Two Prayers in Winter

On the day before New Year's Eve, I didn't shut the window all the way, and my little sister sneezed.

My parents kicked me out and ordered me to collect firewood in the dark.

Inside, the family crowded around her, laughing as they handed her presents.

I didn't cry or make a scene. Instead, I slung the basket onto my back before heading into the mountains through the wind and snow.

I didn't find any firewood. I found a man instead.

His leg was wedged in a crack between rocks, bloody enough to scare me. When he saw me, he said in a hoarse voice, "Get me out of here, girl. I can give you whatever you want."

I looked up at him, my eyes finally focusing. "Really? Then I want you to be my dad."

Chapter 1

As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized he had already passed out.

After giving it some thought, I dragged him out anyway. I hoisted his unconscious body onto my back and limped home. I had just opened my mouth to tell my parents what had happened, but what greeted me was my father's hand as he struck me on the face.

"Your sister is waiting for hot water. Where's the firewood? What kind of junk did you drag back here?"

My mother frowned and glanced at me like I was trash as she said, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get the fire going!"

I pressed my lips together, wanting to say something.

In weather like this, the man could freeze to death if he stayed outside all night. Not to mention he was already injured.

My sister suddenly skipped over and spotted the bracelet on his wrist. "Wow! That four-leaf clover is so pretty! Mom, Dad, I want it!"

She was the family treasure. My parents would always say yes no matter what she asked for. Sure enough, my mother reached for the bracelet's clasp while my father was still thinking about it.

"Why is this clasp so hard to open?" My mom mumbled.

"Forget it. Bring him inside. We'll tell him to give it to you when he wakes up. We saved him, after all," my dad said.

"Yay! We saved someone! Grandma, come help too!" My sister cheered innocently.

"Big Sis, remember to give Bob all the leftovers! I saved him a bunch of ribs. It's his New Year present!"

Bob was our dog.

Meanwhile, my sister and my dad were "playing" at rescuing the man, wrapping gauze around him as though they knew what they were doing.

After shouting at me, she suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, right. You haven't eaten..."

Then her face frowned with worry, tears welling in her eyes. "But what about Bob? I promised him..."

"Eat? Like she deserves any food! What good is she when she can't even pick up some firewood?!" My grandma shouted. "It's the holidays, and just seeing her standing there makes me mad!"

At that moment, the man I had brought back began to stir and open his eyes.

My sister stared at his wrist and said, "I saved you, so you have to pay me back. I want your bracelet."

The man's eyes swept the room and barely lingered on me. Then, he took the bracelet off without hesitation and slipped it onto my sister's pale wrist. "My name is Zayne White. I was on vacation with some friends and had an accident. Thank you for saving my life."

I stared at the "dad" I had picked up, waiting for him to realize I was the one who had saved him. Despite that, he kept looking at my sister and didn't see me at all.

I twisted the hem of my shirt, then slowly let go.

It had always been like this.

My parents.

My grandma.

They only loved and pampered my lively sister, but no one liked the quiet one.

Once my sister got the bracelet, she lost interest in the rescue game and ran off to the backyard to play with our dog.

Only then did my father look at Zayne with impatience. "If that's the case, get your friend to come pick you up. Don't cause any problems while you're here for the holidays."

My dad's eyes flicked over to me, as though I was something unwanted.

"Sorry. I couldn't reach my friend." Zayne's expression finally shifted at the mention of his friend. He looked uneasy, but in the end, he promised my parents some money, and that was the only reason they agreed to let him stay.

My grandma rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. "What bad luck. One trouble brings more trouble into this house."

She glared at me, then flung a dirty rag into my face. "Go and wash the dishes."

The damp stench entered my nostrils as I picked up the rag and started working.

I quietly ladled a bowl of cold soup for Zayne when my grandma wasn't looking. "Eat. Don't starve to death."

Chapter 2

Zayne stared at the bowl of watery soup I gave him and took it, suppressing the disgust in his eyes. I felt a pang of reluctance. That was supposed to be my dinner tonight.

"Don't worry, Mia. Look, that man has someone taking care of him. Go to bed," My mom scooped up my sister, who had slipped out again. "You're in your pajamas already. Don't catch a cold."

My mom then glanced at me, her face full of disgust. "Hazel, you're responsible for him. Don't cause any trouble for this family."

I nodded.

After he had finished the soup, I took him over to the shed.

"I'm sleeping here?" Zayne asked.

"Yeah. You can sleep on my bed." I pointed at the iron frame in the corner.

