Fright!

I know it's short, but please review!!



                                                    Fright!



She looked up from her boots to the swirling snow, and blinked, biting her lip.

Julie hadn't noticed it getting dark, and now it was almost the black of night. But thinking things through, Julie realised the worst news was that she wouldn't make it home safely if she kept going. Her family lived in the mountains, and they were treacherous at the best of times, even with the sunlight. Shoving back her sudden fear, Julie searched around for some shelter to hole down for the night, and her gaze settled on a dark patch at the crest of a hill.

    Her long stride took her swiftly through the gentle snow to the copse of trees, and Julie broke some branches the way she had been taught, weaving them against a tree for shelter. She did so with speed; the cold was harsh; and threatened to overwhelm her if she slowed.

    The light snow had not yet touched the ground here, sheltered by the trees as it was. Trying not to quake with fear as she settled down,  Julie watched the gentle snow cover the ground in a few inches of white fluff in the blackness. Her eyelids began to droop, but suddenly a huge dark shape loomed amongst the snow, heading for her copse. Terror began to flood her, and Julie sat, frozen to the spot.

    As it neared, she noticed that it was moving very slowly, and so still was she that frost had formed on her lashes. It was mammoth, at least eight foot high, and carried a spiked club of ice, it's claws penetrating the sprinkling of snow as it walked. Horror gripped her as it came straight to her small shelter.

    'Food,' it croaked, and Julie saw fangs as long as her hand in its maw. Its grey fur was matted and stained, and she saw hunger in its eyes. The beast was ferocious, and reeked of death. Julie scrambled back against the tree, whimpering softly. The first flakes of snow began making their way through the leaves above them to melt on Julie's face, dripping off her chin like tears. It reached out for her, seizing her around the waist with a painful grip, and dragged her out. He settled into a jolting lope back down the slope she had climbed earlier, and Julie's pulse raced as she wondered where she could be going.

    She took quick, shallow breaths, needing to pant, but not being able to expand her lungs. Julie lost track of where they were, until all she could see was his paw around her. Finally, it entered a dark, forbidding cave, and water dripped ominously and echoed deep into the bowels of the grotto, and now real tears were trailing down the frost on her face, feeling hot on her icy skin. Julie was terrified.

    But then a horde of smaller monsters, miniature's of her captor, crept out of the darkness toward her, drooling, grunting and growling to each other. Julie stifled a sob and pressed herself against the wall-

    -And opened her eyes, staring at the woven branches above her. Beads of sweat trickled down her face and her breath came in gasps. Slowly, she came to grips with herself, and stood shakily, sunlight playing patterns over her face through the leaves above her. The snow was melting, turning the ground into a soft mess, and the birds called to each other from the heights. Julie calmed herself by watching the magnificent colours play over the horizon as the sun rose above the surrounding mountains.

The scenery composed her, and Julie set off at a quick march for home, her stomach already growling, her dream already forgotten.