Winter's Bone. I'd seen the movie and really liked the atmosphere. Followed up by purchasing the book and while I was reading the book, I knew I'd have to touch base with a character and similar atmosphere, but from a weird, horror-infused point of view.
Hence, "Ring Finger."
Looks like this was originally published at least a decade ago. I think it holds up quite well.
Here's a taste of the opening sequence. The whole tale is less than 2000 words, so give yourself a break and spend some time with Cammie and what she needs to do to survive. There's the link to the SQ Mag page where it was originally published HERE!
But first, your teaser:
***
Cammie sucked hard on the rolled cigarette, the smoke threatening to warm her frigid innards, but failing.
The sky was bright and white and vast—infinite—though charcoal curled the distant edges.
Winter came and owned their souls. Took root in the marrow. Froze their dreams like Arctic lakes that never thawed.
Ragged threads scratched spider-like at her fingertips, the home-made fingerless gloves meant to deter calluses on the palms, but the grip of flesh, of strong fingers, was deemed necessary to swing the axe.
White smoke plumed past chapped lips. Blood filled the creases, polished her cheeks, threatening to warm her again but, as always, failing.
Warmth was an illusion. An empty belly grown walnut-tight made that clear. Life here was all about survival, nothing more. Happiness, hope…all part of another’s existence. Not those who existed here. Claiming they were alive was an insult to the word.
Cammie sucked until the bead grew brilliant red, then dead black. She flicked the corpse to the snow.
She had work to do.
Setting her hand on the axe handle, it vibrated at the intrusion as the man in the colorful skins made of strange materiel—Cammie could not imagine the animal that had once worn them--made a noise akin to a punctured tire or, more so, a tire trying to re-inflate itself.
***
That's all you get here, just click on the link HERE to continue.
BONUS: at the bottom of the page, after the story, I noticed the link for the other tale I had published in that magazine, "It's Only Going To End Badly." Fun stuff, completely different. Rather psychologically messed up, when you get to the end. Here's the LINK for that one.
And remember, you can purchase my Weird Horror Collection, Autumn in the Abyss Redux by clicking on the highlighted title. It is a massive reissue collection, 25 tales, 135,000 words, give or take a few.
Aaaaand here's a photo to kind of go with the mood of "Ring Finger." Yes, an ax, blood, pertinent stuff within the tale.
