Otter Creek to be, or not to be

Okay, she was kind of freaking out.

She'd thought Vesper had only wandered off for a little bit on her own, but by the time Blueberry made her way back to the last place she'd seen her sister, the scent had gone stale. She'd followed it the best she could, but the girl was no tracker, and now she'd lost it.

Vesper was gone, and for the first time in her life, Blueberry was truly, truly alone.

She had pushed her way through the ghastly dark forest, wondering all the while at its familiarity. Mom had told her about her birthplace, but that had seemed impossibly far away. Surely. . .

She felt nothing but relief at bursting through, though immediately regretted losing the cover as the wind hit her face, awhirl with tiny white flakes, very cold, that stung like bees upon her cheeks. Fuck. This.

Blueberry hugged the trunks of the barren alder, and felt safe for the briefest moment. Until she spotted the wolf ahead, and trepidation caught her in its icy clutches once more.