there the</font> yetis aren't going<font color="#CCCCCC"> anywhere we can come</font> back<font color="#CCCCCC"> for that shit</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> consider this</font> changing officially to a rescue<font color="#CCCCCC"> mission</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Jesse's voice was firm and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I knew she</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> right my blood boiled though and my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">adrenaline was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> screaming at me to not</font> only<font color="#E5E5E5"> get the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> yetee blood but to avenge</font> my brother Tessa giggled once more and began whispering<font color="#E5E5E5"> in a singsong voice crazy</font> pants crazy<font color="#E5E5E5"> pants silly</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> dick to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> see I</font> rolled my<font color="#CCCCCC"> eyes annoyed with knowing I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">needed to do the right thing fine</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I said</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and I felt a collective sigh come from</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> back seat my front passenger stopped</font> her melodic murmuring and said in a flat <font color="#CCCCCC">voice Scott take me home Scotty please</font> don't die alone I can't alone<font color="#CCCCCC"> I looked</font> over<font color="#E5E5E5"> to her and saw a tear</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> escape her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> slide down her ashen cheek<font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt my</font> heart<font color="#E5E5E5"> break into a million</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> pieces</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I</font> reached a hand out to<font color="#CCCCCC"> squeeze hers</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> which</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> sitting in her lap</font> she was fidgeting<font color="#CCCCCC"> with them</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> picking her</font> nails<font color="#E5E5E5"> and running her fingertips against</font> one another<font color="#CCCCCC"> what stopped when I touched</font> it Tessa looked at me not worried about crying like I was<font color="#E5E5E5"> it's okay Tessa I'm</font> taking you<font color="#CCCCCC"> home a deep roar</font> reverberating through<font color="#CCCCCC"> the forest around</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">us loud and full enough of base that we</font> could hear<font color="#CCCCCC"> it plainly through the</font> windows and almost feel it<font color="#CCCCCC"> in our seats</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">if we weren't moving</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we might have been</font> able<font color="#CCCCCC"> to feel it but the road aided in</font> keeping us from experiencing that we made it down the<font color="#E5E5E5"> mountain sliding around</font> a<font color="#E5E5E5"> few curves before</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I finally slowed</font> down<font color="#CCCCCC"> but I felt like</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it was safe enough</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> do so I think</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I silently thank my car</font> for<font color="#E5E5E5"> having all-wheel drive at least six</font> times during<font color="#E5E5E5"> our trip down</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in half an</font> hour<font color="#CCCCCC"> we</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> were pulling into the drop-off</font> for the emergency room<font color="#E5E5E5"> Jessie and I</font> helped the other three out of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the car</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> parked<font color="#E5E5E5"> while my companion took them</font> inside to get checked in after<font color="#E5E5E5"> shutting</font> off my car<font color="#CCCCCC"> I walked to the doors myself</font> and found<font color="#CCCCCC"> tests are waiting for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> entrance</font> she held her hand<font color="#E5E5E5"> out to me again</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">reminding me of a child</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I couldn't help</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but smile to her however heartbreaking</font> it was smiling<font color="#CCCCCC"> once I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> took her hand in</font> mine<font color="#E5E5E5"> and we walked through the sliding</font> doors and<font color="#E5E5E5"> into the intake office in the</font> following days<font color="#CCCCCC"> the campers</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> were reunited</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> their friends made a fairly quick</font> recovery<font color="#E5E5E5"> we asked them not to reveal who</font> we<font color="#E5E5E5"> were as we knew we still had work to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">do</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and any media or hero type attention</font> we would get would only<font color="#E5E5E5"> hinder that one</font> of the nurses that<font color="#E5E5E5"> works in the</font> maternity ward<font color="#E5E5E5"> has been a friend</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of mine</font> since high<font color="#CCCCCC"> school</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and will give me a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">heads up on when there were police</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">officers around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they were in and out of</font> the hospital<font color="#CCCCCC"> for three days</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> trying</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">talk to Tessa who although improving</font> physically wasn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> showing any signs of</font> mental<font color="#CCCCCC"> improvement</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I was informed that her mind has snapped</font> at some point<font color="#CCCCCC"> and she didn't seem to</font> remember much of<font color="#CCCCCC"> the time she was gone</font> occasionally<font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> have lucid</font> moments or just start crying inconsolably<font color="#CCCCCC"> the baby itself will be</font> born any day<font color="#E5E5E5"> and the doctors were</font> worried<font color="#CCCCCC"> for both the child</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">mothers</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hell they couldn't be sure</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">either</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> would survive</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and were baffled at</font> how<font color="#E5E5E5"> well they had been surviving thus</font> far I asked if they could<font color="#E5E5E5"> tell any</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> more</font> about the baby<font color="#E5E5E5"> but knew there was no way</font> for them<font color="#E5E5E5"> to give me the answer I wanted</font> at<font color="#CCCCCC"> least not yet the following day was</font> spent in a sort of haze<font color="#CCCCCC"> at the coffee</font> shop<font color="#E5E5E5"> business</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was slower than usual due</font> to the storm that<font color="#E5E5E5"> blew outside I closed</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">up shop early that day knowing is the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">evening approached it would only get</font> worse<font color="#E5E5E5"> and the roads were quickly</font> becoming<font color="#CCCCCC"> impossible to reverse due</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> the strong winds creating snowdrifts everywhere the<font color="#CCCCCC"> County</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> snowplows weren't even able</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to keep up</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with a constant barrage of</font> white and win in the short time Dana and I had the shop open we caught rumors and reports that<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> monsters were cited by<font color="#E5E5E5"> several people</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on</font> the north<font color="#E5E5E5"> side of town and around winter</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">rock</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Mountain there were no</font> disappearances or attacks<font color="#E5E5E5"> that just</font> their very<font color="#E5E5E5"> presence made everyone</font> nervous<font color="#CCCCCC"> after</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> calling it an early day</font> around 3:30<font color="#E5E5E5"> I returned home and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">attempted</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to rid my mind of beasts blood</font> and the ache in<font color="#CCCCCC"> my heart</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> by finding a</font> movie to curl up<font color="#E5E5E5"> to on the couch I</font> avoided festive holiday movies or anything<font color="#E5E5E5"> dealing with monsters or</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">supernatural creatures</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I settled on some</font> rom-com but barely<font color="#CCCCCC"> even focused on it it</font> didn't take me long<font color="#E5E5E5"> to fall asleep still</font> so emotionally drained<font color="#CCCCCC"> I woke to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a dark</font> house illuminated only by<font color="#E5E5E5"> the glow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the TV across from me sitting up I</font> looked out<font color="#CCCCCC"> of window and saw that he was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">indeed well into the night by now</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">groggily I reached for my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> phone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> which I</font> had set on the coffee table as I push<font color="#CCCCCC"> the on button to check the</font> time<font color="#E5E5E5"> I heard a noise</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from outside</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font> startled<font color="#CCCCCC"> me</font> it was soft but unnatural<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I tried</font> going over everything in<font color="#CCCCCC"> my mind that</font> could be moved by the storm<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> caused</font> the noise<font color="#CCCCCC"> I came</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> up</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with nothing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as my</font> heart<font color="#E5E5E5"> began to pound in my rib cage</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> stood up<font color="#E5E5E5"> and stepped as quietly as</font> possible<font color="#E5E5E5"> to where I'd left</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Scott's rifle</font> by the door as I picked it up<font color="#E5E5E5"> I stole a</font> look out<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the window next to my front</font> door<font color="#CCCCCC"> and saw nothing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but the blowing</font> snow of the<font color="#E5E5E5"> storm raging outside</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">continued</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> making my way around the house</font> silently looking<font color="#E5E5E5"> through each window</font> until I came to<font color="#CCCCCC"> my back door</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> back</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">yard</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was difficult</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> make out and I</font> could see<font color="#E5E5E5"> that the snow reached the top</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">for my porch</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">but when straining my eyes I was able</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">distinguish dark spots in the storm the</font> more I looked<font color="#E5E5E5"> at them the easier</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was</font> able to<font color="#E5E5E5"> see that they were silhouettes</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">standing just inside</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my fence</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it was</font> painfully<font color="#CCCCCC"> difficult to get a really good</font> look<font color="#E5E5E5"> at the creatures because their skin</font> was so<font color="#E5E5E5"> similar to the snow that covered</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">them but didn't seem to bother them</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> pulled my phone out<font color="#CCCCCC"> of the pocket of my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">sweatshirt where I'd put</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it and quickly</font> opened up the<font color="#E5E5E5"> text to Jessie I typed as</font> fast as I could telling her that I thought<font color="#E5E5E5"> the yetis</font> were at my house<font color="#CCCCCC"> as soon as I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> press send</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I slid my phone</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> onto the dining</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> table</font> beside me<font color="#E5E5E5"> and reached</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for the doorknob</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the deadbolt slid out of place easily</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and as i unlock</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the knob</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> itself and</font> turned it <font color="#E5E5E5">I heard the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> howling wind</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> slamming into</font> every<font color="#E5E5E5"> surface it cooked</font> the door was<font color="#CCCCCC"> thrown from my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> grasp</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> when I</font> opened it by<font color="#E5E5E5"> that revengeful wind and it</font> hit<font color="#E5E5E5"> the wall</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with a loud fart the air</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> rushed into the house bit my face</font> and tried<font color="#CCCCCC"> to blind me with its sheer</font> force<font color="#E5E5E5"> and the snow it carried a familiar</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">deep throated</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> rumble</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> started to sound</font> from the distance<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I knew without</font> even thinking about<font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font> that it<font color="#E5E5E5"> was coming from the yetis who</font> were standing<font color="#CCCCCC"> by</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the large tree towards</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">offense I slipped on the shoes</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that were</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">sitting next to the door and positioned</font> the rifle against my shoulder<font color="#E5E5E5"> aimed in</font> the direction of the monsters<font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">entire body shiver</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from a combination of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the cold and fear as I took</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a deep</font> breath<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> then walked through the</font> doorway<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> face my enemy the harsh</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">constant gusts made it difficult</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">steady the rifle I'll see more than a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">few feet in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> front of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me although</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I could</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">make</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> out</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the silhouettes I wasn't sure I</font> could<font color="#E5E5E5"> hit one</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> them it had been a long</font> time since I'd fire a gun and<font color="#E5E5E5"> even</font> longer since<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was a rifle Scott used</font> to take me once a month<font color="#CCCCCC"> to the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> shooting</font> range<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> practice with pistols but since</font> he'd been<font color="#CCCCCC"> taken</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I hadn't even thought</font> about<font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">just breathe squeeze I whispered</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> myself<font color="#E5E5E5"> I thought of Scott</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> every smiling</font> face<font color="#E5E5E5"> of his dreams that would never come</font> to life<font color="#E5E5E5"> if the person he'd been and</font> mostly of the<font color="#E5E5E5"> person he always thought</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">his little sister was and could be I</font> would<font color="#CCCCCC"> be that person for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I would be</font> brave I would save