Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Five

It was a few seconds before Hanna could hear the wind howling again through the ringing in her ears. Hanna lifted her head from the snow to gaze upon the decimated structure in front of her. Rubble, ash, and debris rained from above. The sky was filled with smoke as what remained of the castle was in flames. The once magnificent castle was in complete ruin. The blast had thrown her back a ways and she could no longer see DJ or whatever it was he was carrying. Hanna blinked, trying to focus. The explosion was done, but the ground did not stop rumbling beneath her. She attempted to stand only to collapse back into the snow. Hanna had no strength left. Why is the ground sliding? Where is DJ? Where is Lui? Get up! Hanna attempted to lift herself again. She looked up toward the peak of the mountain. That was when she saw it, the avalanche heading straight for her. She watched the snow tumbling, like clouds gathering force as it slid down the mountain. Her heart sank. She could not move. She could not breathe. All she could do was watch. That’s it... It’s over… I can’t stop it... We’re all… 

GET UP! A voice in the back of her head screamed. 

I can’t…

YOU WILL! 

Without thinking, Hanna grabbed the autoinjector from her satchel. She popped open the tube, removed the safety, and jammed it into her own leg. Hanna’s eyes turned red and she took one large gasp of air. Three. Two. One. Heart racing, she shot into the air as if launched from a cannon. Throwing out both arms, she created walls of ice in steps, trying to stop or slow the massive amount of snow coming toward her. Neither worked. I can’t stop it. Hanna drew her sword. Landing between the wreckage of the castle and the doom barreling toward it, she plunged the blade into the ground, blue gemstone in the hilt brightly glowing. Hanna put up one more thick wall of ice, using the sword as an anchor. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she focused on crafting the shield as tall and wide as she could possibly make it. The avalanche crashed into the barrier. Hanna held on to the sword with all her strength, kneeling as she held the shield in place. “NO!” she screamed. The avalanche of snow poured around the barrier while she held on, the roar of destruction drowning every sound. After what seemed like an eternity of holding the snow back, the avalanche slowed and finally stopped. Head pounding and chest heaving, Hanna stood and yanked the sword out of the ground. The wall of ice stayed in place, holding back a sea of snow. She turned around with a slight wobble. The charred ruins of the castle sat untouched behind her, ice and snow fanning out around it. She diverted the deadly force away from her friends, but who knew the damage done further down the mountainside. With shaky breaths and eyes back to blue, Hanna glanced down at her sword hand, fingers fused to the grip in ice. The gemstone was no longer glowing, now dull and dark. With gritted teeth and some effort, she pried her fingers free of the grip and sheathed the blade. 

Hanna flew back around to the castle’s front entrance. Back to where the large boulder sat. Luckily, she spotted a figure clad in blue armor lying in the snow not far from the boulder. “DJ!” She flew to the body and turned him over. “DJ? Can you hear me? Are you okay?!” 

DJ’s eyes slowly opened, but he looked dazed and his voice was faint. “Mel…?” 

“You’re alive! Hang on!” Hanna grabbed DJ’s arms and pulled. 

DJ coughed violently as he came to. “Hanna…? Lui?” 

“I got you,” Hanna said, still dragging, but not making as much progress as she wanted. Just a little farther. She pulled again, stumbling along. “I’m not leaving you here to freeze to death. I’m getting you off this cursed mountain even if I have to drag you the whole way!” Strength already gone again, it took everything in her to drag her friend toward the back of the boulder. With a bit of perseverance, she reached a spot behind the boulder next to the mirror. Hanna leaned DJ against the rock and made sure he wouldn’t fall over before checking on Lui. The mirror was face down in the snow. Please don’t be broken. Hanna lifted the mirror and set it upright against the rock again. Thankfully, the fragile object was not damaged. “Lui?” she asked, brushing away the snow from the surface. She could barely see him, but he was still there. 

“Is Lui ok?” DJ asked. 

“He's out of the castle, but not out of the mirror.” Hanna turned her attention back to DJ. “Are you alright?”

“Think so,” DJ muttered before coughing again. “EO…”

Hanna paused. EDJ. “Is that what you were doing? Did you go back for him?” DJ slowly nodded, eyes closed. “I’ll find him.” Hanna got up and flew back around the boulder. She found the frozen figure half buried in the snow headfirst. She dug the frozen Evil Other out and proceeded to pull him behind the boulder as well. She had just as much trouble dragging EDJ over. When everyone was safely in the same location, Hanna checked on DJ again. “Hey, are you still with me?” Blood was caked on the side of his armor and he had several other burns and cuts over the less protected areas. She dug into the medical supplies on her belt. “You shouldn’t have gone back for him,” she said quietly. 

“I couldn't just let part of me die,” DJ answered weakly, eyes still closed. “I had to rescue him…”

I meant that I should have gone back instead of you, Hanna thought. 

“How’s Lui?” DJ asked. 

Hanna frowned. He already asked that. “Nothing’s changed. I think you hit your head on something,” she muttered, unwrapping some gauze and alcohol swabs. DJ’s head and body suddenly drooped forward. “HEY!” She caught him and sat him up again. “No, no, no, no. Don’t pass out on me. I need you to stay awake. Talk to me. What year is it?” 

“...2002,” DJ answered. He opened his eyes, but blankly stared ahead. “Up… is… down...” 

Hanna’s concern grew. That’s not even close. She waved a hand in front of his face, but he was not particularly responsive. “Who’s the president?”

“...Aragorn,” DJ responded. “No, that was… Washington…” Something was definitely wrong. His head dropped again. 

“DJ? DJ, snap out of it!” Hanna lightly shook him by the shoulders, but DJ could not be revived from his unconscious state. While she could not tell how cold DJ was, she could tell there was very little warmth left in him. “No, please wake up! Please!” She attempted to wake him again, but there was no response. 

Hanna sat back in the snow. She looked at EDJ, still stuck in a block of ice, lying on his side in the snow. She looked at the mirror. The reflection of sunlight and snow blocking Lui’s image made it appear cold and empty. She looked at DJ, unconscious, freezing, and in need of medical attention above that which she was capable of. I don’t have the energy to make a shelter. The castle is still in flames, but I don’t have the strength to drag them back to keep them warm. What am I supposed to do? I can’t do anything… She looked around behind her. Even if she called out for help, who was around to hear her? She had no clue where the closest form of civilization was, assuming it hadn’t been taken out by the avalanche. Hanna looked up at the sky. Soft beams of sunlight broke through the dark smoke and filtered down on the sparkling snow below. I can’t do this by myself... Please… Please help me. There was no answer. No sound, save the howling of the wind. She sniffled, tears returning. Are You listening? Can You even hear me? No answer came from the sky. No answer came from the wind. No answer could be found anywhere. Nothing. Hanna’s shoulders sank. …Are You even there? 

Foolish girl. Haven't you had enough of fairytales? No one is listening. No one is going to save us. Giving up, Hanna wiped her face and attempted to wake DJ again. “DJ?” 

“Seems to me your friend is passed out,” a new voice behind her said. Hanna jumped to her feet and spun around, drawing her sword. The stranger was bundled head to toe in winter weather gear, green jacket standing out against the snowy mountain. How did she miss this stranger sneaking up on her? Between the fluffy hat, snow goggles, and striped scarf, Hanna couldn’t make out who this new person was at all. “Prolly will be for a while,” the stranger continued. “I’m Misty.”