The wind howled outside the small cottage, rattling the windows and sending shivers through the wooden beams. Inside, the fire crackled warmly, casting a flickering light over the cozy interior. Katya sat by the window, her face pressed against the cold glass, her breath fogging up the pane. She stared out into the snowy darkness, her heart heavy with worry.
It had been hours since their father had gone out to look for their mother. The forest was dense and treacherous, especially in the dead of winter. Their mother had gone missing the previous night, and their father had promised to bring her back. But now, as the darkness deepened, Katya's anxiety grew.
"Mikhail," she whispered, turning to her elder brother who sat by the fire, his face shadowed with concern. "We need to find them. It's getting late."
Mikhail, barely sixteen but already bearing the weight of responsibility, shook his head. "We need to stay here, Katya. If Mama comes back, she needs to find us. Father will bring her home. We have to trust him."
"But what if something happened to them?" Katya's voice trembled.
Mikhail looked at her, his eyes reflecting his own fears. "Father is strong. He'll find her. We have to stay safe here."
As the night wore on, Mikhail's exhaustion overcame him. He fell asleep in the chair by the fire, his head resting on his chest. Katya watched him for a moment, then turned back to the window. The moonlight cast eerie shadows across the snow, and the forest beyond seemed to beckon her.
Unable to bear the waiting any longer, Katya made a decision. She wrapped herself in her warmest coat, pulled on her boots, and grabbed the torch. With a last glance at her sleeping brother, she slipped out into the cold, silent night.
The snow crunched beneath her feet as she ventured into the forest, the torch casting a narrow beam of light that pierced the darkness. The trees loomed tall and foreboding, their branches heavy with snow. Katya's breath came in quick, visible puffs, and she tightened her grip on the torch.
As she ventured deeper, the sound of a distant howl sent a chill down her spine. Wolves. She quickened her pace, her eyes darting nervously around her. Suddenly, she stumbled, and the torch slipped from her grasp, falling into the snow and extinguishing with a soft hiss. Darkness enveloped her.
Panic surged through her, and she began to run, not knowing where she was going. The forest seemed to close in around her, the rustling of the bushes growing louder. She stumbled through the underbrush, her heart pounding in her chest.
After what felt like an eternity, she stopped, her breath ragged. She was lost, the darkness pressing in on her from all sides. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she sank to her knees, sobbing.
Then, through the veil of her tears, she heard it—a voice, soft and familiar. "Katya..."
Her mother's voice.
Katya's heart leaped with hope. She stood up and followed the sound, her steps quickening. The voice led her through the trees, guiding her to a clearing where a frozen lake shimmered under the moonlight.
On the ice, she saw a silhouette—her mother. Katya's heart pounded with relief and joy. She stepped onto the lake, the ice creaking beneath her weight. As she got closer, she called out, "Mama!"
But as she approached, the figure became clearer, and her joy turned to horror. Her mother stood frozen in the ice, her eyes wide and unseeing, her body trapped beneath the surface. Katya screamed, a sound of pure terror, and the ice beneath her feet cracked.
With a sharp, sudden crack, the ice gave way, and Katya plunged into the icy water. The cold was a shock, numbing her instantly. She thrashed, trying to find the surface, her lungs burning for air. She thought she was going to die.
Suddenly, strong hands grasped her, pulling her from the freezing depths. She gasped for breath as she broke the surface, coughing and sputtering. Her father's face loomed above her, his eyes filled with fear and relief.
He hauled her onto the shore, wrapping her in his coat. "Katya, what were you thinking?" he shouted, his voice breaking.
Shivering uncontrollably, Katya could only point to the lake. "Mama... she's... she's there..."
Her father followed her gaze, his face ashen. "We have to get you home," he said, his voice choked with emotion.
As he carried her away from the lake, Katya looked back. Her mother's frozen form seemed to watch them, her eyes filled with an eerie, lifeless light. Katya shuddered, burying her face in her father's chest. When she looked again, the figure was as it had been, lifeless and still.
They reached the cottage, and Mikhail, now awake and frantic, rushed to help. Together, they bundled Katya in blankets, warming her by the fire. Her father's eyes never left her, his face etched with worry.
As she drifted into a fitful sleep, Katya's last thoughts were of her mother, frozen and lost in the forest, and the haunting look in her eyes.