The Girl and the Winter Bones

The Girl and the Winter BonesCopyright © 2023 by A.J. Rivers All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. TABLE OF CONTENTSTitle PageCopyrightPrologueChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter EightChapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenChapter TwelveChapter ThirteenChapter FourteenChapter FifteenChapter SixteenChapter SeventeenChapter EighteenChapter NineteenChapter TwentyChapter Twenty-OneChapter Twenty-TwoChapter Twenty-ThreeChapter Twenty-FourChapter Twenty-FiveChapter Twenty-SixChapter Twenty-SevenChapter Twenty-EightChapter Twenty-NineChapter ThirtyChapter Thirty-OneChapter Thirty-TwoChapter Thirty-ThreeChapter Thirty-FourChapter Thirty-FiveChapter Thirty-SixChapter Thirty-SevenChapter Thirty-EightChapter Thirty-NineChapter FortyChapter Forty-OneChapter Forty-TwoChapter Forty-ThreeChapter Forty-FourChapter Forty-FiveChapter Forty-SixAuthor's NoteAlso by A.J. Rivers January 1982The fingertips that run down the side of the man’s face aren’t deterred by the decomposing skin or the areas of bone now visible through the patches of flesh that have already degraded to nothing. The eyes that follow the curves of his shoulders, gauging to make sure he’s sitting up straight, don’t see the expression still frozen on his face or the gruesome fluids discoloring his clothes. “We might have to dismiss early today. It looks like it’s going to storm.”The cold snap in the air hadn’t made them hesitate when they headed out on their camping trip. In fact, Mark and Sasha relished the idea of spending time out in nature when most people would run away from it into warm shelter. They loved the thought of experiencing that rush of doing something challenging, of exploring what most would never see. This is something that brought them together when they first met. Each has their individual love of camping, hiking, and all things outdoors, but it only flourished when they found each other and began feeding off their mutual need to conquer the untamed and the unknown. They’re still young, but the years they’ve spent together have been more filled with life than three or four of the lifetimes of the people they know. But they want more. They want to see it all, to do it all, to discover that next incredible experience they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives. Whether venturing across the world or just wandering into the woods near their hometown, they are always the happiest when out in nature. This camping trip was supposed to just be a simple getaway into the woods where they could relax, recharge, and spend some time alone together away from the constant interference of their roommate Melissa. They won’t have a roommate forever. They keep telling themselves that. One day they’ll have a place of their own and it will feel like they are actually a married couple. But for now, the only way they can afford the adventures they crave is to share their home. For now, they feel the most married when they are away from home, outside of sight of anyone. And that was the very feeling they were chasing when they drove to the edge of the woods and hiked in. They set up a primitive campsite with only their tent and a fire ring built from the rocks they were able to scavenge from the surrounding area. It’s not enough, and Sasha has a slight heavy feeling in her stomach looking at the large gaps between some of the rocks. The rocks are there to prevent the flames from spreading out and catching the rest of the forest on fire. She worries it’s not safe, that the fire is going to move between them and lick flames across the dry leaves and piled limbs just outside their small clearing. She has to tell herself it’s going to be fine. The fire is necessary. Without it, they won’t have warm food or coffee, and they’ll likely freeze before they even make it into their sleeping bags for the night. They need the fire. They’ll just hope for the best. This is their second night out in the woods. The first brought them at least three miles away from where they left their car and was a much flatter, smoother clearing with signs of recent campers having passed through. Last night’s fire ring was already waiting for them, and even a few bits of wood had already been sitting nearby, burned through enough that it caught far more easily than the new wood. Today’s hike took them five miles deeper into the woods. It’s not a tremendous accomplishment. They aren’t going fast or trying to carve a new path through the woods. They’re just enjoying the quiet and the peace. Even with the sting of the air and the wind they’re trying to ignore getting faster and harder. They have their emergency weather radio ready to receive messages as they feed the fire and start heating their supper. It suddenly crackles to life and sends out the message that snow is expected in the area overnight.“Do you think we should try to head back to the car?” Sasha asks. “In the dark?” Mark asks incredulously. “We’re almost ten miles from there. It’s going to be fine. We’ll just hunker down here for the night. We’ll add the extra tarp over the tent and it will be fine.”She believes him because she wants to, and because she doesn’t want to face the thoughts that will go through her mind if she doesn’t. They unpack the extra tarps from the supply bag and fight against the rapidly dropping temperature to tie them in place so they hang over the tent, providing an extra layer