Silhouettes: Letters

Letter 1

I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to leave you behind either, my dear sister. But our parents are out there, and I want them back dead or alive. Don’t you want that too? Tell stories in the fireplace, weave beautiful patterned fabrics that would warm us in this frozen land, tapestry of colors, and spend time together at our dinner table sharing hot meals we all helped cook as family. I want that back, surely you do too. I’m certain you’d understand why I have to risk it all. I have prepared rations and tools for the journey, and weapons. I am well aware of the hostile wild animals that come out of that accursed fog, so I will be bringing a shotgun. But I found myself zoned out upon holding a rope I will be bringing for this journey as my mind wanders its many different implications, including…dragging them back with it. I sure hope they can walk back home with me. Our village will take care of you while I’m gone the same way they did when our parents went beyond The Great Fog. Stay strong, alright? Your big sister Aero will bring them back to us, Echo. I promise you that.

Letter 2

Another cloudless skies and calm winds. A good sign of a good start. Despite our village’s protest in this expedition I will embark to, my resolve remains steady, and I will not be stopped. I thank you for accompanying me to the edge of the Great Fog. Echo, I wish you didn’t have to give me those eyes. It only hurts me, knowing for the first time, I won’t be doing as you pleased. You must understand, I am bringing our family back. This is also for you, Echo. I wish you didn’t call out my name over and over the further I went inside the Great Fog, you know I wouldn’t turn back, and that it only pains me to hear you cry. Do not worry, my sister. Your call is etched in my mind and heart, and I will use it to guide me back home..

Letter 3

The wind howls mighty and the Great Fog blows me away, as if telling me not to enter. I’m at its foggy wall, violently rushing like an angry river. My feet are being buried by snow already when I noticed papers on the ground, notes from previous expeditions, and photographs of strange structures. I frowned at the sight. It’s those notes and photographs that lured our parents away from us like a trap and never returned, just like so many others. But this time, it’s different. My reason is different. Others went inside to feed their curiosity, while I am going in to get our parents. I have a month’s worth of supply on me. It’s heavy, but a burden that will sustain me.

Letter 4

There was nothing, nothing but an endless sea of white. Most times some speck of thick snow whizzes by, obscuring my vision. I can’t even see my own feet walking through this deep snow. I was panicking a bit, unable to even see below my chest. Am I sinking? Am I walking deeper and deeper into my own snowy grave? Am I even still walking? I tried to calm myself down and breathe deeply, but the cold is sharp in my nose and in my throat. I could only hear my own shaky exhausted breathing, my heartbeat, and this god awful deafening wind. Occasionally I would feel something beneath my feet. Rocks I hope. I hate this, I hate that I can’t see what I’m stepping on.

Letter 5

I kept going and going. The gear I was wearing was thick and bulky. I could not feel where my pocketwatch was, so I assumed I have been walking for almost an hour now, or so. I saw a distant shadow breaking the severe whiteness of this fog, and so I followed it. It was a tall rock. You have no idea how good it felt seeing this random tall rock. It’s as tall as me. It was a nice change of scenery to say the least. I saw another one and I followed it. The wind was too strong and violent but I pushed through. Another tall rock. I looked around my surroundings and found another, so I went towards it. I only then realized that maybe I am following the same two rocks. I studied the other shadow of a rock in the distance if it was a familiar shape with the previous one I went to. It featured a tall rock with a smaller rock on top of it, so it’s safe to say that it was a new one. I went towards it and did the same process, this time the next one shrouded by the fast moving fog featured a more refined shaped rock on top. I went to it. Then I saw it. Another one, but…I made sure to look really hard. Was I seeing that right? That looks like the shape of a person. I figured it’s another rock, or a frozen body of a previous expeditionary, but no, to my relief, it was just another rock. I’m getting tired of talking about rocks, it’s starting to not feel like a damn word. I found another, shaped like a person again, and again, it was just my eyes playing tricks on me. I saw another and went to it. Then another, so I went to it. It felt great, oddly enough, because I know for sure I was moving this time, unlike awhile ago where I saw nothing but whiteness that I don’t even know if I was walking. My heart stopped. Eyes widened. The shadow of a rock I was following began running away? There was no sound! Or maybe the loud constant wind masked the footsteps. In instinct, I tried to follow it, but I came to my senses and stood still. It ran away gracefully and quickly. Did I see that right? I began checking myself. I believe I was still sane. I turned back to the previous person shaped rock, but that too was gone. All of them were gone. It was white again. Did I imagine all those?

