The first thing they saw when they entered the smoky woods was a highland-yeti painted with red mud and ashes from head to foot. She was moving very slowly, as if in a trance, and she didn’t seem to see them so they passed without saying anything. The smoke was beginning to increase in volume and it smelled musty, like old moss. The whole forest was engulfed in a thick grey smoke and Mawei was afraid she’d lose sight of Ruffer, so she kept close. They’d been headed east, toward the stream, for what seemed like longer than it should’ve taken to get there.
They came to another yeti covered in red mud and ashes, or, Mawei thought, maybe it was the same one, which would mean they had gone in a circle. This one was also moving in a slow, trance-like way. Mawei looked up and tried to find the moon or any stars, but couldn’t see anything through the haze.
There was coughing nearby and both Mawei and Ruffer stopped and looked toward where it had come from. Ruffer moved in the direction of the sound with Mawei following, and a blurry, twisting shape came into view. As they got closer they discovered that it was a snow-yeti, hanging upside down by his ankles. He was about five feet off the ground, secured by thin branches that had been woven together to form a strong vine, and tied high up in a tree. “I thought I’d have to stay here all night,” he said, tilting his head to try to get a right-side-up view of Mawei and Ruffer. “Could you please help me?”
Ruffer looked at how the vine was wrapped around his ankles and saw that it was the trapped yeti’s own weight that had him lashed tight. He took the yeti’s shoulder and began to lift, which created enough slack for him to get one foot free. He had to be lifted higher to free the other, so Mawei went to the opposite shoulder and helped Ruffer haul him upwards, until finally he came tumbling down, hitting the ground awkwardly. He got to his feet and stood in a posture of bruised dignity. “Thank you,” he said, “I got lost in this smoke and didn’t see that silly trap.”
“Do you know the direction to the stream?” Mawei asked him.
“I’m sorry, I’m a bit turned around.” He said.
“I’ll find the way.” Ruffer said, looking up at the tree. “If I climb to the top I bet I can find the right direction.”
“Good lad.” The snow-yeti said.
Ruffer started climbing, and when he arrived at the first level of branches a cloud of smoke blew in. Mawei looked at the yeti across from her and tried to think of something to say. He looked like he was afraid and working hard to maintain his composure. “If they’re not careful they’ll set the whole forest on fire.” She said. He just gave her a strange look and stepped back away from her. The smoke was coming in thick and soon the strange yeti looked like a white blob in Mawei’s field of vision. The smoke was stinging her eyes, and she wiped some tears away and tried to focus on the yeti, but there was only smoke. She waved away as much as she could, but still couldn’t see him. When the smoke lifted she knew that he was gone. She wondered if he’d ever existed at all.
Ruffer was climbing but he could barely see where he was going. The smoke was thick so he had to blindly reach up for branches that might not be there. He’d been climbing so long he started to wonder if he’d happened to find the tallest tree in the forest, and after awhile he could barely remember a time when hadn’t been climbing. Just when he was convinced that the tree would go on forever, he noticed a dark figure, sitting far out on a limb. The moment he saw it, although it was just an indistinct shape, he recognized it as his mother. She’s come back, he thought, her travels are over and by some strange coincidence I’ve run into her here, in this tree, on the night of the horripilation. The smoke was too thick and he had to get closer to be certain, although he wasn’t sure the limb could handle his weight. Yes, he said to himself, it’s her -it even smells like her. She sat motionless and hadn’t acknowledged him. Maybe she can’t see me with all the smoke.
He noticed that she had a strange look on her face and there was something in her mouth, but he had to get closer to see what it was. He carefully moved himself farther and farther out on the branch. When some of the smoke cleared he could see what it was in her mouth -thousands of squirming grey maggots. His reaction caused a loud crack and he was falling and falling and falling.