In This Life (n.h.)

ONE

As the sky melted like honey, chased to the horizon by a blanket of deep violet, the street lights lit up along the street. Ingrid stumbled through the layer of snow covering the ground as she walked. Pinpricks of cold infiltrated the soles of her worn combat boots. The wind blew angrily and she winced at the icy air. "I should be curled up at home, in my warm bed," she thought, but then quickly remembered her reason for leaving the house. The frozen air motivated her to walk faster and she arrived at her destination. 

Slowly, she walked along the row of named stones in the ground. She stopped at a familiar grave and knelt down in front of it, ignoring the wet snow beneath her which soaked her pants from the knee to ankle. She ran her frail hand along the cold, grey stone. Her hand trembled as her fingers traced the name. The memories came flooding back and a lump appeared in her throat. She took a wilted rose from her pocket, and placed it on the grave.

"I miss you every day," her shaky voice spoke and her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry that I'm not who I was. I can't do this without you,"

Every day she tried to understand why this had happened. Six months ago, her life was the most perfect it had ever been. Six months ago, she learned how quickly life can change. One moment you're happy and whole, surrounded by peace and warmth in the laughter of loved ones. The next moment, you're kneeling over a grave, in the dead of winter, fighting the pain of loss. 

Ingrid rose and staggered away from the grave. With tears flooding her hazy eyes, her world became blurry. She tripped over another gravestone and twisted her ankle, causing her to fall hard on the ground. Pain erupted from her ankle and side. She was weak and her only remaining energy was being spent shivering in the snow. "Get up," her mind told her, but she couldn't find the physical or mental strength to do so. 

The gentle, falling snow was forgiving. Snowflakes covered Ingrid's body, bringing her into the cold earth and making her a part of it. The winter seemed to say, "Hush now. You are alright. The angels of snow will take you in and bring you peace,". Her small body trembled underneath the ever-thickening silver blanket that lay across her. She stayed on the ground until she was fully numb, engulfed by the frigid night. The world became dark all around her.

The events of the following moment were a blur to Ingrid as she was not conscious enough to even differentiate between the falling products of winter and her own body. When she lay there on the frozen sheet of snow, something approached her. It surrounded her with warmth, rescuing her from the dead, winter ground. Her limp body was raised by a pair of strong arms and she was saved from the dark night as the stranger carried her away from that place. 

A/N

Dear reader,

Thank you for giving this story a chance by reading the first chapter. It means a lot and I'm very excited to be writing again.

I originally began writing this story and published it in 2013, so I'm currently revamping it and trying to improve the writing 7 years later... it truly is a process. I remember the connection I had to Ingrid's character while writing this so long ago, so I'm looking forward to writing about her experiences again and I hope you enjoy it.

Please let me know what you think by commenting or voting! I appreciate all and any feedback. And follow me for a follow back hehe! Thank you, lovely and beautiful person reading this.

Sincerely,
lavenjhder