With the sleigh coming down to a walking pace, angling my head slightly to be able to see though the thin layer or fabric keeping me hidden from any onlookers to no avail, the only sights being able to see are small shadows.

Have we reached our destination? I thought to myself unable to gain a clear picture of the surroundings outside, unsure of what was waiting for me outside I had no choice but to follow his request, keeping quiet as he navigated his sleigh through what I could only guess had to have been multiple buildings.

“Your back” A high pitched voice announced moving quickly towards us, a constant crunching under its feet, A Child perhaps?

“Yes, you miss me like, Kiddo?. Do me a favour, go open the back door to the house and only tell your mother.” The stranger instructed the child, followed by more crunching of snow as he ran away to perform his task eagerly.

“Am I to be your secret then, if you're sneaking me in like this?” I enquire through the fabric keeping my voice quiet to avoid detection but loud enough to ensure he will hear me.

“I told you before that these people don’t take kindly to strangers… especially at the moment.” he replies immediately without missing a beat.

Moving off once more at a sluggish pace making our way through what I can only guess is his hometown, taking the roundabout way around the outskirts to best avoid cutting through the centre, looking to avoid raising suspicion of passing onlookers.

Finally though we have stopped once more for hopefully the last time, my head crashing into the front of the sleigh as my body slides along the back once more, Gripping a hold of my shoulder ensuring it doesn’t scrape against the bottom of the sleigh catching and peeling even more of my skin off.

Blinded by the light as my eyes take a moment to adjust as the stranger pulls off the sheeting from over my body revealing me once more to the elements, quickly offering me his arm to aid myself up, resting my arm across his shoulders as if he were my third leg to prompt myself up.

He wore all black from head to toe; hat, scarf, coat, padded trousers, boots. His face hidden underneath his scarf and hat, but seemingly unaffected by the harsh snow as rushed around the sleigh performing multiple tasks at a time.

Dragging my feet using the last of my recuperated energy from the journey over here with each passing step, coming closer to entering his home.

“Come on just ahead” he pleaded desperately trying to get me into shelter, carrying all of my weight clearly displaying his struggle not expecting me to be as heavy as I am. “My your heavy”

A large wooden doorway stood before us old and battered but yet still intact nonetheless. swinging open with an unrelenting creak only to reveal a small young girl, wearing a grey knitted jumper with padded trousers, rushing towards us grabbing my waist trying to help to keep me upright. Her eyes are clear brown with short dark hair.

I can feel her pushing my back ushering me into their home, as I step over the threshold into their home.

A wave of heat rushes my body from all directions as I make my way further in, my nose starts to run from the sudden change in temperature

“Quick, over on the couch, in front of the fireplace” he points me in the direction in which to help figure out where he wants me to go. “Sasha, get some blankets” to which she immediately takes off round the corner thudding with each step as she launches herself up the stairs.

“What about the two children I saw?” I ask as he sets me down in front of the fireplace, trying to warm my body up to allow the oxygen to circulate all throughout my body.

“Um… there wasn’t anybody else out there” he responds, his voice quiet, bearing a layer of sympathy unsure of what to make of the situation “ we need to clear those wounds” he adds trying to change the topic to something else as Sasha returns hurdling her way down the stairs with a large stack of blankets in her arms, dropping them on the floor at the base of the couch. Standing and staring at me as I lay on their couch with my feet hanging off of the end.

Removing the goggles, scarf obstructing his view, patting himself down removing and all snow that remained amongst his clothing, running his hand through his hair ruffing it up, hastily removing his large winter coat freeing his movements allowing him to focus on his jobs at hand.

“Sweetie, what’s this about you bringing home a raggedy old man or something?” A woman’s voice emanated from the top of the stairs, as the child sat beside me smirking, staring directly at me looking me up and down.

“Can you bring some bandages and some water” he shouted back to her before she came down, as he helped me remove my coat to reveal the huge bite marks in my shoulder, peeling away my shirt that had stuck to the dried up blood. “Some tweezers as well”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Sasha pulling a face of intrigue at the sight, irregular for a child her age, most recoil at the sight of blood in my experience, my attention diverted to the woman making her way downstairs bearing the first aid equipment requested also with some spare clothes for me to change into once finished.

What have I done to deserve such kindness? I can’t help but feel like I’m taking advantage of their generosity, offering me a complete stranger shelter, aid, and introducing me to their family.

The woman wore some baggy grey jeans along with a cream knitted sweatshirt that went just below her waist, with a matching hat and slippers to go with the outfit. Her hair was a dark brown long in length running down past her shoulders and down her back, her eyes an vibrant brown much like her daughters, standing out in contrast to he light coloured outfit.

