Name: Eva Gardner

Grade: Sophomore

Extracurriculars: Art and Creative Writing Club

Name of Piece: Cold

Prompt: “I won’t let you die”
“I don’t think that’s how it works”
“I am death, darling, I decide how it works.”

Favorite Genre: Fantasy

“I started writing because it was one way I could put down my thoughts instead of just going crazy. I continue to write because my mind never stops and my stories/characters continue to grow. My best friend asked me to join the writing club.”

Cold by Eva Gardner

Cold blue lights washed over them. They were different now. All because Delta couldn’t stay still. All because Delta couldn’t control his temper. Now they stand apart, cold and covered in blue light. 

They need someone to help them. But the ones who foolishly come closer are never able to help. They all end up the same way; cold and alone. There was nothing they could do. They couldn’t stop the blue hazy lights. They couldn’t stop the cold from spreading. They couldn’t stop from forgetting. 

They gave up a while ago. It was hard to tell how long ago. Was it weeks? Or was it years? Zan said it didn’t matter any more. They were stuck like this. They were stuck until Sable noticed two fools coming closer. 

Fools. Lyric always called them fools. She called everyone fools. It was understandable; she’s the one who’s been here the longest. It was also understandable that she didn’t believe that either one of the new fools could help them. The blind leading the blind, Lyric said. 

Reo had a weird dream. Reo doesn’t usually have weird dreams. Her mother is always telling her the possible means behind these weird dreams. Her mother is Always telling her to follow her dreams. And that’s just what Reo was doing. 

Reo led Remi further into the woods. Woods that concealed Delta, Zan, Sable, Lyric, and the seven other fools who were bathed in cold, blue light and their own emotions. Some of them did believe they would get help. The rest wouldn’t allow themselves to get their hopes up. 

Delta still couldn’t control his temper. Even when they were so close to getting help. He refused to let one fool get away while the other fool stayed to rot and forget. The others pleaded with him. ‘The one who got away will help us. Just let them go.’ But Delta was too consumed by anger. Delta was too consumed by the cold and the blue light that wouldn’t let him rest. 

Remi ran. Remi ran and ran and ran. Even when everything was wrong. When everything wasn’t right. When the darkness became a friend and the woods became the true home of the missing and the lost. 

Cold blue lights suffocated Remi that night. The voices came and went. Voices that were familiar. Voices that were new and unknown. And the cold grew. The cold spread into their lungs, into their heart, into their soul. Remi was different now. Half of what they used to be. Half alive. Halfway towards death. 

~

Delroy was just one of the many faces of death. His scythe giving him the power of death, as well as the power of justice and liberty. His days and nights, years and eternity spent leading the lost. His few minutes and hours alone were spent watching the living dance. 

Delroy always watched from afar. He watched from afar until someone pulled him closer. Someone like Remi. Remi showed him he could still be close to the living and the dead. He didn’t have to walk among the shadows like the others. He could walk besides Remi. 

Except, Remi was no longer the careful type. They took risks that weren’t always worth the reward. Delroy kept a close eye on Remi. Especially when he realized that Remi was halfway towards death. Halfway towards him and the point of no return. 

It was all too common for Delroy to find Remi much too close to death than what he would like. Remi would fly too close to the sun. These moments afterwards were always quiet. 

“I won’t let you die.” 

“I don’t think that’s how it works.” 

“I’m death, darling, I decide how it works.” 

There was a pause, making Delroy mentally curse himself, his mind going too fast to see Remi’s smile. His mind finally slowed down when Remi leaned against his side, taking his calloused hand into their bandaged one.