The Accidental Star

FREEZING

JI CHANG WOOK

I was awoken by the  gush of cold air.

I was slumped against the wall, my arms folded cross my chest. I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep.

I glanced at my sports watch which says it was quarter past four in the morning. I realized it has been twenty four hours since we left the beach and no one has found out yet.

I felt the cold breeze and shivered. The temperature had suddenly dropped after the sun disappeared. It was freezing inside the cave and I had to stop my teeth from chattering.

A few meters across me, a movement caught my attention. I squinted my eyes to get a clearer vision but I couldn't make anything out in the darkness. I heard a low sound and I strained my ears to figure what it was.

" Errfffhmmm...c-cold...s-sssave..."

Anne! I thought when I realized that the sound was coming from where I saw Anne sitting earlier that evening.

" Anne, " I called out. " Are you okay? "

She didn't answer me but I heard her continuous moans.

I was quickly on my knees as I felt the ground for my helmet. When my hand finally found it, I swiftly switched the light on and flashed it to where Anne was.

She was lying on her side facing the wall. She was curled up in a fetal position and from where I was, I could see her body trembling from the cold.

I was beside her in an instant.

I saw that her eyes were shut tightly, her arms wrapped around herself as if to protect her body from the cold. I could hear her teeth chattering as she mumbled incoherent words.

" Anne, " I said softly and I touched her arm.

She felt ice cold against my skin. 

Alarmed, I quickly gathered her in my arms. I let her lean against me as I rested my back against the cavern wall. I snaked my arms over her shoulders and took hold of her hands. I brought them close to my mouth and blew to keep them warm. I quickly rubbed her hands together and when I felt they were warm enough, I gently laid them on her lap. I wrapped my arms around her cold body trying to give her as much heat as my body would allow.

" Talk to me, Anne. " I can hear the urgency in my voice.

She has stopped mumbling and her silence was making me nervous.

I rubbed her arms with my hands as I watched the side of her face. I saw her lashes flutter and that small movement relieved me.

" Anne, " I whispered as I continued rubbing her arms. " talk to me."

I watched closely as her lashes continued to flutter. Very slowly, she opened her eyes. It was a minute or two before she turned her head to her side and looked at me.

" C-chang, " she croaked as she looked at me with tired eyes.

For a moment, I just stared. I've looked into those eyes a lot of times in the last few weeks. I've seen them happy and sad, frightened and even blank.  A few hours ago, I've seen them very angry. 

But I've never seen them weary.

Once again, guilt washed over me. We wouldn't be stranded in this cave if it wasn't for me. She would have been basking in glorious sunshine and not struggling to fight off hypothermia. If I've only kept my ideas to myself then we wouldn't be in this kind of trouble.

" Are you feeling warm? " I managed to get a few words out.

" Yes, " she breathed and saw her lashes flutter.

I tightened my arms around her. In response, she twisted her body and snuggled up against me  . I held her closer hoping that my body heat would stop her from trembling.

" I'm sorry, " I mumbled as I rested my chin on her head, rubbing her back up and down.

" Mmmm..."

" When we get out of here, " I continued talking. It was the only way to keep her from falling into slumber. " I promise I'll make it up to you."

She mumbled words that I couldn't understand. 

It didn't matter. She was awake, that was the important thing.

I felt her arms circled my waist as she cuddled even closer. Her face was buried in my neck and I can feel her warm breath against my skin.

" ...cold..." she whimpered as she continued to tremble against me.

I placed a hand on her head and gently cradled  her. I ran my hand on exposed parts of her skin and gently rubbed my hand against them, trying to give her as much heat as I possibly can.

" It's okay, " I whispered. " You'll be alright."

I was the one initiating conversation. She answered me in not so many words. But that was fine. The important thing was she was awake and not succumbing to hypothermia.

We stayed in that position for a long time. I didn't let her go even when she stopped trembling. She didn't move away from me either.

I realized that if we were to survive the cold, we needed each other. More specifically, we needed each other's body heat.