If you were to ask Merri what she meant when whispering 'Good Bye', she would not be able to explain herself fully. She had already said her goodbyes to her family. Maybe it was someone else that she wished a fond farewell to? While it is not relevant now, it will be in the future. Or maybe not.

It didn't take very long for Merri to fall into a deep sleep. Anyone could get to a very deep sleep in the cold but not everyone would wake up. The temperature dropped quick during the late evening hours. It was close to this time that Merri dreamt of a warm spring day. She lay on the green grass while she watched as darkness quickly surrounded her. "Wake up!" Her eyes flung open as Matt drug her stiff body close to a fire. Merri would not have been able to resist even if she wanted to. She noticed that Matt dragged her with one hand while holding a bat wrapped in chicken wire in the other. It was very weird.

Matt kept his eyes moving as he searched for any potential assailants that would have stolen their spot. Fires just invited nasty people to a spot because heat was a commodity. There were not enough resources to keep fires blazing through the nights of winter. "Greg, you fucking asshole, you better hurry up." He glanced down at Merri who was not very coherent. "You need to stay awake. I will slap you if I need to." He did gently jostle her whenever she seemed to be drifting off. She looked quite pathetic just dangling in his grip. He tried to pull Merri to her feet, without letting go of the weapon, but decided to give up for now. That is when a couple of thugs came through the 'secret' entrance. Matt held up the bat while stating, "I wouldn't".

The two men stood for a few moments, surveying the area while also measuring their chances. They noticed the female helplessly dangling from this guy's grip but didn't see anyone else, so decided to move in closer. Matt growled under his breath as he placed Merri closer to the fire. He placed her as gently as he could but remained focused on the approaching men. Merri just lay there in a lump. Both men jumped at Matt who swung the bat in rapid successions. "Greg! You fucking asshole!" One man began to circle around Matt, the other man looking quite interested in the half-dead girl. Matt decided to go after the guy while distracted but the other guy kicked Matt in the back. Matt flew a couple of feet before landing on his face. Blood trickled down from Matt's cheek. That is when Greg entered through the thick of the mess. At first, looking quite triumphant with the supplies he found. Once he saw what was happening, he charged at the closest intruder, tackling him to the ground. He began punching, biting, and scratching at the guy trying to fight back. "Hey Matt! Get up!" He laughed as he kept punching, "You don't want to miss out on the fun now do you?"

Matt wiped at his face as he stood to his feet. The club raised up as he advanced on the guy trying, but failing miserably to get Greg away from his friend. Once the guy saw Matt with the bat, got up. That guy was too slow as Matt met the guy's face with the bat. Blood and teeth flew in the air. Matt swung at the guy again and again until the guy fell backwards. Both of the invaders were unconscious, dragged by Greg and Matt to an ally near the entrance. Once they both returned, Matt began to yell, "What the fuck took you so long? That girl is..." He stopped mid-sentence to rush over to Merri. "Damn it! We're losing her."

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Greg rushed into action, grabbing the supplies he was sent to fetch. "We are not going to lose her, Matt." He rummaged through the stuff, grabbing some bread, tearing off a piece, and placing it in his mouth to soften it up. "It took me a while to get to third. It took longer just to convince those ass-hats that a life was in danger." He put the mushed up bread in the girl's mouth. He struggled but finally got the female to swallow. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Don't you give up on us!"

Merri heard the loud commotions going on around her but it seemed so distant. The offered bread did not seem to register very well. Suddenly, she was looking down at herself. This was new. Matt was there yelling at her to not give up but it was so cold. At least she felt warmer where she was. She glanced around, where was she? The scene changed to the warm field she found herself in earlier. It felt peaceful. She walked around to get a better idea of what was happening. There had to be some kind of clue. Flowers were in bloom and it had been so long since she saw a flower, she didn't remember what it was called. A warm breeze washed over her and she looked up to find someone just looking at her. Merri stared back but neither spoke.

The entity stood watching Merri for a while. This being was an Angel and after several moments, smiled at Merri and gave a slow wave. "Hello dear. Are you lost? You seem quite confused." The feathers in her wings gently fluttered with the breeze. "Do you need help?" The voice was sweet and welcoming.

Merri tilted her head, "I don't know where I am." She looked around, "It's very nice here, though. Is this your home?"

The Angel gave a slight laugh, "Well, not my home entirely. This is the realm in-between life and death. You are dying young one." With a slow movement of her hand, the Angel showed Merri where her body lay still. "The cold has claimed many lives today. I am one that welcomes those who leave the Earth behind to begin their journey after death."

Merri looked at herself once more before the Angel waved the image away. "I don't understand why I am here. I thought I would be alright after Matt and Greg took me in." She paced anxiously, "Can't I go back?"

The Angel smiled, "Oh dear one, do you really want to return to that place? There is so much suffering there. It is quite peaceful and warm here. No harm can come to you as you make way for a new life." The Angel stopped speaking for a few moments. It appeared that she was being spoken to but no one else could be seen. The Angel then glanced back at Merri with a smile, "It appears that I was mistaken. You have work to do. It is time for you to go back young one."

Before Merri could respond, she was back in her physical body. She began to shake violently while Matt hugged her body tight, rubbing furiously in a wild attempt to warm her up. He felt her breathe in a long breath before gasping. She then started coughing while attempting to sit up. Matt helped her and gave a huge sigh of relief. "Damn it, girl! You had us worried." Matt didn't let her go but kept holding her tight. "We thought you died or something."

Merri looked up at Matt weakly, and whispered, "I saw the in-between place." Matt looked at Greg who just shrugged not sure what she was talking about. The girl felt warmer, her breath stable, so Matt just held her while Merri slept.