the<font color="#CCCCCC"> tail</font> I would kill one<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> those god</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> damn yetis</font> it was the last thing<font color="#CCCCCC"> I do</font> no wait I thought to myself not<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> last</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">thing I do</font> I still<font color="#E5E5E5"> have to do the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ritual as well</font> give us a child<font color="#E5E5E5"> a voice carried through</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> storm like he was shot with a</font> catapult the voice itself<font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> gravely</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and deeper</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">than anything I could imagine</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> each word</font> was set slowly<font color="#E5E5E5"> each syllable resounding</font> like the engine of a jet airliner<font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font> took a<font color="#CCCCCC"> moment for me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to realize that the</font> voice belonged to one<font color="#CCCCCC"> of those creatures</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">during my silent thoughts</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the noise that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">originally sounded to notify me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> there was something<font color="#E5E5E5"> outside came again</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I saw what it was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one of the yetis</font> the one closest to<font color="#E5E5E5"> the tree slammed her</font> hand against the thick trunk<font color="#E5E5E5"> he didn't</font> sound like wood snapping<font color="#E5E5E5"> or the typical</font> thud you might hear<font color="#E5E5E5"> if you hit a tree</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">with your own</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> fists</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it was more like a</font> loud banging that a heavy door on a mansion might make it was stifled a little by<font color="#CCCCCC"> the weather but still</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> loud</font> enough to<font color="#E5E5E5"> clearly</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> be heard</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and felt in</font> my<font color="#CCCCCC"> bones the child is gone I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> shouted</font> back<font color="#E5E5E5"> not sure of which Yeti spoke</font> standing at the edge<font color="#E5E5E5"> of my porch being</font> pounded<font color="#E5E5E5"> by</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the sharp daggers of the ICEA</font> songs<font color="#E5E5E5"> I could see that there</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> are at</font> least three of them in my yard ahead of me<font color="#CCCCCC"> I think they were all</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> facing me as</font> well but<font color="#CCCCCC"> even now I couldn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> tell you</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">for certain sure</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> how</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> these hours came</font> the harsh voice once more<font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt like I</font> was frozen<font color="#E5E5E5"> in place</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I couldn't move</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> couldn't<font color="#CCCCCC"> speak and worst of all</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> couldn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> reach</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my finger to the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> trigger</font> do not attempt<font color="#E5E5E5"> arevery as the male did</font> his companion was<font color="#CCCCCC"> not worth his</font> insolence<font color="#CCCCCC"> the words repeated in my head</font> over<font color="#E5E5E5"> and over with no doubt in my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mind</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was talking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about Scott</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> did it</font> know that<font color="#CCCCCC"> he was my brother</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> did it even</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">have the concept of siblings and family</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a child is not here I spoke firmly</font> determined<font color="#CCCCCC"> to stand my ground</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then bring</font> in a woman<font color="#E5E5E5"> give us a queen</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it said</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">tessa is not here either and you will</font> not<font color="#E5E5E5"> have her</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I raised my voice</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and tried</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> sound as hard as possible instead</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font> the voice coming<font color="#E5E5E5"> again a deafening crack</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">tore through the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> immediate area before I</font> could understand<font color="#E5E5E5"> what had happened</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> huge limb from<font color="#E5E5E5"> my tree slammed into the</font> snow<font color="#CCCCCC"> at the end of my porch I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> jump back</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">narrowly being missed by the object my</font> porch wasn't as lucky<font color="#E5E5E5"> and the bounce</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">caused from the force of the landing</font> landed in the<font color="#CCCCCC"> snow and I heard the wood</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the steps creak and splinter and I</font> quickly<font color="#E5E5E5"> composed myself to take aim once</font> again<font color="#CCCCCC"> levelling the size</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the rifle to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the spot I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was assuming and hoping would</font> be around the chest of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the monster</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> wasn't sure if<font color="#E5E5E5"> this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> thing had a heart</font> like a human does or where<font color="#CCCCCC"> exactly it</font> would<font color="#E5E5E5"> be located but I figured the chest</font> was my best bet for bringing it<font color="#E5E5E5"> down</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">thundering laughter echoed into my ears</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">as I closed one eye</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in took a slow</font> breath<font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I braced</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> myself for the recoil</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">on the exhale</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I squeezed the trigger</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Laughing immediately stopped and a shout</font> of<font color="#CCCCCC"> enraged pain overpowered the ringing</font> in my ears<font color="#CCCCCC"> oh shit it's not dead I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">thought to myself and tried to take aim</font> once more the yetis were moving though <font color="#CCCCCC">and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I couldn't</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> determine just where they</font> were<font color="#E5E5E5"> let alone which one had been I want</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to get hit</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I lowered the rifle</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">focused both eyes into the blowing snow</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">desperately trying to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> see the shout died</font> down<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I was left with</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> only the Deaf</font> sensation one gets when shooting<font color="#E5E5E5"> a gun</font> without ear protection just as I<font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> considering how much<font color="#CCCCCC"> of a disadvantage</font> this was a form appeared a few<font color="#E5E5E5"> feet from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the end of my porch</font> it's Howard<font color="#CCCCCC"> over me and a long arm</font> stretched forward<font color="#E5E5E5"> to grab the tree limb</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that had been thrown I washed in a</font> frozen shock<font color="#E5E5E5"> as the limb rose high</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> into</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> air above</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the awning of my porch</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">there was no way I wouldn't be hurt when</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the monster brought it down onto the</font> roof above me even if I<font color="#E5E5E5"> managed to not</font> be battered with pieces<font color="#E5E5E5"> of my home</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">surely the limits elf would connect with</font> my body<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be the end of me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I considered</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the idea of surviving</font> through that but knew that that wouldn't <font color="#E5E5E5">matter</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> if I survived it wouldn't be for</font> long the yetis would see to that especially after<font color="#CCCCCC"> I'd just attacked one</font> while I was preoccupied with<font color="#E5E5E5"> thoughts</font> racing<font color="#E5E5E5"> through my mind</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I didn't register</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> hesitation in the creature until the</font> moment<font color="#CCCCCC"> had passed a loud horn blares</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">from the front of the house growing</font> louder as<font color="#E5E5E5"> my hearing began to return and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the vehicle approached the side of the</font> house facing the fence from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the opposite</font> side<font color="#E5E5E5"> the horn didn't stop as I watched</font> the gate open<font color="#E5E5E5"> shoved forcefully by</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick Frost let through before</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his</font> master and began<font color="#E5E5E5"> charging through the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">deepest snow he wore a harness covered</font> in clanging bells and they jangled with every<font color="#CCCCCC"> movement he made his long fluffy</font> fur was bristling<font color="#E5E5E5"> who made him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> look a</font> big bigger than<font color="#CCCCCC"> he already was frost</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">stopped</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> standing in front of the</font> porch<font color="#CCCCCC"> between the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Yeti and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> myself hey</font> you ugly brutes<font color="#E5E5E5"> Frederick's boisterous</font> voice <font color="#CCCCCC">thought</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to be louder than the horn how</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">about you get</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the hell out of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> here</font> before I<font color="#CCCCCC"> have to get</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> angry as he neared</font> me I saw he was<font color="#E5E5E5"> brandishing a long</font> machete in one hand and a<font color="#CCCCCC"> large</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> axe in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the other the yetis gave a low grumble</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that felt like an earthquake through my</font> entire<font color="#E5E5E5"> being</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> surprise</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> though they</font> disappeared into<font color="#E5E5E5"> the storm retreating to</font> wherever it is they spend their time we all stood without<font color="#CCCCCC"> a word for a minute</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> only noise coming from the horn</font> still blaring<font color="#E5E5E5"> from the front of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">house and the intermittent protective</font> growls from<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frost's when I felt that the</font> creatures had really gone<font color="#CCCCCC"> I turned</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to my</font> rescuer<font color="#CCCCCC"> Fredrik</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> how the hell</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">cut off by a raised hand he looked to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> loyal companion caught him hey</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frost</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">go tell Jessie it's okay go see Jessie</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he rubbed the dog's chin and pointed to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the gates</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that still stood</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ajar</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> held in</font> place by<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ever deepening snow I</font> watched as<font color="#E5E5E5"> a sweet animal</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> bounced</font> through the<font color="#CCCCCC"> snow like a kid playing big</font> smile and everything <font color="#CCCCCC">Fredrik looked back at me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> holding</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his</font> finger<font color="#CCCCCC"> up to Tommy to hold on a few</font> seconds<font color="#E5E5E5"> later the horn stopped and even</font> with the howling<font color="#CCCCCC"> wind it felt very quiet</font> all<font color="#CCCCCC"> of a sudden inside</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he suggested</font> gesturing to my back door<font color="#CCCCCC"> I nodded</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">led him into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the kitchen once out of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> freezing<font color="#E5E5E5"> weather and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> into the dry warmth</font> of my house<font color="#CCCCCC"> I began to shiver</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> realizing</font> I was<font color="#E5E5E5"> cold and covered in snow it clunks</font> my hair<font color="#E5E5E5"> my skin and my clothes but began</font> melting<font color="#CCCCCC"> rapidly when exposed to a</font> temperature<font color="#E5E5E5"> well above freezing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in the</font> light I saw<font color="#E5E5E5"> Fredrik was bundled up in a</font> huge<font color="#E5E5E5"> coat and pants</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that looked like</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">they were</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> repelled</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> water his heavy boots</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">thought it against the floor as he</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">strode in and shut the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> door behind</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> him</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he said both</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of his weapons on the table</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and addressed me I was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> already headed</font> over here<font color="#E5E5E5"> to find you something</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> told</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font> you<font color="#E5E5E5"> needed help and with everything</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">going</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I wasn't about to ignore a gut</font> feeling go get dressed<font color="#E5E5E5"> and grab</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> whatever</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">you might need</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I think you should come</font> stay<font color="#E5E5E5"> with me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> frost</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at least for</font> tonight maybe<font color="#E5E5E5"> even</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> tomorrow night as</font> well when<font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> stopped</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> speaking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I threw my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">arms around his neck and hugged him</font> tight<font color="#E5E5E5"> he wrapped his large arms around</font> me<font color="#E5E5E5"> and held</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me there</font> while I cried into<font color="#E5E5E5"> his chest for a</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">moment