The Last Night
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After twelve mild winters, the blizzard came.
It was like that first night, long ago. Freezing cold but for their small fire. Silent but for the screaming wind. Darkness in the shadows cast by their trembling flame - the night outside bore eerie lights gleaming amidst the snow.
The children, even Koji, were sleeping peacefully in their bed.
She looked at him, her eyes bright with fever.
She looked at him one last time, and she was gone.
.
The woman stood up.
She was tall and pale and terrible and beautiful.
Shinta whispered "Kaoru," but the spell didn't break.
The woman did not look at him. She was staring at the children.
In that moment, Shinta would have fought her. He would have stopped her or died trying, but then she turned to him, and she said, "I know you will take care of them."
Her eyes were black upon black, solemn as a vow, and though his heart had broken...
Of course he would take care of their children.
Shinta closed his eyes and he wanted to die, but he couldn't.
The snow woman would not let him.
Kaoru would frown and weep for him if she saw him like this.
Kaoru would want him to live.
The door opened and the night rushed in to douse the fire and their small hut was empty and cold but for one broken man and two sleeping children.
He had to live.
He had to explain to the others... that she was gone.
.
Later, when they found her, some wondered at how young she appeared. They would have sworn it was the body of a girl only fourteen or fifteen, not a mother of two. But everyone recognized Kaoru, and anyone who began to whisper rumors of witchcraft... Well, what did it matter now?
It had been a long time since there had been a storm like that, a long time since the winter had taken a life. It was tragic enough to quiet such talk.
.