The Winter's Widow (MISHBIR VERSION)

Part Eight~

Keep your eyes peeled in this chapter, there’s a hint placed that’s very crucial to the story!

With a heated cup between her hands, Mishti released a sigh that spoke of the freedom of her rare moment alone. Dipping her head back, her soft brown waves tickled her hips as her eyes ran across the blanket of abyss that covered the usually starlit sky, her eyes shut when a splash of water rose from the choppy waves and hit her face. Pushing her toes into the fresh snow, she ignored the purple blooming beneath her skin and rose to her feet. Four hours had passed, day had turned to night and her husband had yet to return home, against even her own mind, she placed the drink down, wrapped a scarf over her shoulders and pulled on some boots then began the search for the man who won her heart and broke it all in one day.

Snowflakes fell like confetti, covering her hair in wet drops drenching her scalp that would only sink beneath strands of hair when another arrived to take their place. The mountains and trees seemed a million miles away as the blizzard warped around her in a tornado-like fashion, shaking her body and blurring her vision with white specks.

With each trudge forward it became harder to breathe, her shouts of his name drowning in the storm that pulled her two steps back for every one she managed to take. Pushing her back against the stump of an old tree, she fell onto it.

Abir smudged his thumb over the watch on his wrist, stepped out of the cabin and tucked his hands into his pockets as he dredged through the thick layer of snow climbing to his knees. His time away from his wife had given him the opportunity he so desperately needed to think about his actions, his hands had seemed marred and heavy with innocent blood and his head ached with what was to come and what he had done. He knew fear because he felt it, the overwhelming urge to scream in a room surrounded by people only to realise that either no one could hear you or that they didn’t care enough to listen, and that was what he’d saw in her eyes today, that was what he’d put there. For the first time he had become the demon in her head, he was now the equivalent to the monster in her bed, in that moment all he’d seen was dark black and he was throwing grenades here, there and everywhere just to keep himself safe, back then it hadn’t mattered who’d hurt, but it mattered now, but maybe now was too late? If that was the case, he’d accept it, he may have pushed her too far and he only had himself to blame for that, she was not his verbal punching back and he had no right to take it out on her. How was she meant to know not to pick up the phone or give away details when he’d never specifically said not to? He hated himself because earlier on when his uncle’s call had dragged him back to the age of seventeen when he’d first become a victim, he’d dragged her back too and that, that was unforgivable.

Oatie ran in front of him, his bark loud and panicked as he gestured with his head to the right.

“What is it, boy?” Following his gaze, he froze at the sight.

Mishti sat directly in the middle of three small cubs on the left and on her right stood a grizzly, coffee-coloured bear on her hind legs. Its lips were pulled back, razor-sharp teeth clear to see from the hollow of her mouth, shoving her paw down, she roared ferociously. No one stood between cubs and their mother and got away with it.

Turning her head, her breath hitched, palms turning sweaty as she slowly stood up.

“Mishti, do not make a sound, back away slowly, keep your hands up” he ordered, an exasperated sigh slacking his body when he realised in his rush to leave he hadn’t brought his gun.

“Mm-mm” her head shook, if she moved the bear would move too.

“Mishti” he called again, “Look at me, hey” getting her attention, his eyes softened “I won’t let anything happen to you, but you need to listen to me and quickly” he gazed quickly at the bear who’s vision was still zeroed in on her before looking back to her. “Come on, Mishti, step back” he pleaded, his own heart racing so fast he thought he’d pass out, he couldn’t fail her like this, not when she’d so clearly come out in this weather to search for him, no one had ever done that for him and he didn’t think anyone else ever would.