Levels

Ice

It was freezing cold. The icy wind was blowing through the blistering air. Thick snowflakes were rushing at the ground, stinging Allessa and Dayls skin as they got thrown into the fourth Level. Cloudy mist was hanging low in the air all around them, covering every outline in their vision, so they could hardly see each other, though standing only a few feet apart. Snow was layered on the ground, reaching all the way up to their knees. The cold snow, immediately melted around their legs skin, drenching their clothes in cold water.

Dayl had to bite his teeth not clatter them together, because he was already quivering all over his body.

"Let's go find some shelter, I expected something like this might happen." Allessa stuttered.

"What do you mean?" Dayl asked, thick clouds of warm breath rising from his mouth.

"You'll see, move."

Allessa trudged through the heavy snow, closely followed by Dayl, so they wouldn't lose each other through the impenetrable fog. Her hand was stretched forward to feel if there was something in front of her.

The wind still blasting snow in their faces, making Allessas hair flutter. Step by step, they made their way through the white surface covering the ground.

In the far, something, what looked like a little house, revealed its outlines through the snowy sight, covered in white. Allessa moved faster towards the building.

Suddenly, she tripped over. Falling to the front, she looked down a cliff, the ground 20 yards beneath her. She closed her eyes, ready to fall and land painful on her back. Even if the ground below her was covered with snow, it wouldn't soften her encounter with the ground for much.

She opened her eyes again, she was still standing above, balancing with one foot at the edge, while something was clutching at her t-shirt from behind.

It was Dayl. The piece of her clothing tightly clutched between his fingers. He stepped back and pulled her towards him.

Allessa was standing safe on both of her feet again, her face pale white in shock, though it could have also been because of the cold air.

Dayl sighed. "That was close." His voice sounded worried and relived at the same time.

"Thank, you-- again." Allessa looked at him, embarrassed that she endangered herself in such a reckless way.

"Don't mention it, just be more careful from now on." Dayl looked deeply in her brown eyes. She looked back in his and could clearly see that he was worried about her.

Something was obviously different from how they used to before Level 2, something had changed, but she could grab a hold of it.

"I will. Promise." She said with a low voice. And at that moment, she felt like a little girl being lectured by her caring parents. Dayl seemed more protective than usual to her and somehow she enjoyed his undivided attention.

They moved along the edge of the cliff, searching for something to pass it, a way to the little house across.

Dayls hands were already frozen and he could hardly move his legs. The only good thing was the cold metal from his support device on his wound, numbing the pain and cooling it off.

Finally, they found a way. A little fragile bridge made of wood leaded across the deep cliff below. The side strings holding the bridge were frozen and stiff, very likely to break apart.

"Should we dare to cross it?" Allessa asked, looking worried.

"Seems like we are out of option, aren't we? We can hardly look for something else, given the circumstances. It's a miracle that we managed to spot anything in this mist."

"Guess you're right."

Carefully, Dayl placed step after step on the bridge, until he arrived at the middle of frail lumber path.

"It's okay, you can come over!" Dayl screamed over the thick clouds as he reached the other side.

Allessa made her way through the heavy snow, covering the wooden blanks below her feet.

The last couple of steps, Dayl already stretched out his hand, to catch her if she tripped. Allessa took his hand and Dayl pulled her to him. The bridge was still hanging lover over the deep cliff.

Dayls whole body felt frozen and hurt from the frost bite that was coming closer every minute they stayed out side in the blistering cold.

They headed into to the direction of the small house, they had seen minutes earlier. As the outlines of building came in sight, they realized that a light was pushing its way through one of the windows in front of them.

The upper part of a door glanced through the snow placed in front of it. They pushed the snow away, fingers still aching from the freezing air.

Dayl aimed at the entrance through the scope of his gun, he grasped from his back in a matter of seconds, a moment before Allessa pushed the wooden door open. He stormed into the room, scrutinizing his right, his left and above, while glaring through the vision of his rifle. Allessa walked in after him and pushed the door shut behind them.

"Seems like no one's here." Dayl stated while looking around, not realizing Allessa behind him.

Allessa remained silent.

Dayl came to a halt.

He turned around and startled. His eyes widened. His pulse at 180 in split seconds.

Someone was standing behind Allessa, holding a huge bowie knife to her throat and his second arm clutched tight around her waist. Revealing himself from the shadows after door he had been hiding behind few moments before, which had already closed.

Allessa kept calm, holding her breath, feeling the vein beneath her skin beating against the thin metal of the blade resting on her under her chin.

"Next time, better look behind the door." A deep voice hollowed through the suddenly dead silent atmosphere.

Dayl lowered his gun to the ground and threw his hands up in the air in a defeated manner.