Chasing Memories

[29] Creeping

    "...a lot of you have been phoning in asking about this bizarre cold snap. Well, it's bad news, I'm afraid. It might have popped up out of nowhere, but it doesn't look like it's going anywhere any time soon..."

    A gust of deathly wind blew through the SUV, rattling the loose window frames and drowning out the radio's words. Shivering in her seat, Elise wondered if she should have pulled out something more substantial than the burgundy hoodie that clung to her chilled frame. The snow had slowed to little more than a gentle dusting, yet the car passed by deep puddles of frozen water that testified to the cold's ever-growing potency.

    "...so don't forget to unstick your wipers in the mornings! And if you've got any salt and sand lying around –"

    "Are they still talking about the stupid weather?" Cadence cursed under her breath and punched the radio's power switch, banishing the presenter's warm persona into the dark night. "So it's hella cold. Big deal. Get a grip, put a coat on, and shut the fuck up already."

    "I don't know. Aren't you even a little freaked out?" Elise asked, following the progress of a flock of geese across the sky. The faint moonlight broke through the heavy cloud to drip over their wings, and the silver glow reminded Elise that it was far too late for so many birds to be trying to migrate. "To go from cosy autumn rain to living in a giant freezer is wild. Even the animals didn't see this coming, apparently."

    Weaving the car towards the sprawling university campus, Cadence stuck her arm out of her window and shuddered. "Maybe Mama Earth's finally sick of our shit. It's about time," she said as she landed the car across three parking spaces in the university carpark. "Better hope they left the heating on inside, right?"

    Though she had pulled late, long study sessions in the library, Elise had never arrived at the university so deep into the night. Behind the pale light of the exterior lamps, the heart of the humanities faculty building lay bound in shadow through the yawning windows, shorn of the comfort of recognisable features. Even the carpark asphalt felt foreign as Elise splashed into the void that pooled around the car's tyres. "How are we even going to get in?" she asked, closing the door with a slow, distracted push. "Is there some way to climb up around the other side? You know, I think one of the changing room windows might be loose..."

    "Those ideas might work," Cadence said with a sharp smirk on her face, puffs of amusement trailing from her nostrils. "But I was thinking we could, you know, try the front door first."

    "Are you joking?" The surprise left Elise stranded by the car as Cadence swaggered towards the main entrance. Wresting control of her legs from her shock, Elise scurried to stumble into her friend's line of sight. "There's no way they just leave the building unlocked at this time, Cade."

    Cadence gave out a coy smile and shrugged, then passed Elise's side to reach the main door to the faculty building. With her back to the entrance, Cadence took hold of the handle, pushed it down, and swung the door open into the university's inky interior. "Chill out, killer. You're running with a fully licenced scoundrel now," she said as she awaited her friend's reaction. "Listen to me, and you'll be golden, alright?"

    Bathing in the cloudy breaths that flowed from her friend's face, Elise chased her doubts to the margins of her mind. She nodded her confidence to Cadence and, with a shaking step, followed her friend into the dark corridor.

    The other side of the door held nothing. Elise felt for the firm, lifeless wall at her side, only for the vibrant warmth of Cadence's side to greet her touch. "Still here," her friend said, pushing Elise's hand away with a teasing chuckle. "Looks like the lights are done for the day. Mind busting out your torch? My phone's light sucks."