As the snow falls and the frozen river cracks, footsteps stumble through the maze of trees.

Amanda sits on the riverbank, staring at the bruises on her arm, entranced by the abandoned
scene. She takes a step closer gazing into the water as her reflection ripples….. Shivering from
the cold she lets out a sigh of relief. In a place that felt uneasy for others, she has found her
sanctuary. Her feet move without thought, oblivious to the thin ice on the edge of the bank. It
gives out from under her, years of mistreatment flashing in an instant. As she plunges into the
water, there is no fight left in her. The icy touch of the water feels like the warm embrace she has
never known. Sinking down, she feels lonelier than ever, but never more at peace.

The harsh winter keeps prying at the shaken up cabin, a melodious whistle as it seeks for an
entry way inside. Amanda is hungry, having just awakening from the snowstorm’s symphony.
It’s dark but warm enough to be a comfortable living space. In a corner of the kitchen, the
already creaking floorboard sinks a bit, peculiar. She kneels to inspect it, noticing the absence of
the dulled nails at the corners of the plank. Pulling it out, she discovers a small box, with a lock
and key. Putting two and two together, she uses the key to open the box. It clicks, and bright
golds, deep reds and radiant blues shimmer as they turn the room into an extravagant mosaic of
color. She smiles, looking around the previously dreary room with delight. Among the necklaces
and rings, a picture of her mother lay still. She was beautiful with her luscious brown hair,
verdant green eyes, and a smile as white as the falling snow. She grips the picture tightly,
longing for her mother, knowing she would never be able to see her again. Across the room a
boreal wood door shakes as the sounds of jingling keys and disgruntled mumbling. Her body
tenses up, unsure of what to do. Hide the box? Too suspicious. Put it back under the floor? No,
not enough time. The doorknob turned open, the door slowly opens. Her fate up in the air, like a
coin, both sides leading to the impending doom that follows.
The beer-bellied, balding ogre can only see her, her and the box, the box with the picture of her
mother. His face already a bright red color, he looked like a ripe tomato. Slurring his words, he
proceeds to grab her by her hair, furiously beating her. She’s doesn’t react, she’s been through
this many times before, it’s the only thing she’s been given from her father all these years. Not
quite the love and affection every child gets. This time it feels… different. Her gaze meets the
picture as it lays still on the ground, her mother’s smile facing directly at her. Her eyes water, she
can’t take it anymore, she starts kicking and screaming at her father. No longer desiring to
experience the outcome of her actions, she scurries out, slamming the door leaving the hinges
shaking as she bursts through. Her father cursing her as she runs into the forest, but he doesn’t
move from the door. She runs farther. To where? She does not know.
Tired and out of breath, she stumbles through the web of branches and shrubbery. Her tears
glisten like small diamonds, the howling wind hungrily snatching them as they stream down her
face. Her body bruised a reddish purple hue, out of place among the blankets of white
surrounding her. Quivering from the frigid temperature, she meanders around, searching for a
place of refuge. One where she could truly cry her heart away. She walks more, the never-ending
snow masks her shoeprint, as she treads through more of the icy powder. Her ears pick up on the
sound of trickling water. With no urgency to head back to her abode, she looks around to find
where the sound is coming from. The sound grows louder, the trickling has been amplified to one
fitting that of this large river.
Amanda sits on the riverbank, staring at the bruises on her arm, entranced by the abandoned
scene. The water calls to her, as if a siren had sang the most beautiful song from the depths of the
river. She takes a step closer, gazing into the water as her reflection ripples. Even though she’s
shivering from the cold, she lets out a sigh of relief. Taking in the scene once more, it was clear
that this gelid glade can be her sanctuary. A little quiet place where there were no disruptions, no
chaos and no father. But in her mind she knows it will never last. The sky, now a gradient of
blues and greys, signaling the beginning of the night. She hears a harsh, gruff voice yelling her
nickname “MANDY,” her father seems to be nearby, and getting closer. She starts to panic,
knowing what was in store if her father were to find her. She swivels, the cracking ice beneath
her feet giving way, plunging her into the nippy, dark abyss. Her years of mistreatment flashing
through her mind in an instant, leading her to think that she should just succumb to the weight of
the river, to let it cover her, bringing an end to her life of abuse. As she plunges into the water,
her will to fight the current dissipates. The icy touch of the water feels like the warm embrace
she has never known. Sinking down, she feels lonelier than ever, but never more at peace.

Her feet began to move without thought, oblivious to the thin ice on the edge of the bank. her
years of mistreatment flashing in an instant.