"Why didn't you come into me if you were afraid?" I asked curiously.
Neala grunted, "Because I knew you would have told me to get into your bed and go to sleep."
I blinked away the image of Neala spread out on my bed, and I tilted my head as I looked down at her.
"How did you know I would have said that?"
She shrugged. "Because you don't like me being scared out of my mind, unless you're the reason for it."
She had me there.
I gnawed on my inner cheek as I looked her in the eye. "You're right, I would have told you to get into my bed, but it would have been just to sleep. No funny business."
Neala snorted, "I know that."
I frowned. "So why did you come in here then?"
She sighed, "My pride wouldn't let me go to you for help."
I smiled. "You're going to need me eventually Neala, whether it's for a tin of beans, a bottle of water or even for a light for your candles."
She looked away from me. "I'll avoid needing you until absolutely necessary."
I laughed.
Typical Neala.
"Okay, well, I wasn't joking about what I said yesterday evening. We're digging our way out of here."
Neala groaned. "That's not a good idea. The snow has had Friday night and all day yesterday to set, it's going to be hard as ice, and all we have to dig through it is spoons and forks. Trust me, I checked."
I opened my mouth to correct her, but when I realised all my tools and shovels were outside the house in a shed I closed my mouth and huffed. I had a big house, but hardly any furniture to fill it. I only bought what I needed when the house was finished being built. I didn't know how to cook, the extent of my culinary skills was putting a pizza in the oven then taking it out when the timer goes off. And since I didn't cook I had no use for anything in my kitchen except for knives, forks, spoons, a few plates, cups, and the odd bowl for cereal.
"Well, spoons and forks will just have to do."
Neala laughed, "You're crazy."
"Excuse me, but I'm not the one lying on a cold floor laughing like a hyena. Nope, that would be you, nut job."
Neala kicked at me with her legs so I jumped back away from her. "Less of that!"
Neala continued to laugh as she got up to her feet. She snapped her fingers and jumped up and down in a circle around me with nothing but fake enthusiasm. "Let's get to it, boss. Let's dig our way out of here."
I didn't appreciate her sarcasm.
"If you don't wanna help then don't, I'm not going to force you," I snapped.
I turned and walked out of the room.
I hoped I looked rugged and manly, but I was holding a scented vanilla candle to see where I was going so I doubt I looked as hard as I wanted to.
Neala followed me and snickered, "Don't get your knickers in a twist, Miss Daisy. I'm going to help."
I rolled my eyes. "Help me by shutting up."
Neala scoffed from behind me, "You shut up. You're the one who never stops talking."
"Everyone we know would disagree, you could talk for Ireland, chatter box."
"Fuck you, I'm not a chatter box!"
Yes, you are.
"Okay," I said as I set my candle down on the floor.
Neala leaned against the hallway wall and snarled as I walked by her, "Don't just say okay to appease me."
I grinned as I entered my living room. "Okay."
"Darcy!" Neala shouted in annoyance.
God, it was so easy to wind her up.
"I'm only messing with you, Neala," I said, hoping she would hear truth in my voice.
There was, of course, no truth because she was a chatter box - she never stopped talking. Everyone in our village could vouch for me when I say that.
"I don't believe you... What are you doing?"
I sighed as I picked up the lit candles. "Bringing these out to the hall so it will make things easier to see when I dig us out of here."
"When we dig us out of here you mean."
Yeah, right.
"Yep, I meant we."
Neala grunted, "You're such a bad liar, Darcy."
I smiled to myself as I walked by her and headed back out into the hall.
"Could you grab a few other candles from the living room for me? I'll get the spoons and forks."
Neala muttered what I could only guess were rude curse words to herself, but she did as asked and went into the living room to gather more candles. I headed into the kitchen and got some spoons and forks from the kitchen drawers. I looked around for something bigger that would make digging easier, but I found nothing. I regretted not letting my mother buy me a bunch of kitchen shite when I first moved in here, anything would help us right now.
I sighed to myself then walked over to Einstein's cage when she squawked. I opened up the cage door and let her up onto the top of her cage so she could stretch her wings and have a bit of a walk around. She loved her cage, but she loved walking around her cage top even more.