Chapter 3: Chapter 3

ANNABELLE

The wind howled, stirring me from my sleep. An icy chill enveloped my trembling body as I forced myself to sit up.

I rubbed my arms for warmth, the thin fabric of the worn-out hoodie offering little protection against the cold. The fire had died out during my unplanned slumber. My teeth chattered and my hands shook as I collected some logs and kindling, placing them into the hearth.

Crouching down, I fumbled with the flint. After a couple of attempts, a small flame engulfed the twigs, quickly spreading over the log. A moan of pleasure escaped my lips as I basked in the heat.

Outside the cabin’s small, rectangular windows, the snow was continuing to fall, the heavy banks nearly reaching the windowsills and making it dark inside. It was hard to tell if it was early morning or late evening.

I slowly stood up from the hard floor, stretching my stiff, shivering body. The satisfying pop of my joints brought a sigh of relief before I shuffled over to the bed.

Blake had managed to fall asleep, his steady breathing a comforting sound. My gaze fell on his covered legs. I pulled back the blankets slightly, and even though his sweatpants hid the bandage, I was relieved to see no signs of fresh bleeding.

With a weary sigh, I covered him back up, moving to stoke the fire and eyeing our dwindling firewood. Would we have enough to keep warm?

I tried to relax, leaning back in the chair and closing my eyes. Sleep seemed elusive now. The chair wasn’t very comfortable, but I wasn’t about to stretch out on the cold floor.

I wished I had asked for a blanket or an extra layer of clothing before Blake fell asleep. I couldn’t bring myself to wake him. He needed his rest.

A sleepy voice startled me.

“You’re probably freezing. Come here.”

“I’m okay, really,” I protested, turning to Blake. “The fire just went out. It will warm up soon.”

“Come here,” he repeated.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle,” I reassured him.

An aggravated sigh came from the bed.

“Either come here or I’m going to stand up and bring you over here myself. You don’t want that, do you?” His voice was soft but firm.

“Aren’t you a demanding one,” I remarked, tilting my head in disbelief.

“Only when I need to be,” he replied. “So, what’s it going to be?”

I sighed, rising from the chair and moving toward the bed.

“Climb in,” he instructed, pulling back the blankets.

“Oh n-no,” I stammered. “You can just tell me where I can find another blanket or something. That should be more than enough. The chair is really not that bad.”

I started to back away, but he grabbed my wrist.

“Stubborn woman,” he muttered, pulling me toward him.

I pulled back. “Blake, you’re injured. And besides, sleeping together wouldn’t be very appropriate considering the fact that we’re complete strangers.”

“Annabelle, it’s cold. The bed is warm. Nothing inappropriate about staying warm,” he assured me as I sat on the edge.

“What if I accidentally kick you in the middle of the night or something like that?” I asked.

“Then I’ll push you out of the bed,” he chuckled. “I promise I don’t bite.”

“How can I be sure?” I asked, already settling beneath the covers as his body heat enveloped me.

“You’ll just have to trust me,” he responded, amusement in his voice.

“Well, that’s very reassuring,” I snickered.

“Go to sleep, Annabelle,” he replied.

“Good night,” I yawned as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying his warmth.

***

My eyes opened as something solid shifted beside me. Blake’s weak, vulnerable moan reached my ears as I sat up, rubbing my eyes and trying to catch what he was muttering.

“I didn’t do it… I didn’t do it.”

I furrowed my brow, watching him. Drops of sweat dotted his forehead, and his face was flushed. His features tensed up in barely contained pain, and a soft groan left his lips as he turned away from me, his breathing ragged.

I nervously bit my bottom lip.

~Is he having a nightmare? Should I wake him?~

“Father,” he murmured, shaking his head. “No…”

His hands tightly clenched the blankets, his knuckles as white as the snow outside. I shook his arm, trying to rouse him.

“Blake!” I called, but he didn’t open his eyes.

Lifting a hand, I laid my palm against his forehead. He was burning up. I shot off the bed, looking for a bowl and cloth as he continued mumbling incoherently.

I found both, filling the bowl with cold water before pulling a chair over by the bed. I sat, dipping the cloth in the cool liquid and gingerly patting Blake’s face with it before placing it over his brow.

“It’s okay,” I whispered as I caressed his damp hair. “You’re going to be all right.”

The whimpers receded, and his breathing finally evened out. Silence enveloped the room once more.

Letting out a sigh, I let my head fall onto the mattress.

~What was that about? Was Blake a fugitive? What was it he didn’t do?~

“So thirsty,” said a weak voice.

