gravel roads with clubs to harvest the pheasants thatsat helplessly in the roadside ditches.

They ran across the slippery fields, unsure of their footing, the ice clinging to their skin as theymade their way toward the blurry lights of the house.

Hecovered two of the crouching pheasants with his coat, rounding the back of it over them like ashell.

the thin layer of ice splintering inflakes as he pulled his arms from the sleeves.

the pheasants looked like unborn birdsglazed in egg white.

The grassseeds looked like little yolks inside gelatin whites.

Their breath came out in slow puffs of steam

The boys went out into the freezing rain to find pheasants

Farmers moved theirlivestock into the barns, and most animals were safe. But not the pheasants.

Ice thickened on the windows until everything outside blurred.

brokelike glass.

Tree branches glistened like glass.

freezing rain