The harsh winter

A day had passed since Ellen could no longer move her body, the cozy bed had become her confinement and as days passed by it might also become her final resting place.

"You're doing good Mina!" Ellen said with a weak smile, her breath getting weaker with each word.

Mina was at the stove, her hand full of scratches and blisters from managing the hay as she hit the flint and steel together, trying to start a fire but all her effort so far had resulted in nothing

The encouragement of her dying mother is the only reason why she still dares to continue.

Mina could feel the warmth of fire coming from her blisters and the two minerals she was holding as she continued to strike the metal and flint again and again until finally a spark was created that spewed towards the hay creating a trace of smoke.

"You did it, my daughter!" Ella said with a giggle while Mina was smiling ear to ear looking at her bruised hand, proud of what she had accomplished, proud that she made her mother smile the way she did back then.

The day her father left them was the day her mother lost the brightness that surrounded her, her gentle smile that would comfort Mina of her worries now felt like a facade that hid her mother's real emotions.

"Now, you need to make sure that the fire starts." Ellen said and Mina nodded to her words.

The door creaked open and outside was Rina, his hand wrapped in leather that was torn from the bed, he entered the hut holding a pot of snow.

Huffing for air, Rina took the pot to the table where the dim light of the oil lamp showed his pale skin, Rina watched his sister at the stove while his body was trembling from the cold.

"What talented children I have" Ellen said with a smile, glad that with this even if she left this world her children could stay alive at least until their father came back with food

Blowing the spark on the hay Mina was soon Overwhelmed by the smoke, she coughs backing away.

"Careful not to inhale the smoke" Ellen warned and Mina nodded before carefully approaching the hay.

With little effort, the spark grew into a fire,

"Now, my son" Ellen said and Rina carried the pot full of snow over the stove.

"Now we just wait" Ellen said opening her arm. "Come, it's cold isn't it"

The two children ran to her arms and they snuggled at their mother's warm hug waiting for the snow to melt.

....

Standing tall at the top of the snowy mountain was a small hut overlooking a small village.

Wearing heavy clothing and equipped with wooden tools, a group of men that came from the village took a glance at the hut before looking at the corpse of a man that was in front of them.

The corpse was ravaged beyond recognition, its chest ripped open and its organ missing. the look of terror could be seen from its frozen face, the terrifying beast that has done this probably rests at this mountain.

The same mountain that they plan on climbing.

"Calamity after calamity" The one that leads the villagers muttered, he held a lamp guiding his fellow men deep into the mountain.

"Do not feel fear, we have resolved ourselves already" He said swallowing his saliva as he took his first step forward.

"let's go!"

"Yes!" The villagers behind him yelled in synchronization as they swallowed their fears and followed their leader ignoring the corpse that should have served as a warning of the danger ahead.

The cold wind rushes towards them, and the fire on the lamp dances wildly resisting the cold air while the man who holds the lamp shivers from the sudden burst of cold but even so he continues on his way to the top his eyes set on the lone hut.

Thump.

A loud sound alerted him, he looked behind to see three of the thirteen men that he gathered stuck in a pit of snow.

"Thompson!" A villager yelled reaching his hand to the pit but no one took his offer of help and except for that one villager no one else dared to get close scared by the sudden collapse of the ground.

those who fell were all massaging their broken ankle and were surprised by the sudden event.

Who would have thought the ground would collapse.

"stop, mind the ground!" the villagers yelled to the one trying to help, at their word the one holding the lamp stepped forward proving that the ground was stable, at least the snow he was standing on.

"Thompson!, can you stand?" Greg asked and the old man who was one of the three that was stuck in the pit groaned.

"I tried" Thompson said "but my old bone could no longer take it" he looked at the other two that he was stuck with

they were both young men that were in their prime, people who wouldn't break their bones in this small fall, Thompson then said

"Help these two youngsters first, I believe they have the strength to stand"

"Help those two!" Greg yelled and the ten men that were struck in place by fear all began to move.

"Here!" A villager called reaching his hand to the pit

"Can you reach it?" He asked as a strong blow of wind attacked him from behind making him fall to the pit.

While the other nine that were close to the pit trying to help as well were caught off guard their bodies all began to fly away and only a measly number of three remained to be able to stand, clutching their finger on the edge of the hole.

"Careful everyone!" A villager yelped as the piece of snow that he was clutching onto started to collapse.

"Reach onto my hand!" Another villager yelped trying to get close to the pit but was unsuccessful as he was sent flying as he tried to walk.

A sharp wind coming from the top of the mountain almost blew Greg away but he held his entire body into the snow, the lamp that he was holding dearly flew away and all he could do was watch the wave of white approaching them at an intense speed growing larger as it got closer.

"A-An avalanche!, everyone get away!" A villager warned running to the side while the others followed.

"An avalanche?, why now" Greg muttered struck by fear unable to move

"Help!" A villager yelped his hand coming out of the pit "Don't leave us!"

Hearing the call for help cleared his mind as he hurried to the pit and quickly grabbed the hand of the man.

"Greg!" The villager that was at a safe distance called. "You idiot!"

"Don't let go, I'll pull you up!" Greg said as he tried to pull him out but the others inside the pit held onto the man's limb

"Let go of me!" The men stomped the faces of the others In the pit trying to shake them away.

The small pit was rowdy as everyone fought for the single hand that was reaching to help them, only Thompson was silent at the corner accepting his death.

"I don't want to die!" A young man cried out trying to pull the man that Greg was holding onto, pulling him back into the pit

"You idiot!" the man yelped.

"What are you doing there!?" Greg yelled to the villagers who were watching from afar hiding behind a large rock 10 meters high on all fours trying not to be swept away by the storm "We need to help them!"

"The avalanche is approaching brother!" A villager with a small resemblance to him yelled blocking those who even have an intention of helping. "Not one move!"

He was small but he stretched his hand wide

The moment he managed to regain his footing trying to block those who tried to run towards the open area.

"I....I'm sorry, we have to reach that hut!"

But even with his order a crying villager managed to slip through him and approached the pit

"Pop's!" The villager called "Grab my hand"

At his words the calm Thompson snapped, veins appearing at his wrinkled face, he bellowed in anger.

"This foolish son of mine!"

After his word was the sudden burst of snow that ate everything on its way.

The villagers hid behind the sturdy rock that soon collapsed but not before the storm ended

Greg, Thompson, and the pit was nowhere to be seen

Only pure white snow was present where they once stood.