Zielle couldn’t remember much about her past life, only bits and pieces here and there that didn’t make sense due to being so random. The only complete memory she had of her past was when she finally woke up and met Eleonora. The old woman seemed to be very at the time, since her hurried steps could be heard and the smell of food lingered in the air.

Slowly sitting up, Zielle cleared her dry throat “Hello?” Zielle was terrified at the fact that she knew she was awake but couldn’t see “Help me!”

“Oh goodness, you scared me child” Zielle felt the lady approaching, and a pair of warm hands lifted her head “As I thought…that thing was after you and it got you…this complicates things” She murmured

“Who are you?” Zielle frowned “What happened to me?”

Shortly after Zielle could hear the woman sobbing, while whispering that she failed. Zielle slowly tried to reach towards her but was unsuccessful.

“I’m sorry child…Are you hungry?” She sniffle “What am I even asking? Of course you are!”

“Um…excuse me…What happened to me?” Zielle tilted her head

The woman remained silent until she approached Zielle again with a delicious smell.

“I’m sorry child because of me…you lost your eyesight” She gently pressed the spoon full of food between Zielle’s lips “But don’t worry…I’ll protect you better this time I owe them too much and this is the least I can do to repay them”

Zielle slowly accepted the food given to her by the old woman.

“What’s your name and who’s them?”

“Eleonora” She said softly while putting the bowl down “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay…What’s my name?” Zielle didn’t like how she avoided the last question but she decided to let it slide

“Snow because you are as beautiful as the snow” She tucked Zielle’s hair behind her ear and smile

Days passed and they both fell into a routine. Eleonora would leave during the day and come back at night with food, she would feed Zielle and then cradle her in her arms and sing her a lullaby until she fell asleep.

“Eleonora…Do you know why I can’t see?” Zielle said while Leonora braided her hair

“Well I don’t know…you see Zielle I was passing by when I saw you crawling out of the alleyway almost dead”

Zielle frowned, her stories weren’t matching and so she decided to test her one more time by asking another question “Did you know me before finding me?”

“Yes…I met your parents when they were expecting you, they helped me when I was in hard place” She hugged Zielle once she finished “Did you know that we been together for three months?”

“Really?” Zielle smiled, for some reason that sounded to be true

“Yes…Snow I have to tell you something very important”

“What is it?”

“I have to leave for two days…but the good thing is that I will be back for your birthday” She pinched her cheek “I’ll bring you a gift alright”

“You have to come back Eleonora…you are the only one I have” Zielle almost cried saying those words, because it was true. If Eleonora left, she would be all alone.

“Yes my beautiful snow, I’ll be back okay?” Eleonora stood up, and her steps grew quieter and quieter.

Zielle nodded and sat on the far corner, where she waited for days.

***

Few weeks passed, the hunger and thirst led Zielle to start learning how to move around by herself but as always being blind wasn’t helpful at all so she mostly struggle. Surprisingly, one night when the air was freezing and her stomach growled, she heard rustling. Zielle was happy, that meant Eleonora had come back, and all her suffering would be gone.

“What do we have here?” Zielle’s smile turned into a confused frown “Oh my…you are the child from back then!”

It was the voice of a woman, it was raspy and she tended to prolong some letters. Her presence gave Zielle goose bumps but maybe she could help her.

“Lady…help…me…” Zielle couldn’t talk properly because of her teeth shaking due to the cold

“Listen, I normally don’t help others but because you helped me a long time ago…I will help you” Zielle started having a weird feeling, as the lady walked around “I definitely wasn’t expecting you to still be sensitive to magic but then again you are different”

Suddenly the freezing cold was gone, and everything was warm. Zielle sat up on the floor, and tilted her head.

“Alright dear, I’ll be back” The footsteps of the lady faded

Zielle rubbed her hands together, she couldn’t believe that the freezing cold she was feeling a while ago was gone in matter of seconds. The lady footsteps could be heard again.

“I made you a path of rocks, if you follow those two paths you will find both water and food” She clapped “I infused your clothing with magic so it keeps you warm…well bye”

Before Zielle could say anything the lady was gone. Zielle sighed, even if her life got better after this the loneliness she felt would still remain.

***

The lady that had suddenly appeared and disappeared had truly made her two paths for water and fruit, the bad things was that Zielle found out in a horrible way which is which. She fell into the water and almost drowned, but surprisingly she managed to get back to the edge. After this incident she became more cautious, and started to fall into a routine.

Zielle was very happy, she had found a way to carry water and store it for longer. This meant that her daily trips to the water source could become less frequent, she manage to fill it but she wasn’t expecting it to be heavy. As she was struggling to carry it, she tripped and fell, she sighed after feeling the water being spilled. The sound of footsteps and someone picking the bucket scared her.

Maybe Eleonora had really come back this time, she felt hopeful “Is…Is someone there? Leo…Leonora?”

“Here, it’s empty…do you want me to fill it?” It was deep voice that could only belong to a man

For some reason, that voice gave her a weird sense of comfort. Zielle had learned that people would only help her because they found her pitiful and then leave, so it surprised her when he shared something that felt so personal to her. He clearly sounded sad, and in need of comfort but how can she do that if she was in a worse situation than him. What surprise her more was when he came back again and gave her food, something to drink and clothes. Zielle felt that she was meant to follow the person that was showing her kindness, her heart and her mind kept reminding her that for some reason she was meant to be at his side forever if possible.

***

Days gone by, and she had gotten used to being with Ambrose. She liked him a lot, and saw him as sort of savior, but of course those weird feelings always made her wonder if she truly liked him or there was something else. Even though Zielle remained in one spot for long periods of time she never got bored as Ambrose always tried to keep her entertained. She felt horrible at the fact that she was such a big burden and it made her sad the fact that she couldn’t even imagine what he looked like.

Zielle had found the thing that had been bothering her, since the moment she met Ambrose. Since now she was able to wander around, she followed that uncomfortable feeling until she came across a small and cold object.

“What are you doing with that?” Ambrose approached her

“What is this?” She tilted her head while holding out the object

“That was my old pendant” He chuckled “Is there something wrong with it?”

Zielle shook her head and smiled. “I’m going to the bathroom”

“Do you need help getting there?”

“No, thank you” She slowly made her way to the bathroom

She approached the toilet and dropped the pendant there, and then flushed. She started laughing.

“Bye Bye” She whispered “You surely won’t be missed”