Chapter Text
A freezing gust blew by Juleka. She shuddered as it chilled her through her heavy winter gear. She shook off the chill with a deep sigh. A smile tugged at her lips seeing her puff of breath. It was a novelty she should be used to, but it always got to her. That deep down, it was something she shouldn’t be allowed to experience. The same went for the wonderland around her.
Juleka walked the cleared paths on campus. She glanced around at the pristine emptiness. The students had all returned home for holiday save for the ones like her that waited until the last minute. It made her nervous at the thought of returning home, even if it was for a couple of weeks.
Juleka stopped and stared up at the leafless trees overhead. She didn’t want to return home. She didn’t want to endure the ridicule and indifference she always had from them. To see the harsh, bizarre disappointment in her mother’s eyes and the distance in her twin’s eyes. A knife cut her deep at the thought of Luka, her twin. They had been close once, but one day, that changed. Whenever she tried to reach out, he always pulled away and she never knew why. She wished she did but knew it didn’t matter.
Juleka let out another deep breath. The puff of air made her smile and forget her family, even if for a moment. She continued her walk until a strong gale knocked into her. She gasped at the extreme cold that sunk deep to her bones. She hurried back to her dorm as the wind refused to relent. She made it to her room just as snow dumped from the sky.
Juleka moved to remove her winter gear, but stopped at the immense chill that overcame her. She put it back together, gathered every blanket she could find, and curled up. She stared out the window and watched the snow fall. She loved the cold, but lately it didn’t like her. She couldn’t enjoy the same walks she used to without feeling frostbitten through her gear. She silently cursed the snow and cold as she warmed up.
Juleka dozed on and off while she regained some warmth. She moved out of her blanket pile once the initial chill had left her body. She cleaned up her mess before she stopped and stared at her suitcase. She sighed and considered. She had a few days still before she had to leave. She could wait a little longer, right? There was no harm in waiting until the day of. She didn’t have much to pack anyway. Not like she had anything valuable except her clothes. Even that wasn’t much for the bargain bin, thrift store collection she had.
Juleka’s stomach growled. She groaned and looked between the door and window. She could head out for dinner, but the storm had become a full blizzard with white-out conditions. She groaned and searched her dorm. She found her dormmates stash of hidden snacks for late-night study sessions. She grabbed a few granola bars and watched the blizzard before she turned on the TV.
Juleka mindlessly flipped through the channels. She stopped on a news channel when her phone buzzed. She checked the caller ID and sneered when she saw it was her mother. She declined the call, turned off her phone, and chucked it into the trash. She’d fish it out in the morning. She grabbed the remote to continue when the newscast caught her attention.
Juleka listened to the news. There were whispers of war between several nations that could escalate into a potential World War III. Terror consumed her at the notion. She didn’t like the idea of war, never had. It was a selfish act that destroyed everything. People, places, the environment, everything. As she’s always heard the warmongers say: “all’s fair in love and war.” The notion made her want to vomit. How could all be fair? How could one justify the countless lives lost? The utter destruction of life and the unnecessary, early deaths. How was any of it fair?
Juleka prepared to click off the channel when the feed changed. It showed a pair of handsome men with fair skin, blonde slicked back hair, and matching black suits. She froze in place as utter disgust and fury consumed her. The news continued, but all words fell on deaf ears as she glared at the men. Her mind empty except for the thought of what vile, repulsive creatures those were.
Juleka snapped out of her episode as the news feed changed again. She shut off the TV and chucked the remote into the trash with her phone. She grabbed several blankets and curled up near the window. She put on some instrumental music as she watched the storm. She let out a sigh and fell asleep.
Juleka stood in a vast empty, snowy wonderland. She strolled in the untouched fields of snow as her footprints disappeared behind her. The cold blew around and embraced her, but she didn’t feel it. She smiled and let out a sigh, but there was no puff. Tears stung her eyes as her body became heavy. She fought to stand but crumbled under the weight of herself. She plummeted.
Juleka crashed through the snow and fell through a black void. She slammed into the dark ground. She shook herself off as a warm glow lit up in the distance. She staggered to her feet and stumbled through the dark, but green forest that surrounded her. Her strength returned as she sprinted through the forest to the glow. She stopped dead at the sight before her.
Juleka’s jaw dropped at the utter destruction. Trees burned to charred twigs, buildings obliterated, burnt corpses that wasted away to ash in the wind, and the night sky filled with horrific smoke and ash clouds. She screamed and threw herself into the blaze. She desperately searched for survivors as she witnessed the life essence evaporate all around her. She choked, not on the smoke, but her own despair and fear.
Footsteps crunched the charred debris behind Juleka. She turned to face a shadowy man. Rage and repulsion tore through her as she attacked the man. She hissed every insult and slight until the man grabbed her throat. She clawed at his hand as her hands turned black and crumbled to ash. She screamed as she was consumed and reduced to ash.