Dead of Winter

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 3s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 4s)[(stop:)The sound of dirt and twigs crunching beneath Sarah's feet is almost rhythmic as she made her way through the [[forest]]. She just finished her patrol of the park and was ready to head back to the ranger station for a well-earned night of rest. As the sun is setting, Sarah hoped to meet back with [[Frank]] at the station, her fellow park ranger on duty.]}

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 3s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 4s)[(stop:)Sunlight shines through the dead trees, of which there are plenty. Even in the dead of winter, when all the leaves are gone, the trees still seem thick enough to block most of the sky.]} {(live:5s)[(stop:)The wind is picking up. Best to [[return]] to the [[ranger station]] before it gets any [[colder]], Sarah had decided.]}

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 3s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 4s)[(stop:)Save for her boots on the ground, it seems like the cold has muffled the very air, because Sarah could hear hardly any animals. True, the occasional bird here and there, but not much else. It was surprising how [[quiet]] the forest could become during the winter.]}

The refuge against the bitter cold. The thought of a roaring (color:orange)[fire] and a nice, hot cup of coffee filled Sarah's mind. Her body ached to collapse in one of the arm chairs and [[return<-rest]] from a full day of hiking.

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 3s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 3.5s)[(stop:)Wait.]} {(live: 5s)[(stop:)Sarah noticed a set of tracks in the ground. They look relatively fresh. They look somewhat human, but at the same time not.]} {(live: 6s)[(stop:)Probably just got scuffed by a passing animal or something.]} {(live: 7s)[(stop:)Sarah pulled out her walkie talkie to check in with Frank. "Frank? I'm heading back to the station. [[How are things on your end?]] Over."]}

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)"Hey, Sarah" Frank's voice crackled to life on the device.]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)"I found an abandoned campsite" Frank continued. "Looks like they left in a hurry. I need you to get to my location and help me find the camper, over."]} {(live: 3s)[(stop:)"Woah" Sarah responded. She hoped the camper wasn't hurt. It would be horrible to have to bring in a [[body]]. "Tell me where you are and I'll head over right away, over" she replied, ceasing her walking.]} {(live: 4s)[(stop:)"I'm heading off to the left of the [[Pale Trail]], and I'll tell you where to go from there, over". Frank's voice ceased from the walkie talkie as Sarah made her way.]}

{(live:0.5s)[(stop:)Bodies]} (align: "==>")[{(live:1s)[(stop:)Prey]}] (align: "=><====")[{(live:1.5s)[(stop:)Meat]}] (align: "====><=")[{(live:2s)[(stop:)Rip]}] (align: "==><=")[{(live:2.5s)[(stop:)Tear]}] (align: "<==>")[{(live:3s)[(stop:)Devour]}] {(live: 4s)[(stop:)[[Pale Trail<-Soon.]]]}

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 1.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 2.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 3.5s)[(stop:) Happening to be on the Pale Trail, Sarah made her way left. This was called the Pale Trail because centuries ago, children walking the path would find it [[littered with-]]]} {(live: 4.5s)[(stop:)(color:white)[*]]} {(live: 5.5s)[(stop:)What?]} {(live: 6s)[(stop:)(color:white)[*]]} {(live: 6.5s)[(stop:)(color:white)[*]]} {(live: 7s)[(stop:)(color:white)[*]]} {(live: 8s)[(stop:)Why is it snowing?]} {(live: 8.5s)[(stop:)She then took a right to get to her [[destination]]. Maybe Frank could tell her if it was supposed to snow today.]}

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)B]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)O]} {(live: 3s)[(stop:)N]} {(live: 4s)[(stop:)E]} {(live: 5s)[(stop:)S]} {(live: 6s)[(stop:)Small, big, broken,]} {(live: 8s)[(stop:)(color:red)[all picked clean.]]} {(live: 9s)[(stop:)So many bones, even more beneath the ground, (color:red)[but never enough.]]} {(live: 11s)[(stop:)[[destination<-Soon.]]]}

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)"Frank? I'm headed left from Pale Trail, over." says Sarah, perplexed by the sudden falling snow. ]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)"Great" crackled her walkie talkie. "Just keep going until you hit a big oak tree with a deer emblem on it, and we'll meet up there, over."]} {(live: 3s)[(stop:)"Um, copy, over." Something's not right, Sarah thought to herself as she proceeded. She looked forward as she made her way to the [[oak tree]].]}

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 1.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 2.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 4s)[(stop:)The oak tree in question had the visage of a stag skull.]} {(live: 5s)[(stop:)Sarah had never seen this tree before, and wished she never had. Come to think of it, she'd never seen this part of the forest before. It seemed even more unfamiliar as the snow began to fall heavier. Something was off about all of this. What's happening?]} {(live: 6s)[(stop:)Looking into the eye sockets of the engraving caused Sarah to feel a pang of fear. Like a child looking into a dark closet.]} {(live: 7s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 8s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 9s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 10s)[(stop:)Sarah turned to the right as she heard footsteps approaching from the right.]} {(live: 11s)[(stop:)"Sarah? That you?"]} {(live: 12s)[(stop:)[[Frank?]]]}

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)"Frank, what's going on? Why aren't you coming out?" Sarah asked. She was more than ready for some answers.]} {(live: 2s)[(stop:)"I think I might've hurt my leg. You wanna come over here and take a look?" Frank asked, still not coming out.]} {(live: 3s)[(stop:)Sarah wanted to go over and see if he was hurt;]} {(live: 4s)[(stop:)The sound of Frank's voice should've put Sarah's mind at ease.]} {(live: 5s)[(stop:)It should've calmed her down.]} {(live: 7s)[(stop:)[[But it didn't.]]]}

{(live:0.5s)[(stop:)C]}{(live:1s)[(stop:)o]}{(live:1.5s)[(stop:)m]}{(live:2s)[(stop:)e]} {(live:3s)[(stop:)H]}{(live:3.5s)[(stop:)e]}{(live:4s)[(stop:)r]}{(live:4.5s)[(stop:)e.]} {(live: 5.5s)[(stop:)Chills ran down Sarah's spine.]} {(live: 6s)[(stop:)Sarah turned and ran as fast as she could back the way she came, away from the tree. The snow was falling more heavily, the wind picking up, and as Sarah ran, she could still hear the voice [[all around her.]]]}

{(live:0.5s)[(stop:)Come here]} (align: "==>")[{(live:1s)[(stop:)Come here]}] (align: "=><====")[{(live:1.5s)[(stop:)Come here]}] (align: "====><=")[{(live:2s)[(stop:)Come here]}] (align: "==><=")[{(live:2.5s)[(stop:)Come here]}] (align: "<==>")[{(live:3s)[(stop:)Come here]}] {(live:4s)[(stop:)[[Death<-Left]]]} {(live:4s)[(stop:)[[Right]]]}

(color:red)[ {(live: 1s)[(stop:)Fresh, dripping meat.]} {(live: 1.5s)[(stop:)Her bones red, like all fresh prey.]} {(live: 2.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 3.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]} {(live: 4.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]} ]

{(live: 0.5s)[(stop:)Sarah ran left and saw a light in the distance that made her charge forward. The ranger station! She almost broke the door down as she barreled inside.]} {(live: 1s)[(stop:)"The hell happened to you?" Standing inside was Frank. Sarah explained what just happened, how she heard his voice on her walkie talkie in the forest.]} {(live: 1.5s)[(stop:)"Well that's crazy", he said.]} {(live: 2.5s)[(stop:)"I've been here all day."]}

Frank had been the one to show her the ropes when she started this job. A Native American who had grown up in the park, he had a wealth of knowledge of the [[forest]], from its animals to its plants. If you had a question, Frank was the guy to ask.

According to Frank, apparently there was another danger brought by the cold other than frostbite. [[Recall legend]] [[forest<-Continue walking]]

Hundreds of years ago, the natives who lived in the forest dreaded the winter. Bitterly cold snow storms and blizzards would prevent people from hunting for food. It wasn't uncommon for people to starve during these harsh winters. Some, however, found other ways to [[survive]].

[[Patrol]]

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When food ran out, some natives resorted to the only source of meat close by. Namely, the corpses of those who had already succumbed to starvation. But according to Frank, by committing such an act, they had unknowingly condemned themselves to a fate worse than death. {(live: 0.5s)[(stop:)Those who resorted to cannibalism were cursed to transform into a monster who would stalk the forest, constantly starving for human flesh. But their hunger could never be sated, leaving them doomed to hunt and devour people for eternity.]} {(live: 1s)[(stop:)This monster was known as the [[wendigo]].]}

{(live: 1s)[(stop:)As Sarah made a hard turn to the right, the voice seemed to sound further away, but less human.]} {(live:1.5s)[(stop:)[Come here]]} (align: "==>")[{(live:2s)[(stop:)Come here]}] (align: "=><====")[{(live:2.5s)[(stop:)Come here]}] (align: "====><=")[{(live:3s)[(stop:)(color:red)[COME HERE]]}] (align: "==><=")[{(live:3.5s)[(stop:)(color:red)[COME HERE]]}] (align: "<==>")[{(live:4s)[(stop:)(color:red)[COME HERE]]}] {(live:5s)[(stop:)[[Life<-left]]]} {(live:5s)[(stop:)[[Death<-right]]]}

Frank had told Sarah that you could tell a wendigo was near when the weather started becoming colder. He also told that if she ever felt that something was off, to not trust anyone's voice unless she could actually see the voice's owner. [[return<-Enough Daydreaming]]