Chapter IV - Keep Walking Forward I (unedited)

-Swoosh-

A harsh cold wind strike the top of my hair, as I wake up immediately standing up in a flash to see the door of the store slowly close for the wind was yet again trying to keep it open with snow racing in, however no one was there…My heart beating so loud that if someone was in here they could hear it. 

I don't see anyone? Maybe the wind pushed the door open? Oh… my heart now beating so loud you could hear it anywhere in the store. There are tracks of snow on the floor. Tracks of snow all throughout the store. Someone was for sure here. And it seems like multiple shoes, some small some large. They even come up to the counter the one pair does. 

Oh? What's this? I pick up a strange coin on the counter, it was two inches in diameter and it seems to be the color of gold… it's not really gold is it? Flipping it around to see both side. Moving it closer to my face to try and see if there are any symbols on it. 

It is a perfect circle, no flaws what so ever. It seems to be a couple millimeter thick. It Honestly looks like a coin out of a fantasy book that you would see the king have. On both side of the coin there is a star? What kind of star is this… 

1…

4… 

6…

Is this a 10 sided star? That's cool I guess. Questioning what I'm even looking at.

Who the hell came in here at this time and left this here? I've never once seen a star like this and two never even seen such a perfect circle for a coin before. Not even on the Rich man's paradise you would find a coin like this. And they walked around the store without waking me up. What the hell?! I'm not sure if it impresses or scares me.

"What happened to all the food? And the drinks!" rubbing my eyes to make sure I am seeing this correctly… They are all gone. 

Every single one. 

Did we just get robbed? No way right? In my past seven years we have never gotten robbed.

Awe man, the manager is going to kill me! What are the odds that on a night like tonight we get robbed and at the end of my shift when I'm asle… I mean in the bathroom.

-BEEP BEEP BEEP-

In disbelief I don't even hear my alarm go off until the third time it rings. I look down back at the coin in my hand and place it down on the counter to pick up my phone that is still going off loud enough to drown out all other noise. The hum of the refrigerator, the clock ticking away, the buzzing fluorescent lights overheads all drowned out by my phone.

So many confused thoughts enter and leave my brain as fast as they arrived. 

I look at my phone, which was where the sound was coming from. Just letting it go off, as of right now because nothing felt real. Was my alarm really going off? Is this sound I'm hearing…is it actually there? 

What even is my life anymore.

I was out of touch of reality.

Turning off the alarm that was going off on my phone, still pondering if what I just went through was real or not. Looking out the food and drinks still all gone, tracks of snow all throughout the store.

I bet if someone was looking at me as I was right now, they would think I was mentality ill.

Quickly picking up my bag and coat so I could get out of this store as soon as possible. I didn't care what happened tomorrow with my manager, as long as I could get out of here. Looking out into the blizzard I saw tracks leaving the store, leaving into the abyss that was outside. 

Are those tire tracks? How are people even able to drive in this weather. Oh I don't know that's when a gut feeling got punched into me, almost making me be sick… that I should leave as soon as possible. And make it home to my family. One thought just circled around me

"We should leave" as the thought left my brain and out my mouth. Looking out into the dark abyss that was outside the door. I slowly came back to myself 

"Is it that time already? This day went by fast but weirdly. I guess it's time to go brace the cold." Still having that gut feeling linger around inside me, looking at my phone to try and shake it off.

I have walked to and from work for the past seven years however, some nights when it's bad like this I like to think ahead and plan the route I need to take to get home safely. 

The beautiful raging snow looks like it will never come to an end at this rate.

"So It's a twenty-minute walk home on a good day…, not when there is like four feet of snow on the ground….so maybe add like an hour?"

"Oh, I don't know!, I can't handle walking out in that weather." 

"There isn't even any lights on the way home I usually just follow the road but in this case the road is buried!"

"I don't even know if the ground is even there… I could just walk out and fall off a cliff!"

Pacing around the store, following the tracks that the unknown person made without even knowing I was pacing around the store

"In this area…the snowplows won't be coming until the early morning I guess. That's if they have them up and running we usually at most get a foot of snow the entire winter season so the town isn't prepared for this amount"

Not that anyone needs to be going out at this time anyways. Sliding my hands down my face and then rubbing up and down to try and reset my brains.

"Nope it's useless" *sigh* looking out yet again to see the tire tracks almost filled in with the amount of snow that has fallen in the past ten minutes of pacing. 

Those people must be insane to come out here and rob the store.

"Oh well, nothing I can do about it now *sigh*" 

Putting on my coat and zipping it all the way up to try and keep warm to the best of my ability. I'm the type of guy who never does up his coat so you know it's bad out when I do. They say the weather was going to be like -30 decrees which I don't even know how cold that is. The coldest it has gotten in the past was -15 and that was twenty years ago.

