“Please…” He outstretched his hand once more before moving towards the cave. I followed him and caught him looking back at me as if to check that I was still there.

We entered the cave and slowly walked down its long mouth. I couldn’t help the sense of awe as the drab gray rocks of the cave began to turn a pale translucent blue that shimmered and shined. Eventually the rocks began to pulse creating the illusion of a wave on a sea.

I couldn’t help the small childish exclaim. He looked back at me with the same half dimpled smile and glittering eyes that for the life of me escaped me. But it didn't make any sense because I knew that I hadn’t met him before.

To my delight we followed the blue pulsing until eventually we exited the tunnel into a cavern. It was a wide cave, with a light blue settee that seemed to be carved from the rock in the middle of it. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the white bird fly ahead and settle on a jutted out rock. I turned and looked where it settled down into a nest before hunkering down and shutting it’s eyes.

It was a bit warmer inside this cave so I pulled down my face mask. He beckoned me to follow him so I did, passing by the settee. I felt as if I walked into a wall of warmth because once we were behind the chair it was quite a bit warmer. Not in the middle of summer hot but like a nice spring breeze.

I would take it.

Spring cold is way better than winter cold.

I smiled and pulled off my gloves, shoving them into my pocket. He beamed again at my actions. He must have been delighted. I was looking around the cavern, in the process of untying my scarf when I freaked out.

I realized the caverns had a few holes that I assumed led to smaller caves. But that wasn’t why I freaked. I saw a brown fuzzy snot and realized very quickly that it was a bear. Not just one, but it looked like a family of bears.

Duh to the no, honey!!

I would have been out of the door quicker than Road runner down the road but it seemed he proved to be faster. It was comical I’m sure, the way I bounced backwards, into his chest for he had reached out and snatched my wrist before I could get very far.

“Don’t be alarmed. My friends won’t hurt you.”

“I know they won’t because I won’t be here”, I exclaimed before hissing over my shoulder at him, “You failed to mention that your friends were bears!”

“Who else would I be able to make friends with?”

I stilled at his words and he dropped my wrist. I turned to look over my shoulder at him.

He clenched his fist, “The only creatures I ever communicated with from the time I was here were the forest creatures. But as I’m bound to winter, that depends on who is here during the season.”

He sunk down onto the settee lost in his thoughts, “The White Bird is the only one that has been with me since day one and never left. For that I am grateful….”

Silence drifted for a few moments:

“I’m sorry….” I murmured not quite sure what I was apologizing for.

He seemed to snap back to himself and looked up at me. He shook his head once with a small sad smile, “You have nothing to be sorry about. Don’t worry. I won’t keep you here if it upsets you that much. It’s a cruel fate to be tied here.”

I’m not sure why my feet moved and I found myself gingerly sitting next to him. He looked at me and I felt his surprise. I didn’t look at him, “It….if I can ask….how long have you been here?”

He stretched out his hand and I followed his pointed finger to see some markings in the wall of the cave. They looked like a tally. “This will be my 17th winter.” He dropped his arm, “And this winter will be my last.”

My head snapped to him, eyes wide, “What do you mean?”

His shoulders rippled once, “The only thing I remember is drowning in that pond. That’s why the sight of such joy there fills me with a sense of rage. And that resort for some reason is unbearable for me to look at. Every winter I wake up, it mocks me. But I don’t remember why. But it’s that grievance that ties me here to this place. Now once this winter pass I will be frozen here forever.”

I was quiet, as was he, for a long moment. Then finally he shook himself and looked at me with a smile, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“You’re the first one to ever see me since that day I woke up here. I don’t know why that is but I’m grateful for the moment. I have tried before to communicate to someone before but no one could see or hear me. No matter how loudly I screamed or how much I tried to get their attention, no one could see or hear me. Eventually I got used to it and stopped trying.”

Looking into his translucent eyes, I shivered. Whether it was the cold or something else, I couldn’t determine at the moment.

“Ahh, you’re cold.” he stated unnecessarily. He stood quickly and pulled off his robe before throwing it over my shoulders, coat and all. He fixed at it so earnestly, I was trying not to laugh.

His thin robe did nothing to make me any warmer but I did not tell him that. Instead after a moment, I stood, pulling it back and handing it to him. Before he could protest, I turned and walked slowly back to the wall of warmth, my eyes narrowed at the family of bears.

“You...don’t have to if…..”

I waved him off, “It’s fine but I’m telling you if they try to attack me, my behind is gone! Understood!”

He gave a small smile before putting his robe back on. For some reason watching him made me think of what he said before. He was obviously not dressed for winter but he didn’t feel the cold around him.

Only the one in his heart.

“Don’t worry! None of the families will bother you.”

I was on the way to sitting down when I paused. I’m sure it looked comical as I looked up at him from my half seated position, “Families….as in more than one?”

He gave a slow nod as I looked up at him and remarked quietly, “It’s a bit of a long story but they like being in this cave in winter because it gives them added warmth. Next thing I know several families have used this cave.”

He pointed them out. Turns out there were four families up in this place and I was seriously reconsidering my life options but I ended up sitting anyway. I was almost settled when I saw a bear who was lazily eyeing us. Not seeing a threat it turned over and went back to sleep. However, the commotion must have awoken some younger bears as they made a sound as if greeting him.

He walked over with a huge smile and scooped two up in his arms. Their parents didn’t so much as open their eyes or twitch.

They seriously trusted him that much that they weren't ready to maul him for picking up their cubs?

If I wasn’t so scared, I’d be impressed.

Okay I was impressed but that wasn’t enough to override my fear.

They pawed all over him as if he was a long-lost uncle they hadn’t seen in a long time. He only laughed and smiled. And again I was hit with a feeling of déjà vu in seeing his dimpled smile.

“You two should be asleep”, he cooed, bouncing them up and down like babies as he walked back over to me. He sat down in front of me and I tensed looking at the cubs.

“They seem excited to see you.” I managed to remark as two sets of brown eyes stared at me appraisingly.

I must have passed the test because one began to wiggle again making him set the cub down. Then it began to crawl towards me.

“He wants you to pick him up”, he said.

I just looked at him. He did not seriously expect me to pick up a cub? I looked back over at his parents who were snoring away.

“Pick him up. I promise it’s fine.”, he encouraged.

I froze when the little cub managed to stand up on two legs, the other two pawing my own leg.

“He’s a very curious little cub”, he said fondly as if talking about his own kid.

This was odd.

This was odd.

This was….

Why the devil did I pick this little cub up? I picked up the cub like a baby around the middle, holding him out in front of me.

I was very aware if I dropped this cub I was sure it’s parents would maul me. With a swallow, I brought him closer and closer to me. I noticed that the cub that he was holding was already snuggled against him sleeping. It’s sibling that I held, opened its jaw and I swore it was grinning at me.

“Don’t frighten, your sister”, he admonished, making the cub shut its jaws.

I really wanted to tell him that I wasn’t his sister.

Eventually I held him like he held its sibling and in almost a flash, its eyes dropped and he fell asleep.

Seriously?

I just can’t digest what is going on right now.