Meeting Winter

"I'm not there yet!"
 This page contains ***major spoilers*** for the series. If you're not caught up, stay back! Av's not gonna be too thrilled if you react to spoilers prematurely...

## Meeting Winter

### Air date

October 10th, 2020 (original)
September 10th, 2022 (re-release)

### Director

Potato Flakin

***Meeting Winter*** is the second episode of *The Adventures of Evie and Mya* in Season 1 and the second episode overall.

## Synopsis

Evie and Mya meet a temperamental strange girl who pushes them away. Despite the rejection, Mya is determined to find out the secrets the stranger is supposedly hiding against the wishes of Evie, but when the two go a bridge too far, the girl is furious. However, she ends up telling them her whole backstory and realizes that not everyone in the world wishes to harm her.

## Content Warning

*This episode contains mentions of blood, violence, abuse, and homophobia, in addition to containing mature content. Viewer discretion is advised.*

## Transcript

*The episode begins at the Heartley home within the tidy, calm space of Mya's room. Inside are Mya and her best friend, Evie - avid on playing a board game.*

Two pairs of eyes were dead set on winning everything. It was a life of death match, a hair-raising race to the end. The stakes were very, *very* high.

The stakes were also sugary-sweet to both Evie and Mya, as they were playing the famous *Candy Land* board game. While Mya was more experienced at the game than Evie, the latter played more strategically and used her power moves to further her lead. Alas, Mya's enthusiasm and advanced knowledge of the game had also put her ahead.

Now, both were hungry, not for sweets, but to win it all. And to get admired by King Kandy, crowned a queen of Candy Land itself. All they had to do was reach the final few squares to the finish. They were stuck in a hardlock.

"I've played longer than you, Evie. How do you manage to be so *amazing* at this game?" Mya questioned, a faint, yet playful whine in her words. She knew this game like the back of her hand, knew how to get by the traps and to be renowned by the king (in her imagination). The only thing she couldn't do? Shuffle cards. Evie was good at that.

"Because while you play it simply for the grand prize of "admiration," I play strategic," Evie responded. "I study the game and choose my cards carefully."

Mya furrowed her brows. "Not a surprise. You're the one who insisted we play *Stratego* before. You won in less than *five minutes*."

"It's a strategy game, what did you expect?" Evie rolled her eyes. She pulled a card, but it ended up being the same color as the square she was currently on, which wasn't repeated for the rest of the board's color path. She didn't move her figure.

"Ha!" Mya snorted. "The strategic one said she was playing smart. Huh. Pressing X for doubt instead." Eager to win, she was swift to yank a card out from the pile, receiving a green square.

*Perfect. Just one step away from glory.* She moved her figure to the green square, blocked by only a red square from reaching King Kandy.

Evie became much more tense, her face muscles stiffening. She couldn't mess it up now, or otherwise, she'd fall short and be subjected to Mya mocking her for the rest of day.

*Much as I love you teasing me, Mya, I'm afraid I can't let that happen. King Kandy's passion and respect will be bestowed upon me today!*

She knew she had to caution herself. In front of her was a booby-trapped yellow square - if she fell in, she would be imprisoned and give Mya *two* chances to win the game.

"Eeeevieeeeee, don't leave me hanginggggggg!" her friend teased, blowing a raspberry at her.

"Oh shut up!" she retorted, grabbing a card in desperation.

*Yellow*.

Evie put her face in her hands, embarrassed, especially with Mya's words still hanging around in her head. Of course, she didn't think rationally and didn't pick another card from the pile. She just had to let her friend's taunting get to her!

Reluctantly, she moved her figure into the trap. Mya snickered in glee. "Have fun in Hotel Candyfornia, Ev!"

"You *do* realize that by referring to "Hotel Candyfornia," you mean that it's a place I can never *truly* leave?"

"Oh. You can leave in two turns, then," Mya conceded. "For now, I'm going to focus on conquering the *world*!"

Fueled by new motivation and determined to show Evie who was boss, she shuffled her deck of cards three times, then plucked two in her hand: orange and green.

*Are you serious?* Mya leaped back with the orange and jumped forward again with the green. She was now two spaces away from King Kandy. The orange card had given Evie a way out of her prison and had also given her a chance to win.

Relieved that the game wasn't over quite yet, Evie pulled herself together and yanked a card into her hand. It was a shimmering emerald green.

"Watch out, I'm high priority and I'm *coming for you*!" She placed her character next to Mya's, making her cross her arms in a joke look of indignance.

The next move was *do* or *die*.

The two girls were aiming for a ruby hidden in the stone, a precious red card that would mean their ticket to queens of Candy Land.

Unfortunately for Evie, it was Mya's turn, and so she gripped her hand tightly to prevent herself from giving in to any urge to cheat.

Mya slowly pulled the next card away from the stack, slowly, slowly, and slowly...

...then raised it to her face.

*Red.*

"**I WIN**!" she declared as she flicked her character over to King Kandy with two deft fingers. "So much for "strategy," Ev! The more knowledgable one takes all the candy and gets admired by the very king himself!"

"Damn it," Evie muttered, rolling her eyes. Mya was always comedic, overexaggerating her wins, victories, and statements. She found it pretty funny and entertaining, to say the least. She smiled at her, unable to be disappointed with the loss. "You played a good game."

"You did too," Mya agreed, her leaf-green eyes radiating warmth, voice soft as down feathers. She picked up the pieces of the board game, placed them in a plastic bag, then folded the game board up into a neat square. In one hand, she put the game back in its box and stowed it away on her game shelf.

Now that the game was over, boredom crept in. She fell onto the floor with a soft *thump*, arms and legs splayed out like a starfish, eyes mindlessly casted up towards the ceiling. Evie sat on the preferably more comfortable bed.

"Mya... are you dying down there?" she teased lightly, head tilted to the side in amusement.

"Yes! Dying of boredom!"

"Wanna play another board game?"

"Eh... you'll beat me at the rest of them."

"Charades?"

"I'm terrible at that."

"Guess the song?"

"Nay."

As the two went back and forth on more possible games to play, more ways to put their brains to the test, the door opened, revealing Mya's mother, Nita Heartley.

"Good afternoon, girls! How's it going?" she asked.

"Pretty fun," Evie replied.

"Sooo boreeedddd," Mya added, blowing a strand of auburn hair off her nose.

"Well, I just checked the weather, and it's actually a bit warm outside. If you're bored, you two can spend a day at Pinelake Park. After all, you seem to have a lot of fun time there. Why not bask in the sun for a bit?"

"Deal!" both girls chorused, Mya yanking her pullover jacket off the bed, slipping it on and following Evie out of her bedroom happily.

Little did they know that today had other plans ready to rear their head.

**SEASON 1, EPISODE 2 - MEETING WINTER**

The outside air was crisp and much warmer compared to the recent weather, no clouds ready to spew snow showers in the sky. Birds chirped and butterflies flew around as Evie and Mya walked on the sidewalk that bordered Pinelake Park.

"Boy, I *still* cannot believe school was nearly shut down over those dumb internet kids "smoking" in the *bathroom* and triggering the fire alarms," Evie remarked. Last week at their middle school, a group of internet kids, mostly those following internet trends, seemingly "smoked" enough in the bathrooms to set off the fire alarms, leading to a school-wide evacuation. Evie was startled, as was Mya, who was slightly hypersensitive to the alarms' loud noise. However, upon learning that the alarms being set off wasn't a drill, but caused by "smoking," she was infuriated.

*Do they even know that you can be be given a felony for setting off fire alarms like that in Washington?*

"Ugh, felt. And as it turned out, they were smoking *Smarties*. Frickin' *Smarties*!" Mya exclaimed irritably. Smarties candies were very powdered, and the amount on them could be blown off when eaten, giving the illusion of a person actually smoking a cigarette. "Besides, it's incredibly *stupid* to smoke anyways. Why get a high at the cost of damaging your lungs and respiratory system? It's so boggling. Those people really don't realize that they are inhaling a whole *desert* when they use a cig." To demonstrate, Mya made exaggerated hacking noises, clutching at her throat and spitting. Evie chuckled warmly at her friend's way of demonstrating.

*You look so cute when you do that.* "Agree. Damaged lungs are a *bad* ailment to have. But hey, at least Smarties have never killed anybody."

"Good point. You know what, Evie?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm also glad we aren't like those Taki Girls we see in the hallways," Mya added. "They think they're so special blasting obnoxious popular music and eating chips. Not to mention some like to bully people they think are "weird." I just don't get it, get why some humans are like this these days."

Evie sighed at the mention of the "Taki Girls." They were girls that were almost always seen blasting music, speaking some weird language that, to them, was the holy bible, and most importantly downing a large bag of Takis while scrolling through social media, looking for the latest trend to blabber about.

It was always so damn annoying.

"Oh, Mya, we will *never* be like those damn Taki Girls. Most trends these days are dumb anyways and lead to people getting their asses rightfully kicked." Evie noticed that the tree was right in front of them now, its majestic branches stretching up to seemingly the sky, the leaves swaying gently and staining the dirt with dapples.

"Hey, we're here, let's sit down." Evie was quick to sit down, stretching out her legs and relaxing them with Mya joining her side, pressing her shoulder against hers.

"Mom was right. This is nice," she commented, glancing at her friend, who nodded swiftly in agreement. Evie was feeling rather thoughtful, knowing of another story she could tell Mya.

"You wanna know what happened the other day?"

"Sure. Fire away!"

"Alright. So, you know how my father is sometimes ditsy? Well, it was his turn to feed Holly, so he went a can of her food from the fridge..."

Mya began to zone out as Evie told her, tuning out the details about her father and her cat and turning to her right, facing the park. Suddenly, she laid her eyes on an unusual, but unique sight near the park's playground, sitting seemingly absentmindedly on the step. Her mouth formed an o.

The sight in question was someone, a young girl with pale white skin. In the sunlight, she looked almost like a ghost. Her hair was cut very short, the sides of her head appearing to be completely shaved off. Two tips hung over her forehead, one dyed blue and the other dyed pink. The back end of her hair was a spikey bob or bun that was a glimmering silver which transitioned to black.

*Whoa.*

The girl also wore a white, long-sleeve shirt with black sleeves and a pink collar. A black necklace with a white diamond hung from her neck. Her jeans and boots were also black.

What struck out most to Mya, however, was her pale ice-blue eyes. Simply setting her own eyes on them made her feel ice in her veins. Those ice-blue eyes were cast on a small photo that she held in her hand. The girl craned her head to her right, then back at the photo, her mouth curved in a frown.

She seemed so *sad*. Empty inside. Even from here, Mya could see that her eyes were glassy, which told her enough - she was lost in her thoughts, keeping something inside.

Something was *wrong*. Whatever it was, it took away any potential happiness from the girl. Despite Mya blazing into her soul with her lively green eyes, she did not seem to notice her or notice Evie at all.

