Last Words -------------- Faint whispers carried through the cold morning air, light and wispy noises, which I would liken to the distant sound of falling snowflakes. The question remained, from where did these sounds come, and what was making them. It was time I found out. I trudged through the new fallen snow as lightly as my large feet would allow, making my way towards the murmurs in the expanse ahead. The whole place was alight, bright and white, nearly washing out the distant forest line in this hinterland I call my home. Then, a noise, like thunder from the heavens, rang out, breaking the peaceful calm of this snow-covered land. ‘CRACK!’ Once and again from the woods, where the whispers were leading me, the reports came again and again. ‘CRACK! CRACK!’ I knew this sound was danger, and I had to egress as quickly as possible. So I ran. Over the rolling hills, and upwards, towards the mountain range was the safest spot for me. I knew the mountain passes better than anyone alive. Behind me I could hear them, roaring, with sounds that echoed loudly through the padded winter wastes. The growls were long at first, but rose in pitch from time to time, getting higher as they skidded quickly across the flatlands then deeply snarling whilst climbing the hills. I soon realized a horrible truth of my situation. They were catching me! What am I to do? I mustn’t let panic set in, yet I’ll never make the mountains, and my safe haven before I am overrun by these beasts, whose braying haunts the very depths of my soul. I came to a silent decision. I must hide. So cold as it might be, considering the winds of late, most of the snowdrifts should be quite large enough to make for hiding. While out of sight from the savage creatures on my trail, I ducked from sight. First, I ran off to my right, and into the edge of the forest. Then, I tiptoed back, in my own tracks, to a spot where the wind laid the snow quite high. I quickly dug into a drift, making sure to stir up as little snow as possible, and covered myself up, in time to hear the last of a rumble cresting the hill behind me. I’ll never be sure which was colder, the fear or the snow. There’s an ice deep in your heart, far within your chest, that can only emerge when your life hangs truly in the balance. This was that moment for me, a brush with my mortality. Overhead, through the snow, the roars stopped. I hoped beyond hope to hear what I did next. The growling beasts out to snuff my life hummed off to my right, towards my prints. So I waited. I couldn’t tell if they’d stopped again, or were still out there. I dare not risk death. It’s so cold here, and lonely. The quiet is almost worse though. You barely hear any sound amongst snow. Buried alive inside snow, you hear nothing but the sound of your own thoughts. No birds, no winds, nothing at all to ease your mind. What other tricks are played out? There is no time. Has it been an hour, a few minutes, a day? How can I know? I can’t go to sleep. I might not wake up. So I waited. When I could wait no longer, I issued forth from my snowy tomb, and glanced across the landscape. Still the silence reigned, but a comfortable one now, as I saw no sign of the beasts. I may not be safe, but the real danger, the threat had passed. Perhaps cutting left, then up into the mountain passes, my mountain passes, would leave me safe again. There was only one way to know, to put one foot in front of the other, and head home. So I walked. ‘CRACK!’ I felt dizzy, no real pain, but blood was spurting into my hand, as I covered the wound on my chest. I fell to one knee, as I thought about the past, about fishing this morning, I caught three. They tasted good too. I hoped I’d get to taste another. The roars came again, from the edge of the forest, where my footpath had ended. The beasts seemed to slither, without raising their long flat front paws at all across the snowy landscape. Another creature, pasty white, bearing no fur and wielding long black and brown staves of some kind, was riding each monster. As they got closer, I could barely think or move otherwise, and collapsed into a heap on the ground. The smaller beasts, dismounted, and encircled me, like pack animals coming in for the final killing blow. Then, I heard the whispers again, yet, louder, and more coherent. It was these things, the white demons walking towards me, I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but it was pitched low, just like before. “Is that what I think it is Hank?” “Hell, might just be.” I felt one of the staves push from underneath me. First rolling my arm out, and my face upwards. The white of the terrain seemed to blind me more than usual, at least it seemed. As the stave pulled away, it tugged at my fur. “Holy crap boys! It’s the abominable snowman!” A burst of energy surged through my body. These little things might have killed me, but I wouldn’t let it be without cost. I reached out and snatched one of the staves, and quickly lurched to my feet. Within moments, I used it to pummel my attackers, 20 or 30 times each. I knew I might not live, but they wouldn’t either. With the last of my strength, I crawled back to here, this cave, my dear. Let the others know of this, and tell the children, I love them. I love you as well.