I gasp, crippling fear latching onto me as the cold bites at my exposed skin. Unbearable shivers wrack my body and tears trail my cheeks, crystallizing against my skin. Something holds me tight; and then it speaks.

          "Astrid, calm down." His voice cracks, "Please."

          Astrid? Who's Astrid?

          "Help me." I whisper, soft and innocent, pulling against the person keeping me captive. "Let me go! My brother will hurt you! Jordan help me! Help me!" I cry, hoping he'll hear me wherever I am.

          A gasp and they release me. I fall to the snowy ground in a heap and curl in on myself, terrified to the core.

          "Don't hurt me, don't hurt me, don't hurt me. I want to go home, where's my brother? Where's Nevaeh? We were playing in the forest when I got lost! Where's my brother? I'm scared, I want to go home!" I shriek, my voice cracking.

          "Bella! Bella, it's okay! It's me, it's me. Look at me." That voice says again and I cover my eyes, shaking my head and rocking back and forth.

I'm a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout

"Bella, it's okay." They lie and I sing louder.

I'm a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout

I'm a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my sp –

I pause midline and peak out between my fingers, suddenly sensing my brother close by. He's sitting before me in the snow with his legs crossed and his head bowed in quiet sobs.

"Jordan?" He stiffens and lifts his head.

"Yes?" I gasp with glee and lurch myself forward into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck in a suffocating embrace. He grunts.

"I'm so happy you found me! I got lost in the forest! I was so scared!" I exclaim airily and press closer to him. Jordan sighs.

"What do you remember when you were lost?" Jordan wonders, pushing me back and peering into my eyes with an intensity that unnerves me. I shrink in on myself and shrug.

"I was alone, cold and scared. I wanted my brother, I was looking for you." I answer and attempt to fall back into his arms but Jordan shakes his head.

"Did you see Nevaeh? Or were you gone by then?" He asks me, I tilt my head and blink curiously.

"Where did I go?" I wonder, watching my brother with confusion written across my face. Jordan clenches his jaw and rubs his face with his palms, a deep line of anxiety set into his features.

"Nowhere, nevermind." He mumbles and pushes me off of him, climbing to his feet and shivering in the cold. Jordan shrugs himself out of his jacket and drapes it over my bare shoulders, pressing me back against the tree trunk. "Listen Bella, there's something I have to do and I want you to sit here and sing. Don't look behind you. Can you do that?" I frown and pucker my lower lip.

"But I want to go home! I'm cold!" I argue, huffing and crossing my arms against my chest.

"We will. But I have to do this first. Okay?" He says, gripping my face in his hands. The warmth from his palms bites painfully at the chill deep in my skin and I cringe away.

"Okay." I murmur and duck my head, glancing up at him through my tangled blonde hair. "Why can't I look?" Jordan spares me a glance and tromps through the deep snow, disappearing from my sight.

"Because it's not for little girls." That's all the explanation he provides and I make peace with it. "Sing Bella!" I jump at his voice and nod at nothing.

The itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again

The melody flows from my lips, terribly off key and unrecognizable, but soothing all the same. I lean back against the tree and stare up at a dark blue sky twinkling with little shining stars.

The itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again

Something bites painfully into my palm and the shocking sensation drags me out of my daze for a split second. Slowly, I unfurl my fingers to find a silver locket clenched in my hand. It's beautiful; silver and bright and wet from the snow.

It was mine.

But I can't remember how I got it.

Several minutes pass before my brother comes back, turbulent shivers wracking his body. He reaches a hand down to me and hoists me up, wrapping strong arms around my waist as I cling to him.

"Come on, let's go home." He says.