"...it turns out that he nearly fed Holly ricotta cheese instead of her can of food. Mom was in a fit and gave him a pretty good telling off for almost poisoning her. Dad is no longer on the list for-"

Evie cut herself off abruptly, now finding out that Mya hadn't been paying attention to her at all. Instead, she remained fixated on something in the distance.

"Mya! Pay attention!" In a desperate attempt to snap her out of her state, Evie snapped her fingers in her ear. It didn't work. Frustrated, she moved up to her and cast a glance in the direction she was staring in.

Immediately, she too caught sight of the girl. She looked to be around their age.

*Huh? I haven't seen her around before. She doesn't attend PMS, far as I know. But she appears to be a teenager like us. No wonder Mya is keeping her eyes on her.*

Evie pulled on Mya's cheek, tugging her in the direction of herself instead of the girl. "*Mya*!" she called out into her ear.

Mya yelped, startled, and she faced Evie for the first time in a few minutes. "Oh! Uh... sorry for spacing out, it's just-"

"Yep. The girl sitting over there, she's got your attention, and she definitely has mine. We've never seen her before."

Mya nodded. "I studied her, and she's very disconnected from what's going on around her. To me, she seems incredibly sad... staring at that photo, hollow inside... it's not sitting well with me. I'm going to speak with her and see if I can find a way to help her!" She started to march over to the girl.

Unease shot through Evie like a comet. It was typical of Mya to socalize with strangers and to befriend them. She had been doing it since she was young. But her inner feelings communicated that this girl, regardless of whether she was keeping something to herself or not, was *not* someone to be tempered with.

Before her friend could continue further, she gripped her wrist and yanked her backwards, and surprised, she turned back to face her.

"Mya. I seriously believe we should *not* meddle with this stranger's life. We can't interfere when it's not our place to!"

"But Evie!" Mya protested, her voice whiny, but more serious this time. "That girl is alone right now. She's not like us. Look at the way her hair is done! Look at the way her eyes are clouded over! That's a sign that she's in a troublesome situation. I *want* to know her better, want to *help* her. She needs happiness."

"Absolutely *not*!" Evie retorted, adding, "It's *wrong* to invade someone's privacy! People need some time to think about life, and maybe that's what the girl is doing. And you *know* I hate getting involved in business that does not concern me."

"And sometimes, breaking into someone's life can result in their life changing for the *better*. Is someone forgetting how her life was influenced by her best friend?"

"I was different, Mya-"

"Yeah, because you weren't sad, you just had a lot of pressure on you and lacked social skills. Look at how far you've come now. Sociable, friendly, sweet inside your tough little body... it's my specialty to make someone smile, and I won't stop at nothing to make that girl happy."

Evie let out a small sigh. Her friend did have merit to her words - she wasn't open to strangers at first, kept her life closed off, and kept the pressure she was put under inside. It wasn't that healthy to seal herself off, as she soon realized. Mya did impact her life.

By now, there was no stopping her. Although a thousand voices in her head were screaming at her not to relent, Evie threw in the towel.

"Okay, fine. I'll help you with speaking to her. But if it backfires, just know that I firmly told you so." She gave Mya a rough pat on her shoulder.

With their small disagreement now settled, Mya bounced over to the girl, acting like a flower girl at a wedding.

*Pineshadow give me strength*, Evie thought to herself.

Mya approached the girl, pride in each of her steps, and she sat down next to her. Evie hid behind her friend, nervously preparing for the worst.

"Hello!" Mya greeted, flashing her teeth in a very friendly smile.

"**What** the **hell** do you **want**?"

Her smile plummeted into an abysmal abyss.

The girl had whipped toward her just as fast as a whip crack, her ice-blue eyes angry and fiery. Her mouth was pulled back into a furious scowl. Her new appearance and surge from quiet to a thunderous storm had completely scrambled Mya's brain, and now, she didn't even know what to say to counter her.

Luckily, Evie, who feared that this would happen, stepped in.

"Uh, hey. I'm her friend, and I'm really sorry if she disrupted anything important you had going on," she said calmly. Mya facepalmed in utter annoyance. "Evie! Why did you say that?"

Evie, lightly prodding her in the shoulder to make her cease talking back, continued her apology to the strange girl. "You see, we just saw you sitting here by yourself, and my friend observed that you seemed rather downhearted, so we just wanted to know if you were okay?"

The girl's stare only grew more poisonous and deathly. She stashed her photo loosely in her pocket, jumping up to her feet with ease.

"I'm **FINE**, thank you very much for even *asking*. But I don't need some strangers feeling *pity* for me." She took a huge step toward Evie and Mya.

"In case you're wondering, I do **NOT** talk to *strangers*. The only person I need in my life is *myself*. Me, myself, and *I*."

"But... you just seemed so sad, I thought-"

"**STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS**!" the girl suddenly snapped directly at Mya, who shielded her face with her arms and shivered. "What *are* you, some kind of *creep*? I don't care. You and your **dumb friend** need to **get away** from me." Mya gasped, horrified, and Evie protectively put some of her body in front of her just in case the girl would try ripping her head off.

Yet she did not chose to go on the offensive, turning her back to the duo and dashing off with haste into the Piney Woods, quickly vanishing through the trees and thickets. Mya's heart sunk, falling to the bottom of her stomach, and she shut her eyes, sitting on the grass. She wanted to help the girl, understand her and make a link.

She only made things worse. Evie wasn't helping either, glaring at her sternly, which only made Mya feel even more sorrowful.

Her friend joined her side, lightly slapping her on the cheek. "I told you so!" she huffed. "This was *never* going to end happily."

"I just wanted to-"

Now Evie softened, relaxing her tense frame and letting her shoulders go slack. She rubbed the part of Mya's cheek that she slapped, sympathy in her gaze, which caused a slight shade of pink to appear on them.

"Look. I can't stay mad at you for trying to reach out; you're very friendly, sweet, compassionate, and try to see strangers in many rays of light. However... it isn't worth getting your tongue in a twist over *this* stranger. I told you about it, you tried your best, but in the end, we can't befriend *everyone*. Let's move on and continue with our day, okay?"

Mya remained silent, still staring at the ground with wide eyes, her fists clenched and trembling. Worried, Evie spoke again, making her voice much more gentle and picking up one of her hands.

"I'm sorry if it seemed like I was upset with you. I'm just protective."

"It's not that," Mya mumbled. Inside, her veins were strengthened with a new feeling. The girl's parting words lingered in her head. They hurt, stung as if they were wounds on her skin.

*You and your dumb friend need to get away from me.* Thinking back on it, there was something in that line that hinted at a feeling, one which could explain that stranger's aggressive behavior.

*Fear. Insecurity.*

"Mya? What do you mean?"

"The girl is insecure! People act angry and vicious because they're driven by *fear*. That girl *fears* something, and we *need* to find out what it is! We're going into the Piney Woods and making contact *again*!"

Evie's calm, reassuring face had instantly morphed into one of terror, shock, and more importantly, concern that her friend suddenly developed a death wish. She bit her lip, trying to prevent herself from becoming a football player and tackling her friend right there on the grass.

*How crazy is she??? We're no better than stalkers if we chase someone we barely fricking know! I have to put a stop to this before I lose her in the worst fashion!*

As Mya took a *step* in the direction of the Piney Woods, Evie skidded to a stop in front of her, blocking her path entirely. Her arms prevented her friend from moving forward any further, and she halted, her green eyes bewildered.

"Oh hell *no*! We are *seriously* not going to *stalk* a girl!" she snapped, distress clear in her tone, her hands waving wildly. "Mya, you are being *way* too naive! What if the girl lives in a *house*? With *parents*? What if there's a personal situation that she *needs* to keep to herself because *it doesn't concern other people*?"

"Ev, that girl *needs us*. There's something really awful that she's hiding. We have to show her that we care for her!" Mya protested, grabbing onto her wrists and pulling them down.

"Following her is the equivalent of *stalking*. We're not like those weird admirers or creepos in the world. We are young, educated, and serious young teenage girls, and the respectful way to handle this situation is to leave things *alone*."

Mya then slowed down, her face less tense and frustrated. She slid her hands down to grip Evie's, sighing with the nice touch.

She began to see that her friend was indeed right - they were no better than stalkers if they straight-up just followed the girl. It would be weird if they just searched for the girl again, encounter her, and possibly get murdered. That girl *did* want to smash her head into concrete, she was pissed.

Besides, she was thinking recklessly. *Darn! I have to be more careful and shouldn't be rushing things the way I did. I still want to help that girl, learn her so we can get on her side.*

Evie moved closer to her. "I don't want you to get hurt," she whispered. Mya stared at her, establishing a strong eye contact between them.

*Oh, Ev...*

"I'm sorry," she whispered in turn, tugging her in for a small, yet fond, hug. "You're always the smarter one when it comes to assessing things and creating plans. But... I get your fears, I honestly do. I'm not going to be reckless from this point forward. I'm still going to find that girl and try to approach her without coming off as a stalker."

Evie looked queasy. Even with her friend's promise, she didn't like this whatsoever.

"That girl is keeping something that is deeply troubling her. I saw it in the way she stared at that photo. I wonder... is she missing clarity? A piece of herself, maybe? And does it tie to the photo in her hand?"

Almost on cue, a small object was carried by the wind and landed at the base of Mya's tennis shoe. Evie took a step back, appalled.

"Wait a minute," Mya said as she examined the photo. It was the backside, not the front, and on the back of it read a simple line of text:

*Pieces of me*

The two gasped. Evie, in particular, was *stunned*.

*There's no way... good grief.*

"Mya, I know I'm going to make myself sound like a big idiot, but I think you're actually onto something now," she admitted. "This fuels your theory that the girl is missing a part of herself! It *must* pertain to this photo. But, this belongs to her, so... we gotta find a way to return it somehow, I guess."

"Which means we're going to have to follow her into the Piney Woods."

"I think this is a bad idea, but regardless, I'm going to come with you. You are my friend, and I am your friend, and we are going to get through this *together*."

Mya smiled, squeezing her hand tightly. "Thanks for supporting me." Evie might not agree with her sometimes, but Mya would always support her no matter if they were both in deep trouble. If she fell, Evie would have her back. They were *invincible*.

"I always will, My. Let's go, shall we?" Mya nodded, tucking the photo carefully into her pocket. Then, she went into the Piney Woods along with Evie, holding on to her hand and her blood swirling in anticipation of what they would potentially find.

In the sunshine, the Piney Woods was a sight to behold. Trees of many species seemingly towered into the infinite blue skies, more prominently tall pine trees. On the ground were a cluster of pine needles, some pinecones, and leaves. The air was crisper than the open air around Pineshadow, tinged with pine, spruce, fir, and so much more. Evie and Mya stepped on this ground flora, making a *crunch* and a *crack* with each step they took. Sunlight filtered through the cracks and spaces between the greenest leaves and the rugged tree branches, dappling the ground in all shapes and patterns.

The woods were truly a haven to be within. Once you walked in, you were washed over in a feeling of calm, serenity. Senses became heightened, and to some, including Evie and Mya, it was your sacred *duty* to protect these woods.

A few minutes had passed since their expedition, and Evie was already losing her faith.

