Sleep, Everest, Sleep
a oneshot
The wind howled outside of the small igloo, covering the barren frozen tundra in even more snow, as well as cloaking it beneath a veil of wind and airborne powdery snow.
The inhabitant of the igloo was one lone Husky pup. She wore an old wool hat on her head, with holes for her cold white ears. Around her neck she wore a black collar, which lacked a tag and served no purpose other than to carry past memories that would not fade.
"Come out, Everest. . ."
From way she lay curled up within the relative safety of the igloo, Everest looked up as her ears twitched in response to the voice that had grown so familiar to her over time.
"Come out of there, Everest. They're waiting for you. . ."
Everest couldn't pin point when she started hearing the voice. It had started around the time when she finally accepted what happened to her.
"You're wasting your time. Why are you waiting? Now come. . ."
Icy cold tear drops ran down her cheeks as images of those smiling, loving faces came to her. Faces she would never see again. . . as long as she lived.
"Come out, Everest. . . Into the cold. Come out and sleep. . ."
She could hardly believe it when she had come out of the tragedy completely unscathed. Even now, she still couldn't decide if her survival was either good luck or bad luck.
"You don't have to be alone anymore Everest. They're waiting for you. . ."
"Waiting for me. . ." Everest whispered, her body longing for the warmth of a loving hug.
"You needn't slowly sink beneath the waves, water rushing into your body to smother you from the inside. Nor need you fall and smash your physical form on hard ice and rock. All you need to do. . . is sleep in the cool snow. . ."
"That. . . sounds simple. . ." Everest said as she slowly got up on her paws.
"Those penguins are not your family. . ."
Fresh tears came out fast. They were slightly warmer tears of shame as she realized how pathetic her entire situation was, living arrangements included. Her grief was soon joined by a strong sense of bitterness that arose from within her chest. She looked out the entrance to the igloo into the furious freezing winds of the blizzard outside.
"It's been so long. . . come out and join them. . . sleep. . ."
"It is so simple," Everest said softly. She hung her head low and said, "I can't live like this. . . there's just no point."
"Come out, Everest. . ."
Everest obediently walked out of the igloo, and into the roaring blizzard.
"Good girl, Everest. Come out. Lie down. Sleep, Everest, sleep."
Everest jerked awake suddenly, feeling noticeably nice and warm in her Pup House next to Jake's cabin. There was snow on the ground outside, and a slight cold breeze, but there was certainly no blizzard.
Everest breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't in the frozen tundra anymore. She was home.
However, her heart still felt slightly sick due to the fact that much of her dream was true and really happened. The blizzards, the loneliness, the loss she experienced, even the voice.
"I'm still here. I'm always here. I roam about on the earth and walk around on it.."
Everest whimpered and closed her eyes.
"They cannot be replaced. Not by those pups, or by those boys. You can still return to them. You can stop the loneliness before it returns. Leave this place, go out into the cold, and sleep, Everest, sleep."
But then, after that. . . with the sound of a gentle blowing:
"No."
Everest's eyes opened wide as she looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the new voice.
As her heart stopped pounding and returned to a normal heart-rate, Everest felt a peace slowly flowing through her. As it spread through her, she began to recall several recent instances when Jake had read to her from a certain book.
With all fear, bitterness, and regret gone from her, Everest laid down to sleep with a smile.
"Sleep, Everest, sleep. And know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. The temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. . ."
Job 1:7
1 Kings 19:12
1 Corinthians 3:17