Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Two snowmobiles weaved their way between trees into the thickening timberline farther down the mountain. Misty parked her snowmobile under a ramshackle lean-to. The structure was thrown together at the last minute when the cabin was built under a year ago. It was meant to be a temporary solution until a permanent garage could be added. Alas, it was one of many outstanding projects in Misty’s world. Hanna pulled up into the little space still left under the lean-to. She turned the engine off and stood up, ever holding the mirror with the utmost care. Misty thought it odd that Hanna ditched the parka so easily. Not because she had any attachment to it, the coat was a gift after all, but because of how cold it was. Even in all seven of her layers, the bitter chill was a constant reminder of their situation. She found the cold impossible to ignore. “Aren’t you freezing?” Misty asked. 

Hanna shook her head. “The cold doesn’t bother me. I don’t know about Lui though…” She twisted the mirror around and held it out at arm’s length. “All good?” 

“I'm… ok…” Lui answered. “I… guess… as… long… as… I don't… crack…”

Hanna turned the glass around again before making a face. She watched Misty help DJ off the snowmobile. “We probably should have brought EDJ,” Hanna said, glancing back up the mountain with a frown. “I don’t like leaving him unsupervised.”

“He’s still unconscious and frozen. He’ll be fine where he’s at,” DJ reassured. His head seemed to have cleared, but the temperature was still negatively impacting his mobility. He leaned against the vehicle while Misty unlocked the cabin door. 

“Come on in!” Misty welcomed pleasantly.

Hanna went inside first to set the mirror down somewhere safe. The warmth of the interior hit her face like heat from a sauna. Surprising, though not entirely unwelcome. The inside of the cabin was nicely furnished with large-cushioned chairs, wooden tables, and cozy lights. There was a pristineness to it she was not expecting. While the cabin was fully furnished, it had very little in the way of decorations. The walls were bare and the countertops were clear, save any functional appliances. There was a bookshelf, but the reading selection was slim. The cabin even smelled new, as though it were a place for people to stay, but not to linger. Hanna did not notice or dwell on any of these facts. She set the mirror on the first chair she saw before going back outside to help DJ. Misty held the door open as they shuffled inside. Hanna plopped DJ into the next closest unoccupied armchair, the lancer sinking completely into the oversized cushions. 

“Make yourselves at home,” Misty said as she went to a pile of wood near the empty hearth. She started throwing logs into the fireplace and looked around kindling. “Sorry it’s so cold. The thermostat can only do so much up here, but I’ll get a fire going for ya. Hanna, while I put these in the fireplace can you get the matches out of the drawer right there?” Misty pointed to the end table closest to DJ. She stood up and went into the bedroom to grab another parka and scrap paper. When she returned, Hanna was standing in the same spot as before, face downcast and her arms folded. 

“...never mind. I’ll tell you later,” Hanna whispered, glancing from DJ to Misty with suspicion.  

“Did you find the matches?” Misty asked, walking up to her while crumpling paper into a ball.

Hanna did not respond, but DJ pulled open the drawer and fished out a small box. “I got them,” he answered, lightly tossing the box to Misty.

Misty snatched the box out of the air and set to work getting the fire lit. “Thank you,” she said pleasantly, but gave Hanna a weird look. I know it’s going to take some time for them to fully trust me, but this is annoying. It’s my job to help these people and Hanna isn’t making it any easier. I have no idea how this is going to work out, but I’ll find a way. I shouldn’t worry about it. She’ll get used to me eventually. Once the fire was going, Misty turned back to the group and pulled on her extra parka. “There’s a camp not far from here,” she was saying as she zipped up the coat. “I’m going out to get medical help and food supplies. I won’t be gone long. Please stay here until I get back, okay?” Misty waited until both DJ and Hanna acknowledged her instructions with nods before leaving, closing the door behind her. 

Hanna listened to the snowmobile start up and drive away before speaking. “She's gone again… Maybe we can finally talk in peace, eh?” She sat on a sofa opposite of the chairs Lui and DJ were in. 

“Heh, it would appear that way,” DJ answered, voice tired. 