Once I had gotten him settled, I climbed up and stuffed newspaper into the cracks of the window. Then, I laid down a few layers of cardboard on the floor and placed an old quilt over it before lying on it.

"You're sleeping on that?" This time, Zayne looked genuinely stunned, the coldness on his face starting to dissipate. "That's your bed? The one earlier was your sister, right? Are you really their daughter?"

In the dim light, I didn't answer.

Zayne rubbed his temple and shot a dissatisfied look at the so-called bed, then lay down despite the reluctance.

"You should stay in the shed. If you make my sister unhappy, you'll get thrown out."

I curled up even tighter, trying to make myself a little warmer. I regretted it a little, to be honest. I had saved him because I wanted a dad who would care about me, but the dad I had picked up didn't even remember me.

Compared to my pretty and well-taken care of sister, I was dirty and skinny.

It was to be expected that he didn't like me.

It was fine. I suppose I had done a good deed. If I couldn't find a good dad, then perhaps the angels would send me a mom next time.

As my thoughts drifted, I fell asleep.

I woke up on my own a little after five.

"You're up? Why are you awake so early?" Zayne stared at me, puzzled. The dark circles under his eyes were heavy, which meant he likely had not slept at all.

"Yeah. I have to chop wood, clean the snow, and feed the dog. There's a lot of work to do. I also have to make breakfast before my parents wake up. Don't worry, I'll save you something first. You couldn't sleep?" I asked as I cleaned up my makeshift bed, looking at him.

It felt like Zayne was still shocked at what I had told him. His face tightened, and his voice came out stiff. "Only you could manage to sleep in a place this cold."

"I'm used to it," I said as I picked up the quilt from the floor and set it on the bed Zayne was on. "If you're cold, use this too. I'll come get you when breakfast is ready."

I didn't wait for his response as I simply left.

The sky was lighting up, and I had to gather enough firewood for today. Otherwise, Grandma's wooden cane would hit my back like a whip again.

I had a difficult time pushing through the thick snow. The flashlight swept over the snow that was taller than my feet and then lit up something dark by a tree.

I stayed calm and shifted the light away without thinking.

The mountain behind our home always had some animals darting around. If I were unlucky, I would run into a wild boar. I was used to it, though, so I wasn't scared.

I was about to leave when a weak voice called out from behind me. "Is anyone there? Hey... Am I really going to freeze to death out here?"

Only then did I realize it sounded like a woman.

Had the angels really sent me a mom?

Then, I looked her in the eyes. She had beautiful, long, wavy hair, and her big eyes blinked at me. "Where did you come from? Am I hallucinating from the cold?"

"No. Do you want to come home with me?" I asked boldly.

She nodded quickly, and I led her along.

On the way back, I learned that her name was Emma Clark. She had come up the mountain to have fun too, but she had gotten separated from her friends. Heavy snow had then blocked the road.

Her car was stuck in the snow, and she couldn't get down the mountain to find anyone, and that was how she had run into me.

When we reached my home, I stopped. "I can take you in, but you have to be my mom and take me away."

Emma froze.

Her eyes swept over my worn-out cotton coat and the full basket of firewood on my back, and her expression became mixed. "Do you live here alone?"

Then, she noticed the car outside and doubted it.

A single tear welled in my eyes as I almost choked when I said, "No. My dad, my mom, my grandma, and my sister. They're all here."

Emma sighed. "If you already have a mom, I can't be your mom. Your real mom would be sad."

I grabbed the hem of my coat and shook my head. I kept my voice low as I led her to the shed. "Forget it. Come in. But be careful. Don't let them see you, or they'll kick you out."

I brought her into the shed. The moment the door opened, Zayne looked over and froze.

Emma rolled her eyes.

Zayne's mouth twitched too. "What a coincidence."

They seemed to know each other, but I didn't have time to care. I hurried to stack the firewood. "I'm going to make breakfast. Don't make any noise."

Chapter 3

I hurried into the front yard. I already tried very hard to be quiet, but Grandma still had a stormy expression on her face when she woke up. "So much noise this early in the morning. Are you jealous of Mia and trying to keep her from having a good sleep when she is home for a change?"

She kept her voice low, but her eyes were full of spite. When she saw that I hadn't finished making breakfast, she grabbed my hair in anger. "And you slacked off? What time did you even get up this morning?"

I endured the pain and whispered an apology. "I'm sorry, Grandma. I'm sorry. I'll finish right away..."