"You're *sure* we'll get a lead here?" she asked skeptically, glancing around the space. All there was were trees, shrubs, and more trees, and more shrubs.

"The girl *went* this way. She has to live somewhere around here, right? Or ran here to shelter?" Mya was determined today. Determined to get to the bottom of this perplexing mystery.

So determined that she felt that *every inch* of the Piney Woods had to be searched. Evie was biting her tongue, remaining as patient as possible. She had her doubts, Mya did not.

Alike, but different in many ways.

Despite their poor results, Mya refused to stop and went deeper and deeper into the woods, Evie by her side. She knew there was *evidence* hiding here, and possibly the girl herself. They had to keep pushing and hope that they'd get lucky.

More minutes passed. Nothing revealed itself to them. Evie's hopes continued their Titanic-level sinking, and Mya began to look doubtful as well, though she gritted her teeth and kept persevering.

*The girl literally went in here. How hard could it be to stumble upon something?*

"Mya, it's been ten minutes and there is not a *thing* in the Piney Woods. I don't think we're going to discover anything," Evie stated unhopefully, plucking a fallen leaf out of her hair. "Let's go back to the park."

"Patience!" Mya insisted. "When there is a will, there is a way. I'm not going to give up until I go to the ends of the earth and see this girl for who she truly is!"

She bolted ahead of Evie, skipping along to the beat of her own drum, her auburn hair flying in the wind. Her friend paused momentarily. *Wow, she does look pretty in the woods... gah, what am I doing just standing here? My friend could still be potentially digging her grave!*

Evie pelted after her, venturing deeper into the Piney Woods and dodging more shrubs, prickly thorns, mossy logs, and even more trees.

The Piney Woods were definitely bigger than she, or Mya, originally thought. By now, they were probably dead-center in the woods.

"I'm certain we're about to run into something!" Mya shouted back from behind her. "My senses are tingling. In fact, they're *buzzing*-"

And just like that, Mya had predicted the future. She then smashed face-first into the back of a gray-bricked structure, peeling her face back in surprise.

*WHAT??? HOW???* Evie questioned, skidding to her friend's side. Her mouth hung open, and to her, her jaw had probably just fallen to her *boots*. Speaking of those boots, she was also *shaking* in them.

She did a double take. Then a third take. A fourth take. A fifth take. *A sixth take*.

What she and Mya had just stumbled upon was a brick *cabin*. It was decently sized, taking up the space of a small clearing. Right outside of it was a semi-cracked tree. If one did parkour, they could likely jump on the roof and get a nice view of the sky above.

*Have I been underestimating Mya all this time? Am I going insane? How the turn... tables...* Evie thought she was losing every string of her sanity.

"Evie, I think we've got our next lead!" Mya declared.

"Yes, we definitely *have* our next lead," she replied back, weary. "But be on alert. You don't know if this is actually where the girl lives. Anyone could be lurking in the shadows."

"Right!" Mya dipped her head in agreement, walking around to the front of the cabin. There was a small group of stairs up to a worn door, and she examined it, scanning every inch.

Evie felt her entire body burning with embarrassment. She thought she had the right call this entire time, taking it safely and just leaving it alone. Now, Mya had become Sherlock Holmes and had taken crucial steps to solving a mystery that didn't concern them until now.

*This is a hornet's nest of trouble. I do admit, Mya has some real bravery when she finds it within herself... and sometimes, you can make good decisions being impulsive.*

*I'm going to still look out for you, though. You have my loyalty, Heartley.*

"Let's go in!" Mya called to her, swiping away her clouded thoughts, and Evie glanced up. Fright was gnawing at her stomach.

"*What*? Are you sure that's-"

"We goin' in!" At once, Mya turned the doorknob. *Click*. The door was not locked, and it opened up inside. Evie trailed her friend, dragging her boots on the dirt and up the stairs.

When she and Mya entered the cabin, their mouths fell open in astonishment. It was a serious *paradise*.

The cabin had four corners. On the left sat tons of delicious snacks and food, along with bottles of water and a box of boxed milk. Mya licked her lips; she was craving a snack right about now.

"There's so much food... has this girl been raiding a gas station or something?" *The nearest grocery store is a Kroger. That's two miles away from here!*

"Well, whatever she's got, she has some real *skills* for getting this stash." She opened a jar of pretzels and tossed a few in her mouth. "Mmm, salty... this girl is makin' a livin'!"

Evie turned to the right side of the cabin, finding various antiques on the shelves. Figurines, unfurled posters, and clothing. She picked up a nightshirt. *Medium. That definitely fits a teenage girl.*

She put it back on the shelf right next to a set of albums. *The Ancient & Arcane*. *My Prayers Have Become Ghosts*.

*She's a fan of Varien... I don't know who they even are.*

Next to her feet lay a bunch of pillows and blankets. *Holy shrimp. That's a makeshift bed! She's... the girl is living here!*

"Okay, Mya. You were definitely right from the beginning... the girl is *living* here, seemingly without any support from a family member or guardian. *This* is what she's been keeping from Pineshadow!"

Mya walked up to her, sticking her tongue out in a big "I told you so" moment, countering Evie's early response to her at the park. "Yep. So, it makes me think... if she's by herself, she might not have anybody backing her. But the photo... it has to have originated from somewhere in here..."

Then, she caught sight of a single object laying on the shelf in front of her and Evie. Curious, she approached it - it was a brown box with *beautiful* silver engravings on the sides, front, and top. It had a silver latch, and underneath the latch were two letters etched into the box in silver: *WM*.

*WM...*

"Could those be her initials?" she asked Evie in a near-whisper. Evie nodded.

"Very possible. I do recall someone's initials can be etched onto boxes as a means of signifying its importance to them."

"Then what's inside the box...?" Mya unhooked the latch, about to open the box and reveal the contents inside.

"Mya, *wait*!" Evie interjected, flipping the latch down. "That's a bridge way too far. This box could be containing things the girl could *only* want to keep herself. Secrets. Memories. It's not our place to sift through this... not our place to *know*."

Mya looked down at the box, studying it again. Those engravings, so delicate. The sides of the box. Every inch was done delicately and carefully. All the silver, the etchings, the mystery, belonged to the girl.

The box was hers. *Evie's right... it's not mine to open. Not ours.*

She carefully held the box in her hands, grazing the top with her palm. "Alright. We should probably get outta here now. We pretty much learned what we needed to know, and so, there's no point. The girl could be coming back soon."

Evie gave her a thumbs up, agreeing with the decision. Mya, still holding the box, placed it back on the shelf.

But by now, both girls were far too late to complete their actions sooner.

"***WHAT ARE YOU DOING***?"

The words Evie and Mya just heard were both horrible, painful gut punches. The two immediately spun around, and right in front of them was the girl from earlier. Her ice-blue eyes were *deadlocked* on them, *bleeding* a blue fire that was at its most intense level. Her teeth were bared, and her legs were spread out.

The most alarming thing the girls saw was *a pocket knife* in her hand. A glimmering, sharp blade. From the look on the girl's face, she wanted to *murder them*. She wouldn't stop until every drop of blood had bled from their bodies. They *screamed*, and Evie instinctively leaped in front of Mya, guarding her. Still, her stance wasn't that strong.

*I... I don't have the will to fight someone with a weapon... my insides are going cold...* Mya whimpered from behind her.

The girl took a step toward the two, growling like a rabid dog. *Oh god*, Evie then thought. *We shouldn't have come here at all! This was a costly mistake!*

Mya shared her thoughts. *The girl has a knife! She's armed! I'm so stupid for thinking this was a good idea... we're trapped. We're gonna die...*

Evie clenched her fists and her teeth, building up herself so she looked ten times more intimidating. She cracked her knuckles and the joints in her neck. Silence hung between her and the girl for a few seconds before she spoke at last.

"Put your knife down," she demanded, an unnerved edge in her voice. "We aren't looking for a fight with you, I promise. This is a misunderstanding!"

"Why *should* I? You two are **filthy stalkers**. First, you *don't leave me alone*, and second, you *find* my hideout and scrounge through *my* things??? You two want to **DESTROY ME**!" the girl fired back in explosive fury, wrecking Evie's confidence and only making Mya hide herself more.

"We never wanted to do that!" Evie pleaded desperately. Her voice was quaking now. She could feel sweat at the base of her neck.

The girl growled again, taking another step and closing the distance between her enemies. That knife blade was getting dangerously close to her and Mya's flesh.

One wrong move, and both of their lives would be *over*.

"Please don't do this! We made a mistake! We're human! Just let us go!"

"I have my **reasons** to **TEAR YOU APART**!"

Evie's cover was weak against someone with as much firepower as the strange girl. Mya noticed this, digging her fingernails into her friend's sweater, frightened for her life. Tears were welling in her eyes, and her legs buckled. The pressure was crushing her.

*It's... it's my fault that we're here. I'm such a dumbass for trying to chase this girl! I'm going to cause my own demise...* A darker thought crossed her mind, and she forced herself to swallow the bile that made its way to her throat.

*Because of me, Evie could get hurt! She could DIE!*

If that happened, Mya would never forgive herself. Evie, her best friend, idol, and everything in between, stabbed to death because she was too naive.

Mya squeaked, pained from the inside and outside, and she buried her face in Evie's sweater. The warmth was soothing, but her stomach churned knots. Her skin itched with heavy amounts of anxiety.

It was over. They were going to be dead...

Wait. A small light sparked in Mya's mind.

*The photo! It's still in my pocket!*

The photo was the first lead they had in terms of the girl's past. Mya had never looked at the front.

*Pieces of me.*

She wiped the tears from her eyes, knowing what she had to do.

This was one of the riskiest things she had ever done in her *life*. If she and Evie were to live, she had to act now.

And in that moment, Mya sprang out from where she hid behind Evie, grasping the photo in her hand, and placed herself in front of the girl. She growled again, dragging one of her boots on the ground.

"**IT'S MY FAULT**!"

"What the *hell*?!" the girl cursed. Evie went deathly pale.

*What is Mya doing??? She's playing with an inferno!*

"It's because of *me* that you want to kill *us*!" Mya stammered, letting some tears fall from her eyes. "*I* was the one who saw your saddened face. You were *alone* up there! Staring at that photo... I just thought... you wanted *someone* to talk to. I took my friend to look for you! That's why we're in your cabin! But I understand that it was dumb of me, and I'm *sorry*!"

The girl was about to spit out another vicious remark, but before she could, Mya revealed the photo to her.

"When we were about to search for you, this blew up to my shoes. It belongs to you. It was the photo you were staring at so somberly..."

Now, the stranger's eyes were wide. She was so *careless*, losing that photo by tucking it in her pocket so loosely. That auburn-haired maniac held it in front of her.

"Did you *look at it*?" she demanded harshly, unable to trust her. "Did you look at *something* that **BELONGS TO ME**, you **freak**?"

Mya gasped. She never even looked at the front at all! "*No*!" she replied, the air growing more tense around her.

"You're **LYING**! Some nosy fool like you **LOOKED AT IT**!"

