Nullam Tres- Tales from Laketin City

Snow Shows the Blood

This story is about Nathan, a criminal justice enforcer. It is his job to punish the criminal activities, and ensure they never occur again, through any means necessary. 

This story is from Nathan's POINT OF VIEW.

The wind blew my hair, forcefully whipping my face with leaves blown from the post autumn trees. The air was cold even without the wind, but with every icey blast my lips tinted bluer and bluer, my fingers stinging with numb cold. As I trudged determinedly on through the fields, I ran through the night in my head.

Jo's look of terror as the mill caved in, the screams from Daisy and Jasmin, and the smell of smokey dust filled me with grief as I thought of the losses. But they had to go. I wasn't in charge. I was merely the puppet, and try as I might, there was no way I could change it. Shaking off the intial desire to fall down in the snow and die, I forced myself onwards. No looking back. Not ever.

It barely snowed in Laketin City, but when it did, it equalled the extremity of the heat in the sand season. It made my job harder to complete, but in order to stay out of trouble, I had to battle on. I didn't like what I did- but they broke the law. I have no control over the law, only how they get punished. 

As I reached the end of another field, the frost was beginning to take a hold of me, physically and psycologically. Dragging my feet through the thickening layer of snow, I came across the frozenrail tracks. I was so close, no chance of giving up now. Cautiously stepping out of the layered snow and onto the thick ice-covered planks of wood, I made my way across the rails, slipping only a few inches here and there. I could see the Central Building, just visible across the lake through the lifting snow.

By the time I reached the jetty, there was a total snow blizzard, so thick and fast when I raised my hand in front of my face, I saw nothing but the blinding white of the snowflakes. The cold was getting in, and I knew I wouldn't make it. Shakily, I stumbled over to an overturned boat nearby and collapsed in the shelter from the wind. Shivering and gasping for breath, I curled into a ball, and let the world take it's hold on me.

I had been so close. So close. As I slipped away, there was such a noise, so loud, so defeaning, it was that sound that killed me. The silence. As the morning sun drafted his way to the sky, the hill was silent. So silent.