Текст книги "Frozen"

Автор книги: L.A. Casey

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

Neala was gone.

I woke up roughly five minutes ago, and after I went to the now safe to enter bathroom to relieve myself, I opened the living room door and popped my head around to see of she was okay, but she wasn't there – which was weird. When I went to sleep last night she was snuggled up on the couch, but now she, and the spare blanket I gave her on Friday night, were no where to be seen. It was darker than last night because all of the candles were blown out, but I re-lit them to brighten the room up. I had a large lit candle in my hand as I walked around the living room and checked behind the couch and every other part of the room where Neala could be sitting or lying down, but there was still no sign of her.

There was sign of the doll box though so I picked it up and brought it into my room were I put it in the top drawer of my dresser. I wasn't thinking of keeping the doll from her, I just wanted it kept in a safe place. I barely thought of the doll though, I was thinking about Neala and curiosity got the better of me so I went in search for my unexpected houseguest.

I left my room and checked my dining room and like the living room, it was empty.

"Neala?" I called out.

No reply.

I didn't like silence when Neala was in close quarters with me, it would be a foolish, and dangerous move to assume she wasn't up to something. She probably wasn't up to anything at all, but until I saw it for myself, I was assuming she was up to no good.

"Neala?" I called out again.

I knew she wasn't in my room, but I checked it thoroughly anyway. When that room was in the clear, I went back out into my hallway. I don't know why, but I went to my front door. A vision of Neala somehow getting through the wall of snow flashed through my mind so I rushed forward and opened the door. I breathed out a sigh of what felt like relief when I saw the wall of snow perfectly intact.

I reminded myself I wasn't relieved that she was still here somewhere, just that she wasn't out there dead and encased a block of ice. Her ma would kill me if she died while I slept.

I closed the door and turned around. I walked down the hallway and stopped at the bathroom, I didn't look into my bathtub while I was in there so I knocked on the door and called out Neala's name again. Again, no reply. I opened the bathroom door and shivered, the vent in the ceiling definitely wasn't clogged with snow because cold air from outside was flowing through it perfectly fine.

I closed the bathroom door and continued to walk down my hallway, I paused at my kitchen door for just a moment before I reached for the handle. I opened the door and stepped through the doorway.

"Neala?" I murmured as I poked my head around the door.

No Neala.

Where the hell was she?

I stepped into the room and frowned. It was pretty dark, so I used my candle to light the ones on the counters. When the room was lit I was about to shout Neala's name as loud as I could when I heard the faint sound of a snore. A smile stretched across my face when my eyes locked on the door of my storage room. I walked over to it and knocked on the door.

"Clarke! Are you in there?"

Another snore.

I smirked to myself as I placed my candle on the kitchen counter then moved back to the storage room and used both of my hands to bang on the door as loud as I could. I stopped when Neala screamed, and I laughed when I opened the door and she fell out onto the floor sideways.

"You're a bastard!" Neala moaned from the floor.

I couldn't disagree with her, so I didn't.

"Are you okay, Harry Potter?" I asked as I looked down at her.

Neala hissed. "Harry lived in a cupboard under this stairs, not a kitchen storage room."

I shrugged. "He had no option, you on the other hand had a perfectly good couch to kip on, and yet you came in here to sleep... Why?"

Neala rolled over onto her back and stared up at me. "Your house makes funny noises at night time and it kept me up... so I came in here. Einstein talking every so often made me feel a bit better... like I wasn't alone."

I hated that I felt bad.

"Why didn't you come into me if you were afraid?" I asked curiously.

Neala grunted, "Because I knew you would have told me to get into your bed and go to sleep."

I blinked away the image of Neala spread out on my bed, and I tilted my head as I looked down at her.

"How did you know I would have said that?"

She shrugged. "Because you don't like me being scared out of my mind, unless you're the reason for it."

She had me there.

I gnawed on my inner cheek as I looked her in the eye. "You're right, I would have told you to get into my bed, but it would have been just to sleep. No funny business."

Neala snorted, "I know that."

I frowned. "So why did you come in here then?"

She sighed, "My pride wouldn't let me go to you for help."

I smiled. "You're going to need me eventually Neala, whether it's for a tin of beans, a bottle of water or even for a light for your candles."

She looked away from me. "I'll avoid needing you until absolutely necessary."

I laughed.

Typical Neala.

"Okay, well, I wasn't joking about what I said yesterday evening. We're digging our way out of here."

Neala groaned. "That's not a good idea. The snow has had Friday night and all day yesterday to set, it's going to be hard as ice, and all we have to dig through it is spoons and forks. Trust me, I checked."

