That Christmas Trip...

It had been some time since they had been planning that trip—perhaps ever since the year began, they had already been excited about the idea of a big getaway among friends to an area where it's nothing but snow all year round. And finally, they managed to put everything together for the trip of their dreams. They even scored a deal on a modest cabin in the middle of the forest—ten dollars a night seemed generous enough.

"Hey guys... don't you think it's weird for a house like this in the middle of nowhere to be so cheap?"

Liriel was the first to question it during the car ride along the whitened road, only to hear a loud huff from the blonde woman in the front passenger seat.

"Again with your superstitions! Just relax a bit and smile over here." A flash of light burst with the sound of Elodie's camera, leaving the bespectacled boy momentarily blinded as he muttered a "what a lack of survival instinct," which the woman either didn't hear or pretended not to. Nyx watched the exchange with a smile, occasionally letting out nasal laughs. Soren was at the wheel and didn't pay much attention to the conversation, but he chuckled upon hearing the flash and Liriel's frustrated grunt at being photographed, staying focused on the snow-covered road.

The cabin was far removed from any civilization, nestled in the ancient forest nicknamed Everfrost Woods because it's a place where the snow is eternal—nothing can make it melt, not even the hottest summer seems to affect those lands.

"Honey, was there anything in the rental package mentioning a rude, strange old man?" As soon as the blonde woman asked, Soren immediately stopped unpacking his clothes from his suitcase and arranging them in the living room dresser before taking them to the closet, and he thought about it. "No... I think the main reason the rental is so cheap is that there's no guide at all... why, dear?" The blonde raised an eyebrow at him. "I just checked the reviews from other guests here, and everyone mentions a weird old guy who lives a few kilometers away. He apparently welcomes everyone who rents the cabin in a rude way." She said it with a sour face, clearly just thinking of him as another grumpy old killjoy. Soren felt a strange shiver run through his entire body, but he didn't show the sudden feeling of unease and caution. "It's probably just a grumpy neighbor who doesn't like young people. Normal."

"Or it could be a serial killer watching us, ready to attack because we've invaded his land and put ourselves in his sights."

Suddenly, all eyes turned to Nyx after that comment.

"Nyx! Stop that shit! You're always so morbidddd," Elodie was the first to curse and complain about her friend's remark.

"Hey Nyx, let's not jump to conclusions. Sometimes it's just a lonely grandpa," Soren said, trying to calm the situation like some kind of leader. Though he himself was having a bad premonition.

Liriel stayed silent, but he seemed far more disturbed and jumped a little when Nyx laughed at her friends' reactions, as she always loved seeing their twisted faces. However, the calm atmosphere ended abruptly with a knock on the front door. Everything went suddenly silent; everyone looked at each other. Another knock, then the faint sound of heavy boots shifting at the door. It wasn't just the wind. Soren was the first to take a step forward before thinking better of it and quickly rushing to grab a knife from the kitchen, preparing for anything with his guard up as he carefully opened the door. He came face-to-face with a sturdy, tall old man with emerald-colored eyes, short gray beard and hair, almost stereotypical lumberjack clothes, and a worn iron axe—nearly dull—resting on his shoulder. At his side, an apparently elderly Siberian Husky sat obediently.

"You're the new tourists this year?" He asked, but it sounded more like a resigned confirmation. He looked inside the house, his sharp, weary eyes scanning each face with an intensity that reminded one of a military officer assessing who in the platoon would survive. His gaze darkened further when it landed on Elodie, who made a sour face right back at him. Turning his eyes back to Soren in front of him, "I didn't come here for pretty introductions or any of that nonsense." As he started speaking, his dog perked up its ears, looking around as if sensing sudden discomfort. "I just want you to know that the forest isn't a place for games. Don't bother it, and it won't do anything to you. Simple as that. And also..." He glanced at the knife gripped in Soren's hand, prompting Soren to let out a nervous laugh, like a kid caught doing something wrong. "That pathetic little knife won't help you at all here. But it's just advice. Just don't cause me any trouble." With that, he turned to leave; his dog didn't hesitate to follow, though it still seemed restless even as they headed home. The robust figure of the old man gradually disappeared into the snow with the Husky by his side.

"Still think he's a lonely bachelor? Weird old guy. Had to be the conservative type who believes in those bedtime stories." Elodie grumbled as Soren closed the door, making sure it was locked, an irrational fear creeping into his body beneath his tough-leader facade. For the first time in her life, Nyx didn't make a morbid joke right away; her gaze was still fixed on the locked door, and before she could say anything, Elodie pulled her toward one of the bedrooms.

"Come on! You're going to help me pick the perfect outfit for when we go fishing. I heard the fishing pond landscapes are perfect for photos!" Nyx had no choice but to go along with her friend, laughing as she tried to simply forget the bad feeling twisting into a knot in her stomach.

Liriel looked terrified inside and out, almost hyperventilating, biting his nails as he sat barefoot on one of the kitchen chairs with his feet up on it, knees against his chest. Soren saw this and sighed, approaching him and giving reassuring pats on his shoulder.

"Relax, man. I'm sure that old guy's just really lonely and bitter about life. People like that usually try to push others away at any cost, even by making up horror stories worthy of a Hollywood movie. Everything's going to be fine. Go get settled in your and Nyx's room; we're going fishing—it'll be fun."

He did his best to help his friend, who gradually calmed down a bit. It was even strange to see Liriel like this; his friend was usually fun and cracked jokes with him, but when it came to the supernatural, he always got upset—and this had never happened before. After all, none of them had ever encountered a weird old man in the middle of nowhere who talked about the forest like it was an entity and not just... a forest. Soren soon went back to unpacking, but since the girls were changing in his and Elodie's room, he decided to start organizing the kitchen, putting the food in the fridge and freezer and arranging the utensils. After that, he planned to make sure the TV was working and that the water tank was good enough.

