Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Colder than the Snow ((me and Houdini))

"Good night, Senka", he replied, getting up to turn out the lights. He paused, initially inclined to decline her request out of politeness, but then thinking that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea. "Hmm, I don't know, why don't you keep it?" he answered finally, trying his best to be a gentleman, and squash as many of her stereotypes as he could.
 
Senka looked at him and said "All right then" she said. She then climbed into her bed and closed her eyes, her hand once again moving to hold the ring around her neck as she always did before they went to sleep.
 
He lay down on his blanket on the floor, trying to fall asleep. Although it was dark out, the snow was silently falling outside, and Senka's soft, soothing breathing was the only sound to be heard, he could not sleep. When thankfully he finally did doze off, it was only a few hours later when the first rays of sun sparkled into the window, glistening off the fresh snow. He got up and looked out the window, observing that the new snow was knee deep. It would be dangerous weather to travel in. But not as dangerous as staying in one place too long.
 
Senka awoke shortly after. She put her ring back inside her shirt before she got up and walked over to him. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and said "Morning" with a yawn. She sighed a little and said "Shall we get ready to go?"
 
"Good morning," he responded, a bit startled, as he hadn't heard her get out of bed, he was so mesmerized with the snow. "Yes, I think we should head out early before we're faced with any questions from our host. The less he knows about us, the better, if anyone comes around asking questions."

At that, he started preparing for the day, finishing off a glass of water he had left over from dinner, and lacing up his boots, pulling on his jacket, and getting his knapsack organized.
 
Senka smiled and nodded. She began to do the same, getting dressed for the weather outside and organizing her own pack before she began to walk over to the door. She looked at him and said "Ready to go?" she asked him.
 
"I guess there's nothing else to wait around for," he agreed, leading the way out the door. No one bothered them as everything was still dead quiet on the snowy morning. They plodded through the snow, some drifts ankle deep, some higher than the knee, as the sun gradually rose over the horizon. Josef led the way towards the outskirts of town and the thick forest. "I'm having second thoughts about this. Do you think it's too dangerous to travel in?" he asked Senka.
 
Senka followed him out of the house and out of the town.She followed him as the asked a question. "I'm sure It's fin-" she was cut off when she slipped in the snow. To bad they were walking close to a rocking ridge, it was a long drop down. She cried out as she did, her arms flailing around for something to hold. They found the sleaves of his jacket, dragging her down. Her gloved hands caught onto the edge. She didn't know where he ended up.
 
As he heard Senka answer trail off, he turned around to see her in the process of falling towards a rocky precipice. "Oh my God," he exclaimed, throw his pack off his shoulder in one motion, at the same time as he leapt down to the ground, reaching out for her to hold onto. "I've got you, Senka. Please hold on. Don't let go!" As her hand slipped off his sleeve, he grasped it tightly with one hand. He reached down with the other hand and strained to reach her free hand.
 
Senka looked down at the ground. She gasped. It was a long drop. She looked up at him as she hung of the ridge with one arm. She reached up to take his hand. "Pull me up" she said, some fear in her face. She was never one for heights.
 
He was what blood was left in her normally pale face drain out, her face only a few inches from his, but terror written all over it. Josef was determined not to let her fall. He held both Senka's hands now, pulling her up with all his strength. "It's okay," he reassured her. "I won't let you fall!" The only problem was that he had nothing to anchor his body to, and as he pulled up, his own body started sliding across the snow towards the ridge.
 
Senka looked at him as he began pulled her up. She said "Stop, you'll fall yourself!" she exclaimed. She was about halfway up the ridge. She put her hand down and began to push her self up, taking some of the strain of him so he would not slide anymore. She was sudenly just about ready to kiss the ground. She hated hieghts. She was okay with just standing and walking in high places, anything else and she was terrified.
 
He looked down at what seemed like a drop of a mile, as his body sliding had caused his face to go over the edge, although, fortunately, the rest of him was still on solid ground. It was quite a frightening view, but he tried to remain calm. "No, I won't let you go, Senka!" he exclaimed.

Luckily, she was able to grab a hold of solid ground, but he was still sliding towards the edge as her other hand continued to weigh his down. He reached around blindly with his right foot until it hooked around a small tree. The tree bent a little under their weight, but did not give way. Now with added leverage, he was able to pull her with one hand until her torso was back on solid ground. He then put both hands around her waist and pulled her the rest of the way up, collapsing on top of her once she was safe, exhausted, but relieved. "Are you okay?" he gasped.
 
