As night began to concede her territory, another morning began just like any other. The sun slowly rose above the horizon, it’s light shining bleakly through the dusty windows of my home. I turned the other way, hoping that I’d be able to get some more sleep in, forced to stay awake last night to finish my chores. Unfortunately, she kept to a strict daily regiment. My blanket was whisked off of me, landing gently on the crooked hardwood floor that my cot was set upon.

“Get up, we have no time to lose today,” she said demandingly.

Groaning, I sat up from the damp mattress, knowing fully the consequences of what would happen if I didn’t. With the only coverage now the clothes on my back, the winter air briskly nipped at any open skin it could find, making me shiver in turn. I stood up from my sleeping area, yawning and stretching as I started to prepare myself for another day of hard work.

 There was very little space in my house, so to get around, I had to scoot past the tiny dining setup I put in the middle of the room so I wouldn’t get scraps on my cot. I opened my dresser, lazily changing out of my pajamas, and into the winter clothes I barely managed to afford before the season. I then walked over to the radiator, turning it on so I’d be able to have some heat tonight, if it even produced any. Opening the door, the snow that had accumulated last night quickly dumped itself onto the floor- I was lucky to have had my boots on beforehand. As my eye got accustomed to the brightness of sunlight hitting pure white, I was horrified to see how much had built up, assuming the worst for my garden right off the bat.

I tackled through it despite my weak strength, hoping desperately that the cold didn’t butcher my most important livelihood; otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to pay the electricity bill. Once I made it to the side of my house, breathing heavily, I started burrowing my gloved hand into the packed-up snow, not stopping until I was able to see even the smallest hint of green. Even with this newfound adrenaline, it was still a difficult task to do, my hand getting colder each minute that passed doing this.

Then there it was, as I tossed one more snowball behind me, a plant only a few inches tall sprung up, still going strong despite the circumstances. I sighed in relief, knowing that if this little one was able to make it through, so would the others.

“The mint has survived, yes, but what about the actual food?” she scoffed at me, always depreciative of my achievements.

 It was hard enough having to do this with one arm, but having to live with someone that constantly looked at the negatives only made it worse. With the last of my energy-fueled strength, I had fully pushed the snow out from my garden space, accidentally building a thick wall of it in the process. I grinned as I looked down at the wet dirt, proud of the crops for surviving their first blizzard- though you expected this not to be the case next time. I took off the damp glove, shaking my hand quickly in an attempt of heating it back up. 

She spoke to me again, this time in a friendlier tone, “You have done well, pitiful girl, but we still have more work to do.”

I apprehensively pushed through the barrier that now surrounded my garden, getting up to look at the blinding environment around me. The clanging of metal was heard from the other side of the yard, the barking and growling of wild wolves accompanying it. I used to always question the tall iron fence that surrounded my humble abode. It was very gaudy as opposed to the gloomy atmosphere of the cemetery, but I quickly understood what it meant when winter rolled around. Of course, I wasn’t the only one affected by the extreme weather this season presented me. If prey weren’t present out in the forest, they would always come here, constantly attempting to break through the bars with their teeth. As the only living person on the premises, my life was persistently sought out for by their hunger, waiting for the day I leave the gate open and seal my fate.

“We should deal with them now,” she said, still feigning a friendly tone. “If we dispatch them here, then more won’t come.”

Animals were always something I feared after the incident, but what she did was even worse than what happened that night. It was always the same excuse, that she had to protect me with any means necessary, but I always felt that she was lying when she said that. I shook my head, turning away; focusing on the rows of graves that took up most of the space in my yard. It was nearing mid-sun now, I couldn’t indulge any longer in her interests, hoping that she would just drop the topic if I started my next chore. 

“Frail girl, know well that I have no intent on harming you, but I feel as though you took my statement as a suggestion. Turn around, now.”

The snow around me started to melt at an unnatural rate as the sun aligned over me, my shadow’s diameter growing as it was made a full circle. An anguished howl echoed in my ears, silence following it as I felt something hit the back of my coat. I turned around, my eyes full of horror as I quickly realize what she’d done. Black flame rose from the edges of the shadow, writhing like tendrils as they separated me from vicious assailants. Where once was a wolf was now a pool of blood, not even the bones left behind. Once she was like this, there was no stopping her wrath.