Chapter 28:

A Winter Wonderland

We Are ☆ Star Club!


The snow hadn't melted when we had our next meeting. But tonight, the sky was too cloudy to see the stars, so we decided to go on a walk in the snow-covered forest instead. By now, it got dark so quickly that the sun set as we were finishing our last class. While it felt weird, it also had a certain, magical quality to it. With Maria and Arisu at my sides, I stepped out into the fresh air, breathing it in. After spending my whole day in the stuffy classroom, it felt quite refreshing. The streetlights turned on with an electrical buzz, giving the snow on the ground a golden glow.

"Ah, it's going to be so romantic," Maria sighed.

I mumbled something in agreement. It would be truly magical, seeing the snow covering the forest I knew so well by now. I buried myself deeper in the thick scarf I was wearing, and with quick steps, we arrived near the edge of the woods. There was no one around, thankfully, and even the few footprints we could see had a fine layer of snow in them. The forest was all ours to explore. Erica lifted the lantern she brought with her up, so the light would illuminate our path.

"Let's see if the stream has frozen over," she said.

That sounded wonderful. Erica went ahead, the light guiding me. In the dark, with the snow covering everything, it was difficult for me to remember where we actually were and how we would find the stream. But thanks to Erica, I didn't have to worry about that. I could let my mind wander for a bit.

I looked at the dark trees flanking the trail we were walking on, with their finger-like branches, heavy with snow. The dark and light made a beautiful contrast. We were all silent, and it was eerily quiet around us. I could only hear our steps, crunching the snow, and occasionally the breaking of a branch or a load of snow falling down.

I was so focused on the sounds around me that I heard the jingle, even though it must be far, far away. It was the lovely sound of a bell, I was sure. I stood still for a moment, confused. Was Maria wearing some kind of bell on her outfit? But why was I only hearing it now? I took a closer look at her outfit. While it was very cute and almost christmas-y, with dark reds and golden fabric, I couldn't see a single bell on it.

Then, I heard the bell jingle again.

"Hey, did you all hear that?"

The others stopped, and turned to me.

"Huh?"

"I don't know what you mean," Maria added.

But Arisu nodded.

"You mean the bells, right?"

"Yes, but- bells, as in plural?"

She tilted her head, as if she was listening again.

"Yeah. I'm not quite sure from where it's coming, but there is something here in the forest with us."

"Ah, do you think it's an animal?"

Maria looked at Arisu with big eyes. I felt a bit uncomfortable, too. The darkness wasn't comforting anymore, but seemed dangerous. We looked at each other, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

"Should we turn off the light?"

Erica hesitated.

"I don't know. If we can't see..."

"Uwaaahhh... let's just go back, okay?"

"Good idea," sighed Erica.

While no one else said a thing, we all agreed on that. While we slowly made our way back, I strained my ears for another jingling sound.

"There. I heard it, too," whispered Maria.

The jingles didn't stop, and I could hear the snorting and huffing of beasts, paired with stomping hooves, getting closer and closer. Whatever was out there didn't seem like something I would encounter in a zoo.

"Let's go."

Erica hurried forward, tracing our steps back, while the rest of us stayed on our guard. The jingling was a constant reminder that we weren't alone, but we simply couldn't pinpoint from where it came. Somehow, it seemed like it was present everywhere in the darkness. Only when the edge of the forest with the artificial streetlights came into view, I lost some of my tension. I counted all of my friends. No one got lost in the dark. Nothing happened. The thing didn't hunt us. I let out a small sigh.

"Good. Here."

We got out of the forest, and into the safety of the streetlights.

We all huddled together into a small group, letting out nervous laughter and looking at each other.

"What was that?"

"I don't know."

I shook my head.

"And, honestly, I don't want to know, either."

"Well, all that matters is that we're safe."

Erica stretched.

"I'm just sad we couldn't explore further," Arisu said, "But it really did seem dangerous."

I slowly nodded, looking back into the darkness of the forest. We didn't know what lived in there, after all. It could have been an animal, harmless or dangerous, or something - or someone - else. A group of high school students getting lost in a frozen forest didn't belong in reality, only in Maria's horror movies. I shook my head at that thought. No thanks, I don't want to end up like that.

My eyes adjusted to the dark there, and I saw the eyes staring right at me. Whatever it was, it had to be a horse or something similar, with strong legs and deer-like antlers. And it was also the source of the jingles: tiny bells were tied to the reins and antlers of the animal. The beast snorted, releasing white steam into the air.

And it was not alone.

Before I could react, the beasts ran forwards, right towards us. I screamed, more out of fear, but also to warn the others. Instinctively, we all ducked down, as the snow crashed around us in big waves. The sounds of the bells and hooves became deafening, and mixed with something like a... laugh? I kept my eyes closed shut, as snow got everywhere where my clothes didn't protect me.

With my heartbeat still rushing, I opened my eyes. My friends were as drenched in snow as I was. But, thankfully, they were not harmed, either.

This was strange. All of this was... weird. The tracks that had stirred up the snow vanished. But in the air, something between snow and glitter lingered, dancing in the cold. We looked at each other.

"What was that?"

None of my friends had an answer to my question, but maybe, we didn't need one. Tonight was one of the stranger times we've had this year. While we were still cautious, I saw Arisu smiling, looking at the moon.

"Ah, I'm glad to see a familiar face on this planet," she giggled softly.

But whenever we tried to ask her about that, she never gave us an answer.