Heart of Ice

Chapter Twenty-Two

Song: One More Day- Diamond Rio

My eyes snap open. All I can see above me is the clear blue sky. Strands of my hair gently ruffle around my face as the cool evening breeze brushes across my skin. I sit up, taking in the scenery around me. The grass blades dance along with the leaves on the trees to a steady rhythm in tune with the breeze, and the last bits of sunlight shimmer between openings in tree branches. In the distance, a morning dove croons its gentle song, and goosebumps cover my arms as I close my eyes, my heart settling in peace, the most it has in a very long time. It's somewhere I haven't been in years-- in fact, with all the commotion in my life after my nightmares became worse, I had completely forgotten it existed. The most serene place I had, the only place I truly felt safe aside from the safe house.

And even that has been ripped away.

I'm not sure how I got there, but I know I'm alone, and for once, that doesn't terrify me. It's as if the rest of the world has faded away. At last, I can breathe without fear of it being taken away. I don't feel remorse or sadness, despite being there without my family. I feel free. I don't have to run from the monsters that have relentlessly chased me.

Whether that's a good sign or bad sign, I can't remember.

I wrap my arms around my knees, resting my chin on top of them as I watch the sky morph into a mirage of soft, pastel colors. Then, footsteps grow closer behind me, and someone sits beside me, joining me in the quiet evening.

"Hi, honey," Mom murmurs, and I glance at her, smiling as I study her side profile. She appears almost like an angel with the glow around her, from the way her golden, wavy hair seems to reflect against the colors of the sky, to the small smile that graces her lips, and the way her eyes crinkle slightly along with her smile. After my nightmares began, my mom aged a good bit from the stress it put her and my dad through, but she still remained as beautiful as ever.

"Hi, mama," I whisper back, and she reaches over, wrapping her hand around mine. I take in the gentleness of her touch and how it comforts me in ways I can't describe. We sit in silence for a couple minutes, watching the sunset evolve in front of us. "How did I get here?"

"By your own will," Her thumb brushes over my knuckles. "You're in limbo, Alaska. You might not remember, but Demetrius found you and Hunter at the safe house, and... it didn't end well. On the thin line between life and death, your mind takes you to the place where you feel the most peace."

"Am I dying?"

"That's up to you to decide."

"If this is limbo, where am I now in the real world?"

Mom stands, holding her hand out to me. "Let me show you."

I place my hand in hers, and she hoists me off the ground, walking us toward the clearing in the woods. Once we reach that point, she looks over the cliff in front of us, motioning for me to join her. I step closer to the edge, and below me, I can see the entirety of my room at home. I lay motionless on the bed, and Hunter sits in a chair beside the bed, holding my hand in both of his while his head rests against our intwined hands. I can't see his face well because his head is bowed, but I can see the way his shoulders shake slightly. My eyebrows knit together in confusion as I take in the scene, and I kneel down, trying to get a closer look. "Why is he there?"

"He hasn't left your side. Even when we told him to get some sleep and that we'd sit with you, he didn't budge."

I scoff. "He should be relieved."

"Nope," Mom shakes her head as her lips turn down in a frown. "Far from it."

Before I can respond, Brett walks into the room, sighing as he rests his hand on Hunter's shoulder, which begin shaking harder. My heart constricts at the sight.