Spring Break

Chapter 1

17th of March, 2018.
The sun rose behind the mountains, showering the heavy, fresh snow from the night before in a bit of warm light. Spring was showing its first signs of arrival - one could already notice ants climbing their way up the old trees, the occasional butterfly circling around a mossy boulder, snowdrops and daffodils showing their pedals in a shyly manner. However, this particular morning, something was different. Spring was coming, no doubt about that. But there was a hint of worry in the air... A hint of regret.

A sound of wet boots sinking in the snow and the grunts of a man in anguish suddenly broke the sweet soundscape of the forest. A deer disappeared into the darker, obscure parts of the landscape, out of fear. The man causing all this fuss certainly was quite unhappy. He had done something horrible, he had gotten himself in a situation he couldn't have seen in his worst and wildest nightmares.
"God damn it. God fucking damn it."
One could argue that man was talking to himself, but he was, in fact, talking to a friend. Well, not a friend in the traditional sense, but out there, in the middle of nowhere, a friend would be the closest term to describe whoever our man was talking to. What could cause the misconception that our man in vain was talking to himself?
You see, it's really quite simple. His friend was dead. Yes, dead and dragged through the snow on this fine spring-like morning by our man. Our man in vain, who at this moment had surpassed the deer he scared off before in terms of fear, who wanted to cry; both out of despair but also out for help (even if he knew the latter would be a lost cause).
"God damn it."