Drea

Chapter twelve: Funeral

A fierce gust of icy wind whips ice and snow against my cheeks and into my eyes.
My nose is red and sore from the constant coarse rub of my sleeve and my lips are chapped and dry.
I can see the dark shadow of Mt Fleet in the distance. It's actually more of a really big hill than a mountain, but what does it really matter in the grand scheme of things.
I glance up at the sky and shake my head in confusion.
The weather was so beautiful when Thane woke me this morning.
It was only about an hour ago that monstrous dark clouds and giant snow flakes started rolling in from the east.
I gnaw nervously on my chapped lip before yelling at Thane, lagging a few steps behind me, "It's gonna blizzard."
His head bobs up and down in a jerky nod.
I stop and stare as I wait for him to catch up.
His lips tremble with cold and they're tinged a purple, pink colour. His nose runs like a fountain connected to the ocean.
The dark curls poking out of his beanie are stiff with cold, with an array of different sized snow flakes caught amongst them.
Frankly, he looks like he's on the verge of hypothermia.
"We should stop, you're freezing."
"I'm f-f-fine." He stutters barely over a whisper "let's k-keep g-going."
"We're stopping!"
He wrinkles his nose to fight off a sneeze, "Let's k-keep g-going."
I sigh in frustration "Fine! But don't blame me when your wet clothes give you frost bite. I offered to stop. "

Earlier in the day, only a few minutes after we had set off toward Mt Fleet, we came to a small creek.
I wasn't expecting it at all, I had no idea there was a stream anywhere around this area.
I was completely baffled but I got across fine by hopping from rock to rock to the other side.
Thane on the other hand, being his usual clumsy self, slipped on the first rock.
As a result he's now soaked from his chest to his toes.
I wasn't worried at first, the weather was so nice, so I had no reason to.
I'm starting to worry now.

It's barely two o'clock in the afternoon but I can barely see Thane, again only lagging a few steps behind me.
The wind whips little bits of escaped hair back and forth and blows my hood off my head.
"I think we really should stop Thane. The winds picking up."
"We need to k-keep going." his voice yells weak and cracked. "W-w-e need to get to Fleet before the su-n-n goes down or we won't have enough water for the rest of our t-t-trip."
I can hear the fatigue in his voice, but I don't argue with him.
I know he's right. We've barely got a litre of water between us and we both know sucking on mouthfuls of snow wont sustain our bodies for long.
Thane's hacking coughs ring out into the blizzard and a tidal wave of guilt crashes over me.
I know I should put my foot down and tell him we've got to stop, but what choice do I have?
It's either walk the five hours to Fleet or stay here and risk running out of water.

The whole day Cyan and I sat side by side next to my mom and sister as people came and went, never staying longer than a few minutes.
Cyan tried many times to lure my father from his den, using a different technique each time. One technique being, the delicious smell of food that people had brung over and left in out kitchen, another being a mug of the long black coffee he drinks every morning, another being the threat of throwing out all of his best fish hooks, last but not least the temptation to come hold his child and see his wife's face for the last time.
None worked and I think the last one just made him worse.

Woman in black, bland dresses and men in dull grey slacks, flitted in and out of the house, leaving behind casseroles and words of encouragement.
They would comment on how at peace my mother looked and how beautiful my sister would have been.
I nodded and thanked them politely, but I didn't agree with them at all.
My mother didn't look at peace, she looked sad.
Sad that she never even got to hold her baby in life, sad that she never got to say goodbye to her other two children and sad that she didn't get to give her loving husband one last departing kiss.
She looked like she did when Cyan used to come home with black eyes and split lips.
Dissapointed.
They were right about one thing at least. My sister is so very beautiful.
A soft dusting of yellow hair, long blonde lashes and full red lips.
Nestled in my mothers arms, eyes closed and clad in baby pink clothes with a picture of Winnie the Pooh and tigger holding hands on her shirt.
A tear rolled down my cheek, the first of many to come.

I'm snapped out of my depressing thoughts when the toe of my boot catches on a tree root hidden in snow.
A small yelp escapes my lips as I trip into the snow.
My knees hit solid snow, so solid it almost feels like concrete.
Bruises, great! Just what I need.
I sit and wait for Thane's hands to lift me up like usual.
Ten seconds turns into twenty and twenty turns into thirty.
I stand on my own and rotate in a full circle before stopping and staring at the spot Thane should be.
Dark forest, snow and one set of footprints.
Mine.
"Thane." I call out tentatively.
Snow swirls all around me in little tornados, making me dizzy.
"Thane!" This time urgency is clear in my voice.
I walk forward, following my footprints that have already started to fill up with snow.
"Thane!" My voice sounds like a whisper compared to the roar of the wind.
I run, trying to follow my readily fading footprints.
"Thane! Where are you!?"