I opened my mouth to correct her, but when I realised all my tools and shovels were outside the house in a shed I closed my mouth and huffed. I had a big house, but hardly any furniture to fill it. I only bought what I needed when the house was finished being built. I didn't know how to cook, the extent of my culinary skills was putting a pizza in the oven then taking it out when the timer goes off. And since I didn't cook I had no use for anything in my kitchen except for knives, forks, spoons, a few plates, cups, and the odd bowl for cereal.

"Well, spoons and forks will just have to do."

Neala laughed, "You're crazy."

"Excuse me, but I'm not the one lying on a cold floor laughing like a hyena. Nope, that would be you, nut job."

Neala kicked at me with her legs so I jumped back away from her. "Less of that!"

Neala continued to laugh as she got up to her feet. She snapped her fingers and jumped up and down in a circle around me with nothing but fake enthusiasm. "Let's get to it, boss. Let's dig our way out of here."

I didn't appreciate her sarcasm.

"If you don't wanna help then don't, I'm not going to force you," I snapped.

I turned and walked out of the room.

I hoped I looked rugged and manly, but I was holding a scented vanilla candle to see where I was going so I doubt I looked as hard as I wanted to.

Neala followed me and snickered, "Don't get your knickers in a twist, Miss Daisy. I'm going to help."

I rolled my eyes. "Help me by shutting up."

Neala scoffed from behind me, "You shut up. You're the one who never stops talking."

"Everyone we know would disagree, you could talk for Ireland, chatter box."

"Fuck you, I'm not a chatter box!"

Yes, you are.

"Okay," I said as I set my candle down on the floor.

Neala leaned against the hallway wall and snarled as I walked by her, "Don't just say okay to appease me."

I grinned as I entered my living room. "Okay."

"Darcy!" Neala shouted in annoyance.

God, it was so easy to wind her up.

"I'm only messing with you, Neala," I said, hoping she would hear truth in my voice.

There was, of course, no truth because she was a chatter box – she never stopped talking. Everyone in our village could vouch for me when I say that.

"I don't believe you... What are you doing?"

I sighed as I picked up the lit candles. "Bringing these out to the hall so it will make things easier to see when I dig us out of here."

"When we dig us out of here you mean."

Yeah, right.

"Yep, I meant we."

Neala grunted, "You're such a bad liar, Darcy."

I smiled to myself as I walked by her and headed back out into the hall.

"Could you grab a few other candles from the living room for me? I'll get the spoons and forks."

Neala muttered what I could only guess were rude curse words to herself, but she did as asked and went into the living room to gather more candles. I headed into the kitchen and got some spoons and forks from the kitchen drawers. I looked around for something bigger that would make digging easier, but I found nothing. I regretted not letting my mother buy me a bunch of kitchen shite when I first moved in here, anything would help us right now.

I sighed to myself then walked over to Einstein's cage when she squawked. I opened up the cage door and let her up onto the top of her cage so she could stretch her wings and have a bit of a walk around. She loved her cage, but she loved walking around her cage top even more.

"Shut up, Neala!" Einstein shouted.

I smiled at Einstein just as Neala venomously shouted, "I hate that bloody bird!"

I snickered and rubbed Einstein's head. "Good girl," I whispered lovingly.

I left the kitchen armed with my digging tools and headed back to my front door... that was filled in with snow.

"It's weird how the snow hasn't caved into the hallway, the door has been open a few times and nothing has happened," Neala said as I came up beside her and stared at the doorway filled with snow.

"It hardened while the door was closed, not exactly to ice, but enough for it not to cave in when some space became available."

Neala swallowed. "I can't believe this is happening, we never get this much snow."

I looked to her and raised my eyebrows. "I'll agree that we never usually get this much snow, but for weeks we have been warned that this winter was to be our worst in over fifty years. Why do you think I, and everyone else, stacked up on tinned food and bottled water in case of a blackout or if the roads weren't safe enough for driving?"

Neala shrugged her shoulders. "I've heard the warnings, but the weather people usually get things wrong for us. They forecast clear skies and sunshine and instead we get cloudy skies and heavy rain. The odds were just in their favour this time since they turned out to be right."

I shook my head. "Well, it's done now, and it's caused us to be stuck in here so let's change that. You stand back and I'll get to work on digging us out."

I stepped forward only to be jolted back by small hand that encircled my forearm. "Don't treat me like some unable little woman, Darcy."

"You're an unstable– Ow!" I yelped when Neala grabbed hold of my earlobe and twisted.

"Finish that sentence. I dare you." She twisted harder.

I cried out, "I'm messing, I swear!"

Neala smirked at me and let go of my ear so I quickly placed my fingers over my earlobe and rubbed the pain away. The throbbing remained when I removed my hand, but the initial stinging pain went away.

