Chapter Sixty-Eight

Chapter Sixty-Eight

The cabin was quiet after the strangers left. Peace at last. “Wow, they took off pretty fast,” Hanna commented, breaking the silence. 

DJ nodded with a yawn. He looked at his watch. 23:19. Maybe they should have rested after all. No helping it now. “Was there any soup left?” he asked hopefully. 

Hanna looked into the soup pot. “Nope. Are you still hungry?” She moved the empty dish to the sink. 

DJ shook his head. “I’m good right now.” He looked back at the frozen EDJ, realizing he would have to somehow drag his EO out of the cabin and back up the mountain. It wasn’t a job he was looking forward to. His thoughts wandered to Lui. The Other still looked asleep. Lui was going on eight or nine hours stuck wherever he was. That alone couldn’t be good for him. At least he could sleep, that was something. Something was better than nothing. Maybe they could talk to him again when he woke up. “Better get going.” DJ let out a tired sigh before he walked over to EDJ. Surprisingly, the Evil Other was still contained. Hanna would have to reinforce the prison again at some point before he gets the chance to break out. The melting ice made it impossible to do anything more than slide the frosty block across the floor. DJ did just that, sliding the frozen EO to the exit, leaving a trail of water and slush behind. He opened the door and walked out into the freezing cold of the mountain. 

DJ shivered, the cold air waking him up. He didn’t like having to leave the warm, cozy cabin behind, but it was necessary to get off the mountain and rescue Lui. It was still light outside when they entered the little cabin. Now, the woods were dark. Different. Too many shadows. If the moon was present tonight, it was hidden behind the trees. There was no light save what poured out onto the snow from the cabin windows. Hopefully Hanna remembered the way back to the castle because he sure didn’t. Not in this darkness. He didn’t have the energy to light up the area with magic either. He dragged EDJ through the door and into the snow, hauling the popsicle to the snowmobiles. There was a light dusting of snow over them. DJ’s face scrunched up as he stared at them. Strange. Both of them are still here. Where’d Misty go that she didn’t have to use a snowmobile to get to? I don’t think Ace and Jester had snowmobiles either… At least, I didn’t think I heard them… He shook his head and returned to his task. It was too cold to stay out here pondering. He had been on Everest far too long to fully appreciate the awe of his location any more. Maybe the next leg of their journey would lead them somewhere bright, sunny, and warm. One could hope. 

Hanna was going to help DJ move his Evil Other, but paused and looked around the cabin. Dirty dishes were still in the sink, the countertop was a mess, and the coffee table was out of place with mud on it from Jester’s boots. Flower petals, dirty water, and slush covered the floor. Something about the uncleanliness greatly irritated her. Not that she wasn’t irritated already. The cabin was pristine when they entered. Leaving it in this state didn’t sit well with her, especially when the kind and hospitable host was absent. Hanna started by clearing off the counters, throwing away trash and collecting any scattered dishes. She washed the dishes in the sink and placed them in a rack to dry. Taking a rag, she wiped down the coffee table and scooted it back into place between the couch and armchairs. She gathered all the books still left out and placed them back on the shelf, even the ugly yellow one with the twisted face. She could not find a mop, but she found a broom. Using that and the dirty towel Misty brought out for the melted ice earlier, she made her own mop and cleaned the floor as well as she was able to. The cabin wasn’t perfectly clean by the time she was finished, but at least it didn’t look like the aftermath of a bad storm.

DJ walked back into the cabin. “I think I got EDJ loaded up to where he won’t fall off while we travel.” He noticed Hanna sweeping up and throwing out the last of the flower petals that were on the floor. He looked around for a way to help only to realize all the chores were already taken care of. “If you had waited a moment, I would have helped you clean...” 

“I know,” she replied, putting away the broom. She took one final look around. “I wanted to thank Misty for letting us use her cabin, but I don’t think she’ll be back before we leave.” 

“You can always leave a note,” DJ suggested, moving to collect the mirror before he went back outside.

Hanna nodded, grabbed a paper and pen, and paused with her pen in the air. What was she supposed to say? Hanna was not good with words. In the heat of the moment, her words flew out without a second thought, usually to the detriment of everyone around her. Written words weren’t much better. The last time she wrote a proper thank you note, it came off sounding pretentious and insincere. Too many big words. She didn’t really know Misty that well and she didn’t know if she would ever see her again, but Misty showed her true friendship. Misty stayed and helped when she didn’t have to. She offered them shelter, food, and medical attention. She even offered the coat off her back. She saved Hanna and her friends outside EDJ’s castle. That meant something to Hanna, even if she couldn’t find the right words for it. And how had she responded to Misty’s kindness? Hanna was rude, untrusting, ungrateful, and self-absorbed. Every time Misty spoke, Hanna cut her off. Misty tried to tell her something important and now she was gone. Hanna let out a frustrated sigh. She owed her. Maybe one day Hanna could pay her back. Maybe. One day. Until then, Hanna jotted a couple lines down on the scrap of paper, collected the last of her supplies, and left the cabin, tightly closing the door behind her. 

Thank you, friend. 

~ Hanna

**********

Hanna took a deep breath of fresh mountain air when she stepped outside. The cold, night air felt so much better than inside that stuffy cabin. She looked up at the sky. Between the trees and cabin roof, she could see stars shining through the darkness. She’d be able to see them better once they were out of the woods. DJ was on one of the snowmobiles with EDJ secured to the seat behind him. He was trying to figure out how he was going to juggle the mirror, driving the snowmobile, and making sure EDJ didn’t fall off. “Here.” Hanna reached out, offering to take the mirror off his hands. 

“Thank you,” DJ said, handing her the mirror. As she carefully took the glass object, a look he had never seen before crossed her face. He could not place exactly what it was and he never saw it again.

Hanna twisted the mirror to face outward while she gently held it close in her arms. “I don’t need to drive,” she said softly. “I’ll just fly next to you, if that’s okay.” 

“Yeah, that sounds good,” DJ answered. “Do you know the way?” 

Hanna nodded. She looked away and pointed in the direction DJ assumed the castle was in before she smiled back at him. “Shall we?” 

He grinned and started up the snowmobile. “After you.”