Frozen Heart
Camilla put her hand on Hunter’s cheek, it was so cold! She removed it as quickly as she could with a gasp. How was she going to get Hunter home? She didn’t have time to think! But….Hunter was too cold to carry to the car, or even touch at all!
Camilla thought she could see something faintly glowing through his yellow jacket. That wasn’t good.
“Luz go grab me a heavier jacket and some gloves so I can carry him to the car.” She realized Luz was next to her. What? Wasn’t she stuck on the ice? Luz skated off to the car. “How did you get off that part of the ice?” Camilla attempted to ask. “It’s okay I saved her like a good girlfriend.” Amity said proudly.
Hunter stopped shivering, a wave of warmth engulfed him. The pain in his chest growing. It was like a cramp. He curled into himself hoping to make it stop, his eyes shut. “StOp.” He whispered to himself.
Camilla widened her eyes, “it’s okay, Mijo. We’re going to go home.” Hunter’s vision was blurry, “mom?” He said weakly, “Can I take off m’jacket? It’s hot.” Camilla was happy to be called mom by this child but this wasn’t the time to do this, Hunter had stopped shivering, and was clutching his chest.
“Got them!” Luz skidded to stop, ice spraying everywhere and passed the items to her mother. Camilla wrapped the jacket around Hunter and put the gloves on her own hands. She scooped him up in her arms, Hunter has started to sweat and his breathing was slow.
Camilla skated across the lake to the car, everyone behind her. When they reached the car Camilla put Hunter in the backseat, Luz, Willow and Vee sat next to him, Camilla went around to the back of the car and grabbed a heavy blanket. “Luz, Willow, remove his coat and wrap him in this,” she passed the blanket into the next row of seats. Luz and Willow carefully removed his jacket, and wrapped him in the thick blanket.
“Mami, he’s barely breathing….” Luz watched as Willow hugged him close, not caring if she might possibly be getting frostbite from touching him. Hunter leaned into Willow, “yeah….it’s really slow…” The only thing Hunter understand right now was he was wrapped in blankets, leaning on someone, really confused, and his chest really hurt.
Camilla ran to the car, “sounds like stage 2. Let’s get him home, quickly.”
The car’s engine roared to life and Camilla slammed the gas peddle.
Camilla was scared of getting caught by the police for speeding as she sped home, but Hunter needed help, fast. When she arrived to the house she got out of the car, Vee moved so Camilla could pick Hunter up. Luz had been kind enough to take off his skates.
A small, quiet whisper came from the boy as Camilla stepped into the house, Gus and Amity holding the door open. “Belos?” Hunter whispered.
Camilla carried Hunter up to the bathroom and helped remove all the wet clothes. Hunter put on some pajamas with a little of Camilla’s help. Was it normal for his chest to glow? Something Hunter also did was try and walk out of the bathroom but he collapsed clutching his chest.
“Hunter!” Camilla dashed to his side, the glowing light was visible now from under his dark yellow pajama shirt. Hunter gasped for air, his chest was glowing a bright blue.
Camilla noticed a small bump on Hunter’s chest, Hunter touched it and winced. “Hunter what’s that?” She asked. “Don’know,” he slurred, “hurts.” It hurt? Camilla carefully walked over to it, “can I touch it? Just to see what we are dealing with….” Hunter’s gaze met Camilla’s and he nodded. “Okay,” Camilla reached out a finger to poke it carefully, “on a scale of 1 to 10, how much does this hurt?”
Hunter watched as Camilla poked it, as soon as it the finger made contact with the bump he screeched in pain and yelled, “fourteen!” Camilla retracted her finger quickly as the bump grew and Hunter screeched again.
A small blue spear protruded from his chest, Hunter’s skin tore and he screamed in pain, starting to shiver again.
The blue spear was about as long as a small screw, it had ripped a hole in his shirt.
Should Camilla take him to the hospital?
Would they know about witches?
Camilla decided to ask Amity or Willow, so she scooped Hunter back up and raced down the stairs towards Amity.