when I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> felt I could I sucked in</font> as large<font color="#E5E5E5"> a breath as I could and pulled</font> away from<font color="#E5E5E5"> him he smiled at me and I</font> nodded<font color="#E5E5E5"> leaving him to go put some</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Bella</font> clothes on<font color="#E5E5E5"> and pack an overnight bag it</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">took less than</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 10</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> minutes for me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to be</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">prepared</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to go making</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> sure</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to grab</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">charger my phone my purse an extra two</font> sets of clothes<font color="#E5E5E5"> some toiletries and the</font> rifle<font color="#E5E5E5"> there shimmied into my heaviest</font> winter coat<font color="#E5E5E5"> and we headed out the front</font> door<font color="#CCCCCC"> locking it behind</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> us Frost was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">standing next to a big</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> dodge</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> crew cab</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">pickup truck</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I could see</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Jesse</font> sitting in the driver's<font color="#CCCCCC"> seat when</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> saw<font color="#E5E5E5"> us she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> scooted</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> over to the passenger</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">side Frederic opened the back door and</font> frost bounded into the truck with<font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font> behind<font color="#E5E5E5"> him once inside the door was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> shut</font> and frost immediately laid himself<font color="#E5E5E5"> on</font> the seat with<font color="#CCCCCC"> his head next to me he</font> licked my cheek once and panted<font color="#E5E5E5"> while I</font> rubbed behind his ears<font color="#CCCCCC"> I had never been</font> more<font color="#CCCCCC"> grateful for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> any dog in my life</font> this massive<font color="#E5E5E5"> mound of sweet fur was</font> definitely the best boy around<font color="#CCCCCC"> jesse</font> looked back at me from<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> front</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> her</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">expression one of concerned relief who</font> caught me right before<font color="#E5E5E5"> I was headed home</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the last court and told</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> us</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> all to go</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">home shortly</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> after I picked up papers I</font> was planning on<font color="#E5E5E5"> turning at</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the highway</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Junction when you texted so instead I</font> headed<font color="#E5E5E5"> this way when</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> didn't answer my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">texts right away my anxiety kind of took</font> control and<font color="#CCCCCC"> I called Frederick he told</font> me he was<font color="#E5E5E5"> already</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> headed out to you and</font> he picked me up on<font color="#E5E5E5"> the way I'm glad</font> you're<font color="#E5E5E5"> okay I gave her a small smile</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">yeah</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">whore thanks</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to you three</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I don't know</font> what I would<font color="#CCCCCC"> have</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> done without you</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was</font> sure I was a<font color="#CCCCCC"> goner for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a moment there</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">during the exchange</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick climbed into the truck</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> shifted to<font color="#CCCCCC"> Reverse he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> backed out</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of my</font> yard and<font color="#E5E5E5"> we headed off down the road we</font> dropped<font color="#CCCCCC"> Jessie off a few</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> blocks away</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">where she had parked her small truck</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at</font> a gas<font color="#CCCCCC"> station that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wasn't completely</font> drifted<font color="#CCCCCC"> over yet</font> she promised<font color="#CCCCCC"> to let us know when she</font> made it home when we got<font color="#E5E5E5"> to Frederick's</font> house coats were removed and placed on a tall coat rack by the door <font color="#E5E5E5">frost stood patiently until Frederick</font> removed the noisy harness<font color="#E5E5E5"> and then</font> settled<font color="#CCCCCC"> over by the wood-burning stove I</font> was shown to<font color="#E5E5E5"> the guest</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> room</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> told to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">make myself at home exhausted</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I had</font> planned on turning<font color="#E5E5E5"> in soon after</font> arriving<font color="#E5E5E5"> Frederick and I said</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> goodnight</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to each other</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I thanked him over and</font> over for coming<font color="#CCCCCC"> to my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> rescue and saving</font> my life we agreed we<font color="#CCCCCC"> would talk about what</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">happens when we both</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> got some well</font> needed rest oh and I have<font color="#CCCCCC"> something</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to show you</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">think it will solve all of our problems</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">he told me as I plugged my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> phone into</font> the charger really what is it I asked him very<font color="#CCCCCC"> curious as to what could be</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> fix<font color="#CCCCCC"> all tomorrow</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for now just get some</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">rest</font> you need it and<font color="#E5E5E5"> with that he gave me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> smile<font color="#CCCCCC"> I walked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> down the hall to his own</font> bedroom [Music] [Music] <font color="#CCCCCC">I ended up staying with Frederick for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">more than just</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> one or two</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> days the day</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">after I was brought</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to his house</font> we both returned to<font color="#E5E5E5"> my home with the</font> intention<font color="#CCCCCC"> of him just</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> taking me home</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when we arrived though we found a</font> horrifying mess<font color="#E5E5E5"> the windows in the back</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">door were</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> broken along</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with a window on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the side of the house the door itself</font> was open as well<font color="#E5E5E5"> leaves and branches</font> held the door ajar<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I opened the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> door</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">all</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of the way to see the tree that once</font> stood tall<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> strong my backyard and I</font> open<font color="#E5E5E5"> the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> all</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the way</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to see the tree that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> once stood tall and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">strong in my backyard</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was now uprooted</font> the very top of<font color="#CCCCCC"> it lying</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on my porch as</font> if it was trying<font color="#E5E5E5"> to get to safety</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">just as I had after Frederick saw the</font> scene of herbicide<font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my eyes were</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">glued to he suggested I stay with him</font> for a<font color="#CCCCCC"> little longer I didn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> even have</font> to consider it<font color="#E5E5E5"> and agreed that that</font> would be<font color="#E5E5E5"> best before</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> our trip to my</font> house he<font color="#E5E5E5"> treated</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me to some french toast</font> and a nondescript wooden box<font color="#E5E5E5"> he was</font> about a<font color="#E5E5E5"> foot long</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> almost as wide</font> with a sliding<font color="#CCCCCC"> lid when he pulled</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> lid from<font color="#E5E5E5"> its place</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I saw that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> inside a</font> top packing straw was a<font color="#E5E5E5"> pocket-sized</font> book with the black leather cover and a few large vials of dark liquid without <font color="#E5E5E5">touching anything</font> I looked up at Frederick with a questioning expression <font color="#E5E5E5">he proceeded to explain that he'd</font> managed to<font color="#E5E5E5"> get in touch with Richard</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Hawking yeah he was a total prick</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> too and refused to come back to help</font> it was a pain just trying to get<font color="#E5E5E5"> him on</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the phone no matter what I told him</font> though<font color="#E5E5E5"> he kept</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> telling me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he would never</font> return<font color="#CCCCCC"> to Juniper</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> you have to argue in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">our case for half an hour he did</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> agree</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to send</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> something that he said would</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">help and he promptly demanded I never</font> contact him again<font color="#E5E5E5"> the book details the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">ritual including sketches of the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> runes</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">we need to carve into the trees the</font> vials<font color="#CCCCCC"> there's three of them all contain</font> his blood when we<font color="#CCCCCC"> run out though</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we have</font> to find<font color="#CCCCCC"> another way Fredrik explain</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> me<font color="#E5E5E5"> all the while I'm sure my eyes were</font> wide<font color="#E5E5E5"> as saucers there's enough here to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">last a few years at least</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it looks like</font> maybe after<font color="#CCCCCC"> that we</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> can consider the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">chart again I offered letting out a sign</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Fredrik nodded and returned the lid to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the box</font> we finished<font color="#E5E5E5"> our breakfast and went to</font> find<font color="#E5E5E5"> the shocking state of my house over</font> the next few days<font color="#E5E5E5"> the yetis made sure</font> their presence<font color="#E5E5E5"> was known they</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> walked the</font> streets at night<font color="#E5E5E5"> destroyed decorations</font> and shattered windows of shops<font color="#CCCCCC"> that made</font> up<font color="#CCCCCC"> the majority</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the north end of town</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I haven't mentioned it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> before but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> northern end of town is made<font color="#E5E5E5"> up of</font> mostly stores restaurants and<font color="#E5E5E5"> well a</font> couple<font color="#E5E5E5"> of bars is also a railroad</font> station just past the commercial area and then<font color="#E5E5E5"> just</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> past that there are more</font> homes<font color="#E5E5E5"> and a few more stores and</font> businesses<font color="#E5E5E5"> that section after the</font> railroad<font color="#E5E5E5"> station is the closest to the</font> mountain all of these homes were terrorized in some way<font color="#E5E5E5"> Christmas had been less</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> than a</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">week before</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and some people still</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> have</font> their decorations<font color="#CCCCCC"> and lights up by the</font> time the yetis were ready to<font color="#E5E5E5"> move</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">shops and businesses in town no home had</font> anything festive left where he<font color="#CCCCCC"> had</font> originally<font color="#CCCCCC"> been placed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> strings of lights</font> were smashed and<font color="#CCCCCC"> torn thrown in yards</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">across streets and alleys wreaths and</font> Garland's were torn to<font color="#CCCCCC"> shreds</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> snowmen</font> were pummeled<font color="#CCCCCC"> to piles of snow</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that made</font> everyone's heart break a little<font color="#CCCCCC"> to look</font> at nothing<font color="#CCCCCC"> was safe</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> especially</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> if it</font> dealt<font color="#CCCCCC"> with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the holiday season the last</font> day<font color="#CCCCCC"> of the year</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> came a New Year's Eve</font> parties in juniper<font color="#E5E5E5"> was so scarce that if</font> you didn't know what day<font color="#CCCCCC"> it was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font> was nothing<font color="#CCCCCC"> else to indicate a day of</font> celebration<font color="#E5E5E5"> Frederick and I spend the</font> evening inside with warm drinks movies<font color="#CCCCCC"> and frost</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> who took to curling up</font> at the end<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the couch opposite to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">where I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> usually sense</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we were all</font> perched in what had become<font color="#CCCCCC"> our typical</font> spots<font color="#E5E5E5"> when my phone rang</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I picked it up</font> from<font color="#CCCCCC"> where I sat on the coffee table</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> answered it after<font color="#CCCCCC"> glancing at a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> number I</font> didn't recognize hello<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> greeted the</font> caller hey<font color="#CCCCCC"> Cora</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it's Rachel the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> woman</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on the</font> other<font color="#E5E5E5"> end answered she sounded exhausted</font> but I could easily be<font color="#E5E5E5"> attributed to her</font> work as a nurse<font color="#E5E5E5"> at the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hospital</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Rachel</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">how are</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> you I asked tessa had the baby a</font> healthy little<font color="#CCCCCC"> girl she didn't make it</font> though Rachel's<font color="#E5E5E5"> voice falters has it</font> sounded like<font color="#CCCCCC"> she was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> choking