I didn't bring any extra clothing like gloves or a scarf when I walked to work because the snow came out of nowhere. And who even wear scarfs. The snow wasn't here when I started working and then boom! Four feet of snow in a blink.

Just appearing like magic.

Taking a few seconds to prepare myself to go and attack the snow. I stood before the door as if I was about to take a new step into a new chapter in my life. Trying to over-prepare but no matter how much I tried to prepare. Nothing could ready me for what is about to come. 

It was just a snow storm, nothing special but I just felt a bit nostalgic when standing at the door. 

It felt like this was about to become a new story I could tell my children one day and they would sit still and all watch in wonder with sparks flying in their eyes. As they got lost in my words of laughter, and emotions. Speaking of the stories and adventures I am about to go on. Trying to figure out if what I was saying was the truth or not 

"Oh whatever, like that would happen…I'm never having kids. *sigh*" rubbing my hand up and down my face quickly. Coming back to reality. 

Slowly opening the door to the harsh wind; it was resisting me. 

As if it was trying…begging…saying to not go out, to stay inside. I had to really put my weight behind the door as it was being held shut by the wind. But I just couldn't get rid of that gut feeling telling me to leave as quickly as possible, to go home. 

"Fuck that's cold" as the wind cuts at my face. I swear it actually cut and made my face bleed having to check my fingers were already going numb but no blood was found on them. Instantly making my nose turn a bright pink and causing it to run. 

*sniffle* 

Stepping out onto the snow, the snow easily covers up to the ankle of my pants. Soaking my socks and the first couple inches of my pants. There was an awning all around the store to stop weather like this to build up right outside the store doors. Usually it was to stop rain. Nonetheless the snow didn't pile up too much but even with the awning it was quite a bit. 

My toes are already cold!

We won't be able to know just how bad it is until we get to the main road.

*sigh* Looking out towards the sign it was hard to even keep my eyes open because of the harsh wind. Walking out from under the awning the snow immediately grew higher on my pant legs as I walked deeper into the abyss. Turning around to look at the sign above.

Hearing the buzzing store lights as they try to produce the only light in this early morning other then the sign out near the road for if the lights fade out, the entire world be covered in darkness... I couldn't even see five feet in front of me for the view was blocked by a white drifting fog of snow. 

-POP- 

One of the bulbs above the awning burnt out. I don't even know how a bulb can burn out when it's this cold, wouldn't it have to freeze out or something! Looking back out towards the road.

"Brrrrr. Brrr…. This is fucking cold." 

My body shivering and shaking to try and warm up even a little bit. My eyelashes instantly got covered in snow as I tried to blink. The moment I stepped out, my clothing starting to freeze in place as I stand still just in front of the awning. My lips drying out in a matter of seconds to have my tongue try and moisturize them automatically to soon have even my tongue freeze a bit. My breath visible, even my hair was starting to freeze I could feel it. 

"I probably look like the old man right now, smoking my life away." puffing out smoke as if I was smoking cigarettes, It was for sure cold. 

"Fuck!" are you serious right now!" before walking any further away from the awning a pile of snow slid down and fell right on top of me covering me with snow.

"Ah…fuck…shit!" I got snow down my shirt, dancing around to try and get the snow from out of my shirt. This is just great, a great start to my fantastic walk home in pitch black.

It's really fucking cold.

Stepping off the sidewalk that was just after the awning that was blocking a bit of the snow. The road right outside wasn't as bad either but I know it will soon be. The snow now half way to my knee. It still isn't as high as when I saw the old man by the sign, that was up to his knee.

*sigh* 

As I continue to walk out into the blizzard the snow starts to rise slowly but steadily up my leg as it got deeper and deeper. With the snow not letting up for a second. Seeing my breath every time I exhaled, the saliva around my lips freezing in a matter of seconds. My legs move slower and slower as I walk because the cold has crept into my bones.

Looking up at the sign that you wouldn't even know what it was for unless you could see it during the day, all it is right now is a beacon of hope for if anyone is lost out here. 

The snow is just past my knees now. I haven't even left the store yet. The door of the store is only twenty feet away and I could go back however, I still have that gut feeling I should leave. It wont leave… I rather take my chance out here in the snow then in there for some odd reason.

Alright, the road should just be down there… or so it should be. The store is raise a half a food off the ground aka the road so if the town ever floods, its protected. So if the snow is just a little past my knees now…add half a foot and…ugh this is too much math for my cold brain to handle. 

Walking down where the steps could be down onto the road, the snow immediately went up to just past my hips. I am pretty much crawling at this rate through the snow. Trying to use my hands as they freeze because I have no gloves to wear, sweeping just any amount of snow out of the way so it's easier to walk. My entire clothing are already drenched from the wet snow. Which is also weighing me down. Hopefully I find shelter soon…