Hanna watched the mirror. Lui’s form was more visible in the cabin now. Instead of his head and shoulders taking up most of the frame, now he appeared further away. He looked like he was sitting in a corner of the background, leaning against a wall. His hands and arms were tucked behind his back, looking strangely uncomfortable. In spite of this, he was asleep. The reflection of fire in the hearth flickered across the glass. Hanna looked away, turning back to DJ. “How do you feel now?” she asked softly, not wanting to wake Lui. 

“Okay, I guess,” DJ answered, head tilted back and eyes closed. “Aside from a massive headache, I’m feeling better.” Now that the numbing cold was starting to subside, pain radiated from his side and his whole body ached. The warmth of the cabin and the comfort of the armchair dispelled any motivation to move. Rest was what he needed most. Food too, eventually. But for now, rest and sleep. 

“I… I wanted to apologize,” Hanna started. “For what happened.” DJ slowly lifted his head and looked at her with a raised brow. “I got you into this,” she said with remorse in her voice and expression. 

“You are completely forgiven. Don’t worry about what’s already happened.” He leaned his head back again. “We have enough to think about right now.” 

“I know, but I keep thinking about it,” she continued. “I… I gave up hope. I doubted you. I doubted Lui. And I doubted myself. I doubted that evil could ever be defeated.”

DJ lifted his head again. Hanna was staring at the floor, hands wringing in her lap. No sleep. With a heavy breath and some effort, DJ pulled himself forward and sat up. “Well, sometimes I think that way too,” he said, gravity in his words. “But I have to remember what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. We’re doing it the right way.” She looked up at him with confusion. Maybe the cold is still playing with my mind. “Does that make any sense?” he asked. 

Hanna shook her head. “You don’t get it. Lui warned me about going to face EDJ alone. You both did. And I ignored you. I left you behind. And then when you both showed up at the castle… I yelled. I told you to leave.” She resumed staring at the floor. “EDJ won. He pulled out the side of me I never wanted anyone else to see. And now the whole world’s seen it.” 

“You don’t know that,” DJ offered, but Hanna cut him off. 

“Lui asked me not to go and I went anyway. Now look at him…” Her voice held anger. Hanna looked up at DJ. “I got you into this mess. I need to know what to do to make it up to you.”

It was DJ’s turn to be confused as his brows drew together. “It’s already been taken care of,” he answered plainly.

“What do you mean ‘it’s taken care of?” Hanna asked. Now they were going in circles. 

DJ exhaled. “You don’t need to do anything to re-earn our friendship… I guess that’s what I meant,” he answered, partially still wondering if his words were making sense and when the headache would go away. The headache being the physical pain in his head, not Hanna. “Look,” he started, trying to salvage the conversation. “While it was brave, going to face EO alone was a mistake. Giving in to your evil side was… a small lapse in judgment.” He lightly shrugged. “Everyone makes mistakes, Hanna. I’ve made mistakes too. We can’t erase the past, but we can move forward from it.”

“We’re still friends?” she pressed, as though she didn’t believe him. “After all that’s happened?” 

“Of course,” he reassured with a smile. “I’m not going to just throw away a friendship so valuable after one mistake.” 

Hanna frowned. “Why not? How could friendship with me be of any value? All I do is almost get you killed…”

DJ’s patience persisted. “You’re completely leaving out all the times you saved our lives. You coming to our rescue at the North Pole, getting us to Svalbard, even at the castle. You took the actions you did to protect us. When the castle blew up, you could have left us to die, but you didn’t. You stayed.”

“Of course I stayed,” she responded, sounding insulted. “I couldn’t let you die.” 

“That’s my point,” DJ continued. “Not to mention all the good times we enjoyed before this conversing about anything and everything. And all the time you spend with Lui. The way you care for him, even now in his condition…” He gestured to the mirror. Hanna looked away, cheeks flush. “We’re still friends,” DJ finished. 

Hanna stayed quiet for a moment. “Thank you,” she said softly. “It makes me very happy to call you both my friends.” She smiled. With a nod, DJ sank back into the chair and closed his eyes again. Hanna watched the mirror. Lui was still asleep. She had a funny feeling he would have repeated everything his Original said, in his own way, if he could. Still friends. Hanna curled up on the sofa, head against the armrest. The only sound in the cabin now was the crackling and popping of the fire. Still friends. I can take all the silence in the world as long as I know we're still friends.