Cold

Chapter Six

People think they know me. They think that I'm the villain. They have given me a name that resembles what I look like, not what I am. They don't know me. They make their opinions of me based off of poor judgment, stories they have heard, or just judging a book by it's cover. No one spends time getting to know me. If they did, they'd realize that I'm doing this for their safety. For revenge on my people. I do this for my children, so they can have the future they deserve. If everyone just listened to my reasoning, I might actually make some friends. It could lift the curse. I could find salvation. The only problem is, with all the rumors spreading about, no one wants to go anywhere near me. They think it's better if they don't make contact. If they don't enter my caves, if they don't listen to my voice, they are saved. But that's wrong. I have been known as the villain who lured the poor young girl into my caves, forcing her to doom everyone. But the truth is, I didn't. I am not who you think I am. I am not the person who made her do that. There is someone else. Someone much more powerful. Someone who put this curse on me. Someone who hates children, who keeps taking over my mind, attacking my weaknesses, forcing me to do this. It doesn't make sense now, and it probably won't ever make sense. But listen to me when I say, DON'T TRUST THE COLD. Not anyone in it, not her, not me. Trust anyone, and it takes you.

Living here is only the beginning. They wait until you break. Until you beg to be taken to me. Beg to be taken over by the cold. Begging for death is strange. Almost as stupid as.......well anything really. Death is inevitable and unavoidable. Everyone dies. When, is what you should be worried about. Not how. Not why. Just when.

Life or death? That is the question you have to answer in order to pass. You see, the winner of the cold has to answer that question. Nobody has won in hundreds of years, so they don't mention the question when they take you. The winners used to say 'Death is scary, life is plentiful. I choose life.' But everyone said the same thing. So we eventually had to change the question. The new question is:

Death is the end, life is the beginning. That is the truth and the way we were taught. But what if I told you that death was the beginning of a new life, and life was the end of death. Which one would you choose? Would you choose death and see what life awaits? Maybe the afterlife? Or would you choose life, and wait until death? But then I would have to ask you what is truely the end? Life, or death? Maybe life leads you to the end, which is death. Or maybe death is your goal, so you can live and feel truely alive. But both death and life has drawbacks. Life is full of pain, death is well, death. No one truely knows what's at the beginning or the end. So the question should be:

Do you want to begin? Or do you want to end?

***

I found out that Ariel shot her brother because she was forced to. The masked men took her father and one of her brother's away and said they would take someone else if she didn't shoot someone. I also found out that the masked men are taking children and training them, eventually forcing them all to kill the towns' people if they don't join them. This world is cruel. I want to stop it but my leg is still broken. Ariel said I might not get to use my leg properly again, since their medicine is not exactly modern or state of the art. If I was back home, I would be running right now. Not sitting on a couch. But I guess it can't be helped.

Summer.

I walked over to John, hoping to start a conversation and apologise for what I said. Maybe get him to listen to Ariel's apology too.

Don't trust them.

"John!!" I called. He looked at me.

"What?!?" he said with that tone that sounds like he was busy. He just doesn't want to talk.

Summer listen to me.

"I have to say sorry for what I said. I didn't know the whole story and it wasn't in my place to blame people. So I am truely sorry" I said.

Summer. I need your help.

"I guess maybe I was out of line too" he admitted.

"Maybe can Ariel have the chance to say sorry too?!?" I asked. He gave me a look. I knew I was tredding into shark infested waters with that question, and it's not in my place to fix this, especially since it's not my family. But they deserve each other.

Summer. Please. Listen. I need your help. Please.

"If she meant it, I would except. But she says sorry every time she sees me. Not literally, just with her eyes. I know it wasn't her fault, but she's got to stop being sorry. Makes me feel like a bad brother" he explained as he walked off.

Summer. If you here me, walk over to the river. I have to talk to you. I need your help. You must listen to me.

I started walking around the village, talking to strangers, learning new facts about the mountain, new facts about their people and the masked men. I soon got to the river, and sat down in the grass.

I knew it. Even if you aren't listening, you still pay attention. Good. Together we can stop her. Together, we can find peace. You will be with your brother soon enough. But right now, our main goal is to get you to safety. If Ariel follows you, let her. She may be of importance later. Look at the water.

The water started moving. The waves looked like arrows. I followed them.

Yes. Now we will be free. Our hero is born within you. We will solve this mystery. We will be united once again.