back tears</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Tess have passed away during the birth I</font> thought you'd want to know yes<font color="#E5E5E5"> Wow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> thank you</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Rachel</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I don't</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> know</font> what to say<font color="#CCCCCC"> I answered my mind suddenly</font> going blank<font color="#CCCCCC"> avoiding itself from</font> everything<font color="#E5E5E5"> else in the world</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I have to</font> go<font color="#E5E5E5"> we had a couple of wrecks</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> coming</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">recently seems like the monsters are</font> causing more problems<font color="#CCCCCC"> than alcohol</font> tonight I just thought I'd take<font color="#E5E5E5"> a moment to call</font> you right quick<font color="#E5E5E5"> the nurse explained</font> hurriedly<font color="#E5E5E5"> yeah of course thank you and</font> good luck<font color="#CCCCCC"> I responded</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and hung up</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> phone without<font color="#E5E5E5"> waiting</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to see if she had</font> anything else<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> say and held my phone</font> number in my lap and<font color="#E5E5E5"> stared in front of</font> me not really<font color="#E5E5E5"> seeing the table or on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">floor what happened</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Frederick's voice wafted like a distant</font> melody through my ears<font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> show</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my head to</font> clear it<font color="#E5E5E5"> and looked at him the yetis are</font> causing<font color="#E5E5E5"> car wrecks and Tessa died in</font> childbirth his face dropped in sadness <font color="#E5E5E5">and he didn't say anything</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">frost sensing The Melancholy</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> state my</font> heart was now in nuzzled<font color="#E5E5E5"> his snout under</font> my elbow<font color="#E5E5E5"> and wiggled until his head was</font> in<font color="#CCCCCC"> my lap</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I gave the dog a small teary</font> smile<font color="#E5E5E5"> and ran my hand over his head</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">buried my fingers into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his fur when they</font> reached his<font color="#CCCCCC"> neck his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> big brown eyes</font> looked up at me from<font color="#CCCCCC"> his position at a</font> door of my phone and let him lick my palm rubbing his snout<font color="#E5E5E5"> while he did what</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">about the baby</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick asked after</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> giving me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a moment</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Rachel said is a healthy baby girl</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I answered</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> taking my eyes off</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a Frost</font> you want to go see her the<font color="#E5E5E5"> unexpected</font> question caused me to look<font color="#E5E5E5"> up and not</font> yeah<font color="#CCCCCC"> I think I'd like that in half an</font> hour we were<font color="#CCCCCC"> pulling up to the hospital</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I noticed that there were a couple</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> police SUVs part near the<font color="#CCCCCC"> ER entrance</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and I also recognized</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Tess's husband's</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">car in the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> lot I pointed both out to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and he asked if I wanted him</font> to<font color="#CCCCCC"> come in with me yes</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> please if you</font> wouldn't mind was my answer he squeezed my hand<font color="#E5E5E5"> gently before exiting</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the truck</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he walked around to my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> side and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> helped</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">keep me from falling</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on the ice</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as we</font> made our<font color="#CCCCCC"> way</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> inside</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I knew where</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Tessa's</font> room had<font color="#CCCCCC"> been and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> immediately began</font> leading Frederick down the hallways to <font color="#CCCCCC">it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> when we entered the maternity ward</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and neared the nurse's</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> station</font> Rachel greeted us with<font color="#E5E5E5"> a sad expression</font> there in the room right now<font color="#E5E5E5"> saying</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">goodbye she advised</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me I nodded</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> what</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">about the baby</font> she walked from behind the<font color="#E5E5E5"> station and</font> gestured<font color="#CCCCCC"> for us to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> follow her we were</font> taken to<font color="#E5E5E5"> the large window that showed</font> the nursery and the recent additions to the world Rachel pointed<font color="#E5E5E5"> out a small</font> bundle sleeping<font color="#E5E5E5"> quietly in the second</font> row<font color="#E5E5E5"> then left us without another word</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> gazed on<font color="#E5E5E5"> the child and felt my heart</font> swell with a tingle of joy and pain<font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was beautiful</font> I glanced at Frederick<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> saw that he</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">was smiling white I made a mental note</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> ask him why he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had never had children</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> his own Cora</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a female voice came from</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">behind us I turned to see</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Tess's</font> daughter<font color="#E5E5E5"> Vera approaching us with her</font> father in tow Vera<font color="#CCCCCC"> Jon Rachel told me</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I'm so sorry</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> step towards them and hug them both in</font> turn<font color="#E5E5E5"> I could see the redness of John's</font> eyes<font color="#E5E5E5"> indicating it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> only</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> recently stopped</font> crying<font color="#E5E5E5"> Vera was still crying and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hugged</font> me<font color="#E5E5E5"> tight</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> thank</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> you</font> Vera said in my ear<font color="#E5E5E5"> before</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she broke the</font> hug<font color="#E5E5E5"> I nodded in motion to Frederick</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> this</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">is Frederick</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he's a good</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> friend of mine</font> and was there when I<font color="#E5E5E5"> got the call my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">condolences I'm so sorry for your loss</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> can't imagine<font color="#E5E5E5"> how either of you</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> are</font> feeling<font color="#E5E5E5"> right now</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he said offering</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a hand to John John</font> shook it with a silent nod before turning<font color="#CCCCCC"> his eyes to the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> floor next Vera</font> shook his hand<font color="#E5E5E5"> which one</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> is</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it Vera</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">asked me I brought her up to the window</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and pointed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> out the newborn she stared</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">at it blankly while</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> John remained where</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">he stood</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> after a couple of minutes</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font> silence<font color="#CCCCCC"> John finally</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> spoke that child is</font> not ours<font color="#E5E5E5"> take it</font> his voice was<font color="#E5E5E5"> shaky but determined at</font> the same time<font color="#E5E5E5"> I caught a hint of anger</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">in his tone Tess had said before</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> her family<font color="#E5E5E5"> wouldn't want the baby and</font> she was<font color="#E5E5E5"> right</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I realized in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that second</font> that she had also been correct in saying <font color="#CCCCCC">that she would die what my father means</font> is that if you're<font color="#CCCCCC"> willing we'd like you</font> to take<font color="#E5E5E5"> the child</font> only if you want I know that's what mom wanted<font color="#E5E5E5"> to but I don't want to put this</font> burden<font color="#E5E5E5"> on someone who</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> isn't willing or</font> surely<font color="#E5E5E5"> Vera added staring a few seconds</font> more at the baby<font color="#CCCCCC"> before</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> looking back at</font> me<font color="#E5E5E5"> I don't I mean</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> yes what do I have to</font> do I stuttered already having considered it since my conversation with Tessa<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> knew that if it<font color="#E5E5E5"> came to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there was no</font> doubt that<font color="#E5E5E5"> I would take the child and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">raise it not</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> only would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this give me</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">access to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> town saving yetee blood</font> but it would<font color="#E5E5E5"> also ensure</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that the child</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">would grow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> up with someone who knew what</font> she was and knew how to protect<font color="#E5E5E5"> him mom</font> was able<font color="#CCCCCC"> to form a will during</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one of</font> her clear moments<font color="#E5E5E5"> you take the baby home</font> when they say it's ready<font color="#CCCCCC"> and we just</font> have some paperwork<font color="#E5E5E5"> to complete it'll</font> take a few<font color="#E5E5E5"> days or</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> so</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to get everything</font> in<font color="#E5E5E5"> order before anything can be signed</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but you'd be the one</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> leaving with the</font> child<font color="#CCCCCC"> Vera explained the surprise in her</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">expression only lasted seconds before</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">being replaced with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one of really after</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">agreeing that I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> would be called when</font> things were ready<font color="#E5E5E5"> John and Vera departed</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my heart broke for them here it was the</font> very night when a new year would begin and<font color="#E5E5E5"> they'd be starting</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it with the loss</font> of someone<font color="#E5E5E5"> they had just</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> gotten</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I didn't stay much</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> longer</font> either<font color="#E5E5E5"> we stopped to talk to Rachel on</font> the way out<font color="#CCCCCC"> now</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> informed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that I</font> could take<font color="#CCCCCC"> the baby</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> home on the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 3rd so</font> long as everything continued as it was because<font color="#CCCCCC"> of the state Tess had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> been in</font> they wanted<font color="#E5E5E5"> to be sure there was nothing</font> wrong<font color="#CCCCCC"> with the baby before letting</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it go</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I thanked her and promised to return the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">following day to visit what would be my</font> child now as we began<font color="#E5E5E5"> walking through</font> the main doors of the hospital<font color="#CCCCCC"> we heard</font> Rachel call from<font color="#E5E5E5"> behind this wait</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Cora</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I stopped just passed the door and</font> turned back to her<font color="#E5E5E5"> she jogged towards us</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">waving something in her hand when close</font> enough<font color="#E5E5E5"> she handed me the item and I saw</font> it was an envelope<font color="#CCCCCC"> I almost forgot Tessa</font> left that and it has your name<font color="#E5E5E5"> on it she</font> panted slightly <font color="#CCCCCC">I thanked her again and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> walked away</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I did the same</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> once in the truck</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> opened<font color="#E5E5E5"> the letter and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Fredrik listened</font> intently as I read it aloud<font color="#E5E5E5"> Cora</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> truly</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hope you are the one to care for my</font> child<font color="#CCCCCC"> John doesn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> want something that</font> isn't his<font color="#E5E5E5"> and he and Vera could never</font> love this baby<font color="#E5E5E5"> she deserves love please</font> raise her with<font color="#E5E5E5"> it as much as I wish I</font> could say that<font color="#E5E5E5"> this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> your niece</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we</font> both know the truth<font color="#CCCCCC"> is</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that this child</font> is one that was conceived from an unspeakable<font color="#E5E5E5"> act with a monster</font> no matter<font color="#CCCCCC"> I know she's good and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> needs a good life<font color="#E5E5E5"> they tell me that she</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">used to be</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> born on New Year's Eve I've</font> been calling her evylyn because of that <font color="#CCCCCC">Eve</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Shawn's</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it's up to you but I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">will</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be eternally grateful</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> if she knew</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> name in some way I'm sorry about</font> Scott he was<font color="#CCCCCC"> an incredible person and he</font> did so much<font color="#CCCCCC"> to try and help</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he wanted</font> you<font color="#CCCCCC"> to know how much</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he loved you in</font> those last moments<font color="#E5E5E5"> he expressed guilt</font> over not being<font color="#E5E5E5"> able to save me and not</font> being able to be there<font color="#CCCCCC"> for you you will</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">always be his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> family and his harvest I</font> wish I could trade<font color="#E5E5E5"> places with him for</font> you<font color="#CCCCCC"> I will</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> always be in