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Frosty Shivers
The bright heavens of Goiky had long since collapsed into pitch darkness.
The once comforting moon glowed faintly behind a veil of cool blue mist.
Snow fell in swift, heavy streaks.
The clearing was not much unlike a white void, nobody would ever think there was anything around but a neverending blizzard in the tundra.
The once vibrant grasslands were coated in thick, white smothering sheets.
A patch of snow shifted beneath the weight of an approaching figure: an icy blue, crystalline snowflake.
Her grip tightened around a firm wicker basket filled to the rim with frozen berries, some bore a striking red hue, others a dark purple almost as dark as the night itself.
She drifted through the gusts with effortless grace until a cozy, hut-like dwelling appeared through the foggy clearing almost as faint as a distant star.
At the sight of it, she quickened her pace, as though the night itself was prowling, waiting and plotting to swallow her whole.
Specks of snow flew across on her icy body as she dashed through the gusts, she blinked away sleet that dripped into her eyes and down her cheeks.
She brought the basket to her clear, icy chest, both hands clung around its poorly woven walls.
As she reached the entrance she noticed a small white ball waiting for her right at the threshold.
She was bundled in a thick blue scarf and a woolly hat that practically hid her face. Her eyelashes bore small specks of frost.
Her voice came out cold as the frostbitten air, she backed up slightly allowing her backside to feel the warmth and comfort of shelter once again.
"Snowflake, took you long enough. Did you find anything?"
Snowflake brought forward the basket of berries coated in a layer of frost that was gradually thawing out.
"I'm sorry, Ping Pong. This was all I could gather."
She gasped for air, her journey left her exhausted, a small misty breath escaped her mouth fading into the frosty atmosphere.
Ping Pong narrowed her eyes, sighed and shook her head as she saw the basket, nothing but frozen berries yet again.
Snowflake looked away from the white ball's disappointed gaze.
Her grip tightened on the handle as she asked.
"Is Quill okay?"
Ping Pong nodded as she turned her back to look inside.
"She will be. She's resting now. She had her twins, a boy and a girl."
A harsh gust bit into their bodies.
Only Ping Pong shivered, despite being within the shelter's warmth, whilst Snowflake was still outside.
“Come on. Inside now."
Inside, countless other objects waited; most younger than the merciless winter that now swallowed the once luscious acres of grassland in Goiky.
A massive purple pushpin with a swollen belly loomed over them and approached the two older objects who just entered.
Snowflake barely had time to place the basket on the hard wooden floor before the pushpin spoke with a tone as sharp and piercing as her slit, dark eyes.
"The feed better be good this time."
Ping Pong narrowed her eyes as she took a step closer to the pushpin.
"There's barely any food left, Pushy. Snowflake gathered as much as she could for everyone."
Pushy faltered; she looked at Snowflake before leaning forward, gripping a handful of berries and retreating back into her corner of the dwelling with soft bedding.
Snowflake shook her head before turning her gaze towards Quill, a fluffy blue feather who was resting by the fire, her eyes shut lightly.
She looked as peaceful as a gentle snowfall that Goiky should have experienced.
If only the same could be said about right now.
Snowflake then saw the two bundles huddled against Quill's soft chest.
One bundle was a striking orange pencil with a beautiful silver casing and pink eraser that reminded Snowflake of Goiky's warm sunsets and sunrises.
Oh how she wished she could see those again, hidden behind all those gloomy clouds.
The other was a pen with a body as white as the snow that blanketed Goikian grounds and a bright blue cap that reminded her of Goiky's beautiful clear skies.
Snowflake shook her head.
Small glitter specks twinkled, gently landing on the ground.
The little pencil shifted closer to the warmth as some cold specks landed on her body.
Snowflake sighed and went back to her corner of the dwelling.
She softened as she noticed little movements beneath the blankets.
A small white snowball and crystalline ice cube peeked up from beneath as Snowflake drew closer.
The ice cube squeaked, her eyes glowed as bright as the heavens once were.
"Mama, you're back!"
Snowflake smiled softly as she wrapped the blankets around Snowball and Ice Cube.
The fire popped and blew softly under the weight of cold air and snow that sprinkled in down from sky and into the chimney.
Quill shifted slightly from where she rested, her eyes adjusted to the warm flames in front of her.
She heard a tiny squeak vibrate against her chest. She peered down to see the tiny bundles that lay by her side.
