In the Arms of Winter
By Kagomes_Luver2789
Cold... It's so cold...
Cille could hardly believe the mess she had gotten herself into.The rational part of her mind that told her to keep herself indoors until the harsh snow storm outside passed was overpowered with relative ease by her instinctual half, the one that needed to go out to Hikki's cafe for a bite to eat and drink, since she had unfortunately depleted her storage of food.
I really need to remember to go out for groceries more often, she thought with a chuckle, although her current situation was no laughing matter.
While it's an easy trek from her apartment to the cafe she would often visit, the relentless snowfall had literally blanketed the streets and sidewalks, with her current field of vision less then four or so meters moving forward. The storm was rendering her virtually blind, and she couldn't tell which direction she was heading anymore.
The prickling sensation of frostbite was now slowly starting to nip at her hands and feet, and she knew that if she couldn't find a way back home or to the cafe, she would become numb to the point of emergency. Her usually safe walk was now slowly turning into a dire situation.
Damn, I swear it wasn't this bad when I walked out, she mentally cursed herself.
She continued to trudge forward as the snow continued to fall without abandon, flakes now beginning to cover her brows and forehead as she poured in as much strength as she could in order to keep herself moving, to at least keep herself awake. It was all she could do now to maintain her balance as she found herself gripping a brick wall for support, her legs exhausted from pushing through several feet of this white menace that threatened her.
Finally, she collapsed against the wall near an alley, her vision starting to blur as the snow began to cover her eyelids in a cold, wet blanket that weighed heavily upon them. I just need a little sleep, she thought, A little sleep, and I should be able to make it...
She slowly closed her eyes in that soft matress of deep white, not noticing the figure of a man standing farther in the alley, approaching her with alarming speed...
* * *
"Zille..."
The voice was familiar, but her eyes remained shut, a heavy weight still holding them down in place as she strained to recall the face that came to mind.
"ZILLE!" it yelled once more, with an alarmed tone that sent her eyelids flying open. She winced once with pain as her pupils adjusted to the light, recognizing the room she was now in. It was one of the bedrooms in Hikki's cafe.
"Zille! Are zyou alright?!" the masculine voice called once more as she turned to face the man sitting on the bed beside her.
"Hikki?" she said, her voice full of bewilderment as she sat up on the bed. "What happened? How did I get here?"
Hikki looked her over, making sure that she wasn't injured or sick. As he examined her, he quickly explained his situation.
"Ee do not know how zyou arrived," he stated as he felt her arms to make sure nothing felt broken, "All ee know iz zat you were lying on zee floh near zee entranz to zee cafe when I founz you. Zomeone had rung zee bell and then zere you were, wrapped inz zee zick(thick) blanket that iz on you right now."
Cille looked down at her lap to see that Hikki was right. She looked at the blanket's thick folds that enveloped her body, a warm and inviting embrace that heavily contrasted that of the cold snow that had engulfed her outside.
"Did you see who it was that left me here, Hikki?" she asked.
"Ee'm zorreh," Hikki apologized, "Ee did not zee anyone out zere eegzept for you anz a trail of footprintz."
"Oh, it's okay," Cille replied, a little crestfallen.
Hikki excused himself to go back to the cafe, leaving to fix her a cup of tea and a warm pastry to help her feel better. Cille lied there on the bed, pondering who could have brought her all the way to Hikki's cafe after her collapse by the alley. However, her tired body had other intentions, as she now found herself drifting into a deep, peaceful sleep. It was then that she remembered the man she caught a glimpse of before she fainted on the street in that cold, harsh storm. She slowly closed her eyes once more, wondering who he was. Was he the one... that saved me...?
Cille never noticed as a small slip of paper and a pair of tinted pink sunglasses fell from the side of the bed as she moved in her deep slumber. It was then that Hikki walked in with the the tea and pasty in his hands, leaving them on the nightstand beside her as he walked past the bed, preparing to exit the room. However, he stopped as he caught a glimpse of the sunglasses, the light from the hallway playing off its shiny frame and into his face. He picked them up along with the note, and slowly unfolded the piece of paper to see the single line that was written within it.
I'm sorry I couldn't have been faster, Cille... I'm sorry.
