Numb — Short Story Saturday #2

Short story inspired by the prompt “His feet were already numb. He should have listened.”

His feet were already numb. He should have listened to them. They knew better than him the perils of the deep south in the middle of winter.

“Carter! There you are. Why did you wander off from the others? Didn’t we tell you to stay close?” Rain snapped.

Ashamed, he couldn’t meet her eyes, knowing they were full of anger. Her temper is short. And he’s normally the one to feel the brunt of it. “I wanted some alone time,” he muttered, standing.

His numb feet failed him and he fell, the bitter cold sapping his strength.

Rain sighed. “For the love of all that’s holy.” She bent down and hauled him to his feet, supporting most of his weight on her left shoulder.

Sometimes Carter forgot how strong she was. “I can walk,” he protested, pulling away.

She growled. “You better listen to me this time Carter. I’m not going to repeat myself about the dangers of the cold. I thought you were smarter than this.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.” Shivering from unbearable cold, he let Rain drag him back toward camp. He couldn’t stop her even if he wanted too. His legs are growing numb from being out in the cold with nothing but a light jacket and jeans to keep the artic winter at bay. Clearly not enough to keep one warm in such weather, and he knew it now.

Truthfully, he’d known all along. He just had to get away from the others. “Don’t worry, I won’t take control of you. Yet,” Sedyn murmured in the back of Carter’s mind.

You’ll never have control of me! he thought fiercely, clinging tighter to Rain.

She looked at him in worry before picking up the pace. Carter wished she would just leave him to freeze to death. It would be preferable to the death that awaited them all if he lost control.