14 Degrees

I Hear Laughter

A/N: I was going to have Tracy fight off a bear, but then I realised that's stupid. Here's chapter eight! Hooray! (I'm so tired)

I'm sleepy-very sleepy. My eyelids become heavy, but I do my very best to keep them open, even though I don't want to. 

The winds have calmed down a few minutes ago, but I'm positive the temperature outside is now barely in the double-digits.

Without the wind howling, I can listen to the world around me.

It's silent.

I look up at the sky. I can't see that many stars twinkling above because of the low clouds. It's still snowing, too.

My arms hurt really bad. My cuts sting like crazy. I rub my nose. It's numb and cold like the rest of my body. After a long pause, a sound disrupts the silence around me.

I sit up. What was that? I hear it again, so I look around. It sounds like...laughter. I listen to the sound once more and I definitely know that what I'm hearing is laughter.

It must be in my head. I mean, I was screaming at snow not too long ago. I'm probably still insane. But no, I hear it once again. It sounds so real. I stand up and follow the noise. I can't run. I'm too frozen. I walk at the fastest pace I can go as I follow where the sound is coming from. As I walk, the laughter grows louder and louder until I can hear it as clear as a bell. I must be getting close.

After walking for what seems like forever, I spot a house below a hillside I'm on. There's a little girl outside the house, all bundled up in warm snow clothes with mittens, boots, and a hat. She's laughing and playing with who I assume is her little sister. I can feel a smile slowly growing on my face. I'm saved. I let out a delighted chuckle and I guess the two girls hear me, because they look up to where I'm standing a couple yards away.

"Mom!" The older girl calls for her mother, and a woman with blonde hair tied in a pony tail steps out of the house and onto the porch. She's clutching a mug with steam rising from it.

"What is it, girls?" the woman asks. The two girls point at me and the mother looks in my direction. As soon as she sees me she drops her mug and it shatters on the porch, spilling the liquid inside it.

"Oh, my goodness! Are you alright?!" she calls up to me. Do I really look that bad?

"Can I come inside?" I call back. My voice is weak, but I tried to talk loud enough so she could hear me. She waves her hands wildly, signaling me to come to her. I slowly make my way down the hill, making sure I don't slip on the ice. I use every ounce of strength I have to get to the front porch. With a shaking hand, I reach out for the woman to take and lead me inside. I paste an exhausted smile on my face when the kind lady helps me to the door.

"Oh, your hands are freezing!" she exclaims, feeling both of my hands. "Come inside, girls." Her daughters stomp the snow off their boots and scurry downstairs to remove their snow clothes. I catch a glimpse of their faces. Their noses are a bit pink along with the tips of their ears. I know they weren't outside nearly as long as I was.

As soon as I step inside a huge chill shoots up my spine. It's pleasantly warm in here. The woman unzips my jacket for me and she removes my snow-covered coat and hoodie. I guess she knew my fingers are too numb for me to do it myself. I'm left in my purple shirt and jeans. She then seats me on a couch in the living room.

"I'll get you some hot cocoa to sip, okay?" the woman tells me with worry in her eyes.

"Thank you," is all I whisper.

A/N: Tracy has been found! Yippee!! Ooh, but the story's not over yet! Chapter nine is on its way. Stay tuned!