The toy shook in her hand, rattling in the warm glow of the fire's embrace.
Her teeth chattered so much she felt dizzy, her eyes blurring with tears that almost froze over. She couldn't help but relish the much appreciated warmth the fireplace provided.
"2 minutes." She muttered softly, almost incoherent in the crackling sparks from the flames. She inched closer to the warm feeling of comfort the rarely seen fire gave her, greedily hoping for more.
She clutched a soaking wet blanket on her right hand, trembling in the freezing cold.
She tensed for a moment, her eyes vacant and unsettling, like she could see something no one knew.
"One." She uttered out in a soft breath.
Slowly placing her toy down behind her, she raised her right hand with the wet blanket and patted her left shoulder in reassurance before placing her arms on the cold stone floor in front of her, all in an effort to stand.
She grunted in effort, struggling to keep her trembling knees steady.
Her pretty pink skirt was torn here and there, soaked from top to bottom. She collapsed on the ground with a heap, the skirt making a soft squelching noise along with the sound of fabric tearing. Her dress was ruined beyond repair.
Curling up into a ball, tears flowed down her soft cheeks as she raised her arms in an attempt to wipe away the drops of water falling onto her soaked blanket. She sniffled and rubbed her nose, stilling to a stop as her eyes became unfocused for a second.
A moment of stillness gripped the room, only for a loud wail to pierce the silence. She flinched and scrambled up to her feet, only to fall hard against the ground.
Her elbow turned a bright red from the fall and it took her all her strength to stifle her yelp of pain.
Supporting her body with her right arm, she winced in pain.
Suddenly, a loud crash could be heard, muffled by the doors that led out of the room she was confined in.
Like a startled bunny, she rushed to the side of the fireplace on all fours, huddling in an effort to stay quiet. The cosy feeling of heat spread throughout her body and she subconsciously inched closer to the ever comforting fire.
The reprieve from the cold gave a soft comfort.
Contentedly, she sighed.