Chapter 39: Rely On Me

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December 2018

On a cozy winter evening, two little kids were outside—bundled up in layers of warm clothing. The crisp air was filled with their joyful shouts as they chased each other around the big old oak tree, their cheeks flushed from the cold.

"Gotcha!" the little boy exclaimed triumphantly, tagging the little girl on the shoulder.

Spinning around to face him, the little girl protested, "No fair! You cheated!" sticking her tongue out at him.

"Nuh-uh! You're just too slow! You just don't want that sugarcane, do you?!" the boy with black haired bob cut teased back, a wide grin on his face.

The revenge determination in the girl's eyes signals the continuation of their game—until a single drop of snow begins to fall from the sky. The boy was the first to notice, his eyes widening in wonder as the delicate snowflake drifted down and landed on his nose. He blinked in surprise, then looked up—watching more snowflakes slowly descend.

"Emily—look!" he called out, pointing to the sky.

Little you stopped in your tracks, tilting your head back to watch the snowflakes dance in the air. "It's snowing!" you exclaimed, voice filled with awe.

But as the snow started to fall more steadily, he saw you shiver slightly—your coat not quite warm enough for the unexpected chill. You shake your head, but suddenly.. you feel the rain stop. And when you look above.. you find a little hand above your head, shielding you from the snowflakes.

"There," he said with a grin, his voice softening as he gently rested his hands on your little head, covering you with his own warmth.


"I don't want you to get too cold."

"Ty, wanna join me outside?"

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"Ty, wanna join me outside?"

Tyler stirs from his sleep as your soft voice pulls him from his dreams. After finally coaxing you to eat the porridge he brought, both of you had fallen into an exhausted sleep. But still, you couldn't find peace. And waking up in the middle of the night, makes you feel an inexplicable need to breathe the cold night air.

Blinking sleepily, Tyler checks his phone—squinting at the screen to see that it's two o'clock in the morning. Despite the odd hour, he moans softly as he stretches his body, shaking off the remnants of sleep. "Okay," he smiles.

"We should gear up, really cold out there now," you suggest eagerly, a hint of sudden excitement in your voice. Probably just a sign how you've descended into madness.

Tyler nods—still half-asleep, and sits on the edge of the bed facing the window. "I'll be back in a moment. Need to take them from my room," he announces, preparing to get up. But you're not responding, rubbing his eyes, he turns to look at you—to see you stand there, eyes brimming with tears—his eyes automatically widen.

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