A Wall In The Way VII

After half an hour, you both feel comfortable enough with the machinery to start traveling with it, so you set off. The machines are not very noisy, but the occasional clang and ping is quite jarring in the quiet intensity of the growing cold and snow as you travel further north. For each minute that passes, you grow more and more unsettled. Distinctly to the east and west you can still see green. The area slowly grows more forested in all directions but only in the small swathe of land you travel is there snow as it slopes gently upwards. Slowly over the next hour the snow-covered land expands on both sides, greenery becoming overtaken by white, making you believe you started near the point of this mysterious phenomenon.

Thomas seems determined to trek onward, and his determination is met suddenly by a fierce blowing wind. Snow begins falling from the sky at a rapid pace, though no clouds appear overhead. The effect of wind, snow, and bright sun are disorienting, the light glinting off the snow crystals creating beautiful fleeting patterns of reflected light all around you.

You both lean forward, almost willing your machines to traverse the snow faster as the winds intensify until suddenly, you reach a barrier of snow, ice, and wind. “It’s too dangerous!” you shout to Thomas. The roaring maelstrom in front of you fills you with terror and a hint of sorrow. “We must go back!”

Thomas looks to you, a mad gleam in his eye, “No!”

You try to call out again, but Thomas lurches forward. His machine begins to enter the maelstrom and as he enters you hear an unearthly roar from all around you as Thomas and the snow contraption are both lifted into the air. Ice covers the machine and Thomas is thrown viciously backwards. He crumples to the ground unnaturally and the storm subsides as you run towards Thomas.