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Little Dove:Why the hell would I go back to Murder Ville and risk my mom's life?
Me: How is she?
Little Dove: Safe. No thanks to me.
Me: That's not true. You've kept her alive this whole time. You just didn’t realize it.
Little Dove:I don't have time for your sentimental bullshit right now and I'm not going to send you proof of life so you keep a good conscience at night.
Me: You're right. That would be ridiculous. How about you tell me where you are and I come over instead?
Little Dove:Goodnight, Everett.
My phone buzzes again.
Little Dove:Oh, and thank you for saving my life again.
Me: You're welcome, Iggy.
I get out of the car, shoving the phone in my pocket with force. My head is once again full of confusion, frustration, and Ignacio. I need to shake off all my thoughts of being in that basement, but mostly the ones involving the times I shared with him.
Snowflakes drop from the sky and I close my eyes while standing in the center of the front yard, spinning around in it, my mind driving off to a memory of last year when it snowed in February.
Iggy runs inside, smiling brightly. His eyes beam and he grabs his coat, along with a pair of gloves from his room.
“What's with all the excitement?”
“It's snowing. I've never seen snow before. I was too little to remember it happening when we last lived here.” He kicks off his tennis shoes and shoves his feet into a pair of boots I didn't even know he had.
“You seem awfully prepared for someone who's never been around snow before,” I say, leaning against the corner of the couch with my arms crossed.
“My dad bought me them as a gift when we moved back. He said I'll thank him later.” His eyes stay focused on his shoes as he rips the tag off.
“Exactly where are you going in this weather?”
“Outside to play, duh.”
I laugh. “With what exactly? Shouldn't you wait until there's at least snow on the ground? Are you building a snowman by connecting the dots in the air?”
Maria plops down beside me, elbowing me in the side. “Don't ruin the boy's joy.”
“Yeah, mood killer.” He gawks at me before heading out the door.
“You think we should go out there with him?” Maria asks, tugging at the hem of her sweater.
I twist my lips, shaking my head. “No way. I'll stay right here where it's warm.”
She huffs and stands from the couch. “Fine. You do that then. I'm going to join my son and play in the snow.” She grabs her coat from the couch and I sigh, standing up. I walk toward the window, pulling back the curtain. Ignacio and his mom are dancing in the center of the yard. Their hair is covered in white dust and red colors the apples of their cheeks. Laughter spills from them and I can't help but smile.
Sighing softly, I grab my jacket and join them outside. Ignacio and Maria run my way, each grabbing one of my hands before resuming their dancing. We stay out there until we are too frozen to move and the ground is almost fully white beneath us. It doesn’t matter how cold it is, their laughter and smiles keep me warm.
Opening my eyes, I walk inside and head for the guest room. Trying to warm up, I take a hot shower and as I'm leaning into the tile, my skin is uncomfortable and feels like it's burning. Turning the knob, I adjust the temperature, relaxing as soon as it becomes lukewarm. The ease inside me is quickly replaced with uneasiness and a twisting gut when Ignacio appears in front of me, huddled in a ball on the floor. His screams pierce my ears and his body is covered in blood.
“Iggy,” I say, reaching for him.
He stares up at me with empty eyes, his flesh slowly deteriorating. “You can't save me this time.”
I run toward him, my heart pounding in my chest, and he sinks into the ground. I jolt awake when my body falls forward, my head knocking against the wall and knees coming down with a hard thud.