I didn't dare give the two strangers too much food with her watching me. Even so, her hand still slapped me across my face. "You lazy and greedy good-for-nothing. Go back to the shed and stop wandering around in front of your sister."

I lowered my head and left quickly, terrified that the next strike would be even more painful.

Back in the shed, Emma stood up as soon as she saw me, and her eyes fixed on the fading red mark on my face. "Someone hit you?"

Zayne didn't speak, but his expression darkened.

I pretended I didn't hear it as I brought in a small stool from outside, then set a bowl of oats on it. "Breakfast. Split it. I have work to do."

Emma grabbed my wrist quickly. "Then what about you? You're not eating?"

"I ate." But the moment I lied, my stomach started to growl.

"She didn't eat last night either," Zayne said suddenly, his dark eyes fixed on me.

"They abuse you?" Emma frowned.

They were about to say more when Grandma shrieked from outside, "Hazel Sand! Where did you run off to?! Get over here and get to work!"

I rushed out as I said, "Eat it all. If you waste it, I'll get scolded again."

In the courtyard, Grandma had already grabbed two chickens with her bare hands.

On normal days, she would count every egg and hide them, afraid I would steal even one. Now that Mia was back, she casually decided to kill two chickens for her.

"Chicken soup is nutritious and especially good for a growing girl. We can eat one, and you can take the other one back to the city," she said as she smiled warmly at my parents, almost as though she had forgotten I was a growing girl, too.

"Go, slaughter the chicken." She shoved the knife into my hand. The cold metal against my skin made me flinch on instinct.

"What are you standing there for? Getting lazy again?!" Grandma kicked me in the back. I stumbled, and the blade of the knife sliced my hand and tore across the chicken's throat. Blood sprayed up and covered my face.

Blood poured from my hand, too, but I had not even considered treating it yet when my grandma saw my bleeding hand and screamed, "Go away! You can't even do something like this right. Your blood is so filthy... You did that on purpose, didn't you?! Forget about lunch today!"

I was shoved back into the shed in a daze, shivering all the way.

Emma had already heard everything that happened outside, and she had been watching through the crack in the door. She scrambled over to bandage me, and when she held my wrist, she froze.

My arm was so thin it was almost all bone. My hands were dark and rough, covered in hard skin and cracks from frostbite.

Outside, I heard my parents and Mia's voices.

"The snow on the mountain is so pretty! I want to take pictures!"

"Okay, but you have to dress warmly, or you'll catch a cold."

"Where is Big Sis? She's always up the mountain. Let her guide us."

"What's the point? That kid isn't close to us. Bringing her along just makes things awkward."

Emma's face sank.

"Are they really your parents?"

"Probably," I muttered as I walked out again mechanically.

After I finished the day's work, I snuck a little food out for the two people in the shed.

That night, Emma refused to sleep on the bed with Zayne. She lay on the floor with me instead.

She touched my forehead, and her face went pale. I was burning up. She quickly took off her jacket and wrapped me in it.

Warmth and a clean scent I had never known enveloped me whole.

I froze for a second, but the tears came first.

I wanted to call out 'Mom', but I forced it back down.

Maybe it was the fever, but even my heart felt warm that night.

When I woke up the next day, the sky was already bright.

Grandma was cursing in the courtyard, and I jolted upright in reflex. "I overslept! No, I..."

Emma and Zayne heard it too and reached for me, but I was already stumbling outside. I fell hard at Grandma's feet. "You filthy little thing! You're getting lazier by the day! Oh, were you busy taking care of that trouble in the shed? You would rather take care of that outsider instead of your own family?!"

She grabbed my hair as she laughed with anger and dragged me away. With her other hand, she snatched up the iron shovel nearby and slammed it into my back. I curled into a ball from the pain, gasping even as I shook.

"It's so boring, Grandma. I want to build a snowman," Mia said, speaking as though she didn't see Grandma beating me. Her eyes shifted, and she then pointed at me. "Let Big Sis be the snowman!"

She scooped up a ball of snow and smeared it across my face, then called sweetly toward my parents. "Mom, Dad, come play too!"

My parents walked over, ignoring me on the ground where I was dying, and gently helped Mia put on her gloves. "Be careful. Don't catch a cold."

Mia giggled and shoveled snow onto me. Ice slid down my collar as I shook uncontrollably, my face turning gray from the cold, but all I could hear was the scolding from my parents. "It's simply a little snow. Can't you just play along with your sister for once?"

Then a voice cut in. "You don't want to raise the girl, right? I will. How much? Name a price."