Into The Vale of Shadows // Max Mayfield

ix. i like it cold

chapter nine
i like it cold

     THE DAY HAD just started but Raven already looks tired. Her face pale, bags lingering just below her eyes, hair messier than the usual, and the smile that would usually be plastered on her face was gone, replaced with a cold and blank expression. Raven sat inside her mother's car, head resting on the window frame of the back seat, watching as the trees roll out of her sight and be replaced with new ones, feeling relief as she stared at the usually blue sky rather than the red and black one. Robin and her mother sat on the front seats, both glancing at her with face full of worry and concern, wondering what could've been wrong.

     You may be wondering too, what had happened the day before? Well, nothing much. Unless you count her having multiple episodes, her best friend being attacked by that entity, and her being cornered by it. You see, after she got cornered, her head started aching like crazy, it ached until she was close to passing out, but before she did, the ache was replaced by this cold and darkness. Her head went blank and silent, it felt like she was being pushed to the very back of her mind, caged like a rabid dog, the voices that would usually linger disappeared without a trace, same goes with Gorgon. He would usually keep her up at night, asking questions, talking about thing she can't understand. That usually annoys and scares her, but this time, she missed it. Maybe he was just busy tending something in her head, but the head aches are gone, what could've kept him busy? And then—

     "Hey, Mom, can I please let the window down? I'm feeling a bit hot." And well, that. The warmth that always flows under her skin was replaced by the cold, she felt like shivering to the bones, yet she wants more of it, craving more of this freezing feeling. Raven could not comprehend what was happening to her body, little bits of warmth made her feel so hot, hot like her skin was being burned with the heat storms of the sun.

     "Baby, don't you think it's a bit cold?"

     "I like it cold," those words just came out of her mouth without her control, she can't push it back, it came out like a word vomit.

     "You hate the cold," said Robin.

     "I. Like it. Cold." She felt her jaws move on it's own, like she had lost her grip on it. Robin and her mother gave her weirded out and worrying stares. She didn't sound like herself, she didn't feel like herself, it was like her body, her mind, everything is doing things on their own, taking actions without her control, it felt like something had taken over her body, something unknown.

     She felt her body shift on it's seat, taking the jacket that she wrapped herself with off of her frame, wanting to savor how the freezing November breeze touch her skin. Her usually blue joyful eyes grew darker as she stared out the open window, face remaining emotionless, blank as the air flew through her hair.

     The whole car ride was quiet, the only thing that can be heard was the car engine, and the wind that blew on her ear. Soon, the school building of Hawkins Middle came into view, kids and teenagers roamed around, cars, bikes scattered around the place, full of newly arrived students, ready for another day of school.

     "Baby, are you sure you want to go to school today?" asked her mother as their vehicles came into a halt, looking back to her ill looking daughter.

     "Yes," Raven monotonically said, giving her mother a forced smile.

     "But you look ill."