Fina

Chapter Eleven Snowed Out

“So Fina, should I continue to call you Era?” Mazin asks me as we walk back to the village.

“Um…yah.” I nod. “I’ll probably have to tell everyone else eventually, but I’m not ready right now.”

“Okay.” Mazin agrees. It’s started to snow again as we are walking over a hill. Mazin starts rubbing his hands together, he looks really cold. His cheeks are bright pink, his hands red, he’s been shivering.

“Hey.” I stop and take his hands in mine. I release a little bit of warmth into them until his hands are nice and warm. He smiles as I do this.

“Thanks.” He whispered. The snow started to swirl around faster. My hair whipped around my head as a gust of chilly wind swept through. It was cold. I held my breath and the warmth fluttered back into my cheeks.

“We should hurry back. It looks like it’s about to get bad again.” Mazin looks concerned. I nod, this is getting scary. We can still see the little smoke pillar billowing up in the distance, but the more we walk the harder it is to see it. Um…I…I can’t see it anymore.

“Mazin…” I say with nervousness in my voice.

“I know.” He says, his voice like steel. I reach out my hand and grab his cold one. Almost immediately my hand begins to warm up his. We stop and look around for a minute. Yah…we can’t see anything. Anywhere. It’s all white.

“Mazin!” I say, my voice rising.

“Fina…I know.” He said gripping my hand tighter, his hand is starting to shake. Is he scared… or… oh no he’s still really cold. My heart starts to pump faster, my body warming up. I look to Mazin and see him shaking and trying pull his jacket tighter around him. He…can’t survive this cold. His lips are already losing color. That isn’t good….what should I do? I reach for him and wrap my arms around him. I try and send as much heat as I can into his body.

“You’re so cold.” I say with a trembling lip. “Don’t be cold…please don’t be cold.” I reach up and cup his face. I close my eyes and rest my head against his chest. Please warm up, please warm up, please.

“Fina.” He says. “You can let go, I’m warm now.”

“OH!” I jump away, I think I’m blushing. “Good.” I nod and take a step away, I can barely see ten feet through the snow behind us. “Le..Let’s go.” I turn back to start walking again.

“Um…yah.” He nods. We walk for another few minutes before stopping again.

“How? How are we suppose to find our way through this snow?” I say over the wind.

“I have no idea.” Mazin exasperatedly says. “Let’s go this way a little.” He starts walking alittle to the right. We go a little ways, but something feels wrong. I don’t know what feels wrong, but..something does. It feels off, um… less? I think we need to go back, I think. Um…

“Mazin. I think we should go the other way?” I say and grab his hand. I start going back the way we came.

“Why?” He asks.

“Just…I think…I don’t know but it doesn’t feel right going the other way. This…” I change direction a little. “Yah, this way feels right.” He just nods and goes along with what direction I’m going. The farther we go the more it feels right, it feels warmer. I…don’t really know…what? What’s? That ahead? I think…

“The hut!” Mazin says happily. Yes! There it is, we found it. Mazin and I run to the door through the snow. As we approach, Mazin practically pulling me by the hand, someone rips it open.