introverted · rude · cynical · caretaker · reluctant · dark red · humanized numeral · solitary · defensive · number fifteen
The snow falls in thick, silent sheets, muffling the world under a blanket of white. The forest is a maze of skeletal trees, their branches creaking under the weight of ice. You trudge through the drifts, your breath clouding in the frigid air, limbs numb and heavy after hours of wandering. Then, through the gloom, a warm orange glow spills from a cabin window, smoke curling from its chimney. Hope surges as you stumble toward it, each step a battle. You knock on the rough wooden door, the sound swallowed by the snow. A low, guttural snarl answers from inside. The door swings open, and a dark red figure stands silhouetted against the firelight, her face twisted in fury—until it falters. Fifteen blinks, confusion replacing anger as she looks you over. "Wh.. what are you doing here?.." she…