I don't know what happened.

One second everything is black, and I'm begging for the darkness to end.

Next thing I know, everything is white and cold and I'm trying to get to shelter - a sad thing with frozen wood.

It was so cold. God, why was it so cold?

I breathed into palms, trying to warm my hands up. My knees came up to my chest and I held my arms in between. Sobs racked my body with fear, emotions I couldn't explain building in my chest.

I heard footsteps, barking, and some sort of power turning on after who knows how long.

I couldn't move, and the footsteps came quickly to where I was attempting to hide from the cold.

After a second, I looked up and saw a man fully clothed and layered; a hood, hat, goggles, and scarf over his head.

"Please," I whimpered. "Don't hurt me."

He came closer, taking off his goggles and scarf and I backed further into the wall, pressing into it and whimpering.

He noticed my fear as clear as day, and kneeled down with hands up, trying to calm me.

It didn't work.

Tears fell from my eyes and froze on my cheeks until he spoke. I couldn't look at his eyes, I was too scared.

"It's ok. I won't hurt you. You're safe now. You're safe."

It only calmed me a bit, and he carefully came closer and hugged me. I flinched and tried to get away before the cold pierced my skin and halted my escape attempt.

The hug provided a bit of warmth and it was all I needed before I blacked out.

∘❄⋆✶⁎∘❄⋆✶⁎∘❄⋆✶⁎∘❄⋆

When I woke up, it was warmer than before. I still shivered, but it was enough so that I could breathe and not freeze to death in the process.

I took a deep breath of the warm artificial air and held my hands to my chest. My fingers were still black, almost as if they were permanently discolored or charred.

Looking around, I noticed I didn't know where I was. Had I passed out?

And while the warmth was comforting, the unfamiliarity was not.

My breathing came quicker and I sat up sharply, pressing into the wall and looking for something to defend myself just in case.

"Hey, hey. It's ok!" I heard from beside me, and the man from before sat on the end of the bed to give me space.

"W-Where am I?" I asked, my voice still crisp and raspy.

"You're safe. This is my home."

I stared at this stranger with wide eyes. Clearly male, and he had taken off his head accessories since I last met him. "Why am I h-here?" I asked quietly, scared that fearful tears could fall.

"I don't know. I thought you could tell me. I brought you inside just to warm you up because it seemed you were already hypothermic. . . Thankfully you're not and I don't know how but you're going to be fine."

He held his hands slightly up showing he meant no harm as he stood. "Do you need anything?"

I shook my head, but I think my thin, atrophied body and dry voice gave me away.

The stranger walked to a counter with a ghost of a smile and grabbed a sharp knife.

Thankfully it was only to cut a dark loaf of bread.

It was brought over with an odd gray drink I had watched him make from powder and an eerily familiar synthetic liquid. It was colorless but cloudy almost like a jelly or slime.

Biting back my gratefulness, I ate what was given to me and drank the mixture - both tasted terrible.

He saw my face and choked back a smile. "You'll get used to it. After a while."

I shook my head in disgust.

I was shocked I finished it all, but I couldn't tell if he was or not. Who knows if I'm just bad at reading emotions, o if he doesn't have them or show them.

A chill went up my spine and I shivered, noticing that I only wore undergarments.

Seeing them, I got the same Deja Vu I had when I saw the jelly-like liquid. Why was everything so familiar, and yet like I had never seen it before?

I pulled the blanket to my chin and the stranger looked over to me at the creak from the steel bed frame.

My cheeks warmed, and he noticed my shoulder twitch in another cold shiver.

Walking to a box that seemed similar to a filing cabinet, he reached in and grabbed a bundle of clothing.

I tensed, but he set the clothing in front of me and spoke. "I don't have anything that will really fit you, but these should do for now."

I nodded and was pleased with the gesture when he turned away and left through the door. I assumed by the barking that he was feeding the dogs I heard earlier.

Sure enough, the long sleeve shirt would probably be slightly big on him but it practically hung from my shoulders and almost slipped off once or twice. With a quick adjustment, it hung only from one shoulder. The pants didn't fit period, so I bunched the extra fabric at my hip and tied it.

My hair hung over my shoulder, stretching past my hips in light curls that kept my torso warm.

Just as I was putting on the wool socks, the door opened and he walked through. I looked up and caught his eye for a quick moment before he looked away. The door nudged open and a husky poked their way in.

He tried to push them back out but they ran in and over to me.

Seeming worried, his hands went to catch the puppy, but instead, they reached my feet.

I giggled. "Hi! What's your name, sweetheart?" I asked the black and white puppy as I rubbed their ear.

"Celestia. . ." He answered and I awed.

"Good girl, Celestia!" She panted and shook out the snow from her thick coat.

I blocked my face and looked up with a smile. "Don't you have another? You can let them in too, I'm not scared of animals."

He gave a small smile back and opened the door, calling to "Alexander" with a whistle.

I sat on the floor as a big white dog came in and ran to me as well. "Hi!" I enthused as I began to pet them both.

After a while, they calmed down, and I just sat there petting them, before I looked up once again at the man.

"So I know the dogs' names before I know yours?"

He laughed, something rich hiding in a dull shell. "Aaron. Aaron Lycan."

I smiled close-lipped. "Nice to meet you, Aaron, I'm Aphmau," I replied as Alexander plopped his head on my knee.

I pet his head out of instinct.

"So, you don't know why you're here?"

Looking back up, I pursed my lips and shook my head. "I just remember. . ." I thought for a moment. "It was dark, then it was really bright and cold. Then you, then this." I shrugged. "I don't know."

He nodded, seemingly conflicted with my answer.

A loud noise came from outside and it made the both of us - plus the dogs - turn our heads to the window.

"It's probably just another storm coming in. Maybe a few hours or even a few days."

I moved my gaze from the window to the dogs, who were currently trying to tangle themselves free of my hair. It fell down nearly to my knees in thick black waves.

I opened my mouth but considered what I was going to say and closed it. He heard my tongue click and turned to me.

Then I gave in and asked: "Do you have any scissors?"

∘❄⋆✶⁎∘❄⋆✶⁎∘❄⋆✶⁎∘❄⋆
Published: 5:05 January 17, 2018.
Word count: 1327
*edited