Beyond the Sun

29

Shuffling and waddling along with her arms wrapped around herself, Annie was certain she now knew the true meaning of freezing; she also liked to muse that she now knew how a penguin felt. Just waddling about aimlessly following another in front, not being able to see much because it was both too dangerous to look up in case her footing got misplaced, the harsh cold wind hurt her eyes, and if the wind didn't obscure her vision then the snowflakes did the job. She let out a quiet laugh, it got caught and Clark looked worriedly over his shoulder at her, he didn't need to know she may have referred to him as a penguin in her mind.

But in all fairness, he seemed to know exactly where he was going. His footing was sure and steady, unlike her unsteady shaky steps. At least one of them had a clue as to where they were going, because Annie was well and truly lost. She could panic and let her mind wander to all those disaster movies which involved avalanches, and remote snowy places, such as the Arctic, but decided that if she wanted to avoid having a panic attack, she'd divert from those thoughts. Her mind had a point though, what if something like that did happen? She'd be screwed! Well, maybe not as screwed as some other poor random person; she did however have Clark, and she was certain, more than certain actually that he would help her out, if by chance an avalanche happened.

What even set those off? Annie looked to the dark sky with a thoughtful expression. Despite not wishing to think over one of the worst natural disasters possible, she was anyway. The black blanket of the sky with its pinprick stars just looked back down at her. Giving another shiver, Annie's thoughts moved well and truly away from avalanches. She was freezing, so cold. Her thoughts could avoid this topic for only so long before it came crashing back down with harsh freezing winds and flurried snowflakes which got stuck in her eyelashes. On more than one occasion did she have to unwrap an arm from around herself and wipe at her eyes, only for more flakes to appear moments later. It was a repetitive situation, in the end she just gave up. She could just about see through the melting flakes.

Seeing as how they could walk side by side once the narrow corridor of icy, snowy ground they were walking on levelled smoothly out, Clark moved by her side. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close and rubbed his hand up and down her arm; as if trying to get some warmth back into her. It did work, slightly. She could feel the heat of his body through her many layers, but it still didn't solve the fact that no matter how tightly he held her right now, she was still bloody freezing. And here she thought it was cold back down in the base! She didn't believe she thought over this, but even that damned crate was warmer, with its rubbish portable heater.

There was nothing, absolutely nothing out here which could deter the wind from battering against and around them. At least the base had buildings and other structures to block the wind from fully howling through. Eyeing the glacier which was suddenly before them, Annie whistled. Though it was a shaky out of tune sound. The point of being impressed still came across. She had never seen something which was so massive, nature was truly a marvel with the things it could create. She probably would marvel at it more if she didn't suddenly feel like she was freezing to the spot.

Clark rubbed her arm gently one last time before moving away from her side. The tunnel was fine, but the way in was still blocked by one final layer of ice. He could've sworn he heard Annie mutter: "Shunned marshmallows for this," which he just rolled his eyes at. She was obsessed with him using his heat vision for that. But then she had also been obsessed with him flying, for how many years now?

"Clark?!"

He stopped and turned to look at her. "What is it?" He asked worriedly, she shifted from foot to foot as if trying to keep circulation flowing. She looked utterly frozen, despite of the protection of her coat, hat, scarf and the rest; her face was still nipped by the cold. Her cheeks and nose a rosy red and her eyes watering from the wind.