The bolt shudders as he lodges it into its slot, aiming it at his target. His entire body, frigid and cold, the only thing keeping him warm is the pulsating beats of his heart. The wind rustles his hair like how his mother used to and the thought makes him pull the trigger. Bang! The bolt pierces through and blood sprays the white snow as the hunted falls to the ground. The hunter walks up to his kill and stops right before the corpse. A sigh deep inside of him is let out, his hunt finally over. Thump. Blood bleaches the black bark, a beautfying bliss. As he touches his slaughtered prey with his gloves, a warm fills him from within. Like drinking hot cider with friends around a fire, the man thought. A table full of people, with a dog resting on your lap, and a moment of true serenity as you drink away the night. Why did I think about that?  His heart thumps again. Blinded by his ambition, he picks up the corpse and starts to walk back to his darkness. 

His heart thumps again.

Warmth spreads throughout his body as the blood seeps into his wool clothing, a warm shower washing the body of a day’s hard work. Feeling and vigor is restored within him and his mind starts to unthaw and untangle itself from the cave it had left itself in. His heart thumps again. He falls to his knees. The corpse keeps bleeding and covering him completely, wrapped washing him anew. His heart jumps. 

Pounding at him, he picks himself back up and lifts the corpse and continues his trekk into his darkness. All these years and this is where I fail?, he thinks to himself. No, not here and not yet. 

He stumbles and falls, his head sinking into the warm corpse. Panicking, gasping, he tries to pull himself out. A light appears. Warm and melodious, it approaches him as he struggles. His heart pounds. Everything in his body attempts to free himself from this warmth, but his mind recognizes the warmth that he lost long ago. His heart slams and convulses within him, rupturing his body. The light reaches out to him and his heart explodes and his body breaks and he can’t stand it anymore-not that fake warmth. 

His heart thumps again. He blinks and looks down at the bolt shuddering in the slot. 

He looks at his hunt and remembers what he’s missing.

Warmth cannot be found here, he thinks. 

He looks at his prey and walks away.