My boots crunch on top of the hard snow once more, as I return to my journey
Still aching from my recent wounds, but feeling more powerful than ever before
I keep my eyesight straight up ahead
I can almost see the peak
Which is not too far above me, its snowy cap awaiting my anticipated arrival

Shadows suddenly lurk aside and below, scattering around me slowly
They reveal themselves to be the demons from the abyss
All appearing with my face
But cracked, disfigured, and stuck in a terrifying glare
I try not to stare, as that is what they want
Without a word
They hover around and forcefully push me down the slope
All they crave is to use my
Fears
Anxieties
Worries
And weaknesses
Against me

Their brute force is a struggle against my still-weary bones
But my spirit and inner strength hold on
I grunt and push back, leaving them startled for a moment
They all shrug and push down farther this time, adding some snow into the mix
I stomp my boots onto the ground, resisting once again and take out my ice axe
The tension is intense in this match
As the demons and I stare at each other.

I grit my teeth and avoid blinking as I point my ice axe at each of them
Their broken and yellow teeth gleam, daring me to slip and fall
I remain standing as tall as I can
Raise my ice axe and plunge it into the mountain, signifying my persistence
They cackle a bit
Then their smiles fade as they form a black circle around me
Moving faster and faster
The wind, snow and ice begin to pummel at me
Creating more holes in my coat
And I start to lose my
Grip

Holding tight to the axe and the mountain
I pray for dear life that I do not fall back down to where I started
I have come too far and I refuse to turn back
I then hear a fierce roar that startles all of the demons
It is my own voice this time, echoing over the cackle of the wind
The demons appear a bit frightened, but do not budge an inch

I move myself forward a bit to tempt them
And they strike back with a whip of hail that streaks across my forehead
Causing blood to slowly drip down it
I stare at their taunting faces, inching myself up further.
They continue screeching nonsense at me
I put my earmuffs on to block out the horrible sound
And then spot a big block of solid snow next to me.

I move just above it
Drive my axe into the mass of ice water
And strike it downward
The force of it colliding with the demons
Propelling them down into the abyss
All I hear as I slowly take my earmuffs off are some high-pitched screams of defeat
And a loud thud from down below

I eagerly lift myself up over the very last ledge
And breathe a long sigh of relief
As I approach the peak