Page 20 of A Love of Wrath and Rapture

“It was nothing more than a simple joke,” I mutter. “And now the whole world is out to get me.”

This settlement was all I had. It’s a strange and sickening feeling to know those you once trusted and worked with are now against you.

There’s nowhere else I have to go. No one I can look to for help.

A sudden dread fills me as I come to terms with the fact I’m now in enemy territory. I don’t know what’s next, but life is going to be lived on a constant edge from this moment on.

I recline onto the bedding, the soft furs the only comfort I have. But it’s not enough to stop a blistering headache wreaking its havoc.

I grip the blanket and pillow tight and close my eyes, keeping the poker close by.

“I’m too exhausted for this,” I mutter. “But at least I’ve still got this bed to keep me warm and a roof over my head.” And with that, I fall asleep.

I see myself laying there, sleeping without a trouble in the world. My image is frozen, like the paintings done by the children in the village.

Then another image, blurs of figures surrounding me, identities I cannot make out. I see myself carried, though to where I do not know.

The dream is still and unmoving, but there’s something about it that feels all too real. All I can do is watch each tainted picture go by, wondering when this nightmare will end.

Slowly, I bat my eyes open, grumbling as I’m suddenly blinded by the sun’s unforgiving light.

My face is warm, kissed by the gentle heat. My breath comes out in short bursts of vapor, but why?

Then I feel the chill piercing my thick clothing. I clutch my blanket but my hands are empty. My pillow feels thinner than ever. Where’s the roof gone?

“What the!”

My body shoots upward, propelled by a wave of panic. My chest moves quickly as I hyperventilate, feeling the icy air fill my throat and lungs.

Instinctively, I reach for my weapon but it’s not there. Nothing is. It’s just… me.

“Where the fuck am I!”

I blink as I rise to my feet, hoping I’m still dreaming as I cast a look at my surroundings.

Ice, snow, stone, and more ice.

“No,” I mutter. “It feels too real… But this has to be a dream.”

I hold onto the quickly diminishing glimmer of hope as I remove my glove and lay my hand bare on the ground.

I pull it back quickly, feeling the teeth of the freezing temperature sink its fangs into my skin. It takes only three seconds, just as it does in real life.

Reality is dawning, hitting me with a rude and sudden wind nipping at my skin. I turn and pull my hood up, waiting for it to pass.

I notice the gleam of the sun off the ice and my shadow on the ground. The wind passes, yet still, I fall to my knees.

“No,” I gasp.

I want to scream but my body won’t let me. I can hardly breathe, fighting for air as I momentarily lose control to panic.

“No, no!”

I pound a fist down on the ice, only hurting myself in the act. Cringing, I grip it and cast another look around, hoping against hope that at any moment, this living nightmare will end.

But I know now this is no nightmare. This is real. The worst has come to fruition.

I have no clue how I was brought here, nor are there any footprints for me to follow. A fresh coat of snow on the ground has seen to that.

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