Winter Mist
a.n.: this is a piece i had beforehand, and am using as an example
On all other days of the year, the mountains are bright and clear, a vivid green from the trees on full display for everyone to see. From mid-November to early March, though, the clouds descend from the sky and their mist shrouds the mountain like a cloak, covering its peak and hiding it behind the vast white, submerging it with the rest of the cloudy-gray sky. The mountain seems to loom over the city it surrounds, more than before, with an aura of undecidedness, mystery, in their air.
The foot of the mountain, if you choose to climb her this cold season, will seem warmer; inviting even. As you ascend higher, however, the air will grow colder and thinner; the ground turning hard and rough. Chunks of snow and ice will mar the rich soil of the earth until it’s no longer the white that’s intruding, but the brown, as the snow overtakes the ground.
If you had not prepared for this, you would have to turn back, head down to where the trees’ green still shows, the crows are still cawing and you can vaguely hear the sound of a car passing in the distance, roughing the gravel road. You did come for this, though; with chain boots and gloves; you’ll have to endure the harsh terrain, because over time it will only grow more so, the farther up you go. Hope that you began on your path early on enough, because at this time of the year, and at the slow, steady pace you take, the sun will dim over the horizon soon and the moon will begin its journey westward. Darkness will fall, blinding you to your surroundings, hiding the hazards and dangers of the path you have chosen to traverse.
You should hurry, ready the peak before sunset to see the city lights turn on, one by one, and watch, mesmerized, as the orange glow of the sky turns red turns to a deep purple. You’ve made it this far, and basking in your victory over the mountain, you miss the shadows closing in and the predatory eyes watching you, watching watching watching, and forget you’ve yet to make the journey down.