Chapter 9 - The Hunter's Cabin
They ran blindly through the snow, the freezing wind cutting like knives. Lily was crying silently, her small body shivering violently. The mother's bare legs were numb, her heels lost somewhere in the drifts. Just as she felt her legs giving out, a dark shape loomed in the whiteout ahead—a small, dilapidated hunting cabin. She pushed the wooden door; miraculously, it gave way. Inside, it was dark and smelled of pine and dust, but it blocked the wind. She found an old wool blanket in a corner and wrapped Lily in it, holding her close to share body heat. She scoured the cabin and found a half-empty box of matches and some dry wood in the hearth. She managed to start a small fire. For a fleeting moment, they were warm. They were safe. But then, the unmistakable crunch of heavy boots on snow echoed from outside. The footsteps circled the cabin slowly. Then, the brass doorknob began to turn.
