When the Cold Became a Part of Me

“…So cold.”

Hale gasped for breath in the thin, icy air and tightened his grip on the trekking poles, forcing himself to look up the slope.

Nothing. Only snow.

He turned around.

Nothing. Only snow.

Driven by the wind, white flakes lashed relentlessly against him, soon covering his entire body.

The southeastern slope of the mountain was exposed, unprotected, and each step on the slippery ground cost him strength.

Hale sighed, pulled his beanie lower and adjusted his goggles.

“Damn it. I should’ve listened to that old man and stayed at the Sunabashiri-kan hut.”

He tugged his left glove forward and checked the barometer on his watch.

“2,888 meters… the next hut’s at 3,000…”

He scratched his stubbly chin thoughtfully and looked up again.

Nothing. Only snow.

I think I should be able to make those hundred meters… can’t see a thing, but it’s not like I’ll just walk past the hut, right?

He resumed his climb, eyes fixed forward, though there was hardly anything to see.

After some time, he stopped again, completely out of breath, his strength fading.

He tugged his left glove forward once more.

“3,006 meters…”

Panicking, he turned around.

Left, right, downward.

Did I pass it already? It should be somewhere here.

But there was nothing to see.

Only snow.

"Damn it!"

He grimaced and mocked in a squeaky voice:

“Take the Gotemba route! There aren’t that many people! It’s longer but prettier!”

With a soft thump, he let himself fall into the snow, as if the mocking had drained the last of his strength. 

He gazed up at the sky where snow kept falling endlessly.

I should’ve gone to that onsen hotel in Fujikawaguchiko… I’d be lying in a nice hot spring right now, warming up with some sake later.

“Mhh… sake…”

His mouth curved into a smile, and suddenly the cold didn’t seem quite so bad anymore.

“Strange. Somehow… I’m feeling warm inside… I could almost… fall asleep…”

For a moment, he just lay there as the snow slowly covered him.

The wind subsided, and his breathing grew shallower.

The silence around him felt peaceful, soothing, and his worries dissolved into a growing drowsiness.

I’ll just rest… for a moment… then… I’ll keep going.

He closed his eyes.

Minutes passed. Perhaps hours.

He had no sense of time anymore.

***

“Meeooow.”

A... cat? 

Hale pushed the snow-covered goggles from his face and blinked open his eyes.

Only now did he notice the blue sky above him.

The sun stood bright in the firmament, its rays warm on his face.

Slowly, he sat up, brushed off the snow, and looked around in surprise.

Drift snow and ice sheets covered the wide plateau, but the storm was gone.

And towering above him was his goal.

The summit of Mount Fuji.

A crooked smile spread across his face.

“Well, would you look at that!”

Hale scratched his head, glanced around in confusion, then grabbed his poles and moved on.

Weird. I could swear I heard a cat…

He made good progress, and the thin mountain air suddenly didn’t bother him anymore, his breathing kept steady with every step.

“Nice. At this pace, I’ll reach the summit soon, then I can…”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Someone was coming down the slope toward him.

Another hiker?

But as the figure drew closer, Hale noticed the person wasn’t wearing any hiking gear at all.

Quite the opposite, it was a girl, about five feet tall, with long black hair and short shorts.

Her striped blouse, sleeves too long and a button slipped into the wrong hole, gave her a slightly careless look.

A pair of dark sunglasses, far too big for her delicate face, rested on her nose.

Hale stopped, staring open-mouthed as she bounded down the mountain.

She hadn’t noticed him yet, so he waved.

“Uh… konnichiwa! Eigo wo hanasemasuka? Do you speak English?”

Even though she must’ve heard him, she gave no sign of acknowledgment and continued her descent.

That’s… odd.

He tried again.

“Hey! Uh, I mean… Oii!”

She glanced at him briefly, then continued on until she stopped right in front of him.

Only now did Hale notice, she was barefoot.

His eyes widened as he stared at her delicate feet, untouched by the rough terrain.

“Are you… okay? Uh… daijōbu desu?”

She took a small step closer and looked at him with curious eyes.

“The mountain is quiet today. Almost as if it’s holding its breath. Don’t you think?”

Hale wasn’t sure what surprised him more, her strange demeanor, or the fact that she spoke his language.

“Uh, I guess so...” he replied, dumbstruck, as he studied her face.

