Silent Snowfall Secrets
Mary Alford
To the God who brings light to the darkest winters and restores what was buried in silence. Your truth is never far behind. Thank You for Your Love.
Prologue
December 2010
She dropped from the tree to a soft snow landing. The fall and the cold taking her breath away.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. When Abby had set up the adventure, she hadn’t counted on the storm.
She took a couple of steps before an uneasy feeling stopped her in her tracks. Should she go back inside and call Charlie to cancel? Seems like their friend Lila was the only smart one in their group. Lila told them it was a mistake and dangerous and they shouldn’t do it.
Charlie had agreed but Abby, well, her heart was heavy with grief and guilt. She needed to talk. Charlie reluctantly agreed and promised to meet at the old Pine Haven River Bridge at midnight.
Now, it didn’t seem such a good idea. The freezing cold cut right through her heavy down coat.
Abby gathered the coat closer and started walking down the road. The wind howled through the nearby pine trees. This wasthe closest path to reach the bridge. She’d walked it dozens of times. Yet never at night and never with this eerie feeling washing over her.
Abby glanced over her shoulder. Nothing appeared in the darkness. Was it her guilt playing with her mind?
Once she reached the end of her family’s property line, the uncleared woods had never been more menacing.
She picked up the pace. Her cell phone’s time announced it was ten minutes until midnight.
Over the noise of the wind another sound caught her attention. Were those footsteps crunching the frozen snow behind her? Someone else was out here.
Fear threatened to swallow her up. Out in the open like this she felt vulnerable.
She ran toward the woods for cover. If she could circle back to the house and get help. . .Never mind that her parents would be angry. Her fear of what might lie hidden in the darkness was greater than being grounded.
The untouched snow lay thick here, forcing Abby to slow down. The deeper she went the more she became turned around. Was this the path to the house? She thought so. Maybe.
Soon, exhaustion settled into her legs. She ducked behind a Ponderosa Pine to catch her breath. Sweat beaded on her forehead and upper lip.
Over her labored breathing, something dreadful became clear. The person following her was closer.
She had to get away. Abby forced herself to leave the tree coverage and walked as fast as the deep snow and exhaustion would allow.
She peered through the darkness behind her. Nothing appeared.
Help me, please.The prayer slipped through her thoughts. She attended church regularly. She’d given her life to God whenshe was ten. But the things she’d done recently were as far away from God as they got.
I’m sorry. So sorry.
Up ahead, something moved. She screamed.
A deer darted through the trees.
Her knees went weak. Then a new fear arose. She’d just given away her location to whoever was back there.
Abby ran as fast as she could possibly run while all sorts of dangerous possibilities crept into her thoughts. There’d been a serial killer recently discovered in the area. He’d killed numerous young women Abby’s age around parts of Colorado.
Abby and her friends had read the details of the case revealed in the news. They were gruesome. Tears flooded her eyes when she thought about her parents’ reaction to discovering her mutilated body.
She should have reached the clearing to her family’s property by now, but all she saw was more trees. The wind screamed through the trees like a banshee. Snowfall intensified, blinding her. Somehow, she’d gotten turned around.
