Once I was done with the scissors, I set them on a small nightstand beside the bed and looked around again.

Aaron had left after a minute of me cutting my hair to somewhere outside. Alexander sat beside me on the bed, while Celeste rolled in my hair - I had cut off multiple feet of it, happy with the new length.

It went down now just to the bottom of my ribs, and it felt like 20 pounds off my shoulders. My neck popped multiple times throughout it.

A noise shocked me out of watching Celeste, and I looked up to where it had come from outside.

I was about to brush it off before I heard it again. And again.

Standing, I walked to the door without taking my eyes off the window. Bang.

Outside was how I remembered it from before - white, bright, and - not as cold. Maybe the temperature went down? Bang.

There was a small shed adjoined with the wall of the cabin; it was a wooden shed, reinforced with steel rods and another heater making the only noise around other than the odd banging. It was in much better condition than the other one Aaron had found me in before.

The door was closed but not locked, steel bolts loose on the inside from what I could tell.

It was a large door almost like this were a mini-barn. Bang.

Once I opened it, I looked around while the noise continued and rang in my ears.

There was what I could guess to be workout equipment - tables with weights, machines to pull and push without electricity. Nothing ran on electricity.

And in the corner - a salmon ladder, with a shirtless and sweaty Aaron doing chin-ups and jumping the levels up and down.

I felt the heat on my cheeks and rapped my nail on a nearby table bashfully. He noticed the noise and looked over.

"Hey," he said after he dropped to the ground and grabbed a towel to dry or clean off his hands.

His brow furrowed. "Aren't you cold?"

Looking down, I forgot about what I wore. Baggy pants and a shirt that hangs off my shoulder. I hadn't worn shoes out.

I looked back up and shook my head. Probably thanks to the heater, but I wasn't that cold. It was kind of refreshing as the air from the door hit my shoulder.

He looked confused for a second but dropped it and wiped the towel at his face and neck.

"Can I workout, too?"

His head turned, and he looked at me once again confused. "No? It's been barely a day since I found you practically hypothermic." And he continued to wipe his brow.

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Please?" I asked again, drawing out the word.

"No," he almost laughed.

"Aw, c'mon just something easy - I'm bored and I can't sit still regardless. Plus, don't I need my strength back?"

He sighed and looked me up and down again. I had an eager smile and shifted on my toes.

Rolling his eyes, he nodded to the wall.

I clapped at his resignation and skipped over. There was a rope on a shelf along with a few other things, but below it, Aaron motioned to a few weights - smaller than those on a separate table.

"Let's see what you can lift."

I shrugged after a second and lowered myself to the floor, picking up a 1. Easy.

2. Again, easy.

5. Easy.

10. Starting to get difficult.

I finally struggled at 15, and Aaron looked kind of impressed, staring at the muscle atrophy in my arms and legs. My heart swelled with pride.

"We can start with weights, then. And maybe later you can try the ladder." He raised a brow teasingly, and I giggled.

He kept his promise, and an hour or few later he helped me try at a chin up. I didn't do that as well as I did with the weights.

"We can try again tomorrow if you want."

I nodded eagerly, then paused. "Tomorrow?"

He nodded in response and looked out the window. Only now did I notice the gray sky had darkened. It hadn't blackened yet, but it was getting late nonetheless.

"Oh." I breathed.

He looked back and smiled slightly. "Once we're back in the house I'll make something to eat." His hands were once again wrapped in a towel, massaging the oils from his skin.

I nodded again, a small smile on my lips as I put back on my shirt. I had taken it off because I got hot pretty quick, and was still sweating now as I stood.

Walking to the door he put on his shirt again, followed by a jacket and socks and boots.

My hand stung and I twitched, shaking it before I realized it was probably just from the workout.

"I'll be there in a second, I just need to wring out my socks." I panted slightly.

He nodded and left me to do so.

I sat on a table and began to pull off my sock, but my hand tingled again.

Shaking it out, I tried to return to what I was doing but for some reason, I got really warm. My world swayed and I didn't move until it righted itself.

Finally wringing my first sock out, the heat didn't leave and instead rose gradually.

I wiped sweat from my forehead before putting the sock back on and leaving - completely ignoring the other sock.

When I got outside I was met with snowfall. It wasn't heavy or light but I could only see maybe 45 feet ahead of me.

The cold hit me quick and melted when it touched my face. The air went through the thick fabric of my shirt, sending a chill down my spine.

It was refreshing.

At the door to the cabin, I felt a lot better and cooler. It wasn't as if the heat had drained right out of me - I wasn't freezing or even cold. But at least I wasn't dizzy.

Once inside I shook my hair out a bit and pulled at my shirt so the snow fell onto the small heating mat.

"Hey, you ok?"

I glanced up and saw Aaron, who now wore a T-shirt and pants. There was a pot on the stove and an empty can of beans beside it. He looked concerned.

I nodded, shaking the dazed look off my face.

After a moment, he pointed to a door at the back. "You can take the first shower. Here, I'll show you." He lowered the heat on the stove and showed me inside - a bathroom of course.

Easily, he showed me how to work the shower, where the towels were, and then left back to the food.

Once he did, I flicked the lock on the door and stripped down as the water warmed up. It didn't take long - I suppose he doesn't have any use for cold water so it is all kept heated.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed something in the mirror; something under my hair.

I walked closer and moved the raven locks, sure enough finding a triangle inked into my neck. It was plain, simple - a triangle outline (not filled in) and below it a barcode of some sort.

The size was odd, it took up most of the left side of my neck.

Brushing it aside as my slight amnesia, I got in the shower to clean the grime from my skin.

∘❄⋆✶⁎∘❄⋆✶⁎∘❄⋆✶⁎∘❄⋆
Word count: 1261
*edited