I yawn awake and slowly get up from the beating I've taken. The swishing of my mouth wipes away the traces of my dry mouth as Kitten jumps. "Mommy!" A sigh leaves me as I take in our surroundings. It seemed my body didn't care that I melted a little pool around myself. I've melted the snow, sunk myself to the real ground. I look up, a circle of pure ice, outside the hole and through the blizzard, the trees. Inside, the train tracks lightly submerged in water. I pet through kitten's fur, "It's okay, little one." "But-" She nuzzles into my hand, "Yes, she's gone. I wish she wasn't as well." I stretch, something close to a moan escapes me, like scratching an itch. "And don't call me kitten!" I look up at our exit, away from my heated spring. I rifle through the water and strap a rifle to my back, "What should I call you?" "I'm just me!"

Knives at Sea - Who gone stop us

I stand up and she climbs up my torn clothes, my hands glow a little and I dig into the icy walls "How about Bella?" "Ew." The ice melts slow as I climb up smirking, "Come on, Bella's an adorable name." "I'm a vicious predator though!" My laugh is cut short by the wild blizzard winds. I duck down to tell her, "You are like a house cat's size." "I'm gonna cut you." I hoist us up and the snow in the air splashes against me like water. I shout through the snowy-rain, "Please don't!" Looking back to where the tracks lead and the tree line ahead, it should be easy to follow it for now.

A few miles of relentless blizzard winds and stray monsters later, lays a small town built by the tracks. A church with a bell tower ringing non-stop due to the wind, big building's near the tracks, a factory maybe? Bella pops her head out my jacket, "What's up? What is that?" "A town." Before I manage to take another step, my stomach grumbles. "We should find you some cat food here!" Bella digs into me and I stiff up, "Ok, ok! Sorry!" "Mhmm!" She growls a little and we press on.

We get to the streets and spiders pass by but not dare approach my flame. Into a store we go with a firm grip, ready to throw a flame at any creature hiding in the dark. To my surprise, a stray light comes on, a candle. CAREFUL! I grow stiff and ask Bella, "See anything?" She pops her head out, and tilts her head, "What is that?" I move the flame closer and there's a light blue plant I've never seen before. A gaping jaw with a sharp piece of ice. It makes a shattering noise and I leap away. A loud snap comes from the floorboards. I quickly hold my flame to it and it squeals, then falls off the wall. "Thanks." "Your welcome." Bella, I didn't mean you. FOLLOW.

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One after the other, the regular store candles light up the stray shelves, all the way past opened tin cans and various bullet casings and shells, a dead man lays in the back storeroom with a bloodstain. I sigh and grab his bag, but he won't let go. "He really wanted that stuff, huh?" With a grunt, I crack and pop his hand open, "Yup!" I open it and smile, Bella growls low, "I need more than that." I shake my head, "Chill, we got plenty!" I stab my knife in and pry a can open. "Potted meat and water." Bella sniffs and goes limp, "Ew, it's cooked." "Just eat it." I dip my hand in and practically stuff my face with the stuff as she digs her head into the can.

I wipe my mouth and grab Bella's face, she tries to wriggle out of it, "Let me go!" I wipe the grease out her furry cute face with my sleeves. She suddenly gives in and nuzzles in for me to scratch behind her ears. I stop and she meows, "More scratches!" With a lunge to my feet, I laugh, "No, we gotta keep looking around." "You're boring."

"Wait up! It's cold!" I stop and turn, she hops out my boot-prints in the snow to keep up. She's gotten a little bigger since I've met her, in that warehouse. An adult house cat, but she's not done, clearly. As she climbs, her claws claw through my skin. I wince as she hangs in my torn jacket. "You're getting too big, Bella." "Not possible!" Candles light up in all the stores, Bear! Run!

I inhale as Bella tenses up, "Something's coming!" After a deep sigh, I hear it, a growl between the ringing of the bell. "A bear!" I break out into a sprint, it sounds big as it thuds after us. Bella crawls up my shoulder and hisses at it, "Go away!" The bear roars as I run inside the church, slamming the door behinds us.