Letter 6

I walked faster than usual. Constantly looking behind me. What I saw wasn’t normal. Or maybe I’m just seeing things my brain conjured up because it was bored at this constant whiteness. Then I saw another shadow, wider this time. I approached it slowly, and when I got near, my blood ran cold, and for a moment, my ears stopped working. A Great Snow Bear looking straight at me, its eyes were starving and empty. I ran back as fast as I could. It lunged at me, with its growl crushing through the “silence”, I managed to dodge, I could hear the violent wind again. It wound up for another strike, I was on the snowy ground half buried. I scrambled to dodge it. My backpack got hit, but I was fine. I ran as fast as I could. I could not hear its footsteps if it was following me. I curse this loud howling wind. I did not look back. I kept going. My throat felt sharp with the amount of cold air I have been breathing in. The muscles in my legs were gripping up and began to sore but I kept running. My heart was pounding, it wanted to burst out of my chest and run further and faster than I could to save itself. My mind was throbbing, and all I could think of was both blank thoughts and you all at once. Eventually I was getting too exhausted that my mind even considered letting it kill me now. My legs gave up, I must have tripped on something, but I laid on the soft snow, burying me a bit. I immediately looked back and saw no Great Snow Bear following me. I was breathing so fast and so hard, I collapsed on my back just trying to catch my breath. Water. I need water. The wind was burying snow on top of me and with my tired hands wiping them away, I mustered the last of my strength to get up and get walking. So thirsty, but I can’t remove my backpack just yet without being sure I was safe. The bag on my back was getting heavier. I was so tired, I wanted to sit down or lay down, but the damn snow is too soft and too deep and this damn constant wind makes sure to bury me the moment I stop standing! I need to find some place to rest, but where? Where? Nothing’s out here.

Letter 7

I saw another shadow, but it’s larger than the Great Snow Bear. I stopped on my tracks and observed, squinting even. I lost my snow goggles from that attack, but good thing I brought a spare, but I can’t afford to stop. I was tired, I needed shelter, and if I stopped too long, I'd be buried. This time, I approached it slowly. And when it got near, I felt this warmth wash over me. It was a cave. By the entrance, I sat to remove my back pack to get a spare snow goggle at the ready, as well as my oil lamp, and water. Sweet, sweet, refreshing water. I drank and held myself from drinking it all. I didn’t even drink half of it. I only drank just enough to wet my throat. The cave is undoubtedly deep as the darkness from within stares back at me. I removed my shotgun from my bag and loaded up shells and lit my oil lamp. I shouted, I made noise, and I waited by the entrance. Occasionally looking back behind me, to the Great Fog for anything that might lunge at me. I hoped to all that’s holy that that Great Snow Bear did not follow me. They’re always awfully persistent whenever they emerge from the Great Fog to villages and towns. Looking back and forth at the darkness of the cave and the blinding light of the violent windy snow, no threat jumped at me. I wore my back pack and proceeded carefully deeper inside the cave. A lantern in one hand, and a shotgun aimed towards the darkness on the other. I felt my ears relax as the sound of the howling blizzard muffles out into silence the deeper I go. Eventually I reached the end of this cave. I made sure to look around for any potential hiding spots or holes. There was none to my relief. The ceiling is relatively tall, two floors high, and the cave was on a decline. That was when I realized something; There was no firewood available. I brought some small branches and twigs but I was not sure I needed to light a campfire right now. The cave was warm enough and deep enough that I didn’t think I needed the fire. I stared at the cave’s entrance, waiting for night to come so I could sleep. That reminded me that I need to check the time. I pulled out my pocket watch to know how much longer until nightfall. I was disappointed to see that my pocket watch wasn’t working well. Its hour hand pointed at 8. I entered The Great Fog past lunchtime, and my pocket watch was certainly working by then. Maybe somehow I twisted the knob when I was looking for it before I got into the cave, or got messed up from the attack.

