Winter's Peril

Chapter 9

The day he had been dreading had come.

The moment he woke up he felt the urge to cry. He stared outside the window and focused on the snow for a few seconds. It seemed to have gotten heavier overnight. He knew he needed to wrap up for the day otherwise he would have frozen.

The stairs creaked as he went to grab some breakfast. By the time he got down, the hunger had left him. He just wanted the day to end above all. It probably wasn't going to get any better.

He hadn't seen Harry yet and the door to his room was open anyway. He hadn't said anything about leaving.

The sound of Harry's axe chopping wood prevailed once he got closer to the front door. Louis quietly walked to the window in the kitchen where he could see Harry working. It confused him how Harry wasn't cold. Unlike the last time, he had a denim jacket over a white top. The snow outside looked freezing and he questioned why Harry didn't have hypothermia.

Their eyes met after Harry chopped another block of wood. Harry smiled at him and Louis simply looked down at the sink. After a minute he turned around and headed back for the stairs. Harry's heavy footsteps alerted him that he had come inside.

"Louis." He paused then turned back to look at Harry. "Have you eaten?" Louis guiltily looked at the floor and shook his head. "Please eat something Lou, you have a long day. I'll make you something. Just get ready, that's all you have to do."

"Okay," he whispered. He ignored the nickname even though it made him feel a little better. Louis looked at him one more time before going back up the stairs.

~~~

The last thing he wanted to do was encounter Dill's family. Louis loved them as much as they loved him. He couldn't bear to see their disappointment and tears.

Louis' mother called him before he had left. They weren't on a good note and it had been like that for years. The distance had led them to fewer phone calls and eventually, it just dissipated into nothing.

She stayed at a hotel a few miles outside of the town and had already made her way to the church.

As he sat in the car beside Harry, they drove quietly to the church. Once he saw the religious building he took in a deep breath. The grey sky had already dampened his mood. However, the sight of the guests made him feel apprehensive.

While they drove through the town, a singular black bird flew alongside the car for a few seconds. Louis watched as it dipped back into the surrounding trees.

They parked fifty metres away from the church and didn't immediately get out. A few people lingered outside, catching up on lost conversations.

Louis assumed most of the people already sat inside. Dill's family stood clustered together along with the hearse that had blackened windows.

"You okay?" Harry asked.

Louis didn't say anything. He opened the heavy black door, recoiling from the bitter cold. Dill's mother, Irene, spotted him in the distance and immediately he wanted to cry.

The closer they walked towards her, the more he wanted to run.

"Louis! Dio mio! Are you okay?" she asked. She opened her arms for a wide hug.

"Hi Irene, I-I'm sorry."

She frowned at him and shook her head in disagreement. "There is no need for you to be sorry. It must have been such a shock to see him like that. I can't imagine how you are feeling."

Louis looked down at the snow and smiled weakly. "I-I'm just trying my best Irene."

"Hey Lou," Louis jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder. The two of them turned to look at the intruder. "I'm gonna find a seat. I'll see you inside."