I rushed to get a glass of water and helped Blake rise enough to drink it. He leaned heavily into me as he sipped, his body shivering.

I put the glass on the chair when he finished and laid him down. His eyes fluttered closed.

“Annabelle,” he called out in a hoarse voice.

“It’s okay. I’m here. You’re not alone. I’m right here with you,” I reassured him, gripping his hand.

His thumb gently caressed mine, surprising me, before he went limp, passing out once again.

***

I spent the next couple of hours tossing some wood into the hearth to keep the fire going and changing out the cloth on Blake’s head to ease his fever.

When his stomach rumbled, I looked through the cabinets for something that would be easy for him to eat. I found some canned chicken soup in the back and warmed it over the fire.

“Blake,” I called as I gently shook his shoulder.

He hummed.

“Blake, you need to eat something before you can take more Tylenol,” I said. “I’ve got some soup. I’m going to help you sit up, okay?”

A groan came back in response. I wrapped his heavy arm around my neck, placing my hand under his back and pulling him into a somewhat-up position.

“Is it okay if I feed you?”

Silence.

“Please?” I asked.

After a few moments, he nodded slightly. Grabbing the bowl, I carefully ladled some soup onto the spoon and blew on it before moving it in Blake’s direction.

After he had eaten a decent amount of soup, I made him take a few Tylenols before I let him lie down and fall back asleep. I dipped the cloth in the cool water, watching him as I patted his face and neck.

Blake was quite handsome. Long eyelashes gracefully kissed his pale cheeks, and his lips, though slightly chapped, were plump. Nothing a little balm wouldn’t fix.

I stared, certain that we’d never met before even though something about his face looked familiar.

~Who is this man?~

***

I jumped at the sound of whimpering. I had unintentionally fallen asleep in between tending to the fire and keeping watch over Blake.

My eyes fell to the dying flames. I groaned, quickly standing up and tossing some of the last logs onto the embers. I waited for them to catch fire before I headed toward Blake.

The wind continued to howl outside as I removed the cloth from Blake’s forehead. It was still dark in the cabin. Had it been a day or two since I found Blake? Three, maybe?

I rubbed my eyes, redirecting my attention to the man in question. His face had a thin sheet of sweat over it, but his cheeks looked less flushed. Placing my hand on his forehead, I smiled when it was warm but not burning. He was still running a fever, but it was slightly better.

I yawned as I reached for the bowl of water, rewetting the cloth and settling it back on his brow. I headed back toward the fire, staring at the depleted firewood stack. I needed to get some more wood quickly.

I started searching for something to cut logs with. Surely, Blake had an axe. After a few minutes, I spied a wooden handle peeking out from under the bed. Getting down on my hands and knees, I pulled the axe out.

Blake groaned as I stood, his eyes fluttering behind closed lids. I leaned the axe against the table before checking on him, patting his chest.

“I’ll be back in a sec, okay?” I whispered.

I turned, grabbing the coat and gloves I found earlier and slipping them on as I prepared to go outside. A large hand weakly clasped around my wrist.

“Don’t go,” Blake said weakly, his drowsy hazel eyes begging.

“It’s okay. I’ll be back soon. I just need to get some firewood, okay?” I replied softly.

“Promise?” he asked.

“Yeah, I promise,” I replied, placing my free hand around Blake’s.

“Be careful,” he added.

I nodded. Releasing a sigh, Blake closed his eyes and hesitantly let go of my wrist.

I walked over to the table and picked up the axe, stepping outside quietly. The frigid wind instantly woke me up as my feet sank into the snow-covered floors. I shivered, my breath fogging before me as I watched the snow fall beyond the porch.

~It’s kind of nice to be hidden from the world up here for a bit~, I thought. ~I bet it’s beautiful when the sun is out. So quiet. So peaceful.~

I sighed, turning to look around. Against the side of the cabin was a pile of uncut logs. A large round stump was beside it. I walked over, brushing the snow off the stump and dragging one of the full pieces from the pile before balancing it on top.

Taking the axe into both hands, I lifted it up and staggered back, surprised by its weight. I steadied myself and swung down with all my might.

There was a loud crack as steel met wood, and I shouted victoriously. Raising it again, I aimed for the same spot but missed it by a couple of centimeters. The same thing happened the next few times, making me release a frustrated growl.

This was more challenging than it seemed in the movies. Giving up wasn’t an option though. We needed to stay warm.

I tried again and again, until finally, the log split in half. It took me a while, but eventually I found my rhythm, and soon I had a tidy stack of wood piled up. I carried it inside, stomping off the snow and setting my hard-earned firewood by the hearth to dry out.