Letter 8

I could feel my eyes become heavy, staring at that cave entrance, holding onto my shotgun. Occasionally, I would see shadows, but they were either a trick of the light or I’m just so tired, but occasionally, there were shadows that looked more solid than others, and some lingered longer than they should. Whenever those happen, I just aim my shotgun at it. Next thing I knew, I fell asleep. I must have dozed off for a few minutes. It was still bright outside. I checked my pocket watch out of habit and found that the hour hand had moved to 5. I guessed it was still…functioning? I did feel well rested, albeit a bit hungry, so I decided now was the right time to start a quick fire for a quick meal when I realized my pot was missing. I lost it from the attack. I made sure to look around the cave if I dropped it somehow, but I knew that it wasn’t in here. The rope that held it was torn off. I guess meat jerky it was, then. After a light snack, I decided it was time to continue once more, this time, with shotgun in hand. I used to remember papa not letting us hold this gun with how dangerous it was. He also used it to defend our home when hostile animals came rampaging, it always hurt my ears whenever it went off. Doesn’t help when papa and other villagers shout loudly to scare the rest, either. Now that I’m holding it, it feels heavy, and I feel a lot braver. In a way, papa’s still here protecting me, don’t you think?

Letter 9

Echo, the Great Fog was waiting for me. The moment I stepped out of the cave was when the violent wind calmed down. I could see my feet, I could see a few good distances away from me. I did not like this new quiet. The wind itself even stopped howling. The Great Fog didn’t let me see below my chest, obscuring my vision, yes, but it also obscured me from any threat. But this…I could see meters away, and I felt exposed. I just kept going, just like how mama used to say. I could hear my footsteps for the first time, crunching snow below me. Somehow it made me feel more alone than ever. How long did our parents walk? I sure hope I didn’t walk past them. I spotted an incline, a snowy hill. With this calm fog almost clear enough to see, I climbed the top to get better bearings. What I saw was an endless sea of blank. More snow, more ice, and those familiar ice spikes that reach beyond the Great Fog’s height. I knew they were huge with our view of them back home, but I wouldn’t have expected how gigantic they really were, even if at this distance I was seeing them. From this whiteness, I spotted some sort of lake, with strange shaped ice forming on its surface. Looking around some more, I spotted a tent to which I rushed towards immediately. I hoped there was someone out there, or at the very least left supplies for me to use. When I reached it, its tent gently flapped in the wind, a huge gnash on its side, revealing a couple. They were dead. I will spare you the details, my sister. It was something you shouldn’t see or know. But it was clear they weren’t as lucky as I was when I escaped a Great Snow Bear. They have been gone for quite a while. Their bloodied journal has its pages stuck together due to the frozen blood, but a date reveals they were expeditionaries from a decade ago. Thankfully they have a spare pot with an unfinished meal. I wouldn’t dare eat that, but I will certainly wash it off. I took their water canteen, and some canned food, but made sure to leave a couple behind for whoever might come here, as well. With a new pot, I disposed of the frozen meal with my knife and went to the lake to wash it somewhat clean when I spotted two human fingers floating on top of the lake. I stopped washing from that water immediately. The lake was deep, and dark, and who knows how those fingers got there. I tied the unclean pot onto my bag much more securely than before and continued walking.