"No I didn't! I only saw the backside of it!"

"**PROVE IT**!"

"Uhh... the photo is a baby picture of you?"

"What the hell are you playing at? That's not a baby picture!"

"You at school?"

"Dumbass! I didn't like having pictures taken at school!"

"You traveling out of the state to somewhere like California???"

The girl cast a narrow, lethal ice-blue stare onto Mya. She had incorrectly guessed multiple times, and she was *still* wrong. Hmmph.

*She's not lying. Good.*

"Ugh, okay. You're *not* lying." She hastily snatched the photo out of Mya's hand violently, hiding it more carefully in her pocket this time. Then, she pointed her knife blade directly at Mya (and Evie), baring her teeth in another pissed scowl.

"Give me one *goddamn reason* why you've *stalked me* and trespassed into **MY CABIN**! Or I'm going to slit your throats and ***END YOU WHERE YOU STAND***!"

"P-Please don't d-do t-that!" Mya begged. She was trying to reform the fragments of bravery inside of her, but her nerves were jumbled.

"You d-don't have t-to g-go that f-ar," Evie stuttered. She too was running out of bluffs to protect herself and Mya, only making the girl more ready to riot and slash at them.

They were *running* out of *time*. As far as Mya knew, the only way they could get out was by breaking into the girl, but that was risky and had a high chance of provoking her further. And she was *livid*.

She had to do *something*. Something to not only save herself, but to protect Evie as well, the person she cared about the most.

"Tell us. *Why* do you live here? The amount of food, clothing, and your makeshift bed behind us proves that this is your grounds. You're on your *own*."

"***THAT DOESN'T CONCERN YOU***!" the girl snapped defensively, moving closer, that knife blade almost erasing the hair-raising gap to the skin she wanted to rip open. "Try meddling again, and I'll ***FRICKING KILL YOU***!"

"My friend is right!" Evie concurred, putting defiance in her tone and trying to look stronger again, attempting to stall the ticking time bomb in front of her. "The interior in here is far too suspicious... from the way I found albums from this Varien person on your shelf, the bed, the box, the food... you've made quite a living in this cabin."

As if she were a cat, the strange girl *hissed* at Evie, nearly up to her face now. The blade was also nearly at her throat, ready to tear open a massive, fatal wound. Her aggression was reaching its breaking point. Should one more thing set her off, it would be Evie's demise, then Mya's.

Time slowed down. Seconds ticked by. *Crucial* seconds.

If one of the girls did not act *now*, both would be slaughtered. Mya realized something, something so damning, she nearly wanted to gasp out loud.

*This girl does live by herself. This is a space within the Piney Woods that barely any human has been to. She's defensive, violent-tempered, potent enough to be a killer. She keeps a lot of secret memories from us. Hates strangers. I should have realized it sooner!*

*She doesn't have any sort of parent or guardian to look after her!*

A surge of confidence took ahold of Mya, and adrenaline started kicking in her veins again. She made herself bigger now, protecting Evie with all the might she had in her smaller body.

Evie rescued her once. It was Mya's time to repay that deed.

She confronted the girl in a sole question, one she needed to ask to shatter the surface of the ice.

"Do you... do you even *have* parents?"

Suddenly, the girl backed up, gasping. The knife she had been so avidly pointing at the girls had fallen to her waistline, clutched firmly in her hand. Her face, instead of being molten hot lava, was crushed, unreadable. Her lip was shaking, her eyes so foreign compared to intense.

What Mya had just said was as if she just stabbed herself in the chest with her own knife.

"My... my *parents*?" she questioned in no more than a faint whisper, trembling. She looked unstable, no longer so violent, yet remaining volatile and prone to snapping.

The air had gone from tense to uncomfortable in just a few seconds. Evie was *shocked*. The girl did have a side she was hiding; Mya had broken through her outer layer.

They had to keep going. There was no going back.

"Everyone was born with parents," she said with light sympathy. "You appear to be our age - a young teen. Someone like you should *not* be living on your own unless you have a guardian that's taking care of you. Don't you at least have a mother?"

The girl was nervous, stress eating away at her from within. Her legs were shaking, wobbling back and forth as she struggled to comprehend what she had just been told. The world was spinning as those two eyed her, expecting her to respond with flaming defiance.

However, the wounds were torn open now, and she could do nothing to stop the imaginary blood gushing out from them. Everything was gushing out, *every single damn thing*.

Her mind was in a thick mist. She couldn't see clearly anymore. All the defense she had built was wrecked. These two had burrowed skin-deep.

The girl's last walls then gave out from inside, and then, she caved in, tears rolling down her face.

"My mother is ***DEAD***!"

The rushing blood in Evie and Mya's bodies *froze* and splintered into fragments. Evie and Mya gasped, jumping together in horror; Mya's face was twisted in pain, and Evie, lacking her typical composure, was petrified.

Evie was sick. Her stomach ached badly, her eyes shimmering with guilt. *Her... her mother... dead... I said the wrong thing!*

The girl, without warning, then sunk to the floor of the cabin, landing on her knees. The knife fell from her hand and crashed to the floor with a *thud*, landing some distance beside her. She was in so much visible agony, so much pain, that she couldn't fight the tears falling from her face. Everything *hurt*. Her heart, ripped at the seams, her lungs, burning from her struggle to breathe, and her head, compressing her violently.

Evie and Mya had caused her to come undone.

"My mother is **dead**, don't you get it?! She has been for **YEARS**! My father doesn't give a **damn about me**, he doesn't even ***LOVE ME***! I don't ***HAVE PARENTS***. I only have *myself*!" she wailed, voice cracking in her sobs. Her body was cold, frostbitten, broken and scarred from what she was forced to endure. All this pressure, all this pain she had kept in, was suffocating.

"Oh...oh my god..." Mya whispered, glancing at Evie and holding onto her warm, fearful body. She, in turn, glanced at her knowingly.

The girl *needed* someone. Right now, she was weighed down by the burden of being an orphan. She was alone and deserved to open up to people she could trust.

"Hey, ssh. You're alright," Evie reassured her delicately. "We understand now. Losing a parent, especially both, is never *easy* to deal with or get over. You're still grieving. But we're good people, and if you wanna reach out to us, you can do that! It won't do you any harm to let some negativity off your shoulders."

"You can tell us! It's *fine*!" Mya promised, smiling.

Instead, the girl swatted away Evie's hand, leaping up to her feet without the pocket knife and pointing a finger at the two girls. What they had said had only made her lose her temper *again*.

"***I DON'T WANT YOUR GODDAMN SYMPATHY***!" she screamed, alarming the girls, who immediately jumped back into the shelf, backing as far as they could go. Their lives were *still* in grave danger. The girl continued her onslaught, intending to make sure her targets would *pay* for their horrid sins.

"You **ONLY ATTEMPTED TO RUIN MY LIFE**! That's who you *are*! Meddling in my business, looking through *my things*, acting like this is *your house*. You **do not belong here**. You're just putrid **scum**!"

"We never wanted to ruin your life!" Evie retorted. "We only wanted to *know* you better! I was hesitant about this too, but as I stand here, my friend proved to be right! You're in *need* of someone... you've been putting a burden on yourself. It pains you. Let us in, and we can help you with the *pain*!"

"You **don't understand it**, you *freaks*!" the girl snapped back, her ice-blue eyes violent and challenging. She was tenacious - and beyond *a menace*.

"I *don't* want to be ever be found. Being lost is *my thing*. In fact, I *love* it when I'm lost. I don't need you bozos following me around like puppies. You're only here because you want to **RUIN** *my way* of life!"

Mya softened, loosening her tight grip on Evie. The strange girl enjoyed being lost within her own world, away from people and only surviving because of her tough will to live. She was a passionate escapist, wanting to keep her troubles at bay.

*I can relate to that. You have yet to figure it out, but in way, you remind of me of how I am... which is why you must see that you can open up and let others into your life!*

"I want you to know something, stranger," she started. "I'm still the one who wanted to pursue you. Ever since I laid my eyes on you, there was something about you that *fascinated* me! When I noticed you sitting so gloomy, looking at that photo, I never felt such a drive to help anyone than on the day I first met my best friend. I don't like to see people so downcast and upset. All I wanted to do for you was *help you* - that's what me and my friend strived to *do*!"

Evie faced her, stunned. *Wow. I've never seen Mya be so wise, so soft, to anyone else but me... when she has a spark, she'll never let it die...*

*That's my girl.*

"I agree with my friend. You may not see it in me, but I cannot possibly *imagine* what you went through, losing your mother so young and having a father turn you away... I feel your pain and can understand it. Grief is powerful, it drives us to do things, for better or for worse."

The girl bore into them, eyes now wide in disbelief. She lowered her finger, but between her and the two, there was still tension and great amounts of animosity.

She had the strength - and speed - of a loaded *gun*.

"For someone like you, you have so much tenacity in you. You're bold, quick to leap into action and fight. And you're courageous. I take it you're not one to go down in a duel. Those traits are traits I seriously *respect*, man, even more so when I consider that you're living such a wild lifestyle," Evie admitted, changing her tone so she sounded tender compared to serious.

The girl didn't respond, but the silence was an indicator that she was listening.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: we *don't* want to be your *enemies*. I understand following you, approaching you, and stepping foot into your cabin was a terrible mistake... we violated your privacy. For that, we're sorry. From the bottom of our hearts. If we could have handled this better, we would."

"Funny you're being tender, idiot," the girl growled under her breath. "You and your friend actually *have* a life. Perfect lives. I *don't*. I barely have enough food and water to sometimes *survive*." Upon her saying that, Mya noticed how thin her frame was. While she looked strong, she couldn't deny that part of her body's build was due to a lack of eating enough food. It made her worry.

*She doesn't get mercy... man...*

"You're wrong. Sometimes, we don't get what we want. You might believe that because you're pretty disconnected from the world. However... none of our lives are *perfect*. I... I get bullied occassionally, and it's been bad before, so it's a sore subject for me to talk about. I hate it when I'm bullied and treated like nothing, it's just hard to break free from the strain."

"Rotten people perceive my friend as weak, yes," Evie added, wrapping an arm around Mya and pulling her close. "But I'm not perfect either. I don't have the best relationship with my mom. She loves me in her own unique way, but sometimes, we clash over our differing ideals. But hey, we deal with stuff and remain standing. That's part of life."

The girl cocked to her head, confused. *These aren't people who want to hurt me. They... they like me.*

They smiled at her. Warmly. Friendly.

*I haven't experienced such kindness in a long time.*

These two, under all odds and circumstances, had gotten here, defied her, and proved that they weren't afraid - and only wanted to see the side of her she had masked.

She had fallen, crumbled under their words and their actions. As long as she stood here with her battered, internally-scarred body, she realized that she had no options left.

The girl could not stall any more, nor could she keep yelling at the two and threaten to kill them.

They were not a threat, nor were they an enemy. She grabbed her hidden key and locked the door, trapping her inside with the girls.

Mya squeaked, refusing to let go of Evie. Evie buried her face in her neck, soothing herself with the warmth.