Thank God.

I focused on Neala and glared as hard as I could at her.

"Do that again, and I'll have no mercy as I tickle the life out of you."

Neala blinked her eyes at me, and for a moment she looked shocked... that was until she laughed.

"Wow!" she cackled. "For a second there you looked serious."

I didn't move a muscle in my face.

"I am serious."

Neala stopped laughing and stared at me, unblinking.

"Oh. Well, okay then. I won't touch you ever again."

Excellent.

"Good, now stand back and let me start digging a tunnel. I'm not blowing you off on this, you can help. We will just take shifts... Okay?"

I went into my room and put on a few layers of clothes to warm me up and help keep the cold from the snow out. When I was dressed, I went back out to the hallway and handed Neala some spoons and forks. I kept two spoons for myself, just to help raking through the snow a little easier. I gave Neala a curt nod, but she wouldn't look at me so it went unnoticed. I sighed and turned to the doorway of snow and narrowed my eyes.

I had this.

I got down on my knees and started to scrap the outline of a large circle. Once it was outlined I started to scoop out spoonful's of snow and piled them by my side. Ten minutes of this and I barely made a dent into forming an actual tunnel and an impatient Neala started to huff behind me.

"You're taking forever."

I halted my digging.

"I don't need your pressure right now, Neala."

With that said I began working on the tunnel again, and Neala went back to being silent. Only for an hour or so because she complained about feeling cold so she got her blanket from the storage room as wrapped it around herself. After she wasn't as nippy, she went into my living and kept herself busy with something. I didn't ask what she was up to or go and check on her because I revelled in the silence. It didn't last long though, when she was bored she decided to come back out to the hall and open up her mouth again.

"It's my turn. I've nothing to do and making sure the candles don't blow out is stupid."

My God, woman!

I had a decent tunnel in the making and she still had to complain.

The tunnel was a little bit wider than my body, I matched the length to the width so when we got out of here it would be a smooth crawl for both of us. Neala didn't appreciate that my taking the extra time to widen the tunnel was for her benefit as well as mine.

Ungrateful witch.

"Keeping the candles lit is an important job!" I shouted so she could hear me.

She kicked my leg. "Then you bloody do it."

I was fuming mad, so much for her never hitting me again. She couldn't just let me finish the damn tunnel so we both could get out of here and away from one another.

"Fine!" I snapped and began to wriggle my body to back my way out of the tunnel.

My shoulders hit off the sides of the tunnel with each inch I moved backward. I halted my movement when a noise from above me sounded. Just as I turned my head to the side to look up and see what was happening, snow caved in around me.

The cold of the snow stabbed me like needles, but what was worst was it weighed me down and pressed me to the floor of the tunnel. I tried to move, but I couldn't. I tried to take deep breaths to calm myself down, but breathing became difficult with the snow surrounding me.

Fuck.

This wasn't good.

It all happened in slow motion.

Darcy was shouting at me from inside of the tunnel one minute, and the next his upper body disappeared as the roof of the snow tunnel collapsed in on top of him. It literally collapsed on top of him and now he wasn't moving.

At all.

For at least twenty seconds I did nothing but stare at him then my senses kicked into overdrive.

"Darcy!" I screamed, and threw my blanket off my body as I rushed over to him.

I licked my lips and stared down at his body with wide eyes, and shaking limbs. My heart was slamming into my chest, and each pulse got louder and louder. I could hear each beat my heart took and my ears rang with the noise.

"Darcy!" I shouted hoping he would make a noise from under the snow or at least move his legs.

Nothing.

Not a sound or kick from him.

I really started to worry then, the thought of him drowning crossed my mind. I mean, snow was made of water and he was buried under the snow, which meant he was technically under water right now.

Fuck.

I had to save him.

I dropped my candle to the ground and ignored it as the glass bowl that encased the candle smashed causing it to blow out.

It was darker now, but the rest of the candles along the hallway were still lit so I could see pretty well.

"Darcy, don't worry!" I shouted. "I'm gonna get you out of there!"

I dropped to my knees and began to scoop handfuls of snow off his body. I threw the snow onto the pile Darcy created while digging the tunnel off to my right, but I had to stop because my hands hurt with the cold. I instead moved to Darcy legs and gripped onto them and pulled. I pulled with all of my might and the idiot's body only slightly moved.

"Move!" I shouted and pulled at his legs again.

I held onto Darcy with every fibre of strength I had and pulled again, and by the grace of God, his body moved.

It actually moved.

I was strong!

"Yes!" I cheered.

I scrambled up to Darcy's back when his shoulders became visible. I placed my hands on both of them and pulled as hard as physically possible, the wet floor under Darcy made him slide which made things so much easier for me and my arms.

