Lost In The Woods

As I sped down the mountain, the wind sliced across my face like a dagger. It hooted at me as if to warn me of the danger ahead. If I had known what was to happen that day; I would have listened to the wind.

Something had felt wrong about that last run. After taking a different turn than usual, we found ourselves on an unfamiliar run. We were deep inside the woods when we saw the sign: Kids Adventure Zone. It sounded fun, like a laid-back run, but the narrowness made me a little wary. My toes were already frozen and burning inside my boots, and this looked like the quickest way to the lodge. Yet, the cracking of the hardpacked snow sent an eerie shiver through me.

Before I could protest, my parents were headed towards the trail. With my dad in the lead, we cautiously made our way step by step down the narrow path.

The trail was an alleyway, but instead of tall buildings, we were surrounded by the towering evergreen trees. Piles of snow were clumped on top of the trees, and foam animals were strategically placed on the slope to provide a challenge.

We reached a section where the snow met the ice, and I was thrown off guard from the harshness underneath my skis. The ice chipped at my skis with dagger-like precision as I struggled to stay upright. The wind howled in my ears with the volume of a tiger, and the chill of the frost cooled my face and my neck, leaving me numb. The sudden drop onto the steep slope took me by surprise. I slid uncontrollably down the path as I watched trees flash in and out of the corner of my eyes.

On either side, I saw metal-rimmed signs laughing at me. They snickered as my poles swung around wildly. They snorted as I drifted left and right fighting to gain traction. They scoffed as my skis crossed over each other. I could hear their cackles ringing in my ears as I sped right past them.

After what felt like an eternity of skidding on the frozen snow, I finally lifted my eyes to see the corner of a sign pointed directly at my right eye. I felt only cold numbness as the blade of the sign sliced up my forehead.