The girl sighed, returning to face the girls. This time, she wasn't threatening them or planning to murder them, and they looked at her, relieved by her new complexion.

"Sit," she flatly ordered. The duo complied in a heartbeat. She sat near them, staring at her lap.

"Why does life have to be like this..." she muttered halfheartedly, fiddling with her fingers.

"Because life is never fair," Evie responded, and the girl looked at her with dry eyes. "Life is harsh. Life doesn't give us the opportunity to catch our breath. As humans, we find the strength to go on. Rise up. Be stronger. It's a cycle that has been going for years. We may not get what we always want, but hey... it'll work out in the end if we just give it a try."

The stranger did not respond and kept staring at her lap, twiddling with her fingers once more. The silence was heavy, but it gave Evie and Mya a moment to catch their breaths and prepare for what came next.

"I planned on having a normal day," the girl then grumbled, "before you two chose to interrupt that. Things are upside down. Yet... I see that you don't pose a threat to me. You're too soft to look like murderers.

"I have my... issues. With the two of you. You tried prying into my personal business. Put yourselves where neither of you belonged. Tried looking *at* my things. Above all, I hate that. But... you proved to me that I was wrong about you two. You aren't malicious and you don't want to hurt me. So... in return, I guess you deserve to know who I *really* am."

The two nodded, listening eagerly and calmly. Then, she whipped toward them, slightly causing them to leap up, startled.

"Do you two **PROMISE** to not tell another *soul* about what I'm going to tell you?"

Evie and Mya nodded and gave a thumbs up.

"*Good*. Say one word, and I'll *kill you*. *Ugly* kill."

"Sheesh, can you cut it out with the violence?" Mya asked, a little unnerved by her words. She didn't like excessive amounts of violence.

"Gah! You're so *irritating*..."

Evie put a warning hand on Mya's shoulder, encouraging her to quiet herself. She met the girl's gaze politely, calming her down as well.

"Okay. Now that these waters are calm... would you like to tell us your name?"

The girl nodded warily, looking around to make sure none of them were being watched, observed by an unknown, lurking threat. Everything inside the cabin was quiet, the windows blocked off and door locked. They were safe.

She took a deep breath, and then, throwing all her marbles, she introduced herself.

"My name is Winterlyn. Winterlyn McCormick is my full name. But, I go by Winter, so I'd prefer if you would just call me that."

"Your name is pretty!" Mya commented jovially, but Winter faced her with *another* death glare.

"*Don't* hit on me," she warned in a gritty tone. Mya instantly shut herself up.

Winter had much to tell, much she had hidden away and kept a secret. She still wondered if she was dreaming. This encounter... it was so bizarre, so shocking. She had let her guard down, and now, two strangers had worked *their way* into *her life*.

*It's like I'm stuck in some hellish nightmare, but I have to keep doing this. If they want to see the real me, I have to tell them everything. Somehow.*

*Am I just dreaming? No. I'm not dreaming. This is reality, Winter.*

*And I need to tell them the truth. I can't hide it from them anymore.*

*The scene transitions into a flashback to illustrate Winter's story.*

"Just like you, I was originally born into a normal family, and life was perfect. I had a precious, beautiful mother and a strict, yet loving father. Our family was tight-knit and always supported each other. Safe to say, I loved my parents. We also had a lot of family friends we hung out with, and they adored me. I appreciated the attention I got.

"By far, one of the most special links in my life was my father. He'd frequently take me to diners for milkshakes, take me outside to teach me the constellations and teaching me about the beautiful stars. Whenever we stargazed, I felt one with the cosmos... him aside, I also loved baking with my mother and when she'd tell me stories of her youth. They were so wonderful. We always celebrated each other, and when we needed to, partied hard."

Winter pointed to her hair. "You probably guessed, but I'm a tomboy. I have been since I was young. Somehow, I've always *felt* like myself dressing in men's clothing, engaging in men-ish activites, and having hair as short as a man. I didn't want to be an average *girl* - society's expectations for women aren't for me. Breaking the norm... was actually quite cool."

"I like the way you roll! You're so pretty," Mya commented, taking more liking to Winter than ever before.

Sadly, she did not reciprocate her praise. "Shut up and stop trying to hit on me, moron."

"But I'm straight..." Mya whimpered in protest. Winter ignored her and continued explaining her backstory.

"Things in my life were normal... up until I was nine years old. It was fall, and when there's fall, there's the rise of illnesses. My mom got really sick. I thought it was the cold, maybe the flu. She had this autoimmune disease... lupus, I'm pretty sure. This season, the medicine she took wasn't enough and her condition worsened. It turns out... my mother had pneumonia."

Evie and Mya's mouths fell open in horror.

"For a few days, pneumonia ravaged my mother's body. She was... too weak to fight it. My father and I also got it, but it was not as nearly severe as what it did to my mother. On the fifth day in the hospital... her heart *stopped beating*, and she died. *Died*. I had lost my mom, a bright glowing light in my life, and my heart was shattered..."

"I'm so sorry," Evie whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. Mya held onto her, soothing her with her touch.

"Father and I were drawn closer to each other amidst my mother's passing. Eventually, one week later, we recovered and slowly moved on from the death. I grew so close to him, he was the only link I had. Most of my other family members were dead or out of state, and then again, I had little to no sources of contact. Every week, we'd do something special with each other, me and father. Milkshakes, stargazing, the list goes on.

"After that... life went on peacefully for the two of us. Of course, my mom's absence in our house was felt... it was hard, coping with the grief and picking ourselves back up. My father worked hard to keep his job so he could keep raising me. He really cared. I also cut my hair to how it is now, used to be past my shoulders. Things were normal up until one day..."

"What happened?" Mya inquired.

"At the park - Pinelake Park - this boy was chasing me and wouldn't leave me alone. In my dash to escape him, I smashed into another girl. She turned out to be a lot like me... hey, can I ask you two something?"

"Go on," Evie encouraged gently, grinning warmly at Winter.

"Can I please not name the girl to you two? I don't feel comfortable sharing her name just yet."

"Absolutely!" Mya agreed, and Evie agreed. "Yeah, we wouldn't pressure you into telling us anything if you were uncomfortable. We get that now."

For the first time today, Winter was grateful, and her eyes beamed with faint hints of relief. Something in her body felt free... but she chose not to dwell on that and launched into her story once more.

"Me and the girl bonded over our common interests and became fast friends. We couldn't stay away from each other, heh... it was undeniable that we were best friends forged together. Nothing could tear us apart.

"A few months later, however, the chemisty in our friendship changed... we felt things we had *never* felt before. Lots of feelings, growth, and even *acceptance*. There was something inside of me that grew, and then, I couldn't keep denying it. This cycle wouldn't change until this one night...

"My friend and I were stargazing in my backyard. It was a peaceful moment between us. But then the girl asked me a question... and... it changed my *life*-" Winter cut herself off abruptly, doubt creeping in, and she glanced from side to side.

"I-I don't know if I should tell you about this," she admitted uneasily, voice quaking. "You... you might hate me. This subject is touchy."

Mya carefully scooted closer to her. "It's alright, Winter," she assured. Winter was lost in the depths of her calming, soothing eyes, which to her were the equivalent of the ocean's waves. Her heart stopped its nervous racing.

Evie was also calm, silently urging her to go on. Their cooperation and sympathy were just what she needed. *Okay. They don't mind. I can do this.*

"She asked me if I wanted to *date her*. Be her *girlfriend*. As it turns out, she was bisexual and liked both genders. I... I said *yes*. I wanted to be with her too, hence all these confusing feelings... I was in love with no one but her. I'm... I'm a lesbian."

There was a small amount of silence in the cabin again. Winter became anxious and bit her lip.

"I've never been into men. I lack the sexual attraction to them. Females, on the other hand, are so beautiful and charming to me... I wanted to be with my friend as her partner more than anything."

She hid her face, instinctively preparing for Evie and Mya to reject her and shut her out. Coming out was *never* easy for her. She could sense that pain flowing through her body again...

"Okay, cool!" Evie said positively. Winter uncovered her face and stared at her and Mya.

"Wait... you don't *hate* me for being a lesbian?"

"Of course not. We respect anyone regardless of who they want to be and what they choose to identify as. Great people in the world have large hearts and *always* respect others for who they wanna be."

"Besides, the book series we read has gay protags! They're super dope!" Mya added. "We're proud allies of the LGBT. So, it's safer than safe to say that you're one of our allies now."

"Damn, you're better than I thought," Winter remarked. While she hadn't smiled throughout this whole encounter, she was already getting used to the two, and deep in her heart, she was beginning to welcome them in. With all well, she proceeded onward in her story.

"As me and my partner were young when we started dating, we took things slow and didn't get too intimate. We never shared a kiss. However, we frequently snuck off to the school bathroom during lunch just to stay close to each other, feel each other, and grow our bonds so they'd remain deeper and stronger. I naively thought then that things would keep going extraordinary for me.

"But when fall swung around, my partner got... other ideas. She really wanted me to come out to father, but I just... didn't have the strength to do it. Sure, he was the kindest, most clever, and softest father ever, but it's just... fear. If I told him I was gay... *things* would happen. I didn't want to lose the only parent I had left."

"Oh..." Mya murmured as she listened, nerves pooling in her stomach. She rested her head on Evie's shoulder.

"Despite me saying a firm *no* to my girlfriend's attempts, she persisted and just grew more restless. In November, she was paying me a visit, wanting to sleep over. She was there with me, on the sofa, and chose to make her move."

Evie gritted her teeth. This didn't sound peachy at all... this sounded *insidious*.

"She got up and told father that I was keeping a secret from him. I knew what she meant instantly, and all these feelings, they spiraled out of control in my body. Hate. Disappointment. The bitter taste of *betrayal*. Her motive was a vile one.

"With the truth torn from inside me prematurely, I faced the brunt of it all and confessed everything to my father. For a split second, I thought I was defying gravity, floating through the clouds... and then reality fell down *hard*."

"Holy..." Evie whispered. Mya whimpered again.

"Father was enraged, and right there, my worst nightmare was real. He pulled out a pocket knife, screamed this nonsense at me that I was a "sinner" and some sort of "deviant" for being with a girl and only liking girls. Apparently, it was against the name of my family..."

Winter moved her arm to grab her knife, which rested next to Evie. Instead, she put it in her hand and passed it to her. Winter stiffened with anger immediately, narrowing her eyes.

"*Don't* touch my *things*," she warned. Compared to earlier, there was no fire in her voice, but she was still being stern and made it clear she wouldn't tolerate any more touching.

"Agh, right, sorry," Evie apologized. "Carry on."

Winter, holding her knife in her right hand, hovered the blade above her left wrist. "This knife was my father's. He used it to cut my wrist as a punishment, and the wound was b-bad. It wouldn't stop bleeding even after I tried to clean it. You can still see the scar, but it's faint. The wound healed a month later.

