I don't know how long I'd been walking.

Hours? Days? Time had lost all meaning in the endless darkness of the woods. My legs moved mechanically, one foot in front of the other, even though I couldn't feel my feet anymore. I couldn't feel much of anything except the bone-deep cold that had settled into my core.

The patrol uniform was worse than useless. The thin fabric did nothing to block the wind that cut through the trees like knives. I'd wrapped my arms around myself hours ago, trying to ...