“Amity! Is this normal for witches to do this when cold?” The first thing Amity saw was Hunter in Camilla’s arms and the small blue thing that was sticking out of his chest. By this point Hunter’s breathing was shallow, it would stop and Hunter would gasp for air.
“No, witches don’t do that, I don’t know. I’m sorry, maybe ask Willow…..” Amity’s gaze went from Hunter to Willow, Willow shook her head. Camilla didn’t expect Gus to speak up. “Oh! When Galderstones get really cold they freeze over!” Gus’s smile faded.
“The only creature who have those as hearts are Grimwalkers…..”He added.
“Is Hunter, a Grimwalker? Aren’t those creatures of legends?” Amity asked. “Yes, but that doesn’t matter, Hunter’s heart could be freezing over right now.” Gus responded.
Luz’s eyes went wide, “now that you have figured out Grimwalkers still exist and that I knew all along, we should probably help Hunter!” Luz pointed to Hunter.
The spear in his chest had grown a tiny bit, he gasped for air again. “Gus, what do these Galderstones do when they freeze over and how do you fix it?” Camilla asked, she could feel Hunter’s breathing slow and his shivering take over once again.
“Well, Galderstones lose their magic when they freeze, I don’t know how to reverse it. We could try to put him in a sauna? Those environments work well for Oracle stones when they freeze over, it could work for a Galderstone.” Gus shrugged and walked over to Hunter.
“I don’t have a sauna. What happens if his heart freezes over and loses its magic?” Camilla asked, a hint of fear in her voice. “Run him a really hot bathe, and submerge him up to his neck, it should melt this ice. Watch him so he doesn’t go under the water though.” Gus poked the ice spear, and Hunter winced.
“Sorry buddy.” Gus responded. “Hunter are you comfortable if Willow comes up to the bathroom with you?” Camilla looked down at Hunter. Hunter’s eyes were cloudy and he was still cold, but nodded slowly. Willow saw Hunter nod and climbed the stairs with him and Camilla.
When they reached the bathroom, Camilla placed Hunter down on the lidded toilet, “alright be careful of the ice,” Camilla instructed as they prepared Hunter for the bathtub.
It was strange when Hunter’s body, on contact with the water, convulsed, most violent in his arms. Hunter’s cloudy eyes widened and he gasped for air. “What’s happening?” Willow asked.
As quick as the convulsions started, they stopped and Hunter’s body went limp.
“Take him out!” Willow shouted, as Hunter slid under the water Hunter was currently still fully conscious and could hear everything, he wasn’t confused but he couldn’t speak nor move, the only thing he could do was breathe and look around. The water had melted the confusion away…..and his ability to move.
Camilla pulled his head back out the water and met his gaze, his eyes were terrified as the ice grew.
Willow watched as the ice reached the edge of the water but as soon as it hit the surface, it melted.
“It’s melting,” Willow watched Hunter’s eyes watch the ice.
Hunter blinked slowly and shivered slightly. Willow stuck a finger in the water, “the water is getting cold.” Camilla watched as Hunter struggled to sit up, failing each time. Willow held him up slightly, he shivered and his laboured breathing slowed.
He tried to say something but fell forward into Willow’s hands.
“Needed a hug?” Willow asked running her fingers through his wet hair. “Wrmm” He mumble/slurred into her shoulder. Hunter had only tried to sit up because he didn’t want to splash Camilla and Willow when his body convulsed again, his body trying to get the blood back into his limbs.
The ice spear may have melted but the hot water only slowed the process of the “frozen heart” as Willow called it.
Willow retracted her hands in fear and Hunter fell backwards, his eyes rolling back in his head……Camilla held out her hands to catch him and pulled him out of the bathe.
She quickly wrapping a towel around him and carried Hunter to her room; Camilla quickly redressed him and placed him carefully in her bed.
Willow sat on the edge of the bed and continued running her fingers through his hair. Hunter grunted and his head lolled to the side leaning into Willow’s hand.
“You’re going to be okay.” She cooed.