"Luck was on my side, though. I s-snatched my father's knife from him and hid i-i-it, claimed it as my own. He or-ordered me to g-get out of the house in l-ess than ten minutes..." Winter let more tears slip from her face. Her voice was cracking. "Like I said... I cleaned the wound and packed *everything* I could into my school backpack. When I met up with my girlfriend again, she didn't choose to explain herself and justified it by claiming that she "didn't know it was going to escalate." It was the biggest lie I'd ever heard. Rage pulsed through me. She never helped me, she left me for *dead*! I broke up with her, and with all of the might in my legs, I ran out from my childhood and away from the past. I left *everything* I had once known behind... forever."

Mya gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. Winter had been through so much horror, so much destruction, that she wanted to leap up and give her so many hugs. Evie felt the same way.

Winter wiped away the tears from her eyes. "Eventually, I found my cabin and managed to scrape together a living with some food and water. I also kept going to school. Blowing my cover was something I could *never* allow to happen. If the police found me, they'd put me into the foster care system, trapping me with all those homeless children... I, I, I didn't *want* that! Being trapped! I... I wanted a home... I had to stay in the cabin.

"This also meant that whenever I got my report cards, I had to forge my father's signature on them. It worked, but eventually, I had to change to the name of a relative when I learned through... a student in the school that my father was imprisoned."

"You actually got away with that? Forging report cards is *bad* in any Washington school. The fines are hefty," Evie pointed out curiously.

Winter gave a small nod. "I did what I had to do to survive."

"Is your father still in prison?" Mya asked, a finger on her chin.

"Yes, he is. He got sentenced to at least twenty years for what he did to me."

"Then that's a good riddance."

Winter gave another small nod before continuing with her story. *Not much left to say now...*

"Day and night, I worked to conceal myself and the truth from Pineshadow. In school, I'd hide in the shadows and sit back in class. I didn't talk to anyone. I did as I was told, but never verbally responded to my teachers unless I was asked. Everyone else in the world was someone with bad intentions, untrustworthy people, people who'd want to tear me *apart* until I was no more than a memory. A soul could *never* learn of my trauma or the secrets I was keeping in. If anyone did, I'd be in major trouble of losing the new life I built.

"From then on, my motto became *out of sight, out of mind*. I disappeared from the public eye. No one mentioned me as the girl who nearly died at her father's hands. Rather, I was the girl that time forgot."

"You truly managed to disappear..." Evie stated in shock.

"No wonder you were a rare sight at Pinelake Park! You trained yourself to be elusive!" Mya exclaimed.

"Well, it *was* that way for a while," Winter confessed apprehensively, "Until it wasn't..."

"Wait, what happened, Winter?" Evie asked, alarmed by her saddened change in tone.

"It was after school in October, it had snowed recently. I was walking back to the Piney Woods when one of the most popular boys and his gang found me. They thought I was a weakling. By the way... it's the boy I mentioned previously... he used to have a thing for me and got pissed because I avoided him.

"I tr-tried to e-escape, b-ut he was quicker and shoved me i-into a mound of snow..." Winter's voice began to crack again. Tears welled in her eyes, flowing down her face. She sniffed.

*What... what could have happened to Winter this time?* Mya bit into her fingernails, and Evie's eyes were wide in terror.

"Even in my coat, I was f-freezing to d-d-death... so I crawled up, but when I did, I accidentally stared directly at the *sun's path*. The light *burned* my eyes. Pain wracked my body. I just threw my face into the snow again, attempting to get rid of the pain... but the damage was done."

*Oh god. Oh GOD.* Evie's heart plummeted to the bottom of her stomach, especially with what Winter had to say next.

"The bully guy and his clique *laughed* at me, mocked me for being so pathetic and blinded by the sunlight. Quickly, I ran away... and when I got back to the cabin, I sat on the floor and cried for an hour. I thought things wouldn't get worse..."

Winter sniffed again, choking out a small sob. Mya moved even closer to her, wanting to offer her newfound ally a hand. But she didn't want to anger her, and thus, she forced herself back.

"But by the next day, he spread the incident all around the school... from that day forward, everyone only remembered me as a stupid girl who couldn't even see her own misfortunes. They called me... *Snowblind*."

"**WHAT**?" Mya screeched, her face eerily pale and mortified.

"*Snowblind*???" Evie questioned in just as much disbelief.

That name... was *sick*. It was peak cruelty.

"I **hate** being called Snowblind! It's not me *at all*! I'm not *blind*, or *dumb*, and I'm able to see the world in every single shade of color. It's so fricking **ugly**! This is what the school pictures me as, and now, they just treat me like I'm the lousiest punching bag to ever *exist*..."

"Oh, Winter... I'm so sorry..." Mya apologized somberly, rubbing away a small tear from her eye. Winter's story had moved her, and once again, her stomach had churned knots. "You are such an innocent, brave person. *No one* deserves the right to call you such a horrid name. *Snowblind* is an ugly name! I want to kill it so *badly* just to see you happy. You're an awesome person, and the world *needs* to see that."

"Thanks," Winter gruffly replied.

"Talk about the school being dumbasses... the name "Snowblind" actually comes from UV light blindness-"

Winter growled at Evie, her face raw and pink from the stinging tears dripping down her cheeks. She clenched one of her own fists, which shook in building fury.

"Shoot! Sorry... there's a real definition of it, what you're called, but it was the wrong thing to say to you... you've been through a lot. Like you, I *hate* the name. Snowblind is a *vile* name. You're not what they believe you to be at all... and you deserve *better*. *Way* better."

Winter let out a small grunt of approval, calming herself down and brushing away the tears, rubbing her itching eyes until they settled. She faced her lap again, willing herself to finish her painful - and stomach-churning - backstory.

"I like being lost here. I like my solitude, hiding myself away from the world and getting lost in my own. My wanderlust is something that will *never* die within me, and for as long as I breathe in Pineshadow, I *won't* be the girl everyone expects me to be. That girl is gone now, I dunno who she is. This life is something I won't ever give away."

Quiet penetrated the air again, and expecting a response from Evie and Mya, Winter faced them. Her hatred for the duo had vanished, her nerves weren't spiraling, and she no longer felt the need to fight for her life. In the strangest way possible, things were serene.

Evie cleared her throat, jolting Winter, who laid her ice-blue eyes on her. "Okay, wow. This is quite a lot to take in for the two of us. What we've heard was disturbing, remarkable, astonishing, and a *lot* for us to handle - especially because you aren't like the average person we've met before. Despite what you may believe, we are **not** the people who've wronged you and scarred you."

She pulled Mya into a side-hug by her shoulder, gently placing her fingernails next to her neck. "We don't despise you for any reason, *and* we don't think you're ugly in any way. Winter... you're actually quite the *unique* person! You have a rare, pretty name, a nice style, and you do things your own way. You're bold. You would leap into flames to save yourself and not care about the damage. That alone makes me respect a person exactly like you."

"You mean it?" Winter asked, her voice hopeful. She hadn't heard someone *praise* her in forever. Butterflies were flying all around her, and inside, she was *glowing*.

*She's so kind... so understanding... she and her friend are seriously not an enemy at all! They... care about me!*

Evie nodded and smiled. "Nothing can describe how much bullying *infuriates* me. It's gross. Disgusted me since was I young. When I first met my friend, she was getting bullied. After that, I became more protective over those I care for the most, and you're now included in that mix."

Mya leaped into the conversation, beyond eager to show Winter her fun side. "You're a badass when it comes to your knife! Knowing how to handle one... now that's somethin' legendary! And I still like your hair... it's a pretty style. I'm not hitting on you, before you screech at me and attempt to kill me. Just a compliment." She waved her hands innocently.

"T-Thanks." Finally, Winter managed to form a jumbled smile on her face, but that response to Mya was much warmer than before. *I was wrong about you being annoying. You're just as great as your friend.*

"Question. If you're a lesbian, why are your tips dyed in bisexual flag colors?"

Winter blushed. "I had a *feeling* you would ask that," she said, cheeks red, although she wasn't mad at Mya compared to earlier. "It wasn't related to anything bi or my ex-girlfriend. It's merely style preference. Wouldn't change a thing otherwise."

Sighing, Winter opened up a small curtain, revealing a window. The skies had gotten slightly darker, and more clouds had appeared. The weather was changing. Realizing that nearly an hour and a half had passed, she got up, stretched her arms, and grabbed her cabin key. In one swift move, she unlocked the door, and Evie and Mya jumped to their feet. Was this their cue to leave?

"It's been... a time chatting with you. But I need to go back out, get some air, and think about where things stand between you and me," she stated. "Also... I misjudged you two. You aren't my enemies, but really... I can view you as allies after today."

"It's an honor. Thanks, Winter," Evie thanked politely.

"I can say the same! Although, I have another question... do you go to Pineshadow Middle School?"

Winter froze in shock, but quickly loosened her body and gave a hesitant nod. "Yeah. I do. I'm thirteen."

"We're thirteen too!"

"That's wonderful! Hmm... Winter, I thought of something for you. How about you walk with us to school on Monday? We'd protect you from harm and the Snowblind bullying. All of it, I promise."

Winter retreated into her thoughts. *The last time I walked with someone, it was my ex... the last time I truly was safe.*

*I barely know these two.*

*But if I could get a reprieve from the bullying with their help and devotion... then I'll take that chance to heart.*

"Deal. I'm getting used to you two already."

With new bravery and happiness summoned in her heart, and all tensions set right, Winter put her hand on the doorknob, but stopped.

"Hold on... I didn't give you two the opportunity to introduce yourselves to me. What are your names?"

Evie stepped forward, meeting her gaze strongly. "I'm Evie Ly." She tentatively offered Winter her hand, and she paused, scanning it warily. Her eyes shone with sympathy, empathy, and compassion. This wasn't a trick. Winter smiled - this time, properly - and shook her hand.

*That felt so... awesome.*

"And *I'm* Evie's bestie, Mya Heartley!" Mya exclaimed, jumping in front of Winter and unexpectedly yanking her into a clumsy hug. Winter blushed in embarrassment, stiffening under the touch and being squeezed. This was *very* close and strange and new and everything in between.

*Help... too awkward... not used to this... feeling.*

Noticing that she seemed rather uncomfortable, Mya pulled back and chuckled. "Heh, sorry. I get a little too overexcited hugging sometimes."

"Not a problem," Winter murmured back. She opened the door, effortlessly leaping down the stairs, Evie and Mya following.

The two waved at her happily, and then, in the blink of an eye, they walked back through the Piney Woods in the direction of home. Winter was at peace, the turmoil in her heart buried deep beneath.

Strangely, she felt like a bird let out of a cage, flying in the sky. An owl in the night, gliding under the starscapes and galaxies.

Was her brain shocked, seized willingly by the emotions she thought she had lost permanently? No.

Was she stuck in some nightmare and enjoying the thrill? Definitely not.

Was she merely dreaming, wondering if she was losing her mind? That was wrong, this was *real*.

In a way, Winter was grateful that Evie and Mya came into her life. Telling them her story lifted the burden she had *off* her chest. Breathing was easier. Things got clearer.