dead of you of</font> Miller's<font color="#E5E5E5"> thank you sincerely Tessa</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick wrapped a burly arm around my</font> shoulders<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I cried on his shoulder</font> for a few moments<font color="#E5E5E5"> when I was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> able to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">stop and dry my tears</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick put the truck into drive and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">we left the parking lot</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on the way back</font> to his house<font color="#E5E5E5"> we discussed when</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we would</font> visit<font color="#E5E5E5"> the hospital on the following day</font> we agreed<font color="#E5E5E5"> to go shopping first seeing as</font> I<font color="#CCCCCC"> was about to bring a baby home in just</font> a couple of<font color="#E5E5E5"> days and had</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> absolutely</font> nothing<font color="#CCCCCC"> that I would need he also</font> dropped a bombshell on me<font color="#E5E5E5"> that I never</font> would have<font color="#E5E5E5"> expected</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he asked if I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wanted</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> move in with him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> so I wouldn't be</font> alone<font color="#CCCCCC"> in raising the baby I told him I'd</font> have to<font color="#E5E5E5"> think about it and give him an</font> answer<font color="#E5E5E5"> by the time the baby was to be</font> brought<font color="#CCCCCC"> home</font> it was almost<font color="#CCCCCC"> 11</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> by the time we returned</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to the house but I texted</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Jessie just</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> let her know the baby had been born<font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> took<font color="#E5E5E5"> a while to answer but when she did</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">she</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> asked if she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> could stop by</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> before</font> she had it<font color="#E5E5E5"> to get her papers</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I told her</font> that<font color="#CCCCCC"> was fine and in half an hour</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> was knocking<font color="#CCCCCC"> on the door</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick answered and led her to the</font> living room<font color="#CCCCCC"> where we've been seated</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> once</font> again<font color="#E5E5E5"> I explained her the situation</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with</font> a child and the<font color="#CCCCCC"> Horgan package as</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Frederick read through the notebook</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Richard it sends if the baby comes</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> 3rd maybe we should get</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the ritual</font> done as soon as<font color="#CCCCCC"> possible</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Jessie</font> said<font color="#E5E5E5"> once I finished filling her in I</font> agree Frederick chimed in<font color="#E5E5E5"> I nodded yes I think</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that would be</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the best</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I don't want</font> those things<font color="#E5E5E5"> coming after the child and</font> if we can keep them<font color="#E5E5E5"> out</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the town we</font> need to do it as<font color="#E5E5E5"> soon as we can it's</font> gonna<font color="#E5E5E5"> be a big</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> responsibility you know</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Jessie said I wasn't sure</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> if she was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">talking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> specifically about raising the</font> baby<font color="#E5E5E5"> or performing the ritual year after</font> year<font color="#E5E5E5"> from now on either way she was</font> right at the<font color="#E5E5E5"> end of the book there's a</font> warning<font color="#CCCCCC"> Cora Frederic spoke before I had</font> a chance<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> answer Jessie</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">it talks about the first hybrid chart</font> being difficult and<font color="#E5E5E5"> holy crap we both</font> looked at<font color="#E5E5E5"> him and asked in unison what</font> um<font color="#CCCCCC"> I think at least it seems like</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this</font> was actually<font color="#CCCCCC"> written by that child</font> himself<font color="#E5E5E5"> as an adult</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I'm sure but this</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">passage here talks about</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> issues in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">first person give me a second he moved</font> the notebook a little closer to his face <font color="#E5E5E5">as his eyes intently scanned each lie</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jesse</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I looked at each other with</font> shocked expressions I'm not sure why<font color="#E5E5E5"> we</font> had never<font color="#E5E5E5"> even</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> considered the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">possibility</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that the first</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Yeti human</font> had left any written<font color="#E5E5E5"> documentation of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">any sort</font> let me read you<font color="#CCCCCC"> this</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he cleared his</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">throat</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and read from the passage not</font> being entirely human makes for a <font color="#E5E5E5">difficult</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> life but not impossible</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> dark impulses that try<font color="#E5E5E5"> to ensnare me can</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">be pushed away I've dedicated my entire</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">life and being to making juniper a town</font> of growth<font color="#E5E5E5"> and love in my younger years</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">it was discovered that I do not fall ill</font> or undergo physical<font color="#E5E5E5"> ailments or injuries</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">as do those around me I was not</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">impervious but I also spent no time</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with</font> doctors or healers<font color="#E5E5E5"> until I was coming of</font> age my<font color="#E5E5E5"> 17th</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> year</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> brought a flu</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> unlike</font> any known to mankind <font color="#CCCCCC">I was plagued with illness and feverish</font> visions<font color="#E5E5E5"> in these visions my true father</font> caught me<font color="#E5E5E5"> and appeal</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to my monster</font> nature when I found myself<font color="#CCCCCC"> begin to slip</font> away and<font color="#E5E5E5"> yearn for the mountains which</font> half of my<font color="#E5E5E5"> lineage resides him I was</font> pulled back by<font color="#E5E5E5"> the warmth and unwavering</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">love and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> determination of my mother</font> the one person<font color="#E5E5E5"> in this world that should</font> hate<font color="#CCCCCC"> me the most those of us who have</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">this monster blood</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in our veins need to</font> understand<font color="#CCCCCC"> that in order to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> remain on</font> the proper course<font color="#E5E5E5"> you must have that</font> connection<font color="#E5E5E5"> to our human side we must</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">feel more strongly drawn to the world of</font> men<font color="#E5E5E5"> rather than</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the world of demons and</font> creatures<font color="#E5E5E5"> it is my wish that those in my</font> line<font color="#CCCCCC"> remember this</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> understand that</font> although we are stubborn<font color="#E5E5E5"> and prone to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">mischief we are also capable and worthy</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> so much more the three of us</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">quietly soaking up the words and meaning</font> for<font color="#CCCCCC"> a few minutes</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Wow I muttered he cut that straight but</font> I have a<font color="#E5E5E5"> question</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jessie said</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hmm I asked she looked at</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Frederick and spoke who was the first</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Snow King the one that the legend</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> speaks</font> off if the first<font color="#CCCCCC"> Hagen father died</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then</font> how could<font color="#E5E5E5"> he become</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> crown by townspeople</font> it's<font color="#E5E5E5"> something that's just been</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">mind off and on it just doesn't add up</font> to<font color="#CCCCCC"> me a small smile crossed his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> face as</font> he responded simple he<font color="#E5E5E5"> wasn't the one</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">crown</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the snow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> king was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> also</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the first</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Yeti human cross Jessie nodded her loose</font> end<font color="#E5E5E5"> tied up so our town was built by</font> gods and<font color="#E5E5E5"> monsters</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I let</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> out a laugh it would seem so it's</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">been a few more minutes musing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> over the</font> information<font color="#CCCCCC"> and making</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> plans before</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jessie had to leave</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> when</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> retired to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">bed that night</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt confident that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">we'd be able to enact our plan the</font> following day<font color="#E5E5E5"> and be rid of the giant</font> pests<font color="#E5E5E5"> before I had a baby to take</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> care</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of the morning and early afternoon were</font> fairly<font color="#E5E5E5"> uneventful Frederick</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and I went</font> to a few stores and stocked up on baby supplies and a couple<font color="#E5E5E5"> of books that I</font> thought could<font color="#E5E5E5"> help me with my new</font> motherhood role after<font color="#CCCCCC"> we were both</font> pleased with a plethora of diapers clothing<font color="#E5E5E5"> toys formula and other items I</font> thought we would need we went to the hospital<font color="#E5E5E5"> although I couldn't take her</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">home yet I was able to go into the</font> nursery and hold the tiny baby for one<font color="#CCCCCC"> i</font> sat<font color="#CCCCCC"> in a chair they had and rocked her</font> gently back<font color="#CCCCCC"> and forth in my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> arms she</font> hadn't come<font color="#E5E5E5"> out of my body but I</font> couldn't deny that<font color="#CCCCCC"> I already</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> had a very</font> protective feeling for her she slept most of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the time but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for a few minutes</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">her a little eyes opened</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and I saw there</font> a soft shade of blue<font color="#E5E5E5"> with a faint</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">undertone of gray oh she was beautiful</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">around 1:00 in the afternoon</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we were</font> back at<font color="#E5E5E5"> Frederick's house preparing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">our journey and waiting for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Jesse to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">arrive once she had we all piled into</font> Frederick's truck and drove<font color="#E5E5E5"> to my house</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for me to grab the rifle and some extra</font> ammo<font color="#E5E5E5"> in our brief trip there</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I saw that</font> the window<font color="#E5E5E5"> had been fixed and the door</font> had<font color="#CCCCCC"> been replaced the back porch was</font> still being<font color="#CCCCCC"> worked on but being</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> New</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Year's Day the company</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I'd</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hired was off</font> for the day while<font color="#E5E5E5"> standing in the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">kitchen</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> looking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at the repairs thus far</font> I considered Frederick's offer<font color="#E5E5E5"> it would</font> definitely<font color="#E5E5E5"> be helpful</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I didn't know the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">first</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> thing about raising a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> child and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">taking care of a baby</font> not to mention this was no regular child it would also<font color="#CCCCCC"> give me some more</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> space as</font> my house was pretty small with<font color="#E5E5E5"> one</font> actual bedroom<font color="#E5E5E5"> and an office</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> area that</font> was barely<font color="#E5E5E5"> big enough for a desk and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">chair</font> although the<font color="#CCCCCC"> back yard was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a good size</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the room inside</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the house left much to</font> be desired<font color="#E5E5E5"> but could I do</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that to him I</font> wasn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> sure if he dated and if he did</font> what<font color="#CCCCCC"> would anyone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he brought home and</font> think<font color="#CCCCCC"> about a friend and her baby</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> living</font> with him did he even date<font color="#E5E5E5"> I couldn't</font> think<font color="#E5E5E5"> of him mentioning anyone in his</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">life in a romantic capacity</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but he was</font> in<font color="#E5E5E5"> his forties and unmarried</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I shrugged</font> myself<font color="#CCCCCC"> and left the kitchen</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to gather</font> some<font color="#E5E5E5"> more clothes from the bedroom and</font> the extra ammo<font color="#E5E5E5"> from the hall closet as I</font> rummaged<font color="#E5E5E5"> through my dresser and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> threw</font> items on ceremoniously into a<font color="#CCCCCC"> duffle bag</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I caught a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> glimpse of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the backyard</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">through the window that faced</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it aside</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">from the uprooted tree still in the</font> process<font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> being broken down into</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> more</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">manageable pieces</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there was something</font> back there<font color="#E5E5E5"> that my mind couldn't</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">immediately