I used to take hikes in the long, cold dark of Michigan forests in December. It's hard to explain, but you could say I felt a need to prove that I was above the elements. I wanted to show the willpower and grit that braves the wintry bleakness of the Mitten state. I wasn't trying to impress anyone, though I do regale my co-workers with my exploits on occasion. 

It happened on an icy Sunday evening. I wore snow chains on my boots, but conditions were still bad enough that I had to keep my eyes on the ground. It was six in the evening when I snuck into the state park. I had my cold gear, a first-aid kit, and some extra batteries for the headlamp. I was ready for anything, or so I thought.

I had only been walking for about ten minutes when the trail became icy in earnest. I trod slowly, making sure to hear the crunch of ice beneath my snow chains before taking the next step. After fifteen minutes of this, I realized I was in over my head. At that rate, I was not going to finish the trail before nine. I would not have minded, but I did have to go to work the next day.

As I was about to turn back, I heard a loud cry followed by the sound of a child sobbing. The cold air only got colder as I deliberated with my racing thoughts. If there was a child involved then no decent person would turn their back, but there was something not right about a child out in these conditions. Not to mention it was very creepy! In the end, my conscience won and I found myself trekking towards the source of the cry. 

An old man was lying unconscious on the ground, presumably having slipped and fallen on some ice. A small boy was kneeling beside him, face buried in his hands. I was about to rush to their aid when I saw an extra pair of feet beside the boy. They were grey with three long, wrinkled toes. I looked up and my headlamp revealed the most terrifying sight: an oversized bulb-like head with elongated eyes on top of a small leathery body. The eyes were pure black and extended almost to its forehead and toothless mouth. Like its feet, its arms ended in three fingers, each as long as the toes.

Fear overpowered my conscience and I hightailed the fudge out of there. As I ran, the boy's cries got louder, but no way was I turning back or looking back. I thanked my lucky stars my snow chains worked well because I did not have the mind to tread carefully. With lungs burning from the cold, I got back to my car and drove with my foot hard on the accelerator. As I neared the park's exit, I saw a pale blue disc in my rearview mirror, rising like a ghost towards the starry sky.

The papers in the week ahead made no mention of a missing old man and boy, nor of strange lights in the sky. I never took hikes in the long, cold dark again. It contains secrets that only humble me.