No More Frozen Bones

Chapter Four

tw: violence 

After the children's soft murmurs dwindled to hushed tones and the sun kissed the bottom of the trees and the horizon, it was time to sleep. Lynn put me in a small tent near the edge of the clearing. When she showed me where I'd be staying, I considered fleeing, but I knew I wouldn't survive a cold night out alone.

At night under the shield of the forest, anyone that chose to travel became encompassed in the dark. Only rare strips of moonlight would seep through the think foliage. The coverings helped to block the wind, but without the help of the sun it would be to cold. The temperature would drop causing detrimental freeze. During the warmer nights of winter, if you cried, bled, or even sweat, it froze to your skin. I couldn't run away through the dark forest. I couldn't sweat and I wouldn't be able to see.

She paired me with a thin boy of a similar build to myself, who I dubbed my "sleep mate." My nose had scrunched up when she slid open the tent, revealing the sock-covered feet of someone I would share a tight space with. He didn't smell the best, either.

They kept the stronger children near the center of the camp so that they could watch them with ease. I wasn't a flight risk. None of the younger ones were. Lynn even went out of her way to warn me how little distance I would make on my own before I dropped dead. The fact that they didn't worry about me leaving caused me to have little faith in myself.

I woke up in the middle of the night to someone ripping open the thin covering of my tent. The protection was only meant to save us from the wind. But, it did little against the rough hands that grabbed my ankles. They dragged me from my sleeping space without shoes.

My coverings soaked with cold. I was dragged against the rough snow. My breathing came out in heavy exhales as I whipped my head around to try to get my bearings. I kicked my feet but a rough jerk of my ankle caused me to cry out in pain. I couldn't see my assaulter, but I knew they were strong enough to carry an eight-year-old. They wanted to cause agony.

They hauled me to a larger tent that was much bigger than the medical one Lynn patched me up in earlier. My tired eyes took in the big pallet of furs at the side and the pairs of boots sat placed beside the sleeping place. Holding my aching side, I fluttered my eyes, trying to clear the fog in my brain. The man who grabbed me stepped into the light of the fire. His blond hair was noticeably deeper without the natural light of the sun.

"Hey, Mallory." Dash ruffled my already tangled hair and pulled me off the ground by my forearm.

I winced as he put pressure on my already throbbing gash.

He chuckled, "Whoops." His smile faded as a shorter figure, yet still towering over me, slipped through the entrance.

"Mallory!" My original captor's haunting blue eyes surveyed my unkempt appearance. His brows furrowed. "I apologize for the rough treatment. Dash tends to get carried away."

I shifted my weight on my feet. The discomfort that came from his glare rendered me unable to think of a response.

"It's okay to be shy." Baker stared at me for another moment before shrugging his shoulders. "I just wanted to welcome you."

Pursing my lips, I rubbed my hand up and down my injured arm.

His gaze fell on my hand's movement. "I'm sorry about that. It's just our way of initiation. I like to think that starting our kids from humble beginnings opens their minds to a greater purpose."

His stare flickered over the roundness of my face. "Look. I heard you have siblings. It's really not a big deal that you didn't disclose it. You didn't know the rules!" Baker's hands trembled at his side. "You still have a chance to begin your time here on the right foot. Let's all start with being honest, okay?"