process I was frozen in</font> place<font color="#E5E5E5"> when I realized what I was looking</font> at<font color="#E5E5E5"> my breath caught in my chest my heart</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">felt like</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it was covered in ice atop the</font> back fence<font color="#CCCCCC"> it was a horrid face hail</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> snarling<font color="#E5E5E5"> two clawed hands gripped the</font> fence on either side of<font color="#E5E5E5"> its face and I</font> got<font color="#E5E5E5"> the impression that it was crouching</font> while peering over did the Yeti send a scout<font color="#CCCCCC"> or something to keep</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> an eye on my</font> house <font color="#CCCCCC">I bit my tongue to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> jolt the rest of my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">body into action</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I didn't think it would</font> see me but I didn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> want to risk it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> needed<font color="#CCCCCC"> to get out of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there quickly and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hopefully continue to be unseen so we</font> could<font color="#E5E5E5"> get on with</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the task at hand I</font> slowly grabbed a duffel bag<font color="#E5E5E5"> gripping the</font> opening tight and zipping it up as I exited the room<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> grabbed the two extra</font> boxes of ammo<font color="#E5E5E5"> and shoved them on top</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font> my clothes before I slid the<font color="#E5E5E5"> zipper all</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the way closed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the strap on the bag was</font> swung<font color="#E5E5E5"> onto my shoulder and in one swift</font> motion<font color="#CCCCCC"> I snatched up the rifle and</font> opened<font color="#E5E5E5"> the front door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I switched the</font> knob<font color="#CCCCCC"> to be locked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> before shutting it and</font> hurrying to the<font color="#E5E5E5"> truck when I throw up in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> passenger door I jumped in carefully</font> and hand in my bag between<font color="#CCCCCC"> the seats to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jessi</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to be stored on the floorboard</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> positioned<font color="#CCCCCC"> the rifle between</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my knees</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as</font> I shut the door<font color="#CCCCCC"> and yanked the seat belt</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">across my body go I demanded in a flat</font> voice<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederick looked at me with a</font> questioning gaze<font color="#E5E5E5"> but didn't hesitate</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> back out of<font color="#CCCCCC"> my driveway</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and leave the</font> house from<font color="#CCCCCC"> the back Frost</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stuck his nose</font> between<font color="#CCCCCC"> the window</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and seat touching my</font> right shoulder what's wrong <font color="#E5E5E5">Jessie asked when we were a block away</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">there was one of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> them watching from the</font> back fence<font color="#CCCCCC"> I don't think it saw me but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> can't be sure I explained<font color="#E5E5E5"> shaking my head shit do you</font> think they've<font color="#CCCCCC"> been watching</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> you</font> everywhere her voice suddenly became worried I don't think they've<font color="#CCCCCC"> been at my</font> house<font color="#CCCCCC"> I'm sure we would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> have seen some</font> sign of<font color="#CCCCCC"> them</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> frost would have gone</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">crazy</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick concept hearing his name</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> frost</font> move his face<font color="#E5E5E5"> to between</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the drivers and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">passenger</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> seats a big smile on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> face</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the bells on his harness jingling</font> lightly with<font color="#CCCCCC"> his movements he looked to</font> his<font color="#E5E5E5"> master mouth open and panting</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">happily</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">frederik smiled at the dog and removed</font> his<font color="#CCCCCC"> right hand</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from the steering wheel</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to scratch his chin</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then push him gently</font> to get back to the<font color="#E5E5E5"> back seat which he</font> did<font color="#E5E5E5"> without grace almost falling onto</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the floor this made us all smile</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">help to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ease the atmosphere in the</font> vehicle we had only one more place to<font color="#E5E5E5"> go</font> winter<font color="#CCCCCC"> rock mountain with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Jessie giving</font> directions<font color="#E5E5E5"> from the back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederic found</font> the end of the road where<font color="#CCCCCC"> the trail</font> began took a few<font color="#CCCCCC"> minutes</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for the three</font> of us to pull on some winter<font color="#E5E5E5"> gear coats</font> and detachable traction cleats<font color="#E5E5E5"> once we</font> were confident that<font color="#CCCCCC"> we were protected</font> from<font color="#CCCCCC"> the cold as best as possible</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we</font> gathered our weapons<font color="#E5E5E5"> and supplies Jessie</font> handed<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederic the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> notebook which he</font> tucked into an inside pocket<font color="#CCCCCC"> of his</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">heavy coat then she handed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me a copied</font> printout of the<font color="#CCCCCC"> ruins we would need</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> carve<font color="#E5E5E5"> into the trees we each had two</font> knives on us for the carving itself <font color="#E5E5E5">along</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> small pack filled with</font> snacks<font color="#CCCCCC"> and water in case they were</font> needed and some extra knives<font color="#E5E5E5"> the most</font> important item in this pack<font color="#E5E5E5"> which I</font> would be carrying<font color="#E5E5E5"> was the fragile</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> vial</font> of blood we would have to find a densely <font color="#E5E5E5">needle branch</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and our</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> way to administer</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the blood onto the ruins in the pack</font> that Jessie carried were metal<font color="#E5E5E5"> wind</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">chimes and chunks of scrap metal she</font> also carried<font color="#E5E5E5"> a measuring tape twine</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">nails screws a hammer and a screwdriver</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Fredrick carried weapons</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and the extra</font> ammo aside<font color="#CCCCCC"> from the pistol that Jessie</font> wore on her hip <font color="#E5E5E5">Scott's rifle which</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was slung on my back</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and the large machete</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> axe</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> attached</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to either side of Frederick's</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> belt</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> only one not toting anything was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">frost I think he was almost bummed about</font> this<font color="#CCCCCC"> Malamutes love pulling</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> things and</font> we'd<font color="#E5E5E5"> brought a sled</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that was in the bed</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> truck</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but we were sure between</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the three of us we had everything</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">covered</font> so he left it where it was<font color="#E5E5E5"> Jesse and I</font> led<font color="#E5E5E5"> Frederick and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> frost through</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> trees<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> up the trail</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that led to the</font> frozen lake we discussed in hushed<font color="#CCCCCC"> tones</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">where</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> exactly we should perform</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">ritual</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and decided it would be best just</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">before the trees opened</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to the clearing</font> with the lake and the<font color="#CCCCCC"> shack light cabin</font> the forest around<font color="#E5E5E5"> us was eerily quiet</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">leaving us all with a sensation of being</font> watched while we walked through enemy territory <font color="#E5E5E5">thankfully we reached our location in</font> just<font color="#E5E5E5"> over half an hour we retrieved the</font> measuring tape<font color="#CCCCCC"> I started to determine</font> which trees<font color="#CCCCCC"> would be</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the ones to be</font> carved<font color="#CCCCCC"> Jessie pulled out a sheet of</font> bright red reflective dot stickers that I didn't realize<font color="#E5E5E5"> she had when</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she caught</font> sight<font color="#CCCCCC"> of my confused look</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she laughed</font> and said they're supposed<font color="#E5E5E5"> to be for</font> marking shoes and addresses for<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> wrote that I figured<font color="#E5E5E5"> they will be good</font> to help<font color="#E5E5E5"> mark</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the trees oh that's a good</font> idea I answered<font color="#E5E5E5"> since the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> notebook says there</font> are<font color="#E5E5E5"> three</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> runes that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> need to be carved</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">with each set should we mark the middle</font> tree for each tree oh that way we each <font color="#CCCCCC">carve at her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> own pace without question</font> of which tree should<font color="#CCCCCC"> be ours the other</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">two agreed and we quickly took note of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">what order</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the runes needed to be in and</font> which position we would need to<font color="#CCCCCC"> take</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jessie would have the tree in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the middle</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">marked with a red dot Frederick would be</font> to the<font color="#CCCCCC"> right</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I would be on the left</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">from what the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> notebook described we</font> wouldn't need<font color="#CCCCCC"> to carve trees all the way</font> around the lake only on the side<font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> began to descend<font color="#E5E5E5"> beside where we came</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">from</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we'd learned over reading through</font> the book several<font color="#E5E5E5"> times</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but in the</font> beginning<font color="#CCCCCC"> it had to be done around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> entire<font color="#CCCCCC"> mount</font> forming a<font color="#CCCCCC"> barrier that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> kept the yetis at</font> the top when<font color="#E5E5E5"> the main side of the</font> mountain began to be<font color="#E5E5E5"> developed however</font> the yetis avoided the other side because of<font color="#CCCCCC"> all the unnatural materials used</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font> the buildings<font color="#CCCCCC"> and on the slopes</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> along</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with the loud snowplows that work daily</font> in the winter<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> keep the roads</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> different skiing and snowboarding areas clean<font color="#CCCCCC"> than</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> properly maintained since the</font> lake wasn't at the<font color="#CCCCCC"> mounting peak there</font> were<font color="#E5E5E5"> still miles of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> forest beyond it</font> before the<font color="#E5E5E5"> highest point dropped to this</font> end<font color="#E5E5E5"> into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the metal rich face</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of winter</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">rock it was still a large area to cover</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and took an hour for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> us to measure and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">mark the trees the book didn't mention</font> how much<font color="#E5E5E5"> space should specifically be</font> left between<font color="#E5E5E5"> the carvings but we guessed</font> that 15 to 20 feet<font color="#CCCCCC"> should</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be a good</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">distance when we finally finished with a</font> preliminary marking we each took a knife <font color="#E5E5E5">and began to carve the roots it was</font> difficult<font color="#E5E5E5"> at first for me not</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> having</font> experience<font color="#E5E5E5"> in shoving a knife and</font> dragging it across<font color="#E5E5E5"> wood</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I finally got</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the hang of it though after working for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">another hour and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a half</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we took a very</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">short break</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to meet up as we were</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> now a</font> little<font color="#E5E5E5"> spread out and working at</font> different<font color="#E5E5E5"> paces is</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Emil does it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> kind of</font> feel like we're<font color="#E5E5E5"> being watched</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Jesse asked when the three of us stood</font> together<font color="#E5E5E5"> it's not just you if either of</font> you heard any birds or<font color="#E5E5E5"> animals</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> responded they both shook their heads and<font color="#E5E5E5"> Fredrik pointed towards</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> frosts who</font> was sniffing the<font color="#CCCCCC"> ground and walking</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">around a few feet from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> us for us seems</font> on<font color="#CCCCCC"> edge too he hasn't grout or anything</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but I'm sure he feels it as well we're</font> running<font color="#CCCCCC"> out of daylight</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm not sure how</font> much<font color="#CCCCCC"> longer</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we have probably only</font> minutes<font color="#E5E5E5"> I motioned to the darkening</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> sky</font> I have some flashlights back in the truck<font color="#E5E5E5"> but we should get moving if we</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">want to finish today I have two left to</font> carve<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I can help</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> you</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> two