“Ah… my apologies, how rude. I’m sapphire, that’s my husband Damian and I see you’ve met my daughter Sasha” she went on to introduce me to her family whilst Damian examined my back accessing the damage done.

“Are these what I think they are?” Damian asks over my shoulder clearly displaying his unease and concern after closely examining the marks closer.

“Those would be Hyokla’s teeth '' I remarked back releasing a huge sigh mentally preparing myself for more pain that is due to come very soon.

“Could you take her upstairs please, just whilst I tend to his wounds” he asks his wife not wanting his daughter to see the state, especially when he has to remove them one by one.

“Aw… I don’t even know his name” she pleads, wanting to stay and watch and learn all she can about the raggedy man as she called me, guessing it’s not often someone new comes into town.

“I’ll tell you what, if you go upstairs now, I’ll answer any questions you have later. You can call me Rudsek” I barter with the child, understanding his fathers concern I wouldn’t want my children to see such an unruly sight, if I had any that is.

“Promise”

“Promise” giving her my word as her mother ushers her upstairs with her hand on her back directing her back upstairs as we begin the unsavoury task.

As Damian took the tweezers dipping them in a glass of alcohol, I remove my blood stained shirt, dropping it on the floor getting ready to start the delicate process of removing all the teeth still lodged under my flesh. As Damian offers me a look of nervousness before he commences as if giving me one chance to talk him out of it, but it needs to be done.

As he began the procedure clasping onto the first tooth with his tweezers placing his free hand on my shoulder. Pushing against my body pulling on the embedded tooth as it resists his pull refusing to leave my skin. With no other way he had to twist the tooth around whilst embedded, a sharp pain stinging through my body as he forces the tooth, causing me to release a small grunt as I wince at the subtle pain. “Stubborn bugger” he announces raising the tooth to his eyes admiring it, before placing it in a dish just beside me.

It was a discoloured yellow under the splatters of blood that cling to it,with a sharp pointed tip with a slight curvature to properly cause as much damage as possible as it would rip the flesh of its food.

With each tooth removed a sharp stinging pain through my back with each clinking as he places each tooth in a dish one after another, my only comfort is that with each clinking sound that’s one more tooth closer to this being over, doing my best to ignore the constant pain scanning the surroundings of his house.

The house made up primarily of logs, the same kind the sleigh was made out of, the ground floor is basically just a living room with a cobble fireplace, pictures dotted around of their family and a staircase leading upstairs in the corner of the room, with a kitchen and dining room acting as another room separated by a smoothed out cobble wall in between bearing a mounted candle on either side.

“What were you doing in the blizzard” Damian asked raising his eyebrows “you’re not from round here”

“Was just passing by trying to make some coin whilst ice fishing, when the blizzard started out of nowhere… but also as if I felt drawn back to the north….” I respond with my head lowered along with my voice, as if deep in thought whilst thinking about what it possibly could be but every time I do I find myself fidgeting with my necklace as if it has something to with it.

A final grunt as the final tooth was extracted, never before had a subtle clinking sound in the background meant such relief to my ears, taking a moment to catch my breath as for the first time today my life wasn’t in jeopardy, the discolouring in my fingers and feet was slowly going down as my body started to warm up from the heat of the raw flame.

Slowly regaining the feeling in my body as the numbness fades and the colour returns.

“Why don’t you go take a warm bath, whilst I wash your clothes and your welcome to stay whilst you recover”

“You’ve already done so much I wouldn’t want to impose” Trying to ensure I don’t overstay my welcome figuring it’s best that I move onto the next town once the blizzard. A sudden rush of thuds could be heard as Sasha came storming down the stairs in a franticked state, almost tripping over her own feet, completely missing the last few steps, managing to recover before her face planted onto the wooden floor.

“You can’t go yet mr, you said I could ask you questions… you promised'' She looked up from the bottom of my feet, her puppy dog eyes on display tugging at my heartstring knowing exactly how to make me feel guilty for even considering leaving.

“As long as you show me those small bunny things that pull the sleigh” I respond mockingly in an attempt to lighten the mood which clearly worked as now, she looks up at me with an adorable grin, smiling at the fact that she got her wish. Honestly though it feels good to be asked to stay, I'd forgotten what that felt like in all my years travelling alone to have someone to enjoy company with.

“Speaking of which, can you bring them inside Sasha whilst preparing dinner?” Damian asked, offering me a simple smile as if trying to keep her busy for a while, giving me some time to relax in my bath without worrying about onlooking eyes.