Hypothermia chapter 3

"Mannen!" Two upset boys ran into the room where Himino was sitting. There faces showed great worry for their brother. Himino got up and when to them.

"Guys, it's gunna be ok." she tried comforting them. Slowly, Himino walked them out of the sleeping child's room. Go and Hayate ran up.

"You can't just run in like that when someone's sick! He's trying to get better!" Go scolded but soon stop as he saw Shin's face grow puffy, red and start crying. Go ruffled Shin's hair a little as if to say 'sorry' and try to comfort him at the same time. Himino put her hands on Hajime's shoulders. He had his head down so no one could see his expression but it wasn't hard to guess.

When they thought things had calmed down, Mannen's door shut loudly. Everyone ran to it. Go opened it and saw Mannen, still asleep.

"What was that?" Himino asked.

"I dunno." Go answered with confused worry etched on his face. "Himino, why don't you take Hajime and Shin downstairs..." Himino nodded then tried to gentle push them downstairs. Hajime did not want to move though. With help from Hayate and many "I don't want to leave!" screams they got him to calm down and go downstairs. Go turned to Mannen's room. He stood in the doorway, looking at him. Everything seemed calm until Go was pushed back out of the doorway by an invisible force. He ended up on the floor by Mannen's room. When he tried to get up the door closed shut again even louder then before. "Mannen!"

Mannen's room---

"Mannen." Mannen opened his eyes slowly halfway and looked for the one who called him. It sounded like a woman but the sound was slightly warped like the woman was in a tunnel. "Mannen." She called again, this time his eyes widened. He looked around more panicked bust still didn't see anyone. He did, though, hear the door open and Go calling his name.

"Mannen! Are you ok?!" Go looked at the boy who was now sitting up. He was shaking and breathing hard like he'd seen a ghost.

"Go...I heard someone."

"Yeah! That was me outside your door! Didn't you hear me knocking?!" Mannen shook his head deciding not to fight.

'It was a woman's voice though...' Mannen thought to himself. He was calmer now and laid back on the bed. Hayate rushed into the room while Go was still standing in the doorway. Needless to say, they both ended up on the floor.

"Idiot...second time today..." As they both got up, Mannen looked at them as if they were mindless. 'Stupid' he thought.

"I came because I heard the door slam shut." Go nodded at Hayate.

Go was deep in thought about what happened. 'I must have had just slipped and made the door close. It must have made something else fall against it which is why it was hard to open.' Go looked around at Mannen's junky room. It seemed so possible. He looked over at Mannen and noticed he was already asleep again.

Mannen's dream---

He was in a field of snow and at the edge of a frozen lake. He looked across to see a woman standing right in the middle of the lake. She was beautiful with her snow white hair that reached down to her feet. She wasn't old at all but definatly a young grown woman. She wore a white Kimono that covered her hands but her feet, he saw, was bare footed. She stared at him with sad eyes and Mannen stared back with curiosity and aw. Snow fell and the wind began to fall. The ice began to crack. The woman didn't move at all.

"Hey!" Mannen called. "The ice is braking! If you don't move, you'll go under!" Still the woman didn't move. She just stared with her white grey eyes. Her skin was very pale as if she was sick. The ice cracked more and Mannen decided to try and save her. He ran across the ice and to her. Surprisingly, she hugged him and then the ice broke underneath them and they fell into the icy water. Mannen noticed he could breathe. He looked up to the woman's face. She smiled.

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Mannen shot up and looked around. His room. He felt dizzy but he had more energy then before, just a little. He looked over and saw Go leaning against the wall.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked even though he couldn't be that ok because he was sick.

"Yeah..." Mannen thought about the dream.

Hayate came in the door. "Go, Kei came and wants to talk." Then Hayate walked out.

"I'll be right back." He said before following him. Mannen was alone. He just sat on his bed thinking.

"Hey Mannen!" He looked over to the door where he saw Himino. He smiled a little. She was being cheery for him, he knew. She smiled warmly and walked over to him. "Feeling any better?"

"A little." When he said that, you saw his breath as if he was standing outside in the cold. But to Himino it wasn't cold at all. Himino didn't think Mannen noticed so she didn't tell him.

"That's good. I have to get back to the others. I'll see you soon." She waved and walked out the door. Her real intention was to tell the others what she saw.

Mannen watched her leave then frowned and went back to thinking. He started to notice the clock ticking. He looked up at it and stared. It was starting to annoy him and then, in a second, it was covered in ice. He heard people yelling downstairs. It didn't stop. He heard a squeaking sound and looked over at the door, which was the direction the sound came from. It slowly and quietly closed. He couldn't hear them yelling anymore and now he didn't want them to come in anymore. He sat on his bed and pushed off all the blankets. The room grew cold. Mannen hugged his knees and slowly, the door became frozen in ice, then the window. Mannen sat alone in isolation.

------------ To be continued