[This was just too good not to make into a new book]
.
.
.
Cold. You were so cold.
Your body shook as you stumbled through the woods. Clutching your stomach as your tired legs fought to keep going.
You had just escaped the red army base, a place you once thought of as an oasis. Now turned living nightmare. Friends made along the way, gone in an instant, as enemies broke through. Well, not all.
The only reason you were able to escape was because of Tom. Underneath his devotion and dedication to Red Leader hid a man with a burning hatred for the tyrant. His anger being coded away long ago, forced into submission.
Somehow, someway Tom had been able bypass the system, fiercely grabbing your arm and shoving you into an air duct as you ran through an empty hallway, sirens blaring above. The action startling you before he had placed a warm hand over your mouth.
"Listen closely. Far into the woods lay a bunker. An old mate of mine stays there for the time being. Go and find it. Don't look back and don't come back."
He removed his hand from your face, moving it onto your shoulder and giving it a tight squeeze.
"I'm sorry I can't go with you. I-" he huffed, a small stream of tears coming from underneath his goggles.
Now it was your turn to place your hand on his face, wiping the tears away in astonishment.
"I thought you couldn't cry? The receptors were supposed to block your real eyes from working.."
"Heh, guess I'm just chalked full of surprises now."
You both stared at each other, sadness plaguing your features as his hand tightened around your shoulder.
After a while, absorbed in silence, Tom finally spoke.
"I'll get in contact with you in a few days. Somehow, it will happen. Until then, be safe"
And that was the last thing you heard from him before being shoved into the darkness of the duct.
After crawling around for what seemed like an hour, you had finally made it to the outside of the base. Unscrewing the bolts was a tedious task, but once they were gone you bolted.
Now here you were, no jacket and no boots, trudging through feet of snow. Looking for a bunker, but not really know what exactly to look for.
Was the bunker hidden? Was it underneath a fallen tree? Or was it disguised as a normal looking house that needed repair?
You didn't know. Tom had given you nothing more than the knowledge of said bunker housing an 'old friend', who you didn't even know the identity of.
You couldn't blame him for the lack of information though, he was trying to get you away from the base as fast as possible so a long explanation would be entirely out of question. You just wished he would've come with you instead of leave you by yourself.
Hours seemed to pass, with no luck of finding anything. Your fingers and toes were turning blue and your vision began growing fuzzy. Legs numb but still going as your lungs screamed from the bitter chill.
The sun was close to setting as a blanket of blues and purple plague the sky above. Snow falling blissfully around you.
Fatigue finally catching in your body and legs, you fall into the snow. Your eyes fighting to stay open, but sleep overall winning.
Before your eyes finally fell, a pair of fuzzy grey paws landed in-front of you, followed by a set of boots.
....
When you woke up, your body felt many things. First feeling an ever enjoyable warmth of a blanket and soft mattress snuggling your most likely bruised body. The second was a stiffness wrapping around your abdomen. Lastly was an unexplained weight on your chest.
Opening your eyes groggily, you were met with a pair of greenish yellow eyes. These eyes belonged to a very beautiful grey cat who has a few stripes of a darker grey adorning its head and body.
Sensing your stirred movements, the kitty lifted its body and began sniffing your face, meowing lightly before jumping off and running out an open door to your left.
Deciding to get your barring of this new surrounding, you carefully lifted your self up into a sitting position.
The room you were in was quite simple, pine floors with a soft looking carpet matching a cabin like wall. A furnace was stationed opposite of the bed you were currently in, crackling and filling the room with a much desired warmth. A dresser and small table also decorated the seemingly empty space.
It wasn't much to look at but who were you to complain. The dorms at the Red Army's base were much smaller than this, and would usually house up to three soldiers with all of their belongings.
Grabbing your attention back was a gruff voice, stemming from the open doorway.
"Awake now are we?"
Turning your head, you saw who the voice had belonged to. The man standing before you looked very worn out, eye bags being very prevalent against his drained skin. He had a mop of chestnut brown hair and some stubble covering his jaw, with piercing uninterested hazel eyes.
He was much taller than you, most likely standing at 5'10-5'11. He wore black pants and a tattered green hoodie covered by a longer black trench coat. The same boots from before snuggly housing his feet.
Not wanting to seem rude, as this man had most likely saved your life, you spoke.
"Where...where am I?" Even when trying to sound genuine, you couldn't help the anxiety seep through your words.
The man looked you up and down, walking over to the side of the bed before grabbing a nearby chair and sitting in it, eyes still glued to you.
"I will be the one asking questions. You tell me what I wanna know, and I'll tell you what you wanna know. Deal?"
He extended his hand, calloused and scarred. You shakily took it, not wanting any trouble. Nodding your head in acceptance.
"Good. Now," his eyes narrowed at you, still gripping your hand. "Who are you and why are you all the way out here?"
"M-my name is y/n." Your voice was horse and unsteady, but you pressed on, "Please, I had just escaped the red army, a friend of mine helped me and told me to find a safety bunker out in the woods."
"Red army huh?" He didn't believe you, sarcasm laced into his voice "And who was this 'friend' of yours?"
"Thomas Ridge."
Silence. Deafening silence.
A flicker of, something flashed in the man's eyes. Mind seeming to reel at the name. His eyes darting out past the door towards something in the hallway. After a minute he looked back to you, a softer gaze in his eyes.
"Did he- did he specify anything else to you?"
"Only that an old friend was housed in the bunker right now, and that he would contact me in a few days."
A hum emanated from his throat, still looking at you for any more info.
"That's all I know, I'm sorry" your head hung low
A warm hand lay atop your head, lightly petting your scalp in reassurance. When you look up, the man just beemed down at you with a soft and welcoming smile. It was odd, but you felt safe in his presence. A feeling you haven't experienced in quite a while.
The man lifted his body off from the chair and laid you back down, ruffling your hair before turning to leave.
"Get some rest. I'll come back with something for ya to eat."
Wait-
"I-if you don't mind me asking?" You almost shouted, needing to properly thank this warm stranger. "I...never got your name.."
He smiled, "It's Edd, Edd Gould"
"Thank you Edd"