The Ice King

I jolted up from my light slumber with a loud booming horn. I could hear people's muffled footsteps shuffling on the upper deck, following a loud murmur of the crowd.  Dragging my so-called suitcase while I rub the sleep out of my eyes and walked on deck feeling the chilly and crisp air biting at my skin, shivering, I knew I should've worn something warm. Heading towards the long lane, I gulp and wait anxiously to bypass the immigrant. Once it was my turn, I placed my heavy suitcase on the table; I have packed everything I've own into the suitcase, the security-patrol takes a glance at the inside of the suitcase. Clasping my cool, clammy hands and simultaneously smile timidly at the guard. "First time?" He questions, I hum and nod my head. Once more he looks over at the contract paper in a quick scan before he nods his head and lets me pass. With a sigh of relief, I was finally in the kingdom of Durdian and far away from my kingdom Crosodor. Horrible things occurred and people went mad. Mother sent me away to live with a close relative with the money she worked and saved up on. She knew things would never be the same the moment she found father laying on the cold, hard ground with blood pooling from the side of his head; dead. Mother has lost her mind in grief.  No matter how much I protested, mother still wouldn't listen and join along with me, for she gave up her life to save mines. I remember her beautiful features that once shined before it turned in winkles, her tight bone-crushing hug she gave me as I bid her a farewell, following a promise that she'll be all right, the last few moments were tears and soft sniffles as we held each other before entering the ship. Tears well up in my eyes remembering her soft whispers of goodbye. Smiles and hugs spread around the arena as I weave myself into the crowd. Oh, gosh how I miss mother, pushing the tears back my sole here was to meet up with my family, as my mother mentioned. It surprised me to know that I had some relatives overseas.  "Eleanora?" A middle-aged woman called out, I paused and stared at the woman unsure. Her sharp blue eye scanning me, I hesitantly lumber towards them nodding my head. "Come with." The man beside her spoke gruffly. He pulls the suitcase out from my grip and turns around, striding away. I dumbly stare at his back wondering if this was their way to greet me, the woman follows him but only takes two steps to turn around and face me. "Well, come now." She snaps, nodding I followed the woman and her husband.  This is a nice, kind, loving family, I thought scornfully. They seated me in the back of the wagon in a pit of hay; I visualized of how once my bright village turned to a ghost town, outlaws were gaining over the towns infesting abuse and drugs along with other horrible things they did, the King of Crosodor; Lancelot made the rich richer and the poor poorer, draining up our money and using it the benefits for himself.  I sigh softly as I try to keep myself warm in this cold weather, here in Durdain it is a lot cooler than in Crosodor's warm and humid weather. Hugging my knees together, I peer out at the rich, green trees and hills as we bypass the buildings. The aroma of the damp earth is heavy as the wagon draws deep into the countryside, yet all of this delicacy of Mother Nature isn't welcoming me. The dusty grey and white horse pulls the wagon into a stop with a slight jerk. "Hop off." The man commands as I scurry up, gathering the hem of my gown and jump right off straight into the wet mud.  The sloppy sound of my boots hitting the muddy path causing me to scrunch up my nose in disgust, stumbling towards the small cabin. It's a small, old threadbare, lodge with woods in different shapes and sizes that held it up, the cabin is no bigger than my house back in Crosodor, it's almost similar yet something out this cabin looks creepy. Looking around nothing just forest surrounds the cabin, we were in the middle of nowhere.  "Inside." The woman calls me in, disturbing my thoughts. I bent down to remove my boots the moment I stepped in. "You can dismiss it later, now follow me to your room." My hands leaves my boots and I look up, the small living room is dirty and unclean, jugs of beer were lying around along with trash. I silently follow her where we turned into a small tight hall, at the end of the hall you could see a crooked door, she pushes the door the hinge barely holding onto it. "This is your room, the bathroom is on the second door to your left and if you want to use the bathroom ask first," I nod my head and look down, my bed was a consistency of thin a mattress and a blanket.  An empty pail was at the left corner beside my suitcase and that's it. Nothing else is in the room. No furniture, no nothing.  Looking up at her, a small smile spreads on my lips before I open my mouth. "Thank you." With a nod she turns around, reaching out her hand she grabs the door handle and roughly pulling it, the door scraps against the floor but right before she closes it. "You will call me Ma, and my husband Pa." And with that, she slams the door shut, dust fluttered down from the ceiling in small flakes, a small sneeze escapes as dust tickled my nose, I sigh softly and looked around one last time, this isn't where I'm supposed to be, I would give up everything just to go back to mother.  