Rain splattered against the tin roof as I crawled into bed. Still thinking about the story my brother had just read I try not to look around the room at the moving shadows. In the corner of my eye I catch the sight of a movement and pull the covers over my eyes, singing the lullaby mom used to sing. Humming quietly I realizes that that the temperature has dropped. Dreading it, but knowing how important it is to stay warm, especially after what happened to Adreanna, I pull off the cover to grab another blanket. Yet, as soon as the cover is pushed away I’m blinded by a glaring light. Quickly closing my eyes I feel a cold icy drop on my arm soaking through my thin and shabby nightgown. Carefully I open my eyes and dive under the covers again.
A voice calls me by name, “Emily.” I stop shaking at the sound, not really realizing that I had been shaking. I knew this voice somehow. “Emily, come out.” I didn’t dare. Not where I was, if it was where I thought it was. Pop and mom had told me of the horrors that happened here. No, I would just close my eyes and I would wake up later back at home. “I’m just imagining things because of Groff's story.” I whispered to myself unconvincingly as the cold bit into my toes.
“Emily! Come out!” The mysteriously familiar voice boomed out. After a moment of hesitation I peek out from under the covers. Staring at the man covered in black, contrasting greatly against their white surroundings, I look deeper into his face. Still feeling dazed by the light, I looked even closer into the man’s face. I know him from somewhere. “You’re right.” I startled. Right about what? I hadn’t said anything, had I? “No, not really. You can’t until you learn.” What did he mean by that? Learn what, how to speak? I already know how! To prove it I opened my mouth to scream for help. Nothing came out. I tried again. Filing with terror, I backed up against the flimsy frame of my bed. The stranger, who I knew somehow, looked at me with mock compassion. Something sparked in me, but instead of the usual spark that died down, it flared up with a life of its own. Panic filled me as I realized I was heating up.
Smoke curled off of my nightgown. The wisps dying as soon as they left my body, dying in the frigid air. Panicking, I waved my arms around in an attempt to cool off. I thrust myself into the snow under my bed and steam shot into the air, but still I was heating up. I looked at my hands and realized they had started to glow. What did you do to me? I scream-thought in panic at the man. He stood by watching in amusement. In an effort to shake out the heat I whipped out my arm. A blast of heat shot out, leaving a crater in the snow, revealing hard packed earth underneath. Surprised by the cold that overwhelmed me once more, and in a sudden flash of weariness, I collapsed in a heap on the icy snow. Blackness enveloped me as I felt strong arms pick me up.