Meanwhile, the wind howled outside, followed by the distant howl of the weird old man's Husky—far away, but still close enough for them to know they weren't completely alone. They never had been since arriving there.

It had been some time since they had been planning that trip—perhaps ever since the year began, they had already been excited about the idea of a big getaway among friends to an area where it's nothing but snow all year round. And finally, they managed to put everything together for the trip of their dreams. They even scored a deal on a modest cabin in the middle of the forest—ten dollars a night seemed generous enough.

"Hey guys... don't you think it's weird for a house like this in the middle of nowhere to be so cheap?"

Liriel was the first to question it during the car ride along the whitened road, only to hear a loud huff from the blonde woman in the front passenger seat.

"Again with your superstitions! Just relax a bit and smile over here." A flash of light burst with the sound of Elodie's camera, leaving the bespectacled boy momentarily blinded as he muttered a "what a lack of survival instinct," which the woman either didn't hear or pretended not to. Nyx watched the exchange with a smile, occasionally letting out nasal laughs. Soren was at the wheel and didn't pay much attention to the conversation, but he chuckled upon hearing the flash and Liriel's frustrated grunt at being photographed, staying focused on the snow-covered road.

The cabin was far removed from any civilization, nestled in the ancient forest nicknamed Everfrost Woods because it's a place where the snow is eternal—nothing can make it melt, not even the hottest summer seems to affect those lands.

It had been a while since they arrived and properly settled into the rooms: Nyx and Liriel in one room, and Elodie and her boyfriend, Soren, in another. They had decided even before arriving that they would go fishing on the first day, without any discussion, and there they were, heading to the nearest lake. They had just had a bizarre encounter with a weird old man who lives near their cabin, warning them not to disturb the forest if they didn't want to be disturbed in return. No one except Liriel and Nyx took it seriously, and they simply went fishing for fun.

"Ah, it's so cold, damn—how do the fish even survive all this ice?" Elodie said, stealing her boyfriend's jacket while he was beside her, baiting a worm onto the hook and nearly pricking his own finger in the process. Nyx was in her own jacket, sitting on a tree stump, preparing her own fishing rod. She and Soren seemed to be the only ones genuinely eager to fish, rather than just watching like Elodie and Liriel, who was still somewhat nervous, though he'd been masking it for a while with jokes.

"Actually, they don't feel cold like we do; they just need external heat to keep their body temperature stable."

Liriel informed them like the typical nerd he is, and Elodie looked surprised, moving closer to the water just to observe more closely, trying to spot any fish—like a child who had just discovered a fascinating fact and wanted to see it with their own eyes. The howling wind seemed calm, but it did nothing to soothe Liriel. He felt invasive even though he was outdoors, wearing his jacket, fishing with friends—things anyone would do. He watched each of his friends laughing as they fished and tried to join in, but everything felt so wrong that it made him nauseous. Suddenly, he started feeling the need to use the bathroom and looked around; the forest, even in the snow, was vast enough that no one would easily see him peeing there.

"I'm gonna go pee over there."

He told Soren and Nyx—since Elodie was now impulsively trying to make a little snowman—and both just nodded in agreement, turning their focus back to fishing.

Liriel found a hidden enough spot in the icy woods, pulled down his pants along with his underwear, and squatted to pee. It was hard to tell if the flush on his cheeks was from the cold or from the embarrassment of doing this in nature, even if hidden. He felt his binder stretching uncomfortably against his chest, since he didn't seem to care how long he'd been wearing the same accessory—as long as he felt good about his body, his ribs weren't that important anyway.

He knows, he knows very well that new guests have moved into the cabin a few miles from his, and he hates the idea, he's always hated it when those irresponsible young people decide to disturb his peaceful Christmas every single year. Most are simply unbearable with excessive noise, damage to the forest, dirt, etc., except that they usually leave at the mere sign that something is wrong in the forest.

But he sensed something wrong this year, there's something even stranger in the forest, only he can only sense it and not guess what the hell the agonizing feeling in his chest that torments his sleep so much might be. He looks much worse than when he went to visit the young people to warn them; his dark circles have grown, and he's on high alert for any noise, all his nerves have been on edge these past few days. And Rods, his lifelong companion dog, is the only thing that calms him, even though he's noticed that the animal himself is also distraught and overly protective of him.

He observes the young people from afar sometimes and disappears before they are noticed; perhaps the feeling of constant observation will make them leave and this horrible feeling will pass, as if the world were one step away from ending. He doesn't want to save any of these ignorant idiots, he just doesn't want the problems of others to affect him personally. It never was and never will be altruism; it's just him trying to survive in an isolated place where one wrong step could mean hell. Bjorn could have tried many times to live in society; if he had looked, he would have found a caring organization willing to help someone as uncivilized as himself, but he doesn't like anyone but himself and knows it's impossible for him to live in civilization as he did with his parents, so he prefers to die right there where he was born.

Today is another tiring and routine day of hunting. He and his faithful companion are walking slowly through the snow in the forest, which seems more depressing to see each day, the branches always covered in snow, thin from lack of sun, a true scene of death. He carries a family-inherited shotgun, silently observing and sensing which spot seems suitable for waiting for a deer or some other animal. But then Bjorn hears: a branch snaps, too thin, too calculated to be a simple rabbit. Rods becomes alert and turns to a specific snowy bush, growling fiercely. The man raises his weapon and unlocks it, staring firmly ahead.

"If you're one of these idiots, I suggest you just leave if you don't want me to put a hole in your belly right now. I don't have time for your ignorance."

He was rude and curt, in firing position, his finger fully placed near the trigger, a slight squeeze and everything turns to gunpowder in the snow.

(create your own scenario)