Page 3 of The Hellkeeper

And then I freeze.

I turn to my palm.

Empty.

I check my pockets. My heart slams against my ribs. My money’s gone.

Gone.

I used the last of it on this stupid bear.

Panic crashes over me, cold and suffocating. No train ride home. No way back to the village. No way back at all.

The sky rumbles.

A second later, rain pours, thick and heavy, soaking through my clothes in seconds. My hair sticks to my face. My body shakes violently from the cold.

I walk. I don’t know where I’m going. My vision blurs. My legs weaken. My breaths shorten.

Then—

Black.

***

I force my eyes open when I feel a presence by my side. An old woman stands over me, and she looks heavily concerned.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

"You’re shaking. Come, let’s get you inside."

She helps me sit up. I glance around. We’re outside a small restaurant, its lights dimmed. She must own it.

"Do you have somewhere to go?"

Where do I have to go? Back to the village that wants to sacrifice me to the Hellkeeper? Or to these streets, where I’ll starve and freeze? So, I don’t answer. I truly don’t know what to say.

"Are you in trouble?" She whispers

I nod.

She glances around warily before making a decision. "Come inside."

"You don’t have to tell me anything. Just get out of the cold." She quickly adds when she notices how hesitant I am.

I follow her in, and she drapes a blanket around me. I grip it like a lifeline, thankful for the warmth.

“There now,” she sighs as she wraps another blanket around my shivering form. “What’s your name, dear?”

“Amelia,” I manage to croak out.

“Well, Amelia, I’m Margret,” she tells me. “Sit down. I’ll make you some tea.”

I obey without thinking, my legs weak beneath me. The restaurant is small but very cozy. It reminds me of back home. A handwritten menu board hangs above the counter. It stills smells like the dishes she made throughout the day, but right now, all I care about is the tea she’s making.

She hands me the cup before sitting next to me. “Do you feel comfortable telling me what’s wrong now?”

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