"You're out!" I cheered.

Darcy was gasping for air so I rolled him over so he could suck in as much air as he needed. His eyes were closed, but his body was shaking. I instinctively placed my hands on his arms, directly on his biceps.

His firm biceps.

Stop it.

I began to rub up and down very fast hoping to generate some heat for Darcy to ease his shivering. All the rubbing was pointless though, unless I got him up off the cold wet floor he would just get sick.

"Darcy, stand up," I said.

He didn't move, nor did he reply to me.

That worried me.

I looked to Darcy's face and found his eyes were still closed. I looked down to his chest and saw it was moving up and down which relaxed me immensely.

"Darcy!" I said loudly, shaking him.

"Darcy!" Einstein called from the kitchen.

I screeched, "Shut up, Einstein!"

Stupid bloody bird.

I looked back down to Darcy when I thought I heard him chuckle, but I was mistaken because he was motionless with his eyes still closed. This wouldn't do, I had to wake him up because we'd be stuck in this house if he didn't fix the tunnel and continue to dig so we could get out of here.

Was that selfish?

"Darcy!" I shouted and shook him, hard.

He groaned and it caused my pulse to spike.

"Neala?" he croaked.

He was alive!

"Yes, Darcy, it's Neala. I'm here. It's okay, I saved you."

I was so proud of myself for saving him, too.

"Neala," he gasped my name again, and this time it was followed by a cough.

I frowned down at him.

Why was he coughing?

"Are you okay?" I asked, genuinely concerned for his well being.

Darcy coughed again. "I don't think so... everything is fading."

Oh, my God.

Fading?

As in fading to black?

"Don't you die and leave me here alone!" I snapped at him.

I may have still hated him close to ninety percent, but I didn't want him to die... I also didn't want to be left on my own with just Einstein for company.

"I'm... I'm dying... Neala."

Oh, no.

"You can't be, you weren't under the snow for that long– Darcy!" I screeched and shook him when he started to go limp.

"Neala," he gasped. "Come closer."

I couldn't believe what was happening.

This was not how things were supposed to end, we were suppose to get out of here... together.

"I'm here, Darcy," I said and swallowed back a sob that wanted to escape.

Darcy's breathing slowed. "I can see the light," he whispered.

I blinked back tears. "Go to the light, Darcy."

Darcy gasped for breath, then all of sudden everything stopped.

His movement.

His breathing.

His everything.

Oh, no.

"Darcy?" I whispered.

Nothing.

Oh, my God.

"Please don't be dead," I said then released the sob that was dying to be let out.

I stared down at Darcy's face, and I couldn't believe what just happened.

He died in my arms.

What was I going to do?

I never even told him I was sorry for giving him the runs, or for all the other times I was a bitch to him, and now I would never get the chance.

I felt like dirt.

I began to cry, but Darcy's body suddenly twitched then he inhaled sharply, and loudly.

I blinked then widened my eyes in shock.

"Darcy?" I whispered.

Darcy blinked opened his big brown eyes.

He was alive!

"Am I in Heaven?" he asked.

He thought he was dead!

Darcy blinked his eyes a couple of times then he flicked his eyes to mine and he stared at me for a long moment before he sighed.

"Nope, not Heaven. This must be Hell if you're here," he said, his face was as serious as if he just told me someone had a heart attack.

I stared down at him then narrowed my eyes.

Ex-fucking-cuse me?

"What?" I asked, completely confused.

Darcy looked at me then burst out laughing.

Laughing!

I gasped and dropped him to the floor.

He grunted in pain, but continued to laugh.

That... that fucking bastard!

He played me.

"You joked about dying?" I screeched.

Who does that?

Darcy's only response was another fit of laughter.

"You evil prick!" I hollered and dove on him.

I grabbed handfuls of the snow from the pile to my right and tried to kill the bastard for real this time by pushing the snow into his mouth and nose. Darcy turned his head from left to right and grabbed at my hands to stop me.

He laughed the entire time.

I was so mad.

I pushed myself up off him and kicked him in the side.

"I knew you really cared about me!" Darcy shouted through his laughter then mimicked my voice. "Darcy, Darcy! Please don't be dead."

"I hate you!" I screamed then turned and stomped down the hallway.

I felt my eye twitch as I slammed Darcy's living room door and separated myself from him, but it was no good, I could still hear the dickhead laughing. I stormed over to the couch and sat down. I folded my arms across my chest and glared at the living room door.

Who pretends to die?

That was not funny.

"Darcy! Go into the light, Darcy," Darcy cried out in the hallway then burst into laughter again.

God.

I bloody hated him a full one hundred percent again.