Requiem for a Soldier (Requiem #1)

Chapter 39: Boreal

October 7

Ana

I look up at the overcast sky and feel a chill sinking into my bones as a cold wind blows through the clearing.What a perfect day to be outside, I think sarcastically, frowning as I pull my hat down to cover my ears.

"What happened? A week ago, it was perfect. Now it's like the North Pole has declared war."

Ryan pauses, resting his shovel on the ground and turning to look at me with an expression of incredulity.

"You think this is bad? It's above freezing right now. This is nothing. Wait until it's 20 below as a daytime high. Then you can complain."

I gape at him in horror.

"Twenty degrees below zero? Fahrenheit?"

"In January, this area spent over two weeks below zero. Got as cold as thirty-five below last winter."

I look around at the wildlife surrounding the cabin. "How is anything still alive here? How is this not an Arctic wasteland?"

"The inhabitants have learned to adapt. But these," Ryan points at the plant he's currently digging up, "aren't native. They're going to die tonight when the temperature drops to the teens."

The wind blows as he says this, as if to reinforce his ominous warning. I shiver and tug at my hat again. What have I gotten myself into?

"Are you sure we won't freeze to death?"

"Yes," he says, sounding a little exasperated. "Hold up - I thought you said you went to school in Vermont. It gets cold there too, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. The temperature dropped below zero a handful of times, but usually I was home in Phoenix for winter break during the worst of it. Burlington was a winter wonderland. What you're describing sounds like frozen hell."

"Don't worry. If we get desperate, we can always burn your books."

"Hey! You've got way more books than I do. Why do mine have to make the ultimate sacrifice?"

"Or you could try making biscuits again."

I wave my trowel at him. "Now you're just being insulting. I thought we both agreed never to speak of the forbidden breakfast food again."

"Though if last time was any indication, the smoke is probably toxic."

"If you don't shut up soon, I'm gonna force-feed them to you."

"Channel that energy into saving your plants," he says.

I stick my tongue out at him.

~~~

After several hours of digging up plants, harvesting some, potting others, and sacrificing the rest to the Great Compost Overlords (which got an eye roll out of Ryan) we've finally finished destroying my garden. It makes me a little sad to see the upturned dirt dotted with holes. I spent so many hours working on this garden and now it's just a dirt patch.

"Ana?"

I turn at the sound of my name. It's really and truly become my name again. No one's called me Tayja in months. It was weird, getting used to the name Ana again after sixteen years being Tayja. But now, after more than six months of being Ana, it's become completely natural again. I love hearing his voice say my name.

"Ana?"

"What?" I ask, spinning, trying to focus on the present and not on dreaming of my name being whispered by a voice tinged with a rasp.