The Weight Of Being Alone

Greta continued on her way along the edge of the canyon trying to not lose her footing. The idea that she was hearing the voices of her mother was driving her insane. Going crazy wasn't on her list of things to achieve on her way to Iceland or Greenland. She started to panc when the fog started to seem like it was growing thicker as she kept running. She felt like she was getting lost even though she hadn't deviated from the edge of the canyon.

"When the fuck will I get out of this fog?" Greta whispered to herself as sweat started to build up in and around her mask.

She came to a halt as her feet came out from under her causing her heart to leap in fear. Despite thinking she had fallen down the edge of the canyon she had fallen down a hill. After rolling for what seemed like forever she came to rest on the coast of a river. With her body screaming out in pain Greta struggled to her feet. Taking a moment to calm herself Greta decided to follow the river not knowing where she would end up. In her mind anywhere was better than just being out in the open.

"I just need to find a place to get some rest." With these words she made up her mind.

As she followed the river a bright like began to shine through the fog. She trained her eyes on the light source deciding that would be her next stop on her path to the north. The closer she got to the source of like the higher in the air it seemed to get. Everything started to come together in her mind when she saw like reflecting in other places around her. It was a light house which told her that she was on the coast.

"I guess the train took me further than I thought it did." She laughed to herself as she continued to walk towards the light.

In her excitement Greta ran through shallows of water soaking her shoes in ice cold water. She was slowed down by the extra weight caused by the water soaking into her clothes. Her being slowed down was causing her to start getting really cold really fast. By the time she had gotten to the foot of the cliff in which the light house stood a top she was shivering. In that moment she finally realized how alone she actually was as she collapsed to the ground.

"I can't do it. I can't make it off of the main land." She whispered as she curled into the fetal position trying to warm herself back up.

No matter how hard she tried the cold kept getting stronger and stronger freezing her down to her bones. She kept getting colder until she didn't. Eventually after hours of laying on the rock she felt nothing. Greta instead found herself standing in a field of flowers that still made the motions of the ocean but it didn't have the water, didn't have the cold, didn't have the dying woman who dreamed of the northern seas.

"Am I dead?" She asked without moving her mouth.

"Not quite yet lass." The voice came from a man standing in a freshly pressed black suite with freshly polished shoes.

"Who are you?" Her words sounded defensive to her own ears.

"Well, I go by many names. Morana, Aeron, Thantos, Merikh, or if you wish Death. Either way I was supposed to take your soul, but I am not going to." He spoke with a smile as he seemed to teleport closer to her in the blink of an eye.

"Why not?" Her confusion leaked out with every word she spoke.

"Because, I have a plan for you." He gave a hollow sounding laugh with his statement.

"What kind of plan do you have that would have to include me?" She felt herself becoming buried in even more confusion.

"Well that is something you will find out when you reach your destination. Just know that I will be watching you and this war that you are running from. Do care to remember that everything comes full circle." With that one last statement he tapped her on the forehead with a finger that was made of cold, lifeless bone.

She shot up gasping for air just as the sun broke through the horizon. Tears filled her eyes as the warmth of the light failed to make it to her freezing body through the fog that held close to her body. So she turned her attention to the lighthouse above her. As she began to climb she could feel ice breaking off of her clothes and hair. The biggest advantage was that her body was so numb she couldn't feel her skin breaking open as she moved.

"Come on, I need to make it to the top." She kept repeat trying to convince herself that the task was the last thing she will ever need to do in her life.

Each movement was accompanied with a ripping and popping sound as she pushed her body to its limits. A smile started to form on her frozen, cracked face as she finally came over the top of the cliff. Even as hard as she tried her body moved no more and she collapsed on the front steps of the light house. As her vision began to fade away a man in a thick over coat opened the door and let out a gasp as he saw her laying there. She tried to lift her head to talk but nothing would come out. That was when she realized how cold she actually was. She noticed she was frozen to her core and that her heart was barely beating.

"Don't worry young one I got you." The man said before she could feel a cover being put over her as she was lifted in the man's arms.

Her vision left her, but all her other senses had remained. She existed in a semi-consciousness as she could feel the heat on her body and the smell of hot chocolate. It brought joy to her but she couldn't express it with her body paralyzed with the cold. She eventually gave up and let herself fall into unconsciousness.