The Mother

I sighed in relief and exhaustion as the final nail was dug in the soft, wet soil, looking up as the tent transformed from a withered piece of cloth to a welcoming place to temporarily dwell in. I cautiously unzipped it, afraid of reducing it to what it was more than two hours ago. Pulling out my phone from my pocket, I switched it off and smiled. Two days away from the world. I did it every year, in the same place, on the same date. I lay down on the floor and closed my eyes, and the overwhelming fatigue left my body.

…

Fog left my lips as I breathed out into the cold air. The smell of snow and pine trees wafted to my nostrils, while snowflakes drizzled from the clear morning sky to the pearly ground. I rubbed my hands together to warm them, my eyes darting across the trees, trying to find a suitable branch to help me light a fire. My usually organized toolbox lacked an axe, as I had left it at home. As I stepped forward to search for some wood, a dark-haired woman in a light green sweater appeared from below the valley, running and gasping. Her eyes exposed her apprehension, and her lips quivered in fear at the sight of me. She seemed out of breath, but did not cease her sprint. She continued to run, until she vanished in the distance.

I blinked, but did not move, waiting for her to return, and when she did, she carried an axe. She seemed more determined than before. “Excuse me,” I called out to her, “Can I borrow your axe?” She stopped in her tracks, but refused to turn to me. “I need it to cut some wood. It’s very cold and I need to start a fire.” I shook my head and grimaced at my meek explanation, waiting for her to answer. She glanced sideways and looked at me. I flinched as her cold glare bore holes in me, making my skin crawl and my hair rise. She resumed her run, and with the snow crunching beneath her feet, she disappeared into the valley. I expected her to return, but when an hour had passed without her arrival, I entered my tent and sat on the ground, trying to make sense of the woman. My teeth chattered as the biting wind surrounded me, but I pulled my blanket to my chin, and spent the entire day in it, cold and alone.

…

The following morning was better. The sun had made an appearance, reflecting on the melting snow. I decided to take a stroll to clear my head of the confusing incidents of yesterday. I had only taken a few steps when I heard the sound of someone digging the ground coming from behind a collection of large grey stones which formed a small, deformed wall. Slowly walking towards it, I peered over the stones and saw the woman from yesterday.

She had a dug a ditch in the snow, deep enough to reach the soil underneath it. Careful not to make a sound, I sat on ground on the other side of the stone wall. I looked over and saw the axe from yesterday lying next to the woman, who was reaching behind her and trying to carry something large and heavy, which was revealed to be folded baby stroller. I let out a short gasp as she put the stroller in the hole she had dug. She looked back in my direction, and crouched further behind the wall, not raising my head until I was sure her suspicion had died down. She continued to bury more objects in the hole, including diapers, baby clothes, and toys. Finally, she pulled off her sweater, and as she held it in front of herself to fold it, my eyes widened in terror. I trail of red stains were scattered across the green wool, akin to sprayed blood. She tossed the sweater in the ditch with the rest of the objects, covered them with the white snow, and ran back into the valley. When it was clear that she had left, I stood up and glanced over when I noticed that she had forgotten her axe. As I walked closer to it, I noticed the same stains from her sweater, and when I knelt forward to smell it, the sharp, metallic odour of blood was unmistakable.

…

The next time I left my tent, it was in the dead of the night. My palms were sweaty, and my knees wanted to give away and let my body collapse. I slipped on the snow a few times, struggling to prevent myself from falling and burying myself in it. I walked towards the pine trees, hoping that the greenery would make me forget the events that had transpired. Normally, the deathly silence would give me comfort, reminding me how removed I was from civilization, but now, it frightened me. However, it ended when I reached a small clearing near the end of the snowy woods, where I heard the sound of something rustling against a branch.

I turned around, swivelling my neck sharp enough to make it crack. “Hello?”, I called out repeatedly. I clumsily rummaged through the pockets of my coat and fished out my flashlight. I pointed its light in the direction of noise, while I moved silently towards it, careful not to step on even the smallest of twigs. The rustling became louder as I neared towards it, and when my eyes met the source of the sound, I attempted to shriek, but the scream was trapped in my throat. I reeled back and fell onto the ground, gasping and struggling for breath.

I pointed the flashlight at it again, and I saw her. She wasn’t wearing her swearing anymore, as it was buried under the icy ground of the forest, but I could recognise her dark hair. It covered her face, looming over her pale skin, casting a shadow over it. But it wasn’t long enough to cover the noose extending from the frail rope, which barely held the weight of her limp body and hung below a bent, creaking branch. I stood there for a few moments, until the branch gave away and crashed, taking her body with it.

Tears streamed over my face and I stood up and ran towards my tent. Entering it, I ferreted for my belongings, cramming them in my suitcase, not caring if I forgot something. Hastily, I unhitched the tent and dragged it over the pathway, running towards my jeep. Stuffing my luggage in the back seat, I was about to start the vehicle and leave when I looked back at the broken branch. Taking a deep breath, I walked towards it, but my tired and fearful knees betrayed me, and when I fell again, and knelt on all fours, and retched into soil. Weakly, I scrambled over to the corpse, and when I touched it, it was colder than the snow beneath it.