8. Harold

24/5/G19 23.15

Tumbling over an icy boulder, Harold fell hard to his knees, letting out an anguished cry. “Help…” he muttered, his once loud plea reduced to nothing but a whimper following his seemingly endless walk through the ice wastes.

Back when he had escaped from the prisoner that had taken him hostage, he felt certain that he had saved himself. He had even felt a little smug. Me, a mere Adinan technician, managing to subdue a brutish murderer! He did seem a little disorientated, but it was my hit to the head that knocked him out! Imagine what Beth and the kids are going to think when I tell them! Hell, I might even be given a reward, or a title like ‘Civic Protector’ or ‘Defender of the Outlands’! Just wait ‘til I get back to Valhalla, I bet I’ll be greeted as a hero!

However, as several hours passed and the night made its home in the sky, it became clear to him that he wasn’t heading in the right direction for home at all. He was lost. Completely lost.

How many miles from home am I now? Ten? Twenty? Fifty?! Why did this have to happen to me, what did I do to deserve this?!

He let out another hopeless whimper before gradually getting to his feet. He knew that he had to keep moving, had to find some sort of shelter, or he would die out in the middle of nowhere, miles from his family, miles from safety. His legs ached, but so did the rest of him, and the relentless wind nullified all that with its bitter chill. Harold began walking again, with no idea where he was going, just knowing that he needed to go somewhere, anywhere.

After another half hour or so crossing the endless emptiness, Harold came to a standstill. About 100 metres ahead of him, partially shrouded by the ongoing blizzard, lay what looked like a discarded blanket. Large and black against the brilliant white snow, it called out to Harold like a beacon. An old blanket might not be the most glamorous thing, but right now I’d take anything if it means I’ll be warm.

Spurred on by the promise of warmth, Harold picked up his speed, a faint smile crossing his tired face. It was only when he got closer that he started to uneasy. He could see now that the blanket was covering something, but what? His heart began to race. Come on Harold, this is no time to be scared; you’ll die if you don’t warm up soon. He took a few steps forward, still questioning what the thing before him could be, and after a few steps more he got his answer. With an eerie gracefulness and in complete silence, the heap of cloth began to rise up, slowly shifting and unfurling until it formed the distinct shape of another human being, draped in the jet black cover of an all-concealing cape. Frozen in place, Harold felt the figure’s hidden gaze, piercing deep into his eyes.

Before Harold had a chance to turn and run, it was already upon him. Frighteningly quick and devastatingly strong, it shoved Harold hard in his side, sending him flying into yet another rock. “Aggggghhhh,” he cried out in pain, writhing on the floor before looking up to see his assailant standing directly above him. In the dim moonlight, Harold could only make out its thin, white lips as it began to talk.

“The Vantz compound, how do I access it?” its male voice hissed, the words cutting through Harold like a scythe.

“The what?”

“Vantz! I know you are an Adina technician and I know you can access such things, tell me!”

“Please, don’t hurt me, I’ll do anything! V-Vantz right? I’ve got the right codes to get you in there, I don’t know how you’ll find it though, let alone get in...”

Harold desperately searched through his pockets for a pen and paper, before frantically scribbling a few garbled-looking words and numbers down.

“Here, take it, it’ll help you, please don’t kill me!”

The harrowing figure turned away from Harold with a dismissive growl, studying the note. He’s going to kill me; he’s actually going to kill me! My god, I have to get away! “Hmm, yes, this will suffice…”

Bolting up from the ground, Harold dived into the back of the man, barely knocking him off balance, before running as fast as his legs could carry him off into the distance. He glanced back, but the figure wasn’t giving chase. You did it Harold, you did it haha! Harold Sabin, ‘Vanquisher of Evil’!

This frozen world lies in ruin, betrayed by all who grace her.

Glaze awaits, to be ours once more…

Written by Tom Davies and Alec Davis, 2011.

© The River Versus: The World At Large.