"We can't stay out here much longer…this snow doesn't look like it plans on stopping anytime soon." Roxas muttered to himself.
"And I honestly don't know how long my body can hold out…it's so cold…"
Roxas chewed his lip and strained to think of a plan. They had no food, nowhere to consider a shelter and no way of getting home. The snow was coming down faster, thicker now, and Ven had a timer now. As the older brother, he had a duty to protect his brother at all costs.
"Alright, let's see…we should start walking in a direction that looks the most familiar. We should come across something at some point."
The plan, while flimsy, was the only possibility that didn't include them freezing their asses off out here. And if they kept moving, it would keep them warm.
"Yeah…yeah, that sounds good." Ven half-heartedly agreed.
They turned to each possible direction, pondering. Ven pointed one way and looked for confirmation from his twin, who silently nodded in agreement. And so they started to walk. And walk. And walk some more, to the point where the snow began to crunch under their feet, slowing them down one step at a time.
It was dark when Roxas finally stopped them from continuing. Ven instantly flopped down into the snow with a groan.
"We're going nowhere. I feel like we've seen the same trees every which way we go."
"I don't get it, though; we should have come across something different." Roxas insisted. "This doesn't make any sense."
"Rox', we don't even know how far these woods go out. It could go for miles, honestly."
Roxas began to pace, running his hands through his spiky hair. "But the entire time we've been walking, there should have been a shift. A change. Something, Ven."
"Look, I just went along with your crazy plan. Don't blame me for getting us lost." Ven huffed.
"Oh, come on, big baby. Get up so we can keep moving."
Obliging, the two trekked onwards, their footsteps quickly vanishing behind them as the snow covered the tracks. It was such a meaningless task for them.
Hours had surely gone by now, yet still no progress had been made. Both were shivering from the bitter cold and Ven was beginning to slow, his cough becoming more frequent with each step. Roxas was beginning to fear they would never make it out of here.
"Please…Roxas…we need to take a break…" Ven gasped.
The older brother looked behind him to see his twin shaking, hands on his knees, sucking in breath after breath, a pained expression on his face. He rushed to his side.
"Ventus! Damnit, why didn't you tell me sooner? You dumbass…"
"Just…just give me a few minutes…"
The two stood close together, giving each other what little warmth they could as Ven caught his breath, trying to hold back a fit of coughs. He had made his brother worry enough as it was.
That changed quickly when Ven felt his brother grab hold of his arm, tugging for his attention. He raised his head in question, but Roxas wasn't looking at him, but at something in the far distance, eyes wide in terror. He turned to look for himself…and his jaw dropped.
They were standing at the edge of an empty carnival, snow still falling and covering everything in a heavy sheet of white.
"This…where are we, Roxas?" Ven whispered, huddling closer.
Roxas shook in his head, bewildered. "I have no clue, Ven."
Neither moved for a few moments, breathless and beyond confused as how they had arrived at this very spot; neither could come up with an answer.
"Roxas…what do we do now?"
"Let's just find you some shelter from the cold. One of these booths are bound to have something to keep us warm for now. Then I can go out and search for food. Even stale popcorn sounds good at this point."
Ven attempted to laugh at the poor joke, but it turned into a cough, which quickly escalated. Roxas cursed, wrapping an arm over his brother's shoulders and trying to help in some way. They eventually lessened, but it left Ven with a metallic aftertaste that unsettled him. They needed to find shelter quickly.
"Come on, this way. Just lean on me, alright?"
Ven didn't argue as he allowed his older brother to help him walk into the carnival, praying a silent prayer as they moved.
He hoped things would go in their favor from here on out.
It's cold out there, my dears.