ice and sun- a teaser The stars spin up ahead, endless, forever. The glow of firelight reaches high, stretching towards the specks of light. But it cannot reach. It will never reach, and neither will I. Nothing of this earth will ever reach those distant stars, twinkling amongst the folds of deepest blue, like velvet, defining each and every one of them. It is one of the few things that are certain on this lonely planet- the stars are unreachable, the deepest ocean is a mystery, and life will go on regardless. I take a deep breath, savouring the sweet, icy air, feeling it sting my eyes and mouth. Winter is not a safe time for travel, the sudden snowstorms and treacherous lakes promising a deadly cold, but I don’t care. The cold is my friend, the one place I can be alone. No one ever follows me when the urge becomes too strong, too afraid of the icy winds and drifting snow, leaving me perfectly free to be myself. Sometimes I am gone for weeks at a time, wandering the twilight days, lost. Other times I leave for only a day or two before returning to the orphanage, like nothing happened at all. This night marks five weeks, nothing but kindling and a fishing rod. For the first time, I don’t feel the need to return. And so when light breaks again, the stars blinking out one by one, I leave everything behind and simply walk, letting the wind guide me, like a leaf from a tree. It’s warm, dry, and safe in here. A fire crackles softly, warming the room as I write, pen swishing across the paper. The flickering fire paints the walls in red and gold, shadows falling here and there as it twists and turns. It’s not enough. I can’t see the light, the life that hibernates outside. It’s covered, buried under ten feet of snow, the cold stars arching above it. They aren’t my stars anymore. My stars are warm, twinkling merrily, and my sky is a dusky orange-blue. I sigh, turning back to my writing. Something wasn’t right, the hues too vivid and alive to be real. Something was hidden, lurking beneath the flower-decked beauty. Something was watching, waiting, sizing me up like a tender morsel to eat. And the worst part was that I had no way to esca- My head jerks upwards, a flicker of movement ripping me out of my story and splattering ink all over the page. I growl, angry. But then I see it. And all I can do is stare, dumbfounded at the sight before me. A boy, tousled hair laced with ice, is walking past my window, head down and eyes covered by his drooping fringe. His slow, slurred steps make him appear to be in a trance, and the flurry of motion I caught had been a stumble. I can only make out any of his features because he’s so close to the window, and from his icy lips, he’s on the brink of death. He stumbles again, breaking me out of my stunned reverie. Frantically spinning around and knocking my chair over, I bolt through the open door and out into the hallways. Sprinting full-tilt towards the back door, I force it open against the wind just in time to see him stumble again. Forcing myself just a little bit faster, just a little, I reach him just in time to catch him as he sways again, falling forwards with a sigh. Then it’s all over. ~ hope you enjoyed! ~
