Chapter 4

The howl was growing in strength she realized, and if that didn’t terrify her enough the cold sure did, but she’d found a way to keep all the bad thoughts at bay and make it more fun. She had come up with a game that had proven to be a lot more fun than just walking, not as fun as skipping rope or making snow angels as she loved to do, but all the same fun. She had also had time to put on a new pair of socks which had warmed her feet somewhat, and her hunger didn’t bother her anymore. The single rule for the game was simple; skip into father’s steps as fast you can, or loose. Her record to this point was at eight, and then she had had to stop to regain her balance. When she was in the middle of breaking her record she heard a voice that scared her stiff.

 

“Abby?” Her father had stopped, and she had been too occupied with the game to even notice. Now she had come too close to hunch down and hide from him. He sounded surprised and even a bit worried. She didn’t know what to say, whatever she said she was sure that he would be angry with her. Instead of answering she just broke down in tears. She could hear him come but she was too afraid to look up and see his face. “Abby, my God.” He said. His voice now closer and she could hear the snow crunch under his feet as he was walking back towards her. “When she saw his large shadow looming over her she braced herself for the lecturing she knew she was about to get. But instead he just embraced her tightly and held her in his arms as she cried.

“My silly little girl.” He repeated over and over again as he stroked her hair. His body felt warm and all of a sudden she just wanted to have him carry her back home.

“I’m sorry daddy.” She said between sobs. “Mommy said you’d get hurt, and…”

“Ssschhyyy” He said, shushing her as he held her in his arms. “We’ll talk about that when we get back home, now I need you to gather all that energy that I know you have and follow me to the mountain. A storm is headed our way. Could you do that for me, sweetie?”

“Mhm.” Abigail said and wiped her tears away together with some snot.

“I knew you would.” He said as he looked down on her flushed cheeks and puffy red rimmed blue eyes.

 

He gave her a thick sweater that he pulled out of his bag and draped it over her shoulders. “See, now you really look like a goofball.” He said and laughed as she hit him lightly in the chest. He then picked up a large salami sandwich together with some water, which he had her drink. When she had eaten and drank enough to still her hunger he packed the water bottle back down in his bag and told her to eat the sandwich as they walked. A black cloud was forming by the mountains furthest away and it would be a race between them on who would reach the closest mountains first, he explained. He grabbed her hand gently and hurried her after him. It was hard to walk that fast and to eat at the same time so she decided on eating it later on when they reached the foot of the mountain, just as if they were on a picnic.