Confessing everything had changed her. Winter no longer felt so reclusive.

For once, she didn't have a bitter new enemy to live amongst.

For the first time in over a year, Winter had people who genuinely liked her. She shut her eyes, inhaling the fresh pine air in peace.

Monday quickly swung by in the Pineshadow neighborhood. Some kids, in the most classic way possible, hated what was considered the most *sluggish* and boring day of the week, especially in school with new, dull topics to learn and grating teachers droning out lessons.

Evie and Mya, on the other hand, did not care that it was an average Monday at PMS. The sun was slowly rising, painting the skies oranges, yellows, pinks, and peaches that outlined the distant forests and mountains leading to Canada.

They walked toward the entrance, searching for Winter. Of course, she would not be out in the open, but covering herself up somewhere more elusive.

Evie paused near the entrances of the school near the windows bordering the office and library. "Where is she?" she questioned to Mya, who mumbled a "Hmm..."

She heard a slight scraping noise to the right. Turning her head, she found Winter hiding within the shadow of a brick pillar. "There you are, Winter!" she greeted excitedly, not going in for a hug, but bouncing in front of her instead.

"Erm... hey," she managed to greet awkwardly.

"Alright, let's get inside so we can get some good seating in the gym this morning," Evie stated, and the three fell in line as they walked into the entrance.

PMS had a system where instead of utilizing the cafeteria for the students to hang out before class, the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders all went to the gym, where they'd sit on the bleachers, chat, and play games until they were instructed to get to class. The sixth and seventh graders sat on the left side of the gym while the mature, less wild eighth graders took to the right of the gym. The cafeteria was only used for students to eat breakfast if they hadn't already.

Inside the school, a few teachers monitored the hall, supervising tutoring and breakfast directions. No student was permitted into the hallways for the moment unless they had strict permission from a staff member. The library was also closed and off limits.

Evie, Mya, and Winter merged into a small group of sixth and seventh graders, slowly approaching the gym. Music was blasting nearby.

*Music on Mondays. They try to do it right,* Evie thought to herself.

As they were passing the office, however, someone stomped up to them, blocking the remainder of the way to the gym. Evie and Mya *instantly* tensed, Evie's hackles raising and Mya's heart skipping a few beats.

*Trouble*.

The person in question that had interrupted them was a tall, pale-skinned teenage girl with *sleek* black hair tied in a buntail. Her eyes were a *killer* shade of orange-amber, analyzing the three meticulously. She was dressed in her iconic light blue sweater, black jeans, and black boots.

She was none other than PMS' vicious, threatening, terrifying, and overly sadistic school bully herself, ready to tear into her delicious pickings for the day.

*Daniela Burton Vunquist*.

Daniela was notorious for her wild, inappropriate, and violent behavior in the school that broke out in her sixth grade year. She relentlessly bullied her underlings, scarred them, hit them, did the most *unimaginable* things someone of her age could do. Her lust for the pain of others was overwhelming and disturbing. *Every* student in the school feared her, even the formidable Evie.

No teacher, no staff member, and not even the principal could control Daniela. She always defied them each time and grew more scandalous, over-the-top, and ghastly habits. Some rumors were even spread about her *flashing her middle fingers* at the highest-ranking school staff.

Truth be told, it was her nastiest habit. But today, that was not her focus. She approached Evie, Mya, and Winter, licking her lips in pleasurable delight.

"Well, well, *well*, what possibly could we have *here*?" she sinisterly asked, circling her juicy prey. Her hands were itching to cause them misery, and her stomach growled, not of hunger, but a *desire* to feed off fresh pain.

She chose to go for Evie, who had clenched her fist in annoyance and faced her with defiance. "Aw, what's wrong, Ly? You mad at me for saying *hello*?"

Evie growled, low enough for Daniela to pick up.

"You think *that's* gonna do me or you any good?" she taunted. "Seems like the little Vietnamese *culture vulture* had her vocal chords broken today. How sad. I was looking forward to your challenge."

Evie's face went *red* with rage. She hated it when she was mocked for her heritage. Turning away, she hissed a slurry of words in Vietnamese that were unintelligable, but were probably *not* pretty and *not* meant for the public.

Unsatisifed with her first target, Daniela went for an easier bone to chew on - Mya. She squealed in fear, shrinking to her smallest size.

It was no secret to Evie that Mya was the bully's doormat and most frequent target. Because of her lack of courage and self-esteem on some days, Daniela *enjoyed* emotionally and physically tormenting her into she cracked and ran away crying.

"Heartley. Not surprised in the least that you're following your friend around again." Mya shrunk even more, her eyes wide and mouse-like. Daniela *laughed*, curling a finger underneath her chin. "Dumb little *crybaby*. You're *pathetic*! Always so happy and spreading that infectious positivity disease throughout the entire school. You know what that makes me? **ANGRY THAT YOU'RE RUINING MY MOOD**!"

Mya gasped in horror, but Evie leapt in front of her, spreading her arms out in a defensive maneuver. Daniela snorted.

"If Lyer-Lyer pants on *fire* wasn't in the way, I'd *squash* you like a *fricking horsefly*."

Daniela had only one more girl to target left now, that being Winter. Like Mya, she seemed decently terrified and tried to back away from her, legs shaking.

The bully would not be letting her sadism breakfast get away today.

Daniela bolted forward at the speed of a bullet train, gripping Winter's throat and pulling her right up to her face. Evie and Mya noticed the hunger and hellfire flickering in Daniela's eyes intensify considerably, which sent shivers down the two of them.

*Something's awry,* Mya noted internally, *and it's making me unwell. Why is she looking at her so... intensely?*

"What was that little Houdini move there, *McCormick*? Or should I say, ***Snowblind***!?" Daniela hissed, her tone brimming with acid. Evie and Mya gasped and held onto each other.

Daniela *knew* who Winter was. She knew the Snowblind name taunt.

Did Winter accidentally fail to tell them that Daniela was one of her bullies? It was too late to think about it now.

"Let me go!" Winter snarled, but unfortunately, it sounded more like a plea, something which only sent pleasure *coursing* through Daniela's veins. Begs and pleas were *savory* satisfaction.

She gripped her opponent's throat harder, digging her black nails in. "Last I checked, you weren't friends with Miss Sunshine and Smartypants. Last I checked, I had *unfinished business* with you. Did the lonesome little *Snowblind* choose to gain *friends* just to *protect herself* from *me*?"

"Let me *go*, Daniela!" Winter repeated desperately, pain pulsing through her neck flesh. This was becoming a *nightmare*, and her heart beat rapidly.

Evie and Mya stared at the door leading into the office. If they could play smart and get past Daniela, they could warn the school's principal, Principal Rex, and get her apprehended.

They glanced at each other and nodded, scouting for an opening.

"Winterlyn, you *honestly* thought that gaining some *security* would stop all those *bullies* from mocking you with that name? Thinking it would stop **ME**? Then you really *are* blind, ***SNOWBLIND***!" Daniela snapped, raising Winter off the ground with one hand. She was *strong*, and at any moment, she could severly hurt Winter with one blow.

Her eyes were *burning* into Winter's, dominating her ice-blue. She was on the verge of *tears* and making herself a fool in front of her new friends.

Right now was the perfect chance. *YOLOOOOOO!* Mya told herself quietly, tearing away from Evie's side and sprinting toward the office door. One step. Two steps. Three steps. She was going to make it...

...and then a tough, *heartless* hand gripped her arm.

*Oh sh-*

"**YOU MEDDLING PRICK, HEARTLEY**!" Daniela belted at her, almost shoving Winter into Evie with her other arm. She then refocused all of her attention onto her smaller prey. "What kind of **dirty trick** did you try to use against me?" Baring her teeth, she gripped Mya by the collar of her pullover jacket tightly and shook her, demanding a response.

Mya only shrieked.

"You *imbecilic dumbass*! Thinking you could get *past me*! I *always* observe my surroundings to make sure my fodder aren't planning to *tarnish* my fun. Luckily, it's all right - I *love* that sweet, *sweet* fear on your squishy lil' face."

*I'm going to murder her later,* Evie thought, cracking her knuckles. Winter stood by her side, still shaken from her encounter.

By now, Mya had been forced into *dead silence* and couldn't utter a single word from her mouth. Gym dismissal was going to start in less than *five minutes*.

Daniela smiled in a bloodthirsty, sickening state of glee. She was winning it all and class hadn't even started yet. *I'm the luckiest person in the whole world. Pah!*

"You know what?" she whispered in Mya's ear. "I think I'm going to **rip your body apart**, piece by piece, bit by bit, right *here*, right *now*. The sight of the blood sounds so *invigorating* to me, don't you get it, Heartley? I want nothing more than to see you **SUFFER** for constantly getting in **MY WAY**!"

Usually, a threat that extreme was an overexaggeration.

But Evie knew that Daniela was seriously about to bludgeon Mya for real, and as long as she stood here in Pineshadow Middle School, she would not let this happen.

"Cover your ears," she quietly told Winter. She obeyed quickly. Then, using the loudest, most banshee-like voice she could muster...

"***PRINCIPAL REX***!!!" she screeched, causing a crowd of students, Winter, Mya, to face her in shock.

Daniela threw Mya aside, furious, about to march toward Evie and give her a brutal lesson.

"You son of a *b*-"

"***DANIELA BURTON VUNQUIST***!"

The office door slammed *open*. She stopped *dead in her tracks*.

Right behind her was the fearsome and intimidating Principal Rex.

"Principal Rex, I can-"

"**You do NOT need to EXPLAIN**!" she spat aggressively, roughly slamming the bully against the office wall.

"Get *off* of me!"

"You are going *nowhere* near *any* of those three girls. Not any *longer*!"

"I don't play by your stupid rules, Rex!" Proving the wild rumors true, Daniela flashed her two middle fingers at the principal and bared her teeth at her, despite no longer having the advantage.

"You will quit flashing *those* and quit this disgraceful, *dishonorable* behavior **IMMEDIATELY**!" the principal retorted vehemently, her anger so alarming that the trio behind her bunched together.

Taking one of her middle fingers, Rex pulled it back. *Hard*. Daniela winced in pain as her knuckle *cracked*.

The principal *nearly* broke one of her fingers because of her behavior.

*Their relationship is nothing like it should be,* Evie thought sadly. *Daniela's done so much damage that Rex can't fix. Now she's trying to counter it with violence.*

While Evie didn't know the extent of everything, she could at least assume that much.

Even Daniela had met her match now. She hissed in defeat.

"**QUIT** trying to attack *my students*! Daniela, you're *not only* wasting my time, but causing innocent humans a great amount of *agony*. Sometimes, I just can't **believe you** choose to be like this..." The principal grabbed her by the sweater, dragging her into the depths of the office. Her boot heels skidded against the floor, and looking up at the girls for a final time, she made one thing clear.

"This is *far* from over, you three! I'll be *back* before none of you *see it*..." Then, the door slammed shut. It was finally over.

Evie ran up to Mya, scanning her body rapidly. "Did she do anything to you?" she asked, worried. She kept searching for any scar or her mark.

