Page 32 of Snowman

Something inside me clicked off. Like a distant switch that flipped and everything became cold, focused.

I moved closer, as quiet as the fog itself. Their voices sharpened, distinct now; Josh's lazy drawl; Vic's nervous titters, following on as he always did.

As soon as I was near enough for them to make me out through the haze, I swung the axe down into the snow, the sound cracked like a shot.

"Good evening, boys," I said. "Ready to die?"

Josh lay on his back, hands behind his head, and didn't even bother opening his eyes. "Yeah, man, whatever," he mumbled, his cocky smirk carved into his face.

But Vic wasn't quite that calm. He moved himself up into a seated position, his eyes wide as they darted between me and Josh. His voice cracked as he slapped his chest.

"It's… it's S-S-Snowman!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet. He tripped over his own boots, went face-first into the snow, but then clawed his way to his feet.

"Fuck," Josh cursed, finally snapping out of his trance. In an instant, he got upright, the laziness gone from his poise. He didn't glance back at Vic as he took off running toward the river.

"Well isn't this going to be amusing," I said out loud as I watched Vic try to stumble after him.

I raised the axe and was off, running with steady, sure steps as adrenaline coursed through me like wildfire. The icy water of the river splashed against my boots; I barely felt the cold. My heart pounded hard in my chest, matching the frantic rhythm of their footsteps crashing through the woods.

The fog thickened, curling around the darker part of the forest where the trees stood higher, their branches clawing for the sky. I followed the sounds of their movements, their panicked breathing, frantic steps.

Vic didn't get very far. He fell behind a tree, pressing himself against the ground like some sort of animal that was afraid. His tall body stuck out awkwardly, his feet poking out from the shadow of the tree. He thought he was hidden.

He wasn't. I circled silently, moving behind the same tree he cowered against. The fog wrapped itself around me, masking my presence until I was a single breath away. I hunched low and leaned close enough to him to hear his ragged, shallow breathing.

"Oh shiny, swingy axe," I softly sang, the words slipping from my mouth like a lullaby.

I swung the axe in the air, the blade whistling on and on before it bit into the bark of the tree just inches from his head.

"Went chopping through the woods," I went on, my voice low.

Vic screamed, his body trembling as he pressed himself harder against the tree.

"Down came the chips…" I pulled the axe free, letting it slice through the air again. This time, I buried it in the root of the tree just beside his foot. "…as the tiny dick bitch in front of me stood."

I laughed then, sharp and cutting, as his wide eyes, teary with unshed tears darted to the blade. It was a whole body stutter before he slumped forward, unconscious.

"Pff, coward," I grumbled.

I reached down, hoisting his limp body onto my back with a grunt. Compared to the satisfaction flooding me, his weight was close to nothing. The axe hung loosely in my other hand as I started to walk. The woods darkened the farther north I went, and the river's sound faded behind me. I had to move ahead, where my kill kit was buried.

I heard behind me the soft crunch of footsteps and dropped him roughly to the ground, turning toward the rock where Josh was hiding. A panicked uneven breathing was now giving him away. I inched forward, my movement slow, surrounded by the fog.

He saw me before I was close enough, turned, and ran, his feet pounding the snow.

I chased after him, the cold air burning my lungs. He was faster than I had expected, his panic giving him speed. But adrenaline coursed through me, sharpening my focus, I leaped, tackling him to the ground.

"What's up?" I said as I pinned him beneath me. His wide, terrified eyes met mine, and I couldn't resist. "You like my body on top of yours,you little slut?"

His face went crimson, his lips trembling, and then I felt something warm and wet spreading beneath him.

"Seriously?" I muttered, rolling my eyes. Josh had pissed himself, and the wet stain on my suit was growing cold. "You couldn't hold it for five minutes?"

His only response was a desperate, guttural sound as I punched his face. The satisfying crack of impact silenced him, and his body went limp beneath me.

Scooping him up, I slung his unconscious body over my shoulder and carried him back to where Vic still lay stretched in the snow. My irritation grew as the cold wet spot from Josh's piss soaked through my suit, raising a shiver.

I dropped him beside Vic, both of them lifeless like a pile in the snow. I snatched up his shirt, yanking him out of it and quickly tearing it into strips. I used the fabric to bind their legs together, pulling it tight, making sure they couldn’t escape. Grabbing the loose end, I trudged forward through the snow, dragging their bodies behind me.

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