t i t l e: ice cold w o r d c o u n t: 759 t a s k d e s c r i p t i o n: This one will be about what is happening around your character outside the game. Explore how their family is reacting, what is happening to their body, how the world around them is changing, etc.
The first moment that she realised that she had lost them was when she touched his hand. His hand was cold to the touch. It was ice cold, as if whatever part of life was left in him had already left his body. It was only the slow pulses of the heart beat monitor that left her convinced that there was still someone living within this shell of her son. The tips of her fingers tracing the wrinkle strains covering his skin, moving over the marks of age and the memories engraved there in the scars from his adventures. And when she reached across to the next bed, the same block of ice was all she could find of Emeline as well. Both of their finger nails were growing, although Emeline’s were arching forwards at a more rapid pace and the black of her nail varnish looked comical now that it was followed by the pale colour. Fleur clutched at the thick fingers of her son, clinging at them as if just holding on would provide him with the strength he needed in order to return to her world. The one thing she wished was that she could see his face, that she could see both of their faces, but she had been told that it would be devastating to attempt to remove the helmets from their heads.
The second time she realised that she had lost them was when she bent forwards to snatch at the tangles of brown hair that fell from beneath her dark helmet. The fact that she couldn’t take the helmets off was terrifying – just yet another reminder of how cut off they were from her. She knew that at this moment they were locked their heads somewhere, unable to move or doing anything for themselves, and she couldn’t help but wonder if they knew on that side what was happening in the real world. A tear slipped down her cheek, and her hands tightened around what grip she had on them, holding them to her as she wished she had earlier. Seeing them both here was almost too much for her to deal with. Her son and her granddaughter locked in this place for who knows how long, and she was scared for them. She was so scared for this was a world she didn't understand. She had tried when the gaming had started - she honestly had - but she couldn't enjoy the gaming world as much as her son and Emeline. If anything she only brought them down rather than aiding them on the few times that they had attempted to play together. After that it had become easier to just watch and pretend to comprehend the things that they were discussing.
Those were the days when she had still seen Emeline. Now the brunette was all too busy to have the opportunity to spare some time for her grandmother. First it had been that she was busy with college, then it had been her desire to support her friend through his problem and now it was the gaming world once more – throwing the barriers between them and separating them more. And as much as Fleur wanted to hate it, she wanted so much to hate the bulky helmets and what they represented, she knew that she would never be able to hate it. The games had always meant so much to Emeline and Laurent; after all that was how they had gotten into this mess.
The third time was the last time. The despair that filtered through her was sharp and putrid. It was this time that she realised the strands of hair were greasy between her fingers and the pale tones of their skin were so pale, too pale, and it filled her with horror. They were paler than she had ever seen them before, their bodies almost unrecognisable in addition to the gross weight loss they’d endured since the beginning of this all. The medical tubes didn't help either; in a way they were almost mocking - Fleur should have been using those long before Emeline did.
Finally all the old woman could do was let her head fall, to close her eyes and block out the skeletons of her loved ones. Instead she recreated them in her mind; she recreated the bright spark of fire that had been Emeline and the loyal and dependable vision of Laurent that she always held dear. Then she prayed, she prayed to whoever was listening for the return of her angels.
