Chapter 12| Quiescent

December arrived with its absolute glory. Frosty gusts of wind, dark skies, frozen lakes while thick layers of snow covered the ground and the top of the houses and trees. Everything already seemed to be under a blanket of snow yet more snow continued to fall.

Emma was walking down the road to the cafe, her hands stuffed deep into her coat pockets as she walked on the sidewalk, eyes looking at the window displays that were beautifully decorated with Christmas trees and presents. Some even had huge puppets of Santa. Emma smiled knowing she could afford to buy some decent presents this year. She wanted to give something very special to her brother. And for Mina, a dress probably. The additional money that she got with her paycheck was no less than a treasure for her and she's very relieved knowing she'd be able to tackle the expenses.

However, deep down she's a bit unhappy and disturbed by the fact that her friends couldn't get the reward they deserved, especially Mina. She truly deserv