Cold... It's so cold...
Cille could hardly believe the mess she had gotten herself into.The rational part of her mind that told her to keep herself indoors until the harsh snow storm outside passed was overpowered with relative ease by her instinctual half, the one that needed to go out to Hikki's cafe for a bite to eat and drink, since she had unfortunately depleted her storage of food.
I really need to remember to go out for groceries more often, she thought with a chuckle, although her current situation was no laughing matter.
While it's an easy trek from her apartment to the cafe she would often visit, the relentless snowfall had literally blanketed the streets and sidewalks, with her current field of vision less then four or so meters moving forward. The storm was rendering her virtually blind, and she couldn't tell which direction she was heading anymore.
The prickling sensation of frostbite was now slowly starting to nip at her hands and feet, and she knew that if she couldn't find a way back home or to the cafe, she would become numb to the point of emergency. Her usually safe walk was now slowly turning into a dire situation.
Damn, I swear it wasn't this bad when I walked out, she mentally cursed herself.
She continued to trudge forward as the snow continued to fall without abandon, flakes now beginning to cover her brows and forehead as she poured in as much strength as she could in order to keep herself moving, to at least keep herself awake. It was all she could do now to maintain her balance as she found herself gripping a brick wall for support, her legs exhausted from pushing through several feet of this white menace that threatened her.
Finally, she collapsed against the wall near an alley, her vision starting to blur as the snow began to cover her eyelids in a cold, wet blanket that weighed heavily upon them. I just need a little sleep, she thought, A little sleep, and I should be able to make it...
She slowly closed her eyes in that soft matress of deep white, not noticing the figure of a man standing farther in the alley, approaching her with alarming speed...
* * *
"Zille..."
The voice was familiar, but her eyes remained shut, a heavy weight still holding them down in place as she strained to recall the face that came to mind.
"ZILLE!" it yelled once more, with an alarmed tone that sent her eyelids flying open. She winced once with pain as her pupils adjusted to the light, recognizing the room she was now in. It was one of the bedrooms in Hikki's cafe.
"Zille! Are zyou alright?!" the masculine voice called once more as she turned to face the man sitting on the bed beside her.
"Hikki?" she said, her voice full of bewilderment as she sat up on the bed. "What happened? How did I get here?"
Hikki looked her over, making sure that she wasn't injured or sick. As he examined her, he quickly explained his situation.
"Ee do not know how zyou arrived," he stated as he felt her arms to make sure nothing felt broken, "All ee know iz zat you were lying on zee floh near zee entranz to zee cafe when I founz you. Zomeone had rung zee bell and then zere you were, wrapped inz zee zick(thick) blanket that iz on you right now."
Cille looked down at her lap to see that Hikki was right. She looked at the blanket's thick folds that enveloped her body, a warm and inviting embrace that heavily contrasted that of the cold snow that had engulfed her outside.
"Did you see who it was that left me here, Hikki?" she asked.
"Ee'm zorreh," Hikki apologized, "Ee did not zee anyone out zere eegzept for you anz a trail of footprintz."
"Oh, it's okay," Cille replied, a little crestfallen.
Hikki excused himself to go back to the cafe, leaving to fix her a cup of tea and a warm pastry to help her feel better. Cille lied there on the bed, pondering who could have brought her all the way to Hikki's cafe after her collapse by the alley. However, her tired body had other intentions, as she now found herself drifting into a deep, peaceful sleep. It was then that she remembered the man she caught a glimpse of before she fainted on the street in that cold, harsh storm. She slowly closed her eyes once more, wondering who he was. Was he the one... that saved me...?
Cille never noticed as a small slip of paper and a pair of tinted pink sunglasses fell from the side of the bed as she moved in her deep slumber. It was then that Hikki walked in with the the tea and pasty in his hands, leaving them on the nightstand beside her as he walked past the bed, preparing to exit the room. However, he stopped as he caught a glimpse of the sunglasses, the light from the hallway playing off its shiny frame and into his face. He picked them up along with the note, and slowly unfolded the piece of paper to see the single line that was written within it.
I'm sorry I couldn't have been faster, Cille... I'm sorry.