Broken Memories

two: frozen

It's starts off one Sense at a time.

The shiver that runs through me at the touch of winter's cold fingers. The wool sweater that worked hard to keep the heat close to my chest. The snot that seemed to freeze against my face, and the snow that had seeped into my gloves.

Then the smell of pine and the crisp wind. The way the laundry detergent had a hint of lavender to it, and how it reminded me of home.

All at once, color bloomed before me like watercolor rushing across a canvas. The vast, white hills dotted with enormous evergreens and cabins. My breath condensing as I chase after... someone? The landscape rushing past me. Flakes of snow falling into rich, dark, hair. The red, wind-whipped cheeks of a face that spread warmth through my core.

The first shrill of laughter, unclear as it if it was mine or the person I was pursuing, pierced the silence with a beautiful melody. The ragging breath that was heaving through our lungs. The crunch of snow under our feet, and the thumps of snowballs against skin.

The taste of sweat and the linger of something sweet coated my tongue as I called after the boy I was chasing. I told him that I wasn't going to give up, that I was going to win.

I could feel the youth, I knew I was no older than 10, and the boy mustn't have been much older. His brown eyes shone with innocence and hope, his face still young and round.

Chucking another snowball over his shoulder, he laughed, mocking me by sticking out his tongue. The assault had missed its mark by a couple of feet, but he seemed rather proud nonetheless.

My legs burn as I increase my speed, scooping up another handful of snow and compressing it into a tight sphere. He let out a shriek as he noticed the shortened distance between us.

"I'm gonna get you!" I sing, confident in my threat, flipping my hair out if my eyes. I send the snow in my hand sailing towards him, missing his shoulder by mere inches causing him to veer to the side a bit.

"Never!" He called back, making a sharp right, causing me to stumble slightly. I lost sight of him as he practically rolled down a steep hill.

I could feel my heart race faster than the pace the chase had set it at. "Wait!" I shout, knowing exactly where he was heading. The ground shifted under me as I skid to a  stop.

The lake was vast and deep. The sight was breathtaking for many reasons. It was beautiful and serene, calm and peaceful. You could even see its dark color under the ice that covered it. However, seeing the young kid sliding across the ice stole my breath in a much different way.

Suddenly, I knew his name.

"Noah!" I screamed, the playfulness left from my voice. "Don't move". The smile on his face fell as the ice creaked under his weight.

"Dakota..." His voice came out in a low, building whine. Fear seized him in a tight fist as he realized how serious this was.

It was as if that sound gave me a jump-start out of my shock. Barreling towards him, I could see the first spider-web of cracks glimmering in the sun. Like shiny fingers curling towards him, waiting to snatch him.

"It's okay!" I say, watching his face contort with panic as I drop to my knees at the shore of the lake. "We'll just take it slow, like a turtle."

"Like a turtle," he echoed, and I nodded. My wool sweater does little to fight the cold now that I lay my stomach across the ice. Slow and steady.

The ice groans in protest and I freeze. With the wind whipping my hair into my eyes, and my fingers stiff and shaking with cold, I take a deep breath. It's okay. I can do this.

I inch forward, slower this time. I can feel the water slosh against the ice, as if it was trying to reach me. Water had collected around his feet, he shivered violently, socks and shoes soaked.

A crack resounds, causing me to gasp "watch out!" I all but screamed. Noah lets out a resounding scream that chokes off  once drops through the ice, taking my heart with him.

I don't care about the way the ice and water bites my skin as I crawled towards the hole.
I don't care about the blood falling from my hands as I break it even more.
I don't care that my throat burns from screaming.

I don't care as I practically dive in after him.

It's as if the story is plucked from me all at once. The nothingness that is still something floods back around me untill it's all that left.

That and my labored breathing and rapid heart beat.

......:::......

Going through a vision is confusing, to say the least.

It's as if I'm reliving a movie. Because it feels real, but I don't really have any control either.

It's like a little whisper in the back of my mind that feeds me small bits of information. Small answers, telling me what to do.

Noah.

Who is that boy? The one with the Chestnut hair and eyes to match. The one who I have no clue if is still even alive or not.

Not that I know much if anything really.
Just his name, what he looks like, and that horrible feeling that jolted through me when he fell.

I don't even know this person. Or whoever Dakota is for that matter.

I can't tell if these are my memories or if I'm watching someone else's. I don't even know if I have memories.

I almost wish I wasn't shown that one. It was so beautiful at first, then it turned sour and scary. The only thing that gave me was more confusion.

Why am I seeing these scenes play out?
What are they?

A sign? If so, I don't know what it's trying to tell me. What this dream means.

A hallucination? Probably.

I have a feeling that I've always been crazy anyways.

.......:::......

"Don't worry,
I won't leave."

.......:::......

A/N- so I know this is confusing, but that's the point.
Just keep reading.
::Stay safe::