It was supposed to be a short trip, but the sky darkened quickly.

Jess was not lost. The cross-country trail made a short circle behind the lodge, so eventually, she'd be back at the beginning. She was not lost, but she wanted out of these woods quickly.

For as long as she remembered, Jess loved nature—birds, flowers, frogs, and stars when the sun went down. She loved being outside and experiencing life to its fullest.

On this mountain, life was a distant memory.

An unearthly silence clutched the frozen air. Encroaching from all sides, lines of evergreens swallowed her into dark wilderness. Every few seconds, she glanced over her shoulder. The glide of her own skis set her on edge. Her imagination toyed with her senses, conjuring monsters waiting behind the trees to snatch her away.

As she slowed around a bend, something in the trees to her left caught her eyes. Etched in its bark was a symbol, some kind of rune. She stopped to take it in and catch her breath.

To her right, the trees retreated. The trail curved near a cliff overlooking more forest. The stillness stretched on for eternity, so it was easy to spot any movement, down to the slightest twitch. It was no surprise how quickly Jess' eyes locked onto the white figure moving across the snow below her.

The clouds of breath around her face dispersed when she stopped, even though her lungs still burned from the last hour of skiing. The creature was dog-like, and despite how far away it was, Jess could tell it was big. Deep snow was hardly an obstacle for its graceful lopes. Nose to the ground, it stopped occasionally, flicking its ears back and forth.

Slowly, Jess' hand crept down towards her pocket, where she kept her phone.

Another flash of movement caught her off guard. This one was hiding in the trees between Jess and the animal, much closer. It was completely black, like a phantom in the darkness, as it followed the animal, hiding itself in the shadows. Oblivious to the threat, the dog carried on.

Something nagged at Jess from the pit of her stomach, telling her to leave. Despite the warning bells in her head, the iron chain of human curiosity planted her feet in place, and she watched the figure stalk the animal.

The figure held something in one hand that Jess couldn't identify until it raised the item, notched an arrow onto the string, and pointed it at the animal.

It all clicked for Jess.

The creature was a wolf.

The item was a bow.

The figure was the poacher.

"Hey!"

As her voice echoed across the mountain, Jess knew it wasn't the smartest decision, but she would not stand by and watch an innocent animal be killed.

The commotion spooked a flock of birds from their perch. Evergreen branches quivered, sending clumps of snow falling to the ground. The wolf snapped its head up, staring directly at Jess, but she took no notice of it.

Her eyes were locked on the figure in the trees. Its face was shadowed beneath a hood. She could see no nose, no mouth, nothing resembling a human soul, not even eyes. Despite this, Jess could still feel her glare. The mountain cold was nothing compared to the icy daggers piercing through her very soul.

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She remembered years ago, watching a bunny hop through her backyard. In little-kid fashion, she wondered how close she could get to it. As the bunny grazed, she crept forward, until it froze, sensing her movement. Jess held still until it started grazing again. For what felt like forever, they were locked in this game, until Jess was within arm's reach, and the bunny broke the spell and fled.

Jess wished she could do the same now, but she was as hopeless as a rabbit in the talons of an eagle.

A guttural growl shook the mountain. The wolf launched at the figure's head. They collapsed into the bracken. The spell was broken, but Jess stayed, desperate to see from her perch.

A quiet forest erupted into chaos, filled with the shrieks of alarmed birds and terrible snarls. Jess caught glimpses of movement through the sticks. With a whimper, the wolf darted into the open. Blood dripped from its shoulder, but it looked more confused than in pain, sniffing the ground and pacing back and forth.

The figure had vanished.

Gripping her ski poles, Jess decided it was time to return to the lodge.

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In the lodge's main hall, the lights were low except for a spotlight pointed towards the stage. Elizabeth sat with her friends around a table, eating and drinking while amateur performers provided background music.

"It's a little harsh," one girl said. "She deserves to have fun, too."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth replied: "I have to be harsh! Dad doesn't push her to do anything. If she doesn't get a real job, she'll leach off him the rest of her life. Call me a monster, but she needs a reality check."

The stage lights shifted and Kark took the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special performance! Tonight is someone's birthday in the audience!"

Elizabeth shifted in her seat.

"Let's help her celebrate and give a warm welcome to Jess Mikkelson!"

Her mouth fell open and her cheeks went red as Jess appeared with a guitar.

"Hello," Jess began, awkwardly. "So, it's my older sister's birthday, and I wanted to give her a tribute. She's an amazing person, finishing med school. The kind of sister who sets the bar a little too high."

The audience chuckled.

"But, seriously, I can only hope to one day get half of her wisdom and perseverance."

Elizabeth unclutched her drink. Her sister's message to her wasn't a complete train wreck.

"Our family is from the States, so we love country music - and I thought I'd play this old classic."

Of course. She didn't love country music - Jessica did, and now was another opportunity for her baby sister to steal the attention and show off her voice.

Plucking the strings, staccato notes morphed into a fun country melody. The song was Jess' favorite - Garth Brooks MUCH TOO YOUNG TO FEEL THIS DAMN OLD. By the first line, her rich, warm voice won the audience over. By the second verse, the room steadily clapped along in rhythm. The ending earned a standing ovation.

Stepping off the stage, Jess hurried to her sister's table where a shower of high-fives and compliments awaited from all but Elizabeth, who simply said: "So this is what you were doing instead of finishing that application."

Jess' smile faltered, but she resisted ruining the mood for the rest of the night.

On stage, another woman took the mic. "I'm glad this isn't a competition - I'd never top that! To finish off tonight, I want to thank you all for making the lodge your home for the weekend. Here's one last song, from yours truly." A slow, soft guitar melody calmed the room. And then the woman sang.

Jess turned in her chair. A deep, warm voice and haunting song sent goosebumps through her skin.

The singer looked Jess' age but displayed an elegance beyond her years. A woman who radiated confidence. Wavy blonde hair curtained her face and rested against her guitar. Molding the words effortlessly on her lips, she led the audience down a lonely road.

Occasionally, she glanced up, raising an eyebrow or scrunching her nose to drive the lyrics home.

Jess stopped breathing when her pale eyes met hers. They were like LED lights of a semi-truck, and Jess was a tiny deer hypnotized on the road. She fell deeper and deeper into a trance, leaning forward in her chair. Her stomach twisted into knots - a new feeling that frightened and enticed her. A flickering flame she wanted closer.

Looking away, the singer broke the spell. Reality flooded back and reminded Jess where she was, and who she was. It was like waking from a dream.

She frantically tapped Elizabeth on the shoulder until she looked at her. "That woman! She's the wolf poacher!"