Winter tore through the landscape in front of Tessa as if gods hand violently shook the little snow globe in which her world existed. Trees bent and broke, and snow coated the gardens that had fed her all year long. She couldn’t see far past the blinding blizzard, but she was sure not much would survive this storm.

For centuries, the village folk had whispered about a storm that would be the end of them all, prompting even the slightest snowflake to cause mass pandemonium in the town square. Tessa had visited yesterday and ignored all their panicked words, just as she had for 15 years. She pushed and shoved her way through the crowds and managed to get a crate of cows milk which now sat frozen at her doorstep. Snow usually meant the temperature was a little nippy, but it never bit— not enough to flash freeze milk. Today, though, she’d be surprised if it wasn’t below zero.

Wrapping herself in a wool blanket she saved for months to buy, Tessa wandered back inside her make shift cottage. It was a cozy home most days out of the year, with a small hearth in the center that kept her warm enough, but even the blazing fire couldn’t keep the chill from her bones today. Taking a seat in front of it, Tessa rubbed her hands together and stared into the fire. She usually didn’t have much use for those with elemental powers, they always seemed to think they were better than regular people like herself, but her mind couldn’t help but drift to the one fire elemental she had grown to care for. Theron had been shunned from the elemental community and though she had never asked why, she never really needed to. Theron couldn’t hear and as a result, he never talked. Those with disabilities weren’t welcome among the mighty and powerful.

Despite the limited communication between the two, they had fallen into a comfortable rhythm with each other. They often woke around the same time in the mornings and while Tessa canned vegetables and prepared meals, Theron worked in the gardens. The memory of Theron’s dark calloused hands lighting the hearth flickered in her mind as she stared at the slowly dying fire. He had left out a few days ago. To where, she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t unusual for him to do this, he often went on lonesome adventures, but she couldn’t help but wish he had stayed this time. Not only for the companionship, but for his heat.

Unbraiding her hair in hopes to keep her neck warmer, Tessa settled down on a make shift pallet on the floor, and began willing sleep to come. As she let the last embers of the hearth flicker out, Tessa couldn’t help but wonder if the “end” the people of the town always warned about was a snowstorm its self, or the cold loneliness that comes for us all.