Cold

Chapter Nine

I just found out that Alowronia is a few days' walk from where we are now. I also just found out that this guy is crazy. He keeps talking to himself. I'm almost tempted to run away.

"The horse is loaded. We leave in 10 minutes. I'll just assume you can walk properly." he said. Rude. I kept thinking about that lone orange flower, and the events that followed. During those events, I felt alive. Free, even. And now, it's almost as if I'm the lone flower. In a world of people I don't know, with my friends just out of reach. Not to mention my brother helping the enemy.

"Actually, we leave now. Do you have everything?" he asked. He gave me a backpack and a coat and crutches earlier. I am ready.

"I think so" I said.

"Great. Grab your crutches and let's go" he said with a little attitude. I grabbed my crutches and we were on our way.

***

An orange flower. That's all I thought about as we walked to Alowronia. And when we got there, I thought of the drawings in the cave. So life like, so real. Yet only a dream.

"We are here" he said as we stopped at a large building filled with windows.

"Where, exactly, is here?!?" I asked. He looked at me like I was stupid. Then he started smirking.

"What?" I asked, a little cautious. He took my crutches and ran in. I tried following, but a sharp pain climbed my leg, almost forcing me to fall to the ground.

"Jerk" I whispered as I opened the door and used the walls as a guide. People right and left were staring at me. I guess they've never seen anyone like me before.

"There she is" the guy said as he came up to me with another man. He wore a lab coat and smelled like a hospital.

"Who's this?" I asked.

"Oh, don't tell me you never mentioned me, Seth....?" asked the guy in the lab coat. Seth...... such a nice name. Why didn't he want me to know what it was?

"Summer, this is Hiram" said Seth. "He will heal your leg." Frankly, I don't even remember giving Seth my name. But, it doesn't matter. He introduced me to a doctor that can heal my leg.

"Fascinating. Absolutely fantastic. I have never seen anyone in your condition before" said Hiram.

"Like me........?" I asked.

"Oh, I treat many patients. Just never broken limbs dowsed in poison before" Hiram said. I gave him a look and he said, "You didn't know? I'm suprised you have survived this long."

"That's my fault" said Seth. Fault? What does he mean by that?

"Well let's get started then" said Hiram. He grabbed my hands and led me to a room in the back where I almost immediately passed out.

***

Flowers, everywhere. I am being yelled at to pick one. In a field of pink, purple, and blue, I am looking for an orange.

"Summer." I can hear Seth calling my name. It occurred to me that I was actually in a dream this whole time. I opened my eyes and saw that I was laying down in a bed with Seth looking down at me.

"What happened?" I asked. I looked around, and Hiram was nowhere to be seen.

"Hiram ran after looking at your leg. He made it movable, but you will be in a lot of pain" said Seth.

"Well what'd he do that for?!?" I asked, really mad. I tried getting up, but the best I could do was sit up, because I was tremendously tired. My leg hurt more than ever.

"He said he needed to go before she found him for helping. He did remove the poison, though" he said.

"Wait.....why would she get mad at him? I thought the mountain did that to me" I said. By the way Seth looked at me, his face told me that I knew something that I wasn't supposed to know.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Seth interrupted saying, "How did you know that?!? You weren't supposed to know that!!!"

"I don't know!!! It just popped in my head!!!" I shouted back. Seth looked at me with disbelief.

"Why did you think about it?!?" he yelled.

"I don't know. I just thought about her trials and the flower and -"

"HOW DID YOU KNOW THEY WERE TRIALS?!?"

"I don't know" I said as calm as possible. I was holding back tears. The last time someone yelled at me, I freaked out, and more than one person got hurt. I don't want to do that again.

"You don't know. Great. Just what we need. You have no idea what you're talking about, yet you know exactly what happened. Makes no sense" said Seth. "Well I guess now you're expecting me to help you find your friends. But after that, no way."

"What's so bad about knowing what I'm not supposed to?" I asked.

"You're kidding me, right?!?" Seth asked. He looked at me like I was stupid.

"Think about it. None of my friends know what happened, or that I know what happened. I bet she has no idea either. The only people that know what I know are you and the mountain. 2 out of what......thousands? I think that makes my mind pretty safe. And it's not like the mountain can communicate other than telepathically" I explained with confidence. Even though my words had confidence to back them up, I was actually really terrified.

"I guess that's true. Now sleep. We leave at sundown. It's better to pull an all-nighter if you get lots of sleep before hand" said Seth. He left the room. I was alone. All I kept thinking about was how that orange flower must've been alone, no one with it's beautiful colour. And whoever drew that picture in the cave. They must've been alone too. It's funny what you do when you're alone. I start thinking. Thinking about life, love, friendship, anything really. For me, my mind - thinking, imagination - is my escape. I use my head. I think instead of speak. Sometimes it's just easier to think about what you want to say rather than saying it. Like for instance: I want to tell Seth about my brother, but I'm worried he will think I'm the same and refuse to help me. I guess I'm over reacting. I also want to tell someone about my dreams - or trials, I guess. They seem so real. They seem so........me.

***

What is your plan?

"I can't tell you. It's a secret"

Just remember, she's mine. I saw her first, therefore she helps me first. After all, how else am I supposed to find a host and end this curse?

"And the truth comes out. You want her as your host!!! I knew being her friend was an act."

Now don't tell me you care for her.

"What happened to me won't happen to her. I won't let it. She deserves her life. She doesn't deserve to be trapped in her head while you try and become her mind."

Oh, Seth. If only you knew. My help can grant her things she has always desired. I need to use her to be normal. To be human again. I promised her she can have her friends back. If Summer helps me take her down, than we both can have what we want. And if you help -

"No. You are not looping me into this!!! I want out. As soon as Summer gets her friends back, I am getting her out of here."

Without your sister?!? I can get her back if you help. Just say yes, and she's yours.

"Where is she?!?"

Ah. Go through with the plan, and your sister will be returned to you. If I find out that you have a secret plan to avoid me, and escape, I will kill her, and everyone you love. The Cold will be once more chaotic. All because of you, if you disobey me. So, do we have a deal?