Catherine

They probably look weird because of the snow melt. But the snow hadn't melted. It was below zero all night. Still, he convinced me to push on. We packed light and went deeper into a cave network on the far side of the point. There was no trail, no signs, just a narrow opening barely tall enough to duck into.

Inside, it widened into a winding corridor of ice that looked like it had been carved by fire, not water. Smooth and black in places, rippling and jagged in others. The deeper we went, the more I noticed the smell. A thick, wet stink, like rotting meat left too long in the sun. Danny lit a headlamp and aimed it at the walls. That's when we saw them. Symbols.

Inside, it widened into a winding corridor of ice that looked like it had been carved by fire, not water. Smooth and black in places, rippling and jagged in others. The deeper we went, the more I noticed the smell. A thick, wet stink, like rotting meat left too long in the sun. Danny lit a headlamp and aimed it at the walls. That's when we saw them. Symbols.

Carved into the ice, like someone had taken a hot blade to it. Circles. Lines. Rough shapes like stick figures with deer antlers and hollow bellies. One figure had its mouth open wide, almost cartoonish, but something about it made my spine go rigid. Danny found what looked like a shaft in the back, just a hole that disappeared down into blackness.

Carved into the ice, like someone had taken a hot blade to it. Circles. Lines. Rough shapes like stick figures with deer antlers and hollow bellies. One figure had its mouth open wide, almost cartoonish, but something about it made my spine go rigid. Danny found what looked like a shaft in the back, just a hole that disappeared down into blackness.

He dropped a rock into it, but we never heard it hit bottom. He laughed, called it badass, and said we'd come back tomorrow with rope. I didn't respond. I just wanted out of there. By the time we got back to camp, it was already dusk. The sun bled out behind the horizon like it was trying to escape, and the temperature plunged.

He dropped a rock into it, but we never heard it hit bottom. He laughed, called it badass, and said we'd come back tomorrow with rope. I didn't respond. I just wanted out of there. By the time we got back to camp, it was already dusk. The sun bled out behind the horizon like it was trying to escape, and the temperature plunged.

We cooked a fast dinner and zipped into the tent before the wind kicked up. I lay there for a long time, listening to it whistle and moan across the lake. I thought I'd imagined it at first, but then I heard it again. Footsteps. Crunching snow. Slow. Heavy. They circled the tent once, then stopped, and right outside the nylon wall, barely a foot from my head, I heard breathing. Shallow. Wet.

We cooked a fast dinner and zipped into the tent before the wind kicked up. I lay there for a long time, listening to it whistle and moan across the lake. I thought I'd imagined it at first, but then I heard it again. Footsteps. Crunching snow. Slow. Heavy. They circled the tent once, then stopped, and right outside the nylon wall, barely a foot from my head, I heard breathing. Shallow. Wet.

Guttural. I held my breath and didn't move a muscle. Danny was already asleep. Whatever it was, it stayed there for what felt like hours. Then it left. When I finally slept, I dreamed I was under the ice, and something was tapping from the other side, waiting to be let in. I woke up to silence. Not the kind you get in nature, the peaceful kind filled with birdsong or wind through trees.

Guttural. I held my breath and didn't move a muscle. Danny was already asleep. Whatever it was, it stayed there for what felt like hours. Then it left. When I finally slept, I dreamed I was under the ice, and something was tapping from the other side, waiting to be let in. I woke up to silence. Not the kind you get in nature, the peaceful kind filled with birdsong or wind through trees.

This was wrong. It was too quiet. Even the ice wasn't groaning like it had the day before. It felt like the lake was holding its breath. Danny wasn't in the tent. I scrambled out, boots half-laced and adrenaline already pounding through my chest.

This was wrong. It was too quiet. Even the ice wasn't groaning like it had the day before. It felt like the lake was holding its breath. Danny wasn't in the tent. I scrambled out, boots half-laced and adrenaline already pounding through my chest.

I expected to see his orange parka near the gear pile, or maybe him off relieving himself behind a snowbank, but instead I found a trail of disturbed snow leading away from our sight. Not prints, just a long erratic path like something heavy had been dragged. One of our sleds was gone, the one with most of the meat packs.

I expected to see his orange parka near the gear pile, or maybe him off relieving himself behind a snowbank, but instead I found a trail of disturbed snow leading away from our sight. Not prints, just a long erratic path like something heavy had been dragged. One of our sleds was gone, the one with most of the meat packs.

When Danny finally came back, 20 minutes later and totally unaware of my near heart attack, he was grinning like nothing was wrong. Found some cool stuff up by that ridge past the caves, he said, like he hadn't just vanished before sunrise. Tracks going toward the cliffs. Could be wolves. He noticed the missing sled the same time I pointed it out, then shrugged.

When Danny finally came back, 20 minutes later and totally unaware of my near heart attack, he was grinning like nothing was wrong. Found some cool stuff up by that ridge past the caves, he said, like he hadn't just vanished before sunrise. Tracks going toward the cliffs. Could be wolves. He noticed the missing sled the same time I pointed it out, then shrugged.

Maybe wind caught it, or coyotes got bold. I didn't believe that for a second. We'd staked everything down, and there were no prints, no claw marks, no blood, nothing.

Maybe wind caught it, or coyotes got bold. I didn't believe that for a second. We'd staked everything down, and there were no prints, no claw marks, no blood, nothing.

just that drag line veering toward the caves like something had calmly taken what it wanted we argued i told him we needed to head back but he reminded me the path to myers beach was iced over and cracking when we came in even if we tried now it could buckle under us we were trapped So instead, we did something colossally stupid. We went back to the caves.