Has my time come?

"Here are some blankets!"

"Carry the food to Tom!"

"Where is Annie!?"

Panic filled the air as the rain pounded heavily against the earth.

"Shut down the entrances. Don't let the rain in!" Hilda hollered.

Crowded in a room with walls made from metal and concrete, were the villages hunkered down from the Act. The men sealed up the entrances and assumed the roles of guards should the situation call for it. The women and children prepared a huge meal for everyone which would last until the Act ended.

Some little children snuggled up next to the fire as the adults just stood there teeth chattering as they rubbed their hands.

"Lasse, go and give those children these blankets" Carrying the blankets, Riley weaved through the crowd and handed over the blankets to the children. They immediately cocooned themselves up which led to the shivering reducing slightly.

'Their situation is not improving' No matter how many logs of wood were

 thrown to the fire, it did nothing to dissipate the cold.

She could faintly hear uncomfortable gurgling sounds coming from the outside, occasionally hearing yelps for help once or twice. Outside seemed like a nightmare to her but not to the villagers. They knew to stay inside the bunker in times such as those. Nothing that could harm them outside could get them. However, there was a reason why the elders paced about anxiously and why Hilda's brows like many of the adults present were furrowed in worry. 

The bunker protected them from most of the outside; the unbearable cold always grew more intense with each passing Act leading to some deaths as well as the risk of death by starvation as the time for the Act lengthens. These villagers knew to expect death, it was only a matter of when and who.

"Every time it's a wonder how we survive."

"I wonder who's going to leave us this time? "

"It's getting colder…"

Multiple grumbles fell on her ear as she passed by the acting guards carrying some ingredients for the food. She kept her hands busy with the cooking.

Soon, noon came and so did a portion of the food. 

"As long as we ration well, the food should last us" Hilda said with trepidation in her voice. The others hummed in agreement, busting themselves with finding a balance between good ventilation and warmth. The raging cold had been banging against the walls of the bunker threatening to break in and real chaos. 

It was evident they wouldn't last long. A fever had begun to make its rounds affecting more than half the village and the medicine had run out a couple of hours ago. Some's conditions had become critical and felt as though they were a moment away from entering Death's Gates. 

"The situation isn't optimistic"

"It's not" Riley agreed.

"If that's the case then, …" Hilda walked to the crate of gas masks and strapped one on," I have to look for herbs"

"In this cold?" Riley's voice quivered laced with worry.

"I won't be long."

"Are you sure? What about the mist?"

"I will be fine, Lasse. I know what I am looking for so it shouldn't take much time". Hilda walked towards the back and pulled open a white tarp that concealed a trap door.

"Does that lead to outside?"

"It does". Hilda with all her strength pulled open the wooden door. From the opening, a sinister smell drifted slowly into the bunker. Without hesitation, Hilda immediately jumped inside disappearing from view.

Riley watched her forlorn and anxious. She hoped Hilda would be alright.

"She will be fine." Riley almost jumped in surprise as she felt a hand on her back. She turned to see the Village head.

"How are you so sure?"

" My mother knows her way around herbs."

"If you say so," Riley said, her voice pregnant with worry.

"Don't fret kid, she will be fine."

"I know…" He ruffled her hair and walked off.

She watched his back as he went to interact with some of the women. From the first time they met, he had always been so nonchalant. What a strange man.

Suddenly, a voice called out to her disturbing her thoughts, it was one of the villagers asking for help with something. 

'I will think about it later. I am needed right now' she rushed to help the villager.

*********

It was dark. 

Hilda could barely see and could only use her hands to guide her forward. She could hear crunching with every step she took. From what exactly, she preferred to not know. 

She could see the mist, rolling in tufts of cloud. It was a dark purple and carried a sinister aura. A chill ran down her spine as she felt goosebumps.

One whiff of that meant certain death. Hilda had been alive for long and had had her fair share of near-death experiences but the one to never take lightly was that of the Act.

She had to tread carefully. Clenching her wrinkled fist, she walked on into the mist, her hand touching the cave wall.

All she could see was purple. With no clear vision of where to go, all she could trust was that the path led to the outside. 

After a few hours, she had made no progress. All her energy was drained: her muscles were weak from the overexertion and her heart throbbed with an uncomfortable pain. She plopped to the ground with a ragged breath, clutching the fabric above her chest. Her vision was blurry and her body ached everywhere.

Was she to die here? What about her grandbabies? The lasse? Was it about time for her to meet her husband?

She refused to give up and used her arms to prop herself up and began crawling on the ground, grazing herself against rocks and the like. Bloody wounds formed on her stinky skin and dust and grime coated her face acting like a second skin. 

Time passed. Her eyes lit up as she noticed a faint illuminating glow emanating from the purple. Immediately she picked up the pace, ignoring the gory wounds that blemished her already ruined skin.

" Almost there…" her voice strained without any trace of energy. She reached out and her fingers grazed a whiff of the mist that led to light when a strong force pushed her back. She tumbled backwards, leaving her groaning and moaning: she had smashed her head on a rock with the impact making her stumble backwards crashing onto the ground. 

She felt the blood warm her skin as it trickled to her chin, dripped and seeped into the ground. Her vision was getting blurry and her heart ached gain. She weakly clutched her chest, shivering slightly as tears streamed down her face.

'I am going to die' She had accepted her death was inevitable. She had hoped to have gotten rid of her damn curse before kicking the bucket. She had hoped to find her daughter. There were many things she had hoped to do.

Her eyes were about to close, and her breathing was getting steadier.

"I hope the lasse isn't tricked by him" she muttered softly, almost at her last breath.

Suddenly—

"Madam Hilda, are you alright?" A voice called out to her just before her world went dark.

'Who is that?'