with yours</font> to make<font color="#E5E5E5"> it quicker but we're still gonna</font> hit night soon<font color="#CCCCCC"> Fredrik said</font> maybe you should finish your<font color="#CCCCCC"> too right</font> quick and<font color="#CCCCCC"> then go get</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> those flashlights</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I have my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> phone I can</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> use that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> light for</font> now but<font color="#CCCCCC"> an actual flashlight would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be</font> easier<font color="#CCCCCC"> to hold I agree though we need to</font> get this done<font color="#CCCCCC"> quickly Jessie respondents</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I nodded in agreement</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I have my phone</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">too but it definitely won't be the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">easiest to hold while carving</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I think I</font> have<font color="#E5E5E5"> six or so left in and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Jessie has</font> one less<font color="#E5E5E5"> than manner think Jessie nodded</font> at my estimate<font color="#E5E5E5"> of her progress it's a</font> plan then<font color="#E5E5E5"> keep working on your trees</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> when I come<font color="#E5E5E5"> back I'll help you finish</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Fredrik said and the three of us went</font> back to our trees<font color="#CCCCCC"> the uneasy feeling</font> giving me<font color="#E5E5E5"> chills is the Sun disappeared</font> quickly<font color="#E5E5E5"> didn't take much longer for</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick to finish and leave to</font> retrieve the lights<font color="#E5E5E5"> from his truck he</font> commanded<font color="#CCCCCC"> frost to stay with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> us and the</font> big dog contented himself by<font color="#E5E5E5"> alternating</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">between Jessie and I spending a few</font> minutes with each<font color="#E5E5E5"> other before</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> going</font> back<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the other one</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> our</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> work the knife</font> as quickly as I could<font color="#E5E5E5"> and managed to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">break off the tip of the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> knife I cursed</font> under my breath but continued to<font color="#CCCCCC"> use</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hoping it would</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> actually help chip away</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> bark a little</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> quicker</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Frederick must have run down the trail</font> and<font color="#CCCCCC"> back because he returned in less</font> than 45<font color="#CCCCCC"> minutes</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to hand out the</font> flashlights by now Jessie had one more after the one she was currently<font color="#CCCCCC"> working on and I had three</font> more as I headed to my next<font color="#E5E5E5"> tree</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Frederick offered to take over</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Marlon</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">you go</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ahead and get doing the blood</font> stuff I'll finish your rooms<font color="#E5E5E5"> Jessie's</font> gonna start<font color="#E5E5E5"> hanging the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> metal as soon as</font> she's done<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I'll join her when I</font> finish I nodded gladly handing over the paper that portrayed<font color="#CCCCCC"> the sketch of the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">room had jogged back</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to their starting</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">point figuring</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that following the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">pattern would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the best thing for the</font> ritual I'm not sure if it<font color="#CCCCCC"> really</font> mattered and I thought<font color="#E5E5E5"> logically it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">would make sense to start at the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">beginning I stepped into the trees and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">found a thin branch covered in pine</font> needles<font color="#E5E5E5"> that I hope would work well</font> enough for marking<font color="#E5E5E5"> the trees in blood</font> but also be able<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> fit into the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> opening</font> of the container<font color="#E5E5E5"> as I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> opened</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the vial</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">no scrunched at the thought of painting</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">with blood never in a million years did</font> I think<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'll be using someone's blood to</font> mark trees<font color="#E5E5E5"> then again I also never</font> imagined<font color="#E5E5E5"> that yetis were real and I had</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">become a mother to a child</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with a human</font> and Yeti blood my heart sank<font color="#E5E5E5"> a bit when</font> I thought<font color="#E5E5E5"> of how I also never thought</font> I'd lose<font color="#CCCCCC"> my brother I blinked back tears</font> took a deep breath<font color="#E5E5E5"> at the thin mountain</font> air<font color="#CCCCCC"> I dip the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> tip</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of the needles</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> into</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> thick dark liquid and began adding</font> it to the ruined carvings on the each tree he took a considerably less amount<font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">time to paint</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the trees than it did to</font> carve them I found<font color="#E5E5E5"> that after a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> few</font> trees<font color="#E5E5E5"> the fact that my medium was blood</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">stopped bothering</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me and I was able to</font> work almost robotically to get my<font color="#E5E5E5"> task</font> done by the<font color="#E5E5E5"> time I was at the third</font> group of trees<font color="#CCCCCC"> Fredrik and Jessie were</font> using the<font color="#E5E5E5"> twine nails and screws to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hang</font> the wind chimes<font color="#E5E5E5"> and metal pieces among</font> the branches between each trio of<font color="#E5E5E5"> ruin</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">marked trunks they started at the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> end</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> work their way backwards we all held</font> flashlights<font color="#CCCCCC"> either in a hand or our</font> mouths<font color="#CCCCCC"> as we worked in total darkness</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">frost</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> paced around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> never staying still</font> for<font color="#CCCCCC"> very long</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Bell harness clanking</font> constantly when I was<font color="#CCCCCC"> 3/4 of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the way</font> done<font color="#E5E5E5"> a vibration stopped us all in our</font> tracks<font color="#CCCCCC"> I couldn't see the other two at</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">this point aside from the bobbing beams</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> lights but I heard all noise ceases</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the growl grew louder and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stronger</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">rattling me to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my core I turned</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to look</font> at<font color="#E5E5E5"> the lake shining the light in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> direction<font color="#CCCCCC"> as I saw two other</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> lights do</font> the same across the frozen water<font color="#E5E5E5"> stood a group of</font> at least a<font color="#E5E5E5"> dozen monsters even</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in the</font> distance they all looked horrific<font color="#E5E5E5"> elite</font> all<font color="#E5E5E5"> their skin shining preternaturally</font> against the light<font color="#E5E5E5"> I couldn't see their</font> features<font color="#E5E5E5"> but I didn't need to see them</font> in<font color="#CCCCCC"> order</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to know how terrifying they</font> were I'd seen them<font color="#E5E5E5"> before</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and I knew what they were capable of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">they spotted us and they were</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hissed a</font> tremble shot through my entire<font color="#CCCCCC"> body as</font> the growl became an emphatic<font color="#CCCCCC"> raw easily</font> sounding like it was done<font color="#CCCCCC"> right in my</font> ear<font color="#E5E5E5"> as opposed to across</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the lake</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">nerve started vibrating I knew we needed</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> get done quickly hurry up</font> I yelled in vain and<font color="#E5E5E5"> the other two who</font> didn't hear me over<font color="#E5E5E5"> the raucous Yeti</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">call I show my light to them and shook</font> it to get their attention <font color="#CCCCCC">I received the same gesture in response</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and the three of us went back to work</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">trying to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> finish as</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> quickly as possible</font> I kept glancing<font color="#E5E5E5"> over my shoulder and</font> after two minutes<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the continued draw</font> it subsided<font color="#CCCCCC"> and left a ringing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in my</font> ears<font color="#CCCCCC"> I could barely hear</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Frost madly</font> barking and snarling in the direction of the monsters another glance showed the <font color="#E5E5E5">Yeti is beginning to step onto the ice</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and walk steadily in our direction</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I couldn't stop though I needed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> finish<font color="#E5E5E5"> picking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> up</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the pace as much as I</font> could<font color="#CCCCCC"> I moved</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> next group</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of trees</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and was almost</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> finished when I heard a</font> gunshot<font color="#CCCCCC"> ring out</font> looking back towards my companions I caught the flash of lit gunpowder<font color="#E5E5E5"> as</font> another<font color="#E5E5E5"> round left the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> chamber of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jesse's pistol I guess it was hers from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the level it was fired from this was</font> proven true when I caught a glimpse of movement in the dark coming towards me for a split second<font color="#CCCCCC"> I was ready to scream</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but I realized it was only</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederick</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font> reached<font color="#E5E5E5"> me in a matter of seconds finish</font> the blood<font color="#CCCCCC"> I've got your</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back</font> he half Holland in a stressed voice I nodded<font color="#E5E5E5"> and slung the rifle off my</font> shoulder<font color="#E5E5E5"> handing it to him he loaded</font> around and took<font color="#E5E5E5"> aim at the yetis slowly</font> making their<font color="#CCCCCC"> way towards the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> two of us</font> one shot<font color="#CCCCCC"> then</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> two three five seven I</font> lost count as<font color="#CCCCCC"> I administered blood and</font> was no<font color="#CCCCCC"> longer able to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> tell which shot</font> came from Frederick and which<font color="#E5E5E5"> came from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Jessie in the distance</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I wasn't sure if</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">they'd hit any of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the creatures but I</font> couldn't stop to find out<font color="#E5E5E5"> a few</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> minutes</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">later I had just three more trees and we</font> could get the metal hanging finished then be out of<font color="#E5E5E5"> here</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I continued my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> work</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and had one finished</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> only two more to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> go</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when Jessie</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> scream</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sounded in the air I</font> whipped my<font color="#E5E5E5"> head to look at Frederick go</font> help her<font color="#CCCCCC"> I commanded he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> nodded and took</font> off<font color="#E5E5E5"> back to the youngest of us</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I turn</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font> focus<font color="#E5E5E5"> back to the trees</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> finished the</font> second one<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> scents I dip the</font> branch into the blood and<font color="#E5E5E5"> raised it to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the bar this contact was made the hands</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">shot out from</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> behind me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Klaus</font> wrapped themselves around my mouth <font color="#E5E5E5">yanking me backwards I tried to scream</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">but the sound was muffled by the yetis</font> grip<font color="#E5E5E5"> my head was pulled back to see the</font> monster towering above me the<font color="#CCCCCC"> Shire</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">growled in a low voice of me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I felt like</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the voice sounded more in my</font> head than<font color="#E5E5E5"> outside of me the flesh of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">this thing smelled like wet dirt and</font> rotting trees bile rose in my throat and I felt<font color="#E5E5E5"> like I could vomit</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I swallowed</font> hard trying<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> keep my lunch inside my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">body hot tears of pain stung my eyes</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when the angle my deck was being craned</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">in a flash of genius</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I knew I had to try</font> something<font color="#CCCCCC"> I lifted my jaw back and forth</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to help me up on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my mouth when it was</font> open wide<font color="#E5E5E5"> enough I brought my teeth down</font> hard<font color="#E5E5E5"> on whatever piece of monster hand I</font> could<font color="#E5E5E5"> I bit down hard and the creature</font> let out a howl<font color="#E5E5E5"> surprise or pain or both</font> I hoped<font color="#E5E5E5"> the hand released my face</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and I</font> lunged<font color="#E5E5E5"> back to the tree</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I wasn't fast</font> enough<font color="#E5E5E5"> though and the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Yeti grabbed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hold of my arm in the tightest grasp</font> I've ever felt<font color="#CCCCCC"> I was sure I heard</font> something<font color="#E5E5E5"> snap my hand released the vial</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> blood the glass fell to the snowy</font> ground<font color="#CCCCCC"> spilling red and staining</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> ground around<font