Huffing, I gently plopped on the bed laying down then quickly flinching to the side, the spring of the mattress poked my back sharply. Sighing loudly once more, I kicked off my muddy shoes. I laid on the side of the bed bringing up the thin blanket and cover myself with it, shivering from the cool air in the room. Albeit, I'm used to live on the poor side of the village back at Crosodor, I would still feel comfortable and warm. Memories reel in my head, the gentle love we shared as a family. Laughter and joy found even in the darkest days. Yet somehow it's ripped far away from me, slipping right through my fingertips. I lost my father to an accident and now I feel as if I lost my mother too. Hot tears roll down my face, as I wished myself back with mother. With my father dead, leaving my mother alone, barely surviving, we had nothing but each other. I wish I could go back in time and relive my childhood with a happy and cheerful family. Slowly I cried myself to sleep, drifting off to a deep, dark slumber and away from reality. Wishing once I wake up, I'd find this a horrible nightmare. ❅❅❅ I woke up terrified by the loud bang on the door. Panting softly in fright, my eyes landed on the door. I got up stretching my stiff limbs and look out the small window to discern the sun is rising. Had I slept for a whole day? I must've been really exhausted.  Unzipping my suitcase, I picked out my work gown for today along with my undergarment. Opening the door, hesitantly walking out and into the living room, the stench of beer lingers in the air. "May I use the restroom?" I mumble as Ma sat still on the dirty, tatty couch sewing up a shirt, without looking up she nods. "Thank you." I walk off back to the tight hallway and open the door of the restroom. It reeks of a horrible and eye-tearing smell. The dirty tub was blotchy with black and rusty patches. The sink was a pail and right above the bucket was a pipe used as a faucet. The toilet bowl was a chair that had a hole in the middle, it was worse than our bathroom, mother and I tried to keep our bathroom neat and clean. I hanged my gown on the small piece of wood that stuck out from the door; I stripped off my yesterday's gown and stepped into the tub. Turning on the faucet, a muddy and yellowish water came out spurting from within the pipe. I'm used to taking showers with murky water, since back home we couldn't afford a pump. I grabbed the soap that was hanging by a thread of rope and rubbed it onto my body. Finally, I was doneand dressed. My damp hair wetted my gown, not minding I grabbed my dirty clothes and walk out. "Ma?" I spoke out softly, she sighs and looks up at me annoyed.  "Yes, girl?" "Is there a place I could wash my clothing?" I lift my gown up to show.  "There's a small creek out in the yard, go there and wash it." I nod and thank her. "Wait, while you're at it, take our laundry and clean it up too, here's the soap." I nod and carry the bucket full of clothes. As I clutched my clothes to my chest and a pail in the other hand, I walked heading towards the yard. I soon heard a faded sound of the water creek. Sitting down on a rock, I began my job, starting with my clothes first.  By the time I'm done, my fingers seem stiff from using the washboard along with my legs that fell asleep. Shaking my feet slightly, I head back into the house. Ma had her cloak on and a basket in her hand, ready to leave. "I'll be out, there's dinner in the cupboard." I nod before speaking. "And where should I hang the clothes, Ma?" She points out at the yard. "You'll find a wire hung up on a tree." With another nod, I thank her. "Don't leave the house." She scolds before exiting, it's not like I was going to runaway, I have no place to go. I spotted a thin wire hammered from two trees, I hanged up the clothes and entered back into the living room and at the far end of a corner, it looked like a small kitchen with the fireplace next to it. Searching through the cupboards, I found what seems to be a soup or a jelly, not sure what sat in the bowl. Frowning, I picked it up and sniffed the unknown food. Deciding against it, I walk to the yard and drop the gooey substance onto the grass and placed the bowl into the sink. My stomach rumbles in hunger, but there's nothing to eat, besides I'm not looking forward to food poisoning on my first day here. I sat outside in the yard looking at nature when suddenly my eyes caught an apple tree, a red apple stood out. Smiling, I walk towards the apple tree and jump. After three attempts, I realised I wasn't tall enough to reach it.  Smiling smugly at the thought I had in mind, I ran back into the house and grabbed a pail lying around. Flipping it upside down, I stood shakily on top of it. I look up before reaching out to grab the apple, my fingertips brush against the bottom part of it. I bent my knees before jumping up and grabbing the apple, landing on the ground with a thud. I smile in triumph picking up the bucket and head back inside, washing the apple I head towards my room and ate it peacefully. Pulling out a beaten book and lay down on the edge of the bed. I've read the book countless of time, yet somehow it was keep me entertained. I keep myself to side of the mattress, knowing if in the middle I might poke myself with a sharp spring. I flipped open the cover and read, enjoying the quiet and calming silence of the empty house.