Tarek's POV

I arrive, it's snowing. My hood isn't saving my face from the cold. My fingers could snap off from carrying so many bags. I need to get inside. Ice cracks under my heavy-duty boots. It makes my walk menacing. Not as menacing as the blue silhouette stood still in the distance. There is no defining shape to them, I have no idea who they are.

"Hello?" I shout. Enid is right. In a horror movie, I'm dead before the title card. "Hey man, I'm going to get inside. You should too. It's fucking freezing out here." When the figure raises its arm to wave stiffly, I don't question it. I can barely hear my own voice over the blaring wind.

"Alright man, see you around." I turn my back on the figure. My throat stings from the cold. If I want to stay well, I need to find warmth in the next ten minutes. I'm late enough that lights are dotted across the dormitories. Six sets of yellow windows draw me like a moth to flame. Kip either hasn't arrived or isn't in his dorm.

I hope he isn't in Enid's either. That's where I'm going. My legs only move so fast. My body isn't made for this weather. I'm supposed to be on the water somewhere burning hot and dry.

This is going to be an interesting experience. Some of the people here... they don't get along. In other areas, it's the best time they'll get on campus. Maybe it'll be like that for me. My fingers start to cramp as I stretch them before I reach Enid's door.

My knuckles wrap on her door. It opens wide. Maybe she'd be dead for reasons other than her proclaimed one.

"Thank god." I groan, dropping my bag next to the door. I kick it shut behind me. Enid squeals as I take her in my arms. My weight drags us both onto the bed. There's a struggle to get the blankets over us whilst she's fighting to get away from me.

"You're freezing Tarek. Get off me." She laughs. 

"Not a chance," I respond, breathing in relief to feel some warmth. The room is suffocatingly hot. She's got her portable heater on high. It doesn't bother me. I move closer to her. It's not going to take long to feel normal again.

"How long were you out there?" She presses her hand against my cheek.

"Ten minutes at most."

"Then how?"

"Heater in the car decided to die again," I explain.

"That's a shame, but I'm not your personal hot water bottle." Enid fights against my grip again. I let her go this time. She falls off the bed. 

"Better?" My voice is rasping from the shift in temperature.

"Much." She huffs. I lean over, staring down at her on the floor. My lip is trapped between my teeth. I smile.

"What?" Enid exclaims. 

"Nothing," I reply.

"Bullshit." She laughs. "I have a surprise for you."

"Am I going to like it?" I sigh. This could go two ways.

"Probably not." She bolts upright. If I didn't move, she would have smacked into me. I flop back on her pillow. My eyes close. There is clicking and typing from the end of the bed, where her desk is. She and I both lucked out with having rooms to ourselves. Well, I lucked out. I assured that she had her space.

"There we go." She states. I open my eyes.

"Holy fuck." I jump up, hitting my head on the wall. I groan in pain.

"You're an idiot." She laughs at me, but her hand is on the back of my head in seconds. "No blood."

"Why do you torture me?" I ask, referring to the close-up of a horror killer in a movie I assume we're watching.

"Because it's amusing," Enid answers. "It's my exchange for hot water bottle duties." She grabs another blanket from the corner, then joins me again. 

"Yeah, right, as if we weren't doing this, anyway." I scowl. When she attaches herself to me like a koala, I stop arguing. She uses her mouse to press play. There had been a system to this since night one. 

This movie is going to be in my nightmares tonight. I swallow. It's starting with the moment prior to the climax, even now I know it's going to be hell. I hate to love this time. I am lucky, that much I can say without hesitation.

I look down at Enid. With every second, she's more absorbed. A small but sick smile is on her lips. This is amusing. I can never let her catch me enjoying this. There's this need to run my fingers through her short waves. I raise an arm that's outstretched under her; it hovers at the back of her head. I breathe deeply. She moves, brown eyes staring up at me. I'm going to do it, anyway.

A chilling scream rings in my ears. It causes me no concern. Until I realize Enid has paused.

Then I understand the horror on her face. We throw ourselves from the covers and back out into the cold.

The scream comes again. Silence follows.