It was as if Elizabeth had turned into her mom, banishing her to her room, but Jess knew their mother would have never acted like this. There was no use in fighting, so Jess propped herself onto her bed with her computer, making herself look as productive as possible, so Elizabeth would be pleased when she inevitably stuck her head in.
"It's for your own good, you know."
Jess replied with a flat hum and not enough eye contact, making Elizabeth step closer and harden her voice.
"Don't you give me an attitude! It's not my fault you can't get your shit together. I'm only holding you accountable. Maybe if you finish, you can still make open mic night."
The slamming door ended the conversation, and Jess finally had space to breathe. The cursor on the screen blinked obnoxiously, waiting for her. Minute after minute passed, but she couldn't make her fingers tap the keys.
What made you choose this university? Describe your career goals. What accomplishments are you proud of, and what obstacles have you overcome?
She didn't choose this school - her dad did. She told him there wasn't anything about it that interested her, and all he said: 'well, give it a shot', as if this were a new food to try and not a decision that would impact her life forever.
Maybe ten years ago, she knew what she wanted. Back when she could answer those prompts with ease and dream about studying interesting things that would earn her a fancy degree in an adventurous career.
But you can't force dreams, and you can't fake passion. Dreams pick you without a care in the world about what everyone else thinks is 'practical'.
That was good - she should write that down.
She threw her head back into the pillows and stared at the blank ceiling. She could write everything except what she needed.
Outside, the shadows stretched across the hills as the sun tip-toed behind the heads of the evergreens. Almost an entire day had been wasted; why should she waste any more?
So she threw on warm layers and hurried out the door, ready to let nature inspire her.
Jess knew her sister and friends preferred downhill skiing, so all she had to do to avoid them was stay on the cross-country trails. Before she knew it, she was breathing frigid air in the middle of a white wilderness, completely alone.
The trip did not spark Jess' imagination like she hoped.
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The further she ventured, the more she wanted to turn back. The mountain was too quiet, and the rows of trees leaning over the trail made her claustrophobic. Every few seconds, she glanced over her shoulder, her imagination convincing her a monster was lurking in the shadows.
She hadn't bothered to grab a map. She didn't need one as long as she stayed on the trail. No matter how far she went, it would loop back to the lodge...right?
Her confidence faded with the evening sun, casting the world into blue twilight. There was precious little time before the world would turn black, and she'd have to navigate purely by the light of her phone.
As she slowed around a bend, something in the trees to her left caught her eyes. Etched in the bark was a symbol - some kind of Viking rune. She traced the jagged lines and angles the knife had made who-know-how-long-ago. It had been years since she read about the runes, but she was certain she had never seen this specific symbol before.
Perhaps it was a trail marker? Why hadn't she noticed them earlier in other places?
Giving up on identifying it, she turned to the other side of the trail that curved along the edge of a steep hill that was almost a sheer drop into the forest. In the distance was the soft glow of lights from the lodge, and a cloud of mist was expelled from her lips as she sighed in relief.
Movement in the trees pulled her eyes away. The shadows across the snow flickered, and then something trotted into an open field. Jess held her breath in fear the tiniest sound might scare it away. Its long legs pierced the crust of the snow with ease, its steady gait never missing a beat as its head swiveled from side to side. Every once in a while it swept its nose across the ground while its ears flicked back and forth.
Then, there was something else, something closer at the base of the hill. It was taller and moved like a phantom floating above the ground, creeping closer tree by tree. When it leaned into the fading light, its features could not be distinguished beneath a black hood.
Something was wrong, but no matter how loud the warning bells rang in her head, Jess' feet stayed planted where they were as if frozen to the mountain.
The figure raised a long stick curved on both ends. Jess couldn't recognize it until it was drawn back, with an arrow on the string aimed at the first animal.
She remembered the carcass in the bed of the truck - evidence of a poacher.
It all clicked.
"Hey!"
The loudness of her own voice bouncing across the empty mountain startled herself. In retrospect, it wasn't the wisest decision, but she couldn't stand by and do nothing while an innocent animal was killed.
A flock of birds spooked from their perches, sending clumps of snow falling to the ground. The animal snapped its head toward Jess, who was more concerned with the other figure. It stared at her with no discernable facial features, but Jess could feel her eyes piercing through her layers, coming to a decision that she didn't want to know about.
So focused on each other, no one noticed the first creature launching itself through the air. A quiet forest erupted into the chaos filled with snarls and snapping wood. The tall figure stumbled back into the bracken to escape an onslaught of fangs. Jess only caught glimpses of movement through the sticks.
With a screechy whine, all went quiet. The animal darted into the open with blood dripping from its shoulder. It seemed confused as it put its nose to the ground and paced back and forth.
The figure had vanished.
Gripping her ski poles tightly in her hands, Jess moved her skis through the snow back towards the lodge with renewed urgency.
