From a distance, I could hear the wind blowing. I wondered if I had left the bedroom window open throughout the night. My body felt heavy and then I picked up the sound of the river.

I opened my eyes and my throat burned and suddenly a violent coughing fit ripped through me, making me tremble from head to toe and as I lay in the snow. When I lifted my body, the coughing increased, and I gagged. Blood splattered on my clothes, staining them a bright red. Once I got a hold of my ...