It was cold.

It was cold, and everything was white.

It was cold as ice, and everything was snowy white.

She was shivering in the cold. Everything she could see outside that ratty old train station was blanketed with snow. The large blue knitted sweater she had on wasn't enough to keep out the cold from seeping into her bones, as the place was open. She was glad there was no wind whipping through the bare station, or else she would be dead from the cold.

Her eyes wandered around it, taking in every part of the station. Her gaze landed on the large clock at the other end of the station; the moment it did, she started counting to sixty.

When she finished, the minute hand didn't move.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, which despite the cold, still was pink. She should have known better, she thought. Time didn't pass by there.

Like the snow, and the wind, and pretty much everything in that place, time was frozen.

She was the only one with the concept of time.

Thinking that she had been sitting there too long, she decided to explore a little more. It may not be her first time there, but still she found something new every single time. Some of those were small things, like the group of little hearts etched on the wooden bench just below the clock. Then there were the big things, like finding her platonic soulmate.

This time, however, she had a new idea. She had only done it once, in real life, when she was trying to escape. She had never done it here.

Carefully, she made her way down the station to the railway. She looked around, and strained her eardrums to hear anything.

Everything was white. Everything was silent.

Slowly, she trod to the middle of the railway. It was as cold as it was inside the station's borders, so it wasn't really that much of a bother for her. Feeling nothing happening, she knelt down, brushed a foot-long space on the railway, placed her bare hands on the snow covered railway to support herself, and then placed an ear on the cleared space.

Nothing. No sound. No vibration.

She was all alone. Nobody was coming.

...

In hindsight, she shouldn't have slept on the couch in the library. The shoulder ache she’s experiencing is entirely her fault. And it also gets too cold in the library at night, so it is no wonder she is sniffling in the morning. She easily gets cold.

She robotically makes her way to the coffeemaker, preparing coffee for two people. Then she takes out items from the cupboard to make breakfast. It is too quiet in that big home, and it makes her anxious, so she shouts for her father's opinion on breakfast.

"Hey dad, do you want the eggs scrambled or sunny side?"

Silence answers her. Then a bark. She watches as Aurum, her golden retriever, enters the kitchen, looking up at her with puppy eyes. She giggles at the sight, and goes ahead to pat his head.

"Later, Aurum, dad and I haven't eaten yet."

She goes back to the eggs. Aurum, however has other plans. He pushes his body against her legs, almost making her lose her balance. He lets out a whine, as if he is crying.

That makes her aware of the tears making their way down her cheeks. She wipes them away, but it is all for naught. Aurum whines again, and this time she really cannot control herself. Sobbing, she falls to her knees. She hugs the dog tight.

"I know, I know. Dad's not here anymore. I know."