"I'm *okay*, Evie," she responded, reassuring her with her soft, friendly voice, which always made her feel like sparks were flying from her heart. She hugged her, and she hugged back, and for a moment, the surroundings around them blurred, life slowing down to let them catch a breather and relax.

After a minute, they pulled apart. Things were much better.

Then Mya remembered what she had seen when Daniela had attacked Winter. The flames that crackled in her eyes. The *devilish* smile that was on her face. The *way* she gripped Winter's neck so hard that she could have left *marks* on her.

Daniela *knew* who Winter was. Daniela *knew* about the Snowblind bullying. She seemed like she took *pride* in hurting Winter.

She whispered her thoughts to Evie, who nodded grimly, unnerved by the behavior. *Maybe Winter knows something we don't? She never mentioned Daniela, nor ever mentioned that she had prior history with her...*

"Winter, why was Daniela so overly aggressive with you? Are you okay-"

But Winter was no longer with them at all, making Evie close her mouth in surprise. She had disappeared into the crowd while she and Mya had hugged, no longer visible, no traces of her left to linger.

The bell starting the passing period before first period rang.

Out of sight, out of mind.

The grueling school day had come and gone for Winter. Following Daniela's assault on her, she had felt too petrified, too vulnerable, and humiliated in front of Evie and Mya. The way Daniela *stared* at her, intending to break her bones and cut into her skin, wanting nothing more than to see her *bleed*.

*I was such an idiot back there! Evie and Mya couldn't witness me like that! They... they believe I'm brave and can fight my way through thick and thin...*

She was *exposed* back there. The two *couldn't* see that side of her yet - she wasn't ready to share *everything*.

What she had said was only part of the truth. Winter still had much to tell, much to get off her back, but for now, what she had said was a good start.

She changed into her night clothes, a dark gray sports tanktop, black shorts, and white socks, and once she was prepared, she curled up in her stash of pillows and blankets, wrapping herself up snugly. She warmed up, and with the peace and soothing atmosphere of the moonlight outside, she was gradually lulled into sleep. Blackness threw its cover over her head.

When Winter woke up, blinking open her eyes slowly, she found herself standing in a white void. *Everything* around her was a piercing white.

*Huh? What the heck is this?*

It was far too silent here. She shouted out fearfully. "Hello? Anyone there?"

Suddenly, *something* laid a finger on her shoulder. Winter whipped her neck around to find a shadowy figure, black and distorted, glaring at her with beady, bloody red eyes. She *screamed*, attempting to run, but her legs were stuck in place. Panic set in.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the shadow demon clamped its hand over her mouth. "This is *not over* between us, Winterlyn McCormick. *Far* from over..." Removing its hand, it traced under her chin, studying her terrified frame.

*I have to defy this creature and get out of here!* Summoning her strength, Winter growled in reply, "You chose to *ruin* my life, you evil, twisted *freak*! But I have people in my life who care for me now. You won't *ever* take me down again, and I'm going to rise *defiant*!"

The shadow figure slapped her on the cheek, slicing through it with razor-sharp black claws. Winter howled, agonized, placing a hand on her cheek to stop the scarlet blood that started to drip out of the wound.

"Foolish brat! You're too cowardly and *worthless* to be defiant! Be delusional all you want, but **I won't stop** at nothing to make you *repent* for your crimes. I'll destroy *you*. I'll **destroy your reputation**. Soon, you'll only be known by what those school twerps call you: **Snowblind**!"

"*No*! That will *never* happen!" Winter was losing her strength, feeling her limbs weaken. The figure vanished from view, their red eyes lingering for a second longer, watching Winter huddle - she wanted to dig a hole in the ground and *die*.

*It... it can't get any worse.*

Seconds later, Winter wished she could take that back. She heard someone gasp, and not just someone, but someone *familiar*.

Winter's hope *shattered*, withering away.

She turned around again, finding faint, flickering outlines of Evie and Mya looking at her. Their eyes bore into her, saddened, wide, in anguish...

"**It's not what you think**! Please, I-"

The white void crumbled away in front of her eyes, and Winter began falling, falling, and falling.

And then she woke up in her bed, panting, the top of her tanktop stained with sweat. Her legs were tingling, and her breathing was jagged, coming out in short rasps. Her ice-blue eyes shimmered with *sheer trepidation*.

*This is my cabin. It was just a dream. They weren't there. Nothing happened. You're okay, Winter, get it together, relax,* she told herself, trying to slow her breathing.

*It was only a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream.*

A few minutes afterward, Winter felt her heart rate settle and her nerves return to normal. Sighing, she decided to head out into the night, needing some fresh air after that dizzying, repulsing nightmare.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her prized box resting on the shelf, the very box Evie and Mya had tried to open before she ambushed them.

She was still glad they didn't open it. The box held things, *sacred* secrets she did not want to turn loose to her allies. What belonged inside was only for her to know.

Throwing her shirt and jeans on, she tucked her box in her arms and walked out of the cabin and into the fresh, alluring nature of the Piney Woods. Winter felt right at home again, the comfort of the thick trees and sounds of a few animals easing her into serenity.

Here, in the deep heart of the woods, was her space, with every pine needle she stepped on, every star in the sky glistening.

This was a world undiscovered to everyone *but* her. Winter flowed in perfect harmony with the rhythm of the woods; this is where she truly *belonged*.

She reached a clearing where the trees parted, revealing a gap where an entire collection of stars could be seen. The sky was a mix of jet-black and blue hues, swirling around each other in a proud dance. The air around here was crisper than ever. In the distance, a sparrow chirped, adding to the bliss in Winter's heart.

The young girl sat down on a log, chipped away with time and covered in moss and lichen. Placing the box in her lap, she hugged it tightly into her stomach and gazed up at the stars, letting herself become lost in the galaxies, her imaginary friends that always came around when the night reared its colors.

*Evie, Mya... I promise I'll tell you everything someday. I'll show you what I hold sacred when the time is right.*

Some day, Winter's new allies would learn what they hadn't yet about her. Time would decide that soon.

One day.

## Cast

* **Dakota Fanning** as Mya
* **Peyton Elizabeth Lee** as Evie
* **Wendie Malick** as Nita
* **Mae Whitman** as Winter
* **Eden Riegel** as Daniela
* **Nora Dunn** as Rex

## Trivia

* This episode marks the full debut of Winter and the debut of Daniela.
	+ In the original version of the episode, Holly appeared and the opening took place at Evie's house compared to Mya's. However, it was changed to Mya's house in the rewrite.
	+ The girls also played *Connect 4* instead of *Candy Land*.
* This episode marks the proper debut of the series intro, *Mortals*, and outro, *Blank*.
	+ Chronologically, *Mortals* made its first appearance in *Memories of the Past* due to the old intro not being removed from the series yet.
* It is revealed that:
	+ Evie and Mya enjoy playing board games. Evie is talented at *Stratego*.
	+ The girl running in the Piney Woods that appeared in *Prologue* is named Winterlyn "Winter" McCormick. Winter ran away from home following a disasterous coming out attempt spurred by her now ex-girlfriend and has lived on her own with minimal support in a cabin. She stores something personal in a secret box and refuses to let Evie and Mya see inside.
	+ Winter is a fan of American musician and composer Varien.
	+ Winter lost her biological mother when she was nine years old due to pneumonia made worse by lupus. Her father disowned her and cut her with the knife she now owns.
	+ Winter is a lesbian. She also implies to the girls that she is gender non-conforming and mentions that she is a big tomboy.
	+ After running away and getting emotionally and physically traumatized, Winter began to live a lie and disappeared from the public eye, forging her father's signature on report cards and slinking into the shadows, not talking to others unless she was prompted. She greatly fears getting exposed and refuses to let herself get trapped in foster care, finding it hell.
	+ Winter is bullied with the nickname of "Snowblind" after she was clowned on school grounds for slipping and staring into the sun on accident. The name is derived from the Snowblind of the same name.
		- Her motto, "out of sight, out of mind," is also taken from the song.
	+ The school Evie, Mya, and Winter attend is named Pineshadow Middle School (PMS).
	+ PMS is the stomping grounds of Daniela, the school bully who is a vicious enemy of Evie and Mya. She reveals that she knows of Winter and the Snowblind name taunt, further implying that the two have run into each other before.
* As they play *Candy Land*, Evie and Mya are noted to be stuck in a "hardlock." This is a reference to the JFI song *Hardlock*.
* When Mya doubts Evie in a joking matter, she references the *L.A Noire* meme "Press X to Doubt."
* Mya referring to "Hotel Candyfornia" is a play on the Eagles song *Hotel California*. Evie furthers this by reminding Mya that it's a place she can never truly leave, referencing the song's theme.
* Evie exclaiming that she's high priority and coming for Mya is an allusion to the line "Deadly and gorgeous, we're coming through" from the Matduke song *Bloodlip*.
* Evie and Mya mentioning how kids at their school "smoked" Smarties is a reference to the real internet fad where Smarties can actually be smoked. They also mention the "Taki Girls," girls with a certain attitude and love of Takis that Av has encountered numerous times throughout her school years.
* The Tut Tut Child song *Just A Dream* is referenced numerous times throughout the episode when Winter describes her wanderlust and enjoyment of living a life feeling lost. *Just A Dream* is Winter's tertiary theme song.
* *Ghost Assassin* by Maduk is referenced twice in the episode: Mya alludes to the line "He rescued her once, now it's her turn to save him" when she protects Evie and Winter alludes to the line "I don't wanna know what she did, she's not who I am" when she differentiates herself from her past self.
* Evie implies that she doesn't have the best relationship with her mother, hinting that there is something going on between the two.
* Besides being the name used to bully Winter, the 2014 Au5 song *Snowblind* is referenced heavily throughout the episode, even playing on Spotify as Av was proofreading it. The song is credited as a major inspiration for Winter with the song's vocalist, Tasha Baxter, even recognizing Winter herself and liking her character. *Snowblind* is also Winter's secondary theme after *Jumpsuit*.
	+ Notably, the themes of running away, getting lost in reality, and letting boundaries fall that Baxter sings about in *Snowblind* are alluded to the most.
	+ Evie also references the real life meaning of where *Snowblind* is derived from, snow blindness - which is caused by UV light that can reflect off sheets of snow.
* The scene where Winter comes out to Evie and Mya was inspired by the moment where Cyrus comes out as gay to Jonah in *Andi Mack*.
* Winter describing herself as "the girl that time forgot" is a reference to the Hellberg song *The Girl*.
* Winter refusing to give her life away is a nod to the TwoThirds song *Waking Dreams*.
* When Winter feels like an owl under the stars, she references the Feint and TwoThirds song *Starscapes*.
* During the girls' confrontation with Daniela, Mya and Daniela almost end up saying explicit swear words ("s\*it" and "b\*tch").
* It is implied that Daniela and Principal Rex have history between them.
* When Winter walks out to the clearing with her box and promises to tell Evie and Mya her secrets one day, the opening to the Tristam song *The Vine* is heard.