Senka felt him continue to pull her up. She felt relived when he stopped sliding towards the edge. She felt him wrap his arms around her torso and pulled her back on the ground, even if he was still ontop of her. That was probably the first time in along time. Even being behind enemy lines did not terrify as mch as hanging if that ledge did. She breathed heaviy. She was still very much afraid. She was in shock. She stared up at him and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.
 
He helped the shaken soldier to her knees in the snow before embracing her and squeezing tightly. "It's okay," he reassured her. He had never seen her so visibly shaken, she was always so strong. But this was understandable. Both their lives had just flashed before them. "Everything is fine now." he said softly into her ear. "The important thing is that we're safe."
 
Senka felt him pull her to her knees and embrace her gently. She did not respond to it as she was shaken by it still. She heard his voice reassuring her, comforting her. Her arm moved up to grab at the back of his coat. She opened her eyes and said " I'm not good with heights. I can walk and stand, but anything else...I'm wreak" she said softly.
 
He looked at her and felt a sudden urge to care for her, help her through this. Although it would be dangerous to rest during the day, he needed to do it for her, they were in it together. "It's fine," he whispered to her, rubbing her back through the heavy coat. "We'll find a hidden area close by, and I'll build another snow shelter. We'll rest there until you're better." He stood up now, extending a hand to her. "Do you think I can try to help you up now?"
 
Senka looked at him and nodded and said " yeah let's do that" she said standing up as he helped her up. She held on to him as she walked a little shakilly to where they could stopnfor awhile. She looked down and closed her eyes an said " sorry about this, this will just slow is down" she said.
 
He nodded to her, picked up her arm, and placed it around his shoulder as he assisted her in walking deeper into the woods. After all, they would still need to be concealed. "It's fine, Senka. Don't worry. We're in this together. I'm sure you would do the same for me." Once they got into the woods a bit, he helped Senka sit down on a log, an went to work hollowing out a shelter in the snow.
 
Senka felt him wrap his arm around her and put her arm on his shoulder. She walked with him and looked down . She breathed in deeply trying to calm her self down a little. Once he set her down on a log she held onto it with her hands and closed her eyes. Opened her eyes and looked over a him as he dug the snow shelter. After awhile she regained her composure and looked at her hands which still shook a little.
 
After about forty-five minutes of exhausting work, he had hollowed out enough space for the two of them in the snow. He lit a candle as before, and planted it in the snow on the floor of the shelter. As he walked back to Senka, she was still shaking a bit, so he sat on the log next to her, arm back around her shoulder. "Do you want to go inside and rest for a while? I'll stay with you. I'm pretty worn myself, from the anxiety of this morning, and digging out the shelter."
 
Senka felt him put his arm back around her and she looked at him. She nodded. "Alright, lets rest then" she said to him. She stood up slowly and moved inside the shelter slowly. When he had followed she looked at him and said "I haven't been so afraid since the attack on my town" she said looking down. "I suppose it's a bit refreshing in away, I thought there was nothing else that could make me so afraid" she said looking at the snow.
 
As they ducked into the shelter, he looked back towards her. "Fear is a protection for us. It allows us to do all we can to save ourselves, and others we care about. And back there," he said, motioning backwards with his head, I was in fear too, not only for myself, but for you."

He hadn't made the shelter too large, as he did it by himself this time, and was quite tired. As he helped Senka lay down, he lay next to her, their bodies almost touching, he wisps of red hair which fell out from her hat next to his face. It felt good to be close to her, comforting, in a sense. "I hope I'm not too close to you for comfort," he said softly
 
Senka looked at him. He was scared for her. She had not expected that of him at all. The inner little prejudices in her expected him to just let her fall. After all, they had been on different sides. This was surprising. She looked down a little, almost feeling guilt for being so prejudiced.

When he asked his question, she shook her head and said "No..It's fine" she said to him. She looked down for a minute and looked back at him and said "What was she like...your wife" she asked him quietly.
 
"Ahh," he sighed, at the mention of his wife. "She was like an angel, and I don't just say it because she's gone now. She didn't care about war and politics, she just loved to enjoy life. She was a cute girl, very short, with a round face, and long blond hair. When she was a girl, she was quite a soccer player. That's how we met, in our town field. She was better than all the other girls, and liked to play with us boys."

A single tear ran down his cheek, although he was glad Senka couldn't see it. "Once we got married, even though I was a soldier by day, we acted like teenagers together at night. We played outside in the snow, and sat inside by the fireplace. She loved to cook for us, bake muffins, and play the piano..." As he described her, he subconsciously cuddled up tight to Senka, not realizing it until was done talking. He loosened his hold on her and backed away a little bit in the shelter once he realized it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom