Evening light weaves it's way though the forest cover. A traveler, bundled several times over, wanders alone on the unstartled snow. Each breath bitter and sharp, required, but taken in moderation. The sense of smell had been long over run with a type of pain, discomfort maybe, gnawing at the traveler's nose, attempts to warm it with cupped hands returned results of irritation from the cheap wool gloves. What little help the casts of sunlight gave on the stranger's face wouldn't last long. Miles had been traveled, miles more lay out of reach with the coming of night.
The road slithered back and forth between the tightly knit pines. Although outside, it could not feel more encasing, claustrophobic, walled in. Losing sight of the road would be a grave mistake. With a palette of white and a deep green in every direction slight panic began to ensue. Crossing over and over in the traveler's mind whether they'd been there before, lost? It's hard to define lost if you don't have a destination. A suborn smile stretched underneath the onion of jackets. A laugh rang out, with the unexpected reaction of startling the laughee. It wasn't so much a joke, but a realization.
The only landmark in sight was of that looking back at the traveler's tracks. Had they not been there, attempts at distinguishing forward from back would be no use. The day's wick was ever more quickly growing smaller and smaller. A once golden forest became monotone, deep silver gray blues from a setting sun somewhere out of sight and towering silhouettes, arms reaching out toward the path. Wind worked it's way along the forest floor. Trees whispered and creaked with each gust. Flecks of snow started again, whether it was the weather or what was left lingering on tree limbs did not matter, panic washed within. A shelter, anything, was assumed to exist, and had been hoped to have been found hours ago. Tracks began to cover as snow was carried straight back the path, sticking to the traveler's pants and what little hair was exposed.
With little light left, a non materialized prayer had been answered with the turning of a bend.