Page 81 of Play With Me

“It doesn’t matter.” She placed her small warm palm on the middle of my chest. “You feel like my mommy, and that’s what’s important.”

Sophie finally blew a strong breath into the whistle. That somehow jolted me to stand. Sophie took my hand and began guiding me. “Come on, Lola. It’s time to go back. You’re an icicle.”

I didn’t quite remember how we arrived at the campsite, but Sophie seemed to know her way back, which was encouraging because my brain was beginning to feel like it had caught fire - the frozen kind, with ice-knives instead of flames. Cold sweat spread over my body, and the world begun to spin.

When we returned to the camp, Sophie ran straight into Brook’s arms.

“What happened?”

“Burdock,” I explained in a semi-automated voice that felt full of relief. She was safe now. “And Sophie’s braid caught in some weeds and tangled when she tried to free herself.”

“I got stuck.” Sophie’s voice was on the brink of breaking and releasing a stream of tears.

Brook crouched in front of her and placed his hands on her little arms.

“I was so worried. You shouldn’t have left the campsite.”

In between the sound of my clattering teeth, I tried to listen to their conversation, but it wasn’t easy being this far away. I wanted to step closer, but couldn’t find a way of doing so. My feet felt too comfortable in the same spot, and I was afraid that if I moved, a new chill would catch me again.

“Boo needed me.”

“And let me guess. You put your whole head in the weeds looking for him?”

“Not at all. My trouble started when I saw a big rosehip berry.”

Their words rang like a distant echo, and though it was more difficult to hear, I couldn’t stop listening. Their voices kept me upright while my knees begged me to collapse.

“Sophie, let me say it once more, and please hear me. Youcannotgo outside the campsite perimeter. Do you understand?”

She nodded, then looked at her uncle with her big eyes. “I know you wouldn’t give up on someone you loved, Uncle Brook.”

My heart broke in half. I didn’t leave anyone behind, either. Sophie knew all the right strings to pull with her uncle as well. Brook held her in his arms, and she whispered something into his ear. The wind blew, and Brook’s gaze connected with mine before he let his niece go and hurried toward me.

“We need to warm you up,” he said.

I tried to reply, but I couldn’t. My lips trembled, my hands felt stiff, and my feet were embedded in the ground.

“I’m going to start a fire. You two hop in that tent and don’t come out until you’re warm and rested.” Anna pointed to the tent. “They say body heat works best, so get those damn wet clothes off. I’ll hang them to dry once the fire gets going. Now, Sophie here is going to take me to get some water by the river so that I can make tea. And don’t worry, we’ll stay far away from the currents. Come on, Sophie.”

Was that Anna talking?

Her words mixed in my mind as I watched her take Sophie’s hand. They left the campsite and without warning, Brook ripped off my coat and then my soaked wool sweater, undershirt, and bra.

I still didn’t move. I didn’t think I could move even if I wanted to. As soon as he was done with the top, he removed my pants and underwear. Wearing only my yaks and knee socks, I stood naked in front of him in the middle of the forest.

What’s happening?

He was explaining something. I watched his mouth move, but I couldn’t quite make out the words. Brook swept me into his arms and carried me inside the tent, where he removed my shoes and socks. I sat still on top of the sleeping bag, watching him take off his own clothes.

“Get in the sleeping bag.”

His lips moved again, and I barely heard him after that. He unzipped both sleeping bags, connected them, and guided me inside. My ears hummed with emptiness. Each time I saw him touch me, I noticed with interest that I could barely feel it.

Still I didn’t move on my own. Strangely, I felt warm and cold at the same time, like a burning icicle. I was entombed in a thawing lake, and as Brook rubbed my arms up and down, over and over, the false feeling of warmth transferred into a painful cold, until my trembles eased into shivers and from somewhere deep inside came a painful sound as I sucked in air between my lips and then let it all out.

I still couldn’t hear anything.

It hurt so bad.

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