The little orange pencil was letting out tiny squeaks as she clung to her mother's fluffy chest, drawing a tiny presence to herself.
Quill adjusted the tiny cotton blanket that caressed her newborn, her voice came out light as a feather in a warm breeze.
“Easy little one, you'll wake your brother..."
A shadow loomed over Quill, she turned to see Pushy behind her and with her, an unusual soft expression, then a soft voice...
"...Have you named them?"
Quill nodded, brushing her soft feathers against the two babies as she spoke.
“I was thinking Pen for the boy and Pencil for the girl."
The orange pencil let out another tiny squeak.
Pushy scoffed.
"Fitting, she certainly loves drawing attention to herself."
Ping Pong approached, with a bowl of thawed berries.
"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"
Pushy rolled her eyes and turned away, but not before taking one last soft glance at the twins.
She couldn't wait to experience that joy and comfort herself.
Ping Pong nudged the bowl towards Quill.
“Here Quill. Eat, you need it."
She insisted.
Quill knew better than to argue with her, but even then she couldn't help but ask.
"...Have you and Golf Ball eaten yet?"
Ping Pong softened for a moment, before the stern expression returned.
“New mothers must eat first. You know that."
Quill frowned.
Ping Pong raised her foot before the motherly feather had a chance to speak again.
“Please, don't worry about me. You have more important things to worry about now."
Ping Pong insisted as she gestured to Pen and Pencil.
Ping Pong walked towards the basket, only a few berries left.
She looked around the room, it seemed everyone had already had their share.
She sighed as she reached into the basket, only a handful, that should be enough.
She approached a tiny dimpled ball huddled in a corner, bundled in a rough, thin blanket.
She dumped the berries onto the blanket.
"Here Golfy, eat up."
Golf Ball looked up at Ping Pong with wide eyes.
"What about you? You need to eat too, Mom."
Ping Pong looked away.
How do I explain this to someone so young, and my own daughter?
No one deserves to go through this.
It's okay.
Do what you always do.
Deep breaths in and out.
Smile.
"Don't worry about me Golfy. I'll eat later." Golf Ball narrowed her eyes in anger as she wailed.
"No you won't! You never do. Share with me, Mom. You must eat now. If you won't, I won't either!"
Ping Pong dipped her head.
Oh Golfy, I'm sorry...
Ping Pong sighed, she picked up the berries, now dripping with small cold dew drops and placed them in Golf Ball's grasp.
"Please Golfy, don't worry about me. You need to look after yourself too."
Golf Ball glared up at her mother, before she turned her attention to the berries, her head throbbed, her mouth watered.
Save some for mom.
Golf Ball forced herself to choke back on warm fluid that built up inside her mouth...
I can't eat...
Golf Ball could now feel the cold drips of dew spread across her sole.
The throbbing in head got worse, it felt as though the cold itself had found a way inside, biting her...
She sighed as she bent down and began to chew on a berry.
The throbbing in her head subsided. She couldn't help herself.
She devoured the remaining berries, one after another.
Once she was finished she turned to Ping Pong, her eyes watery,
but why? From the cold...? Or the apologetic glance of a daughter who cared so deeply about her mom.
It felt worse than any headache to see her go without eating.
Ping Pong stood up.
She adjusted the blankets around Golf Ball.
She walked away towards the darker corner of the hut. Her voice was low and stern.
"Rest now. I'm going to check on Pushy."
Golf Ball pressed her dimpled face against the soft pine floor, the woolly blankets wrapped tightly around her small round body.
She began to drift off, her thoughts carrying her away as the wind whistled softly outside and cool blue mist allowed the moon to light up the room in a dim glow.
I wish things were the way they used to be, if only we tried harder...
Pushy lay huddled up in soft bedding and a thin blanket.
Her back was turned away from Ping Pong who approached slowly.
Ping Pong looked around the room to make sure no one was looking.
Snowflake seemed to be telling a beautiful tale as most of the young objects sat around as she spoke.
Quill slept by the fire with Pen and Pencil huddled beside her.
And Golf Ball seemingly had also drifted off.
Good.
No one will hear us.
At least, they shouldn't.
Ping Pong took a spot beside Pushy's blanket, cautiously leaving a comfortable amount of space between the two.
She spoke softly.
"Pushy. Can we talk?"
Pushy shifted, pulling the blanket over her shoulder. Ping Pong continued.
"...about how all of this happened?"
Slowly but surely, Pushy lifted herself up and faced Ping Pong.