Winter

Winter.

It was beautiful, just like I have always remembered it being.

Every year, the same sparkling sheets of white would contrast with the dark exterior of my cabin.

Now, it falls around me while I breathe in the cold in the woods. I’m comfortable, even with the sound of howling wolves in the distance...

The wolves. My dreams would be filled with their midnight cries. Tossing and turning underneath my white downed sheets, I began chasing them through the euphoria of my mind.

My breath fogs in front of me, but I take no notice beneath the canopy of trees. I'm in a daze. I lean back against the thick bark of a skinny pine. It towers over me, the branches starting higher up. The sweet smell of the needles mixes in with the scent of dried wood.

All around me.

Surrounding me.

I look up at the clear blue skies, and am temporarily reminded of the warm summer months, but then a chill whisks around me. I forget about the hot days, and let myself embrace the winter.