Page 8 of Abdominal Snowman

Cold, Icy Heart

Ice-cold air sliced across his skin, and snowflakes almost obscured his vision. His sprint kicked up clouds of snow from the fresh layers. And he loved it. Running in the blizzard was freeing. All the stress and anxiety left Soren’s body as he loped through the snow drifts on Drummond Mountain. The small town of Berrysburg began to light up the flurried skies as night settled onto the sleepy mountain town. No one ever came this far up the mountain, especially in weather like this.

So it was safe. He was free to do as he pleased in whatever form he chose to take.

Trees flew past Soren’s vision as he ran full tilt through the surrounding forest. His house sat nestled in the trees behind him, both beckoning him back to the warm fire and pushing him away from the memories that lay there.

Soren stopped in the middle of the winding road that connected Berrysburg with Overlook Peak, a popular tourist destination in the summer, but a death trap this deep in winter. He tilted his face toward the sky above, fat flakes of snow landing on his lashes. He took a few deep breaths of the chilly air, centering himself.

While he loved the anonymity of his human form, Soren felt free as an abominable. The deep winter flurries kept his secret from prying eyes.

Wiggling his claws into the soft snow, Soren’s attention was drawn back to the road as a light flashed through the white flurries.

Why was someone coming up the road this late? Do they have a death wish?

As the large SUV rounded the corner, Soren tensed, his claws slicing from his fur covered hands. Blinding lights flashed across his face, and his head shot up, two bright lights of a vehicle barreling straight for him.

Time froze. His heart beat once, twice, and a third time before he blinked. A screech shattered the silence.

The lights spun, illuminating the trees and falling flurries in a haunting dance of shadows. Tires squealed, and Soren darted to the side of the road for safety, stopping just on the edge of the cliff.

Turning back, Soren watched the taillights flash red as the car slid into the deep ditch. Breaking branches echoed through the forest, and a groaning metallic thud was the last thing he heard as the car hit a tree.

He was frozen, but not from the weather.

Run, Soren, you idiot.

If anyone were to see him in this form…

He knew better than to be on the road, but… it was so quiet up here. The call of the emptiness he found in the snowy mountains was too much to ignore.

Why was someone so far up the mountain in a blizzard like this?

Soren’s thoughts rushed through his mind.

What if they were hurt? What should he do?

He turned toward the tracks on the side of the road, already blurring from the furious storm. Soren couldn’t allow anyone to see him in his abominable form. If he was going to help her, he would have to do it as a human.

Turning in his tracks, Soren sprinted back the way he’d come. His previous footprints had already been covered with fresh snow. He kicked it all up again as he ran through the forest, dodging roots and trees while the cold air bit at his skin. It was perfect.

His cabin glowed softly in the middle of the forest, off a beaten path and surrounded by trees. They offered privacy and protection in the rare case someone actually did make it that far up the mountain.

He frowned as he arrived home in only a moment’s notice. That human had made it so damn close. What were they doing up here?

With no answers, he shifted on the porch so he could fit beneath the doorframe and entered his home. The warm air assaulted him as he strode across the floor, hurrying to his room for clothes. He didn’t mind the cold, and if not for keeping up human appearances, he wouldn’t even have the heat on.

After changing into clothing appropriate for the weather, he grabbed a set of keys and left through the back door, and ran down the short path to the garage. It was just enough to protect him and his works from the elements. He pulled a tarp off his four-wheeler and tossed it aside before opening the garage door.

He threw a leg over the ATV and sped out of his garage with a growl.

The cold wind bit at his cheeks, and he ground his teeth together. The clothing was restrictive, but his human form was thankful for the protection from the elements. Carefully, he raced through the deteriorated path to the main road and followed the curves until he recognized the area the car had gone down. He parked the four-wheeler off the road and peered over the side of the ditch.

The car was still steaming, but he heard no signs of life.

Shit.

Soren should have just saved them in his abominable form. He could have blamed it on a concussion or something. Soren lowered his weight onto a half folded tree and used the momentum of gravity to get him down the sharp dip. Halfway down, he realized even if he did find someone, how the hell was he going to get them back on a four-wheeler? Shaking his head at his thoughtlessness, he hurried. Depending on who it was, maybe he could make it work.