The Ashwell Challenge: An Anthology

A Hopeful Gift

by T. L. Ashwell

"Everyone has a gift. You just have to figure out what is yours," Grandma told Snow and Ice when they were walking on the iced land.

Snow heard something, but no word came to her mind. She had no idea what she should answer. Meanwhile, she didn't think she had the energy to say a single word. She tried to hide her face in her dark hair, but she actually had no idea how much it could help. Her body staggered a little bit. It might be because of the slippery iced ground or her dizzy head, but it didn't matter since she was still standing and trying to move her feet.

Grandma took a while to organize her breath after that sentence. Now she began, "We will take a break soon. Get some breakfast. I hope we have enough food left. How do you feel, Mammothmeat?"

Mammothmeat was Snow's Mom. She walked in the front of the group and held an ephemeral air screen to block the storm. Snow could see her Mom's emaciated body was shaking from her hands to her feet. Everyone knew it would be impossible to keep moving in the snowstorm without the magical screen. At the same time, staying meant death. Grandma said so.

After another seconds-long breath, Grandma continued, "Hopefully, we are quick enough to avoid being caught by death. Unfortunately, too many things can cause death: food shortages, monsters, weather, ice... We have lost much more than we can bear."

A heavy cough stopped Grandma. Snow moved to her side and supported Grandma's arm. "A little bit more," Grandma said, "Let's try to move a little bit more before taking a break. Sometimes, the slight differences can cause totally different results."

The wind around them was getting stronger and stronger. Snow's mind was not clear at all. However, for a moment, she noticed the weather was not changing, but the air screen was getting weaker and weaker. She had no idea how long and how far they had walked on this day. To her, the endless ice of the land could even freeze time. She didn't have too much sense or control of her own body. It had been a while and she hadn't heard anything from Grandma except Grandma's deep breath. She even couldn't tell whether she was in an endless nightmare or still in the real world. Until her Grandma finally said, "Alright. Let's take a break."

At this moment, Snow noticed it that Grandma holding her instead her of supporting Grandma. Her uncle Blueberry crouched and touched the icy ground. A wave from his shoulders spread into the ice. Then an circular ice wall grew around them fast and closed above their head. Everyone dropped their packages. They set animal furs on the floor and collected some food into a huge stone bowl. Snow's younger brother Ice touched the bowl's bottom. The next moment, a flicker of fire appeared around his hands. At least they still can have some warm food. While they were waiting for the food, Snow's aunt Salmon sat on her feet and closed her eyes. Everyone was too tired to talk. All Snow could hear was the wind outside and the fire dancing in her brother's fingers.

"Food is ready." Ice said.

Grandma stared at Salmon, "How is it going? Did you connect with anyone?"

Salmon had the gift to connect and contact others who had a similar gift despite long distances. She picked up some food from the bowl with her hands. Aunt Salmon didn't eat immediately. Instead, she kneaded the food with her hands to warm them up, "Yes, but no good news. They are still walking in the storms. No one has arrived on that warm land we have heard of yet."

Five months ago, Snow's family left the area they lived in for the hope of the warm and green land. People talked about a lovely warm land hiding after the iced cursed their home for years. They decided to give it a try because Grandma had foreseen the land people described in their stories. "I saw the land from the stories behind the ice and the endless white world. It is real." Grandma told them.