The Cold

PART V; THE LAST HOPE (Finale Pt.2)

"Willow?" Ted asked, making sure he heard right. "Yeah" the girl said, mumbled between sobs. "How old are you honey?" he asked. "I'm six" she responded. "Is that man out there your dad?" Ted continued. Willow nodded, still crying.

"GET OFF ME" Abel yelled.

Ted ran out the door and into the hallway, pulling the pistol out of his pocket and preparing for the worst. He opened Abel's door. Phil was on top of him, and Abel was fighting him off. "TED HELP" he screamed, Ted aimed his gun towards Phil and went to shoot. He thought for a second and changed his mind. Ted ran to the bed and pulled Phil off, he pushed him onto the ground and kneeled on his chest. "That girl in the locked room, that's your daughter isn't it?" Ted asked, holding the gun to his head. Phil nodded gasping for air. "That room was full of kids wasn't it". He nodded again. "You ate them didn't you". Phil nodded. Ted stood up, letting air flow back into Phil's lungs, he gasped as he took deep breathes. Ted thought to himself and raised his gun to Phil's head.

BANG! BANG!

Abel sat up, taking deep breathes trying to control his breathing, his heart raced. Alex ran through the door, holding his gun and thinking the worst. He lowered his gun when he noticed Phil's dead body lying at the head of the bed, "Jesus". Abel sat in his bed shivering, teeth marks in his shoulder. "He was trying to eat me Ted" Abel began, bursting into tears. Ted moved to his brother and held him. Alex became aware of little footsteps approaching in the hallway, he raised his gun and prepared to shoot. "NO ALEX STOP" Ted shouted. Alex watched as the little girl approached from the shadows. She wore light clothes, old clothes, and she was covered in blood. "Where's the man" she asked. Ted walked into the hallway and slowly walked towards the girl. "I'm here" he reassured. "Who is this?" Alex asked. "His daughter" Ted replied.

The morning came as it always did. Alex felt a sense of relief knowing it was just him and the group that he trusted once again. Abel was still traumatized from the night before, he sat, staring at the coffee that Ted has just made. The steam bounced off and the inside of the cup began to condensate around the rim. Ted slid a plate of warm food across the table to the young girl, who now wore clean clothes and had been cleaned up. "Here, eat this" he said. Willow picked up her fork and began to eat the food, she clearly hadn't eaten for a while. "What's the plan Ted" Alex began, "where do we go from here, what do we do with her?" he continued. Ted sipped at his coffee, for he didn't know how to answer his questions. "I guess we take off today and get to the compound, and we take Willow with us" Ted answered, smiling at Willow as he mentioned her name. She smiled back, she trusted him.

"Where's your sister" Alex asked, he remembered the photo, there were two girls. "Daddy ate her, I think I was next" Willow answered, she stopped eating. "He would go out and take kids and bring them back and put them in his room" she continued. Ted and Alex listened in horror. Abel wasn't paying attention.  "She can come with us" Alex whispered, Ted agreed. "We'll leave today and get to the compound, and we can take her too" Ted explained. "Is he okay?" Alex asked, switching his attention to Abel who now sat on the couch. Ted shook his head. "That must have been how she felt" Alex said, with a sudden sense of despair. "Don't do that" Ted continued, "you're just going to upset yourself". Alex put his drink down and went upstairs to start getting his things together.

"Okay are we all good to go?" asked Ted. Everyone stood around, wearing warm clothes and with their backpacks and weapons. Everyone nodded. Ted picked willow up and held her close as they made their way back out into the dark. The cold hit them quickly, Willow shivered and snuggled closer into Ted, who held her tight. The door slammed shut behind them and they were off. The cold wind pushed Willows hair in her face. "Ted, my hair" she mumbled between shivers. Ted took off his wool hat and placed it on her head, over her ears. She smiled and snuggled back into him. Ted imagined Alice walking with them, he pretended Willow was their daughter and they were a happy family.