At last I could not run any longer and I hurried along through the woods, praying to any god that was listening that I would not die there in the gloom of the forest. Darkness settled around me and the air grew chilly. I rubbed my scantily clad arms, wishing I had had some sort of coat I could have brought with me.

The black sky above me seemed to stretch on forever, sprinkled with bright stars. There was nary a cloud to be seen and I was grateful for the light of the moon that guided my way. Twigs snapped under my feet and low hanging branches scraped at my arms. An owl hooted ominously nearby and the snow crunched beneath my steps. The cold bit into my bones as surely as the snow underfoot seeped through my shoes and wet my toes. I was sure I would get frostbite if I didn’t find somewhere warm for the night. I stumbled onward, unable to go back. I crossed the river and the woods thinned out and I found myself back on a winding road. Chilled and shivering violently, I grew fainter and fainter.