Chapter 1
That hallway stretched long. It was a never ending journey to the end and I couldn't breathe since the darkness was suffocating. I knew these halls, they were the same ones that held the laughter of what became a house a home. The frost cling frames hung on these walls told the story of my family. My wife, my child. This time I couldn't breathe in this familiar environment, it was too much for me to handle after coming back to a place I called home after ten years.
I can still remember when the earth was still alive within all of us. The sky was left blue and the leaves were changing to red or yellow. The homes kept everyone safe and the air didn't leave us breathless unless it was the awe of life. That was all sacrificed ten years ago since it was time for the earth to pass everyone had to evacuate the planet. The earths core started to cool. The planet started to shift and break making everything that we saw beautiful disappear.
“Count to ten”, I thought to myself. “Close yourself, count to ten, and maybe it will go away.” I closed my eyes but just as quickly opened them again. It was real and it wasn’t going away. Slowly I unhooked my flashlight from my belt and directed a beam toward the girl. She sat there in the dark hallway of the abandoned home. She sat still. I haven’t seen her since the raid and I tried to ignore my mistake of leaving her behind forgetting her completely until it was too late. Its been ten years since the government raided my home forcing everyone to leave the freezing planet.
She was the same. Her dark curls, her small hands, favorite teddy for protection. “Its your fault” an echo of memories. “Its your fault!” my wife screamed. My daughter was left behind long ago. The forced beating against my chest lingered for all these years. There she was, frozen in time. I knew she was scared. She was scared and alone by the remnants of my bedroom door. And even though her savior came to rescue her, I was ten years too late.
The freeze took my daughter away from me. She was the only one left in my world even though she was gone. My small hope was tarnished as I knelt beside her. I wished she was here alive and happy. Everything was taken away from me.
