Iced Over
(A chilling interlude)

"…Because it is there."

—Sir Edmund Hillary

The polar bear snarled and lunged forward with a roar. Unfortunately, its prey was just a bit too fast for it, and dodged away before its teeth could find their way to a jugular vein or something worse. He leaned on a large wooden mallet and breathed heavily, worn-out. "It's…too…big…" He panted, breath fogging the air and coating the hood of his blue parka with frost. "I'm…done…for…"

Another person was suddenly there, standing between him and the bear. "Don't worry bro!" She chirped, cute face showing her determination. "I'm here for you!"

"Careful…Nana…" Her brother warned. "It's fast…" He looked down, worry creasing his face. "I just barely managed to dodge it most of the time. Try going for the legs, that usually—" He stopped short as he looked back up and saw his sister standing triumphant over the unconscious bear, dusting off her pink parka that was identical to his save for color.

"Sorry, did you say something?" She asked.

"Ugh." The boy grunted, slowly standing up. "Just forget it." He eyed his sister. "How'd you do that, though?"

Nana didn't seem to hear him, staring upwards distractedly. "Popo…?" She asked, pointing in the direction she was looking. "What is that…?"

Popo looked up, to see a massive cloud of blackness slowly traveling across the sky in their direction. His mouth dropped open. "Whoa…" He paused for a moment before finally replying, "Whatever it is, it doesn't look friendly."

Within the cloud, countless red eyes opened. All of them fixed upon the pair, who stopped moving and stared back.

Popo's eyes slowly widened. Nope, it definitely didn't look friendly.

"P-Popo…" Nana whimpered, beginning to visibly shake. "I'm s-scared…" Her brother grabbed her hand, his grip tight with terror. His face was as white as the downy fur around the edges of his parka.

"There's a cave behind us. Run for it." Popo said in a rush. Nana didn't move, so he jerked her into motion with a sharp tug on her arm. "Come on!"

The two turned and began to flee, but they knew they had little chance of success even before they began. Their feet slammed into the snow over and over, the sharp spikes on their undersoles digging in and giving the duo traction. They were maybe a hundred yards from the cave, a dark hole in the side of the mountain, offering shelter and safety if they could only reach it.

Nana sobbed as she ran, tears streaming across her face as she gripped her brother's hand as hard as she could. She could still feel the eyes in that cloud watching her, examining her, as if amused by their attempted escape.

She looked over her shoulder and screamed. The cloud was getting closer, those eyes inside it glowing with an evil red energy focused into their cat-like, slitted pupils.

"Don't look back! Keep going!" Popo yelled, urging her onward. "We're almost there!" He kept his eyes fixed steadily forward, not daring to risk a backwards glance like his sister had, watching the cave loom closer, so tantalizingly close!

The cloud began to descend.

Some detached, scientific portion of Nana's mind marveled at it, noting how much it seemed like a thick, swirling, opaque fog. It lowered itself down from the sky until it reached the ground behind them; a wall of dark mist. At first it was content to match their pace, but then it slowly began to inch closer. Nana watched as some of the red eyes on the cloud's surface closed to make room for new ones opening in other spots. All of them were getting nearer, and she was unable to look away from the horrifying sight. She screamed again.

The fog stretched out wispy tendrils, clutching at her shoulders, arms, and back. They felt like ice, even through her parka. She half-wailed, half-sobbed as she lashed out, trying to unseat their grip. But the mist proved relentless, and continued to advance upon her. "Popo!" She screeched, watching as the chill blackness below one red eye swallowed her arm and began to creep up her shoulder. "Popo, H-HELP ME…! POPO!!"

But her brother couldn't turn and look. His mind was closed to all but the task of reaching the cave, focusing so intensely on it that he was unaware of his surroundings. We're going to make it, he thought frantically. We're going to make it, we're going to make it, we're going to…NO!

His thoughts turned from hope to horror as the fog exerted a tremendous amount of force, pulling him backwards by his grip on Nana's arm, which was now the only part of her not covered by the darkness. To Popo it felt incredible, unstoppable; like the entire combined might of an avalanche, all concentrated into one single motion. It nearly ripped his whole arm out of its socket as he was yanked right off his feet.

"NOOOOO!" Popo howled, stretching an arm out in front of him, as if to touch the cave not ten feet away. So close! So close…!

"POPO!" Nana screamed as her brother was pulled into the cloud with her, the darkness engulfing them completely, shutting out all light. Her brother's hand was torn away, leaving her to grope emptily in the void and flail her limbs out of desperation. "NOOO, NOOOOOOO! POPOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

The pain came fast and hard, hitting her whole body. As if from far away, she heard her brother's screams mingling with her own.

Then all sensation vanished, and Nana knew no more.