The Shadow of Winter

Chapter 4

        A stale, musty smell clung to the walls. It leaked from the ceiling, it gathered intensely in each and every corner. The smell was ingrained in the very fibers of the building materials that made up this place. Not at all healthy, it caused anyone who dared reside within these walls to occasionally break out in a coughing fit accompanied by stinging eyes. Who could live in such a place? Who could possibly tolerate the unpleasant stink of dust floating in and out of each room?

        (Name) opened her eyes to this setting, confusion at the feel of an unfamiliar bed pressed beneath her body causing the girl to bolt upright. Her breathing grew rapid as she gazed about the room. It was dark, but a soft glow coming from a covered window allowed her to distinguish minor detail. This definitely wasn't home. Though, she had no recollection of how she had gotten here in the first place. She looked around again to try and jog her memory.

        There were few pieces of furniture in this small room—the bed she sat on, a simple drawer, and a standing lamp confined to a corner. The only window was situated beside the bed, and through it (Name) could hear the sounds of light traffic passing by. She started to feel a memory resurface, shortly whisked away by the blaring of a semi-truck. Startled, she scrambled for the door across the room and tugged it open, only now realizing her shoes were missing.

        Outside the bedroom was even darker. Swiping a hand along the wall as she crept further into the blackness, she was able to find a light switch and flick it on. Her sight became blurry as she squinted against the sudden glare. It soon adjusted, as the light connected to the ceiling turned out to be much dimmer than expected.

        (Name) saw where she was, and then she remembered the reason for why she had been brought here.

        The man last night, the one who had chased after her through (Hometown), had murdered her family. He had wanted to kill her too, but someone else had been awake during that time of the night—the hedgehog. He had easily taken control of the situation and carted both the criminal and victim to another city a couple hours away.

        When the man had been safely secured and taken into custody, there had been left the matter of what was to be done with the girl. It had been at such an unsuitable hour that barely anyone was awake and willing to take on the care of a newly orphaned teenager. The Children's Home did not answer calls until late in the morning, nor did any other shelters. The unnerving hedgehog, Shadow, (Name) had learned from the few police officers that had been present, had become disgruntled by the fact that he'd be the one to watch over her for the remainder of the night.

        And so he had brought (Name) to uptown Central City to stay the night in a small, old, dingy apartment that could be considered a health threat to anyone who lived in it long enough. In the morning he planned to leave his unwilling charge in the hands of someone more tolerant of the human race—such as an irritating, overly friendly "hero" to the world. Then he'd be able to get on with his already complicated life as a G.U.N. agent and find and put away those who had been responsible for the murders.

        (Name) wasn't sure where the hedgehog was now. When she had first stepped foot in the apartment she had been instructed to stay in the guestroom until told otherwise. Being alone worried her, though. Anyone could climb through the window and snatch her from the bed, or, more likely, shoot her brains out in the same manner as her family.

        Tiptoeing in the direction of the room where she had awoken, she stopped at a closed door just across the hall. There weren't many rooms within the apartment so she figured this had to be where the hedgehog was sleeping. (Name) knew he had wanted her to stay in the guestroom, but she was looking for a little reassurance. Lightly she knocked at the door, listening closely for any response. Getting none, she tried again, louder.