Most of it was hidden behind the oversized sunglasses. Still, her features didn’t look foreign.

“Are you Japanese? What are you doing up here? And why are you barefoot?”

She giggled, clearly amused.

“You sure ask a lot of questions!”

Folding her arms behind her back, she began to circle him, stopping in front of him with a playful smile.

She lifted a hand, pointing at his hiking gear.

“Why are you carrying so much?” 

Hale blinked, confused.

“I… what do you mean? I’m hiking, this gear’s essential up here. Maybe tell me where your gear is instead!”

A smile flickered across her lips as she tilted her head slightly.

“My gear? Oh, I keep it… elsewhere.”

Her voice dropped to an almost whisper, her fingers tracing a knot of her blouse.

“Actually... I don’t have any. The mountain gives me everything I need.”

Hale let out a dry laugh, short and awkward, then fell silent.

“Heh… the mountain… good one…”

Then suddenly his face lit up, as if struck by an idea.

“Ah, now I get it! You’re one of the staff from the mountain hut near the summit, right?”

He laughed, his confidence returning, while she watched him silently.

“Trying to mess with me, huh? Well, you got me! But seriously, you should put on some shoes. Walking barefoot up here… that’s insane.”

Her giggle turned brighter.

“You’re worried. That’s kind of you. But don’t be, for now, your path and mine are the same.”

Hale frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean… ‘my path’?”

She lifted her hand and pointed toward a narrow trail curving away from the summit.

“Over there,” she said softly. “A rock spire stands where the sun will touch it soon. When it sets, the light casts a beautiful light on it. Don’t you want to see it?”

“I… well, I am actually very exhausted and just want to reach the...”

“You’re tired?", she interrupted him. "You can just sleep at my place!”

Her place? Does she mean the hut?

Her voice sank to a whisper as if revealing a secret. “Sometimes I sleep just up here. The rock’s softer than you’d think… if you know where to lie.”

Hale laughed nervously. “…Are you serious?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she turned and pointed again toward the narrow path.

“Come on,” she said, a faint smile on her lips. “I’ll show you the spire.”

He hesitated at first, but she was already going.

“Hey, wait a minute!” Hale stumbled after her. “…What about your feet?”

She didn't respond.

They climbed in silence, snow crunching softly under their feet, while the slope grew steeper with every step.

At last, they stopped before a slender rock spire jutting against the orange-tinted sky.

Slowly she turned toward Hale, smiling.

“Do you like it? Isn’t it beautiful?”

The light washed over the rock like fire, painting the silhouette in gold and for a moment Hale forgot the cold.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “It is.”

She smiled, but then her tone shifted, distant, almost thoughtful.

"Sometimes people disappear up here. Strange, isn’t it?”

Hale swallowed, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with such an awkward remark.

“People… disappear?” He scratched his neck nervously. “Anyway, I should probably head back, before I lose the light and…”

Her smile froze.

“Back?” she said, disappointed. “But you just got here.”

Behind her, the setting sun stretched long shadows across the rocks.

A gust of wind tangled her hair, and she brushed it aside without really noticing.

For a moment, her eyes drifted to the empty slope below, the path he’d taken.

When she finally looked up, there was something sad in her expression.

Then, almost absently, she raised her hand and brushed Hale’s cheek with the backs of her fingers, cold as ice.

“Won’t you stay a little longer? Please?”

Her touch left a creeping chill under his skin and the warmth seemed to drain from the air around them.

Hale took half a step back, instinctively, though he wasn’t sure why.

“…So cold,” he whispered.

She drew her hand back at once, her voice barely more than a breath.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Guilt flickered across her face, and in her dark lenses Hale saw his own, uncertain reflection.

Who is she?

His hand rose before he realized it, guided by a quiet pull of curiosity, reaching for her sunglasses.

She flinched, then went still, allowing him to lower them.

Behind them were no eyes.

Only a pair of shimmering, star-like pupils blazed in a violet light like distant stars.

“Sjáða min lúne...” she whispered.

A shiver ran through Hale, torn between fear and wonder, as she stepped closer.

Her fingers brushed his cheek once more, not demanding, just curious.

But this time, the cold around her hand shimmered, fading into warmth.

“And now?” she whispered. “Still cold?”

Hale slowly shook his head, his gaze lost in her star-filled eyes.

“Please, don’t be afraid,” she murmured. “I’ll keep you warm.”