“You can’t make me leave. I don’t want to go!”
“Violet, I know you’re scared. I know don’t want to, but you have to take the twin and go!”
Tears pushed out from my eyes and rolled down my winter-bitten cheeks as I nodded in defeat. She adjusted her infant harness around my eight year old frame and slipped Jeffrey into the front; strapping him in. She gently handed me Jessy, her seven month old frame wrapped in blankets.
“Run fast; but be gentle with them.” She unhooked the necklace she was wearing, very delicately hooked it around my neck; tucking it under my shirt.
“We’ll always be with you; no matter what.” With a brave face I turned; trying not to look at the scene playing behind me.
I ran through the snow; I was small myself and it came up to my waist. The uphill trek was hard, the twins at one point started to scream. I didn’t doubt it was a mixture of coldness and instinctual longing for their mother.
“Shhh, it’s gonna be okay.” I cooed to them, as I pushed harder through the snow.
The noise from behind me grew a little more distant every minute I forced my way through the barricade of snow. A growl came from my left, and in a split second it pounced. Its front paws ripped Jessy from my hold and its back claws ripped painfully through the right half of my face.
“Jessy!” I was seeing red, but the priority was far from me.
I ran towards the black fur amidst the white and watched painfully as it shook its head furiously. Jessy had been locked tight in his jaws and the motion tore her small frame to shreds; spraying blood and cutting her small screams off permanently.
Jeffry was screaming, and I hushed and cooed him as I stumbled backwards from the wolf. Though he was secure to my chest I still wrapped my arms around his front and ran as fast as I could.
I could hear the wolf growl, running after me through the snow; determined to get Jeffrey and I. I picked up speed, but against this wolf it was no use. He pounced at me, his claws digging into my back and ripping the harness. I went rolling, and Jeffrey was detached from me, no matter how hard I tried to stay with him.
The pain in my eye and back were large, and it was a strain to ease onto my knees.
“Jeffrey!” I called for him, desperate as the wolf panted above him.
Blood dripped down from his muzzle and I collapsed onto my hands. Spasms ran through my back as the wounds were kissed with falling snowflakes. Jeffrey’s little hands wiggled in the air just under it’s muzzle. Tears rolled furiously down my face as it puffed a breath in his face, and took him in his jaws.
I didn’t have the energy to scream; I could hear the bones cracking as Jeffrey stopped screaming and blood sprayed across the snow like Jessie’s had. Soundless sobs sunk me into the snow, and hid me from the wolf.
Ten minutes had passed and when I looked up into the snow-sheathed night nothing but blood was my companion. I wanted to die; I wanted to be taken with my family into the heavens and watch the twin’s soul grow into the amazing people they would have become. But I made my way through the snow sluggishly and painfully.
I crawled my way through the endless white, feathers from my jacket trailed behind me as the red wall from my right vision turned to black. That night I passed out not a quarter mile from the hospital. Seconds before I passed out, I raised my hand to my left cheek.
When I pulled away blood was coating my palm; too far from the wound on my eye I knew it wasn’t my blood. It was Jeffry’s.