color="#CCCCCC"> it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I looked at the Masters</font> face<font color="#CCCCCC"> and saw it register the blood</font> snarling for a second but refusing to let me go<font color="#CCCCCC"> I still had the branch with</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the blood</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on it and hoped it would</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> be</font> enough if I could<font color="#E5E5E5"> just get to the tree</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the monster squeezed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my arm tighter and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">began pulling me towards him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I cried out</font> in pain<font color="#E5E5E5"> and fought against it the best I</font> could<font color="#CCCCCC"> the Yeti was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> strong though so much</font> stronger than<font color="#E5E5E5"> I had dug my feet into the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">ground in an attempt to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> keep myself in</font> place he wasn't working<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I began</font> being dragged away from the trees<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the</font> chaos I didn't hear the bells on Frost's harness until<font color="#CCCCCC"> he was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> launching himself</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to bite</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> down on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the arm that held my</font> his jaw closed around<font color="#E5E5E5"> the monstrous limb</font> and I saw now this Yeti<font color="#CCCCCC"> only had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> single<font color="#E5E5E5"> arm where the other arm should</font> have been there was<font color="#E5E5E5"> a jagged edge just</font> below the<font color="#CCCCCC"> shoulder he wasn't expecting</font> for<font color="#E5E5E5"> us to arrive and in trying to shake</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> dog off of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> only arm it released</font> mine I brought the obvious<font color="#E5E5E5"> broken arm to</font> my chest<font color="#CCCCCC"> and held it close</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> when I</font> stumbled back to the tree<font color="#E5E5E5"> the blood on</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> branch was drying but I traced the</font> ruin quickly hoping again that it<font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> enough after<font color="#CCCCCC"> I went over at a second</font> time<font color="#E5E5E5"> it began to glow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was softer and I</font> looked around and<font color="#E5E5E5"> saw</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that each carving</font> was beginning<font color="#CCCCCC"> Ziggler starting out faint</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and growing in intensity until it was</font> all bright enough and I could no longer make out the<font color="#CCCCCC"> shape of the room</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at that</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">moment</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> everything and everyone stopped</font> he felt as if<font color="#CCCCCC"> the world slowed its</font> spinning<font color="#E5E5E5"> until stopping completely and</font> holding<font color="#CCCCCC"> that position for a minute I'm</font> not<font color="#CCCCCC"> sure what broke the stillness</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the next thing I knew Frost was being</font> tossed across<font color="#E5E5E5"> the ground</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> sliding to a</font> stop before hitting<font color="#E5E5E5"> the base of a tree</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he jumped up immediately seeming not to</font> be fazed by this<font color="#E5E5E5"> toss</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frost I yelled for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">him before he could launch another</font> attack<font color="#E5E5E5"> on the Yeti</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I dug behind the</font> carved trees<font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> dog's ears perked towards</font> me and he<font color="#E5E5E5"> bounded into the trees running</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">towards me and thankfully out of the</font> reach of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the monster that raged just on</font> the other<font color="#E5E5E5"> side of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the tree line I buried</font> my good hand<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the fur of Frost's neck</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and nudged him in the direction of the</font> others we jogged through the trees<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I</font> found it<font color="#E5E5E5"> difficult to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> keep focus on the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">direction we were going the constant</font> roar and growl from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the creatures was</font> disorienting<font color="#E5E5E5"> each time frost guided me</font> back to the right<font color="#CCCCCC"> direction I silently</font> thanked him and promised<font color="#CCCCCC"> to get</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> him</font> several huge bones to gnaw on as soon as I could I knew that<font color="#E5E5E5"> if not for him</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I probably would have</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> gotten</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> myself lost</font> in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the trees when we reached Jessie and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Frederick I realized that I dropped the</font> flashlight<font color="#CCCCCC"> back at my last tree</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and had</font> left it there Jessie had hers between her teeth as she tugged on<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederick's</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">limp body pulling</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it away from the edge</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the trees</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> frost left me and rushed to</font> his master licking his face and whimpering<font color="#E5E5E5"> I could tell there was a dark</font> blood trail leading from<font color="#E5E5E5"> just outside</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the trees</font> I couldn't tell exactly<font color="#E5E5E5"> where it was</font> coming<font color="#E5E5E5"> from he got hurt pretty bad one</font> of them grabbed him by<font color="#E5E5E5"> the legs and</font> tossed him<font color="#CCCCCC"> I don't know how deep the</font> claws got though<font color="#E5E5E5"> Jessie told me panting</font> and crying<font color="#E5E5E5"> the flashlight now in her</font> hand <font color="#E5E5E5">Frederick made no sound</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> oh he looks like</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he's still breathing</font> oh shit Frederick<font color="#E5E5E5"> stay with us I said</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as</font> I knelt down beside him his chest <font color="#CCCCCC">Rosenfeld shallow breaths</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> giving me a</font> little hope there's no signal up<font color="#E5E5E5"> here</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but I might have</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> some back of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the truck</font> we can't carry him<font color="#E5E5E5"> out of here but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frost</font> might<font color="#CCCCCC"> be</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> able to help stay here while I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">go get</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the sled and see if I can call</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for an ambulance she didn't say anything</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I saw her silhouette not I stood</font> back<font color="#CCCCCC"> up and started in the direction of</font> the trail<font color="#CCCCCC"> I looked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> through the trees and</font> saw the group of yetis standing on the frozen water once again<font color="#E5E5E5"> they all faced</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the trees and grumbled angrily one of</font> them leaned over and smashed a fist into <font color="#E5E5E5">the ground causing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a resonating</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> crack in</font> the ice<font color="#E5E5E5"> as the sound faded</font> I heard the clanking of bells and frost came<font color="#E5E5E5"> up to walk beside me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I touched his</font> head and tried reassuring<font color="#E5E5E5"> him he'll be</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">okay</font> we're gonna<font color="#E5E5E5"> get help</font> just over an hour later<font color="#CCCCCC"> Frost and I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">returned to get Jessie and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frederick the</font> sled was<font color="#E5E5E5"> hooked up to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frost</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and he</font> trudged through the<font color="#E5E5E5"> snow pulling</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his</font> beloved owner along Jessie and I flanked <font color="#CCCCCC">Frost on either side also tugging on the</font> sled with ropes<font color="#E5E5E5"> rescuers met us before</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">we made it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> very far and took over for</font> Jessie and I they talked amongst themselves<font color="#CCCCCC"> trying to</font> keep us<font color="#CCCCCC"> from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hearing what they were</font> saying but<font color="#E5E5E5"> I still heard bits and pieces</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he wasn't looking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> good for Frederick he</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> loaded into the back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of an ambulance</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">still unconscious and seeing how I was</font> holding my arm<font color="#E5E5E5"> they insisted that I</font> joined them at the hospital<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> promised</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that we were right behind them</font> two days later<font color="#E5E5E5"> I walked around</font> Frederick's house<font color="#E5E5E5"> eyes full of tears and</font> heart full of<font color="#E5E5E5"> sorrow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as I cradled</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> baby</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">eve carefully against the cast on my</font> home<font color="#CCCCCC"> she blinked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> up at me while</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> sucking</font> on the bottle in her<font color="#E5E5E5"> mouth</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> promise</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that you will never be</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> alone I will make</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">sure</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> you are</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> always loved and strong you</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">won't grow</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> up with fear but with</font> knowledge and<font color="#E5E5E5"> understanding</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> promise to</font> take<font color="#CCCCCC"> care of you and protect you</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like I</font> know your mom<font color="#E5E5E5"> and Scott would have</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">cooed in a soft</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> voice tears beginning to</font> slide down my<font color="#E5E5E5"> cheeks</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and you're gonna be</font> a great mother <font color="#CCCCCC">the voice came down the hallway</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I turned</font> to look in the<font color="#E5E5E5"> direction of the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> front</font> door<font color="#E5E5E5"> this frost jumped off the couch</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Jessie was pushing the wheelchair that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Frederick was in a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> white smile spread</font> across<font color="#E5E5E5"> my face as</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Frost lovingly</font> attacked his owner with<font color="#CCCCCC"> the licks and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">nozzles</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I crossed the room as</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Jessie</font> shutting the door<font color="#E5E5E5"> yeah down you off I</font> want to<font color="#E5E5E5"> see the baby</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">frederik nudged Frost playfully away</font> from<font color="#CCCCCC"> frost smiled and watched his arms</font> reached out towards me<font color="#CCCCCC"> I gently handed</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> bundle child to him and he held her</font> close<font color="#CCCCCC"> to his chest kissing her forehead</font> before<font color="#CCCCCC"> her looking back to me</font> oh I'm so<font color="#E5E5E5"> glad you decided to stay here</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I nodded</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> still smiling me too and just</font> know bringing crazy women home<font color="#CCCCCC"> okay I</font> teased<font color="#CCCCCC"> no he smiled down</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to Eve yeah you</font> three are all<font color="#E5E5E5"> the ladies I need in my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">life</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Jesse squeezed his shoulder and leaned</font> over him to look at the baby I joined them and<font color="#E5E5E5"> we all gaze down in</font> the soft blue eyes as baby<font color="#CCCCCC"> eve broke</font> into a wide smile<font color="#CCCCCC"> oh well I tell you</font> what I'm exhausted after reading that <font color="#E5E5E5">one and it's gonna take me a while</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">recover I think but well worth it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">nonetheless</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of course I still got to</font> finish<font color="#CCCCCC"> beau</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> whiskey's dead man running</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">two more</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> parts</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> coming in the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">near future</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and guess what</font> yep that's<font color="#CCCCCC"> right another story for you</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">coming up on Wednesday</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> too</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> so join me</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">again real soon</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> okay but for now</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bye</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> bye</font> [Music] thank you so<font color="#E5E5E5"> much for choosing to spend</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">your time listening</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me now if you</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">enjoyed the doctor creeping</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> experience</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and come find</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on Facebook come chat</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with me on Twitter listen to the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">background music and download it if you</font> like on soundcloud<font color="#E5E5E5"> drop by the store</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">they have a t-shirt and importantly if</font> you've got a story you'd like me<font color="#CCCCCC"> to read</font> send it<font color="#E5E5E5"> to dr. cretins</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Ralts subreddit I</font> set<font color="#CCCCCC"> up so</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that I could read your stories</font> looking forward<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> seeing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> you all again</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">real soon</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> so come check me out okay</font> [Music] [Music] you
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Channel: Dr. Creepen
Views: 204,196
Rating: 4.7237926 out of 5
Keywords: best scariest most terrifying creepypastas 2017 2018, Top 10 scariest most terrifying creepypastas of all time, best new horror stories 2017 2018, scariest horror stories 2017 2018, scariest deep web stories 2017 2018, scariest body horror stories 2017 2018, scariest lost in the woods stories 2017 2018, scariest true stories 2017 2018, The Festival of Snow, boe whiskey, The Festival of Snow The Full Story, Boe wright
Id: PiodWHZkP90
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 165min 20sec (9920 seconds)
Published: Mon Mar 19 2018
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