Gerda hugged Kai as tightly as she could. “Oh, Kai! I’ve been looking so long for you. I’m so relieved you’re ok.”
It cut Gerda deeply when Kai shrugged her off and stepped back several paces. She looked closely at him to see if the Snow Queen’s spell had completely worn off. He hadn’t even said he was glad to see her yet. He’d always been a tiny bit indifferent to her affections before he was taken, but she knew he loved her.
He rubbed his forehead with both hands.“Everything is still foggy, but it’s starting to come back… My sledge. Where’s my sledge?” Kai spun around but the great hall was empty.
“I don’t know. I’m sure your father can make you another one.”
Kai smiled at Gerda. “I’ll make sure he does. Let’s go home. I want him to start right away.”
Tears of joy flowed down Gerda’s face when he took her hand. She’d missed Kai so much.
Kai smiled, “Ready?”
On the verge of taking their first step, a sharp pain pierced Gerda’s heart. She clutched her chest as every nerve ending in her body sang with its intensity. Every hair on her body stood on end. She clapped an hand to her eye when she felt the same sharp pain there. She fell to the ground, unable to make a sound.
“Gerda!” Kai dropped to his knees beside her. “What is it?”
The pain was shooting through Gerda with such ferocity that all she could do was make gasping sounds as she tried to draw air to speak. She pleaded with her eyes for Kai to make the pain stop. When she clawed at her chest, Kai sat back, watching the movement. Realization dawned in his eyes.
“No, Gerda! I won’t let you freeze too!” Kai patted Gerda’s clothes and peered into her eyes. His tears dropped onto Gerda. “I had a pain in my chest too, then my eye. Then I forgot everything I loved. My mother’s porridge. And Grandmother’s pie. My cat.”
Gerda’s heart broke as Kai’s tears fell while he went on listing things he loved but had forgotten, not once mentioning her.
“Kai,” she managed to breathe out. But he was so engrossed recalling his favourite things that he didn’t hear her. “Kai!” she managed a bit louder.
Then as suddenly as it started, the pain stopped. And Gerda didn’t care anymore.
She sat up and pushed Kai away. “Why are you crying like a baby?” Gerda pointed at him as she danced away singing, “Baby, baby, baby! Kai is a baby!”
Submitted by: Amanda Hare