PICTURE PROMPT: Beyond Ice & Snow

Dan wished he could think of a stronger word. The word cold just seemed so small to describe the bone-deep ache he felt from the icy blast of wind whipping across his face. Feeling had left his extremities long ago and only the desire to live kept him dragging one foot in front of the other through the deep drifts of snow. He could barely make out the entrance to the temple just ahead of him. 

Sanctuary.

The elders of the village told the legend of this place like it was heaven on earth. The end to all the misery one could find in this world and a chance at a new start in the next. It's what drove Dan to travel half way around the globe in search of this place. Weeks of hacking through jungle and now almost buried in snow. Nothing was going to stop him from reaching that door now. Not even the fact his guide succumbed to the cold last night. One final mumbled warning about some kind of price to pay for sitting at the feet of the gods and he was gone.

Dan had no idea what the guide was talking about but it didn't matter now. He finally reached the corridor leading to the temple door and peace waited for him on the other side. It took him three tries but he summoned the strength to bang on the door before slumping to the ground in exhaustion.

Warmth and light  raced out into the bitter cold as the door slowly creaked open. This is it, thought Dan, as he looked up into the face of his rescuer. The last thing he heard was the echoes of his screams as the creature reached out bloody claws towards him...