The cold, unbearable. Her vision limited. “Help” her throat crackling from the chilling wind. She couldn’t understand where he could’ve gone when the hole is right in front of her. “Ill be right back” she said before delving into the woods. She wondered why all of a sudden he wanted to go fishing. He’d never went before and all of a sudden it came to her.

Feeling the warmth of his truck, that is all he felt. No remorse, no moral dilemma, and a lot of weight shed from his shoulders. The snow whisping by like shooting stars in the night sky. Headlights illuminating the deep ruts of snow and mud before him. Driving for so long after packing up his gear. Pulling in to the truck station only a hop, skip, and a jump away from the lake he thinks to purchase a shower. Washing the smell of her off of him.

Walking through the snow and fallen limbs of the forest. She stumbles and trips but makes haste towards the part of the sky with the most light pollution. What little she could see between the bursts of flurries. At last she can make out the building in the distance just out of the trees. Crossing the small street to get to the building she notices a truck pull out. She didn’t realize that truck wasn’t slowing down.

After feeling the bumps of his tires he sighs a heavy sigh, fixes his position in his seat, and sips his fresh steaming black coffee. So relieved to be heading home. The road was more lonely on the return but finally he was, alone.