The Survival

Chapter 26

There were many things that we had to lose to come to the point we are today. Two of them are dignity and hygiene and the two come hand in hand. I don't remember the last time I took a bath, maybe a few days ago or was it weeks? I know it was by a small river, almost a lagoon that we spot during our long walks.

We stink, we have dirt on our clothes, even the spare change I brought is dirty and wet. If not showering is bad enough, imagine starting to pee and have no paper to clean anymore, it is all gone. Embarrassing and humiliating can't even make justice to how we feel.

Yet we have to get used to it, we don't even notice if someone smells, the basic necessities and principal hygienic concepts are lost here. Our lives are more important, and we have to get used to this, at least we try.

I should be used to the chilly wind, since we arrived here the cold has been a constant in our days and nights, and I must say that I've become sort of accustomed to it.

The first days were a nightmare, I would wake up in the middle of the night because of the low temperature. The cold would envelop me and pierce through my bones not letting me have a rest. With time and some effort, I got used to it.

However today, it's not the usual cold night or morning whatever time it is since I haven't opened my eyes yet. I'm freezing. I can't feel anything in my body specially my face and feet. I'm practically lying on top of Nathan, so he is warming half of my body, but the warmth that he is providing me isn't enough to keep me from trembling.

I flutter my eyes open and the vision before me amazes me.

A blanket of snow is covering the ground. There isn't a single space where you can see the dirty floor, everything is covered in white, pearly snow. I look at my feet and the mystery to why I couldn't feel them is now solved, although my feet are covered with Nathan's blanket the snow is above it.

I view the sky and by the mixture of blue, yellow and pink it must be dawn, which makes me conclude that it snowed all night. There are small portions of snow on the branches and on the leaves of the pines.

The woods are speckled with white, the dark forest from yesterday looks a fairy and gnome land today.

I see movement on my left and see a squirrel. The little one is peeking his head from his home, and just like me, he is observing the surroundings. The fluffy animal leaves his den and slowly descends the tree all the way to the ground.

My stomach grumbles. This is the first time we get meat in front of us and maybe a chance to eat more than just energetic bars. Also, for how long will we have food if we don't start to hunt?

His round nose sniffs the air and the snow as if inspecting it, which makes me smile. Graciously the squirrel lands on the ground, he stays motionless for a second there, before hell breaks loose. He jumps everywhere, as soon as his tiny paws touch the snow another jump happens, it's like the snow is burning him even though it's not.

I can't help but laugh, the hilarious vision reminds me of the videos that I would watch in my bed with the sweetest animals in it doing the most random things.

I feel Nathan shifting by my side and I stop laughing immediately. He stretches his arms and a groan leaves him, he leads his hands to his face and rubs it before he opens his eyes.

He takes on the scene in front of him and the surprise in his face isn't lost for me. He had the exact same reaction I had when I saw the snow. Eventually after examining the forest he ends up looking at me.

"Good morning." I whisper to him with a smile on my face.

"Good morning cupcake," He smiles down at me and grabs my cheeks while lowering his head to me. Yet, I stop him knowing that he would kiss me. "Too soon? I only thought that after what we did yesterday we cou—"