They set out towards the boy's dormitory about a hundred feet away. While the girls had selected a façade of blue clapboard and wooden lacework painted white, the boys had gone with a log cabin motif for their parlor. A thin column of smoke rose from the stone chimney, which Samantha took as a good sign.
Prudence lagged behind as they tramped to the dormitory, her stubby legs having difficulty with the snow. Samantha paused to let Prudence catch up, but Prudence motioned for her to go on. Samantha left her friend behind to reach the back door to the boy's dormitory. She took off one of her snowshoes, using it to sweep snow away from the doors. Prudence joined her until they cleared away enough for the doors to open.
Samantha knocked and waited for someone to answer. When the doors popped open, Wendell's mop of red curls appeared, his freckled cheeks covered by a scarf. "Hello," he said. "Is it safe to come out now?"
"Almost," Samantha said. "How are you boys doing?"
"Pretty good. There was a fight last night, but David broke it up before anything happened." Wendell took in a deep breath of the crisp air, blowing out a cloud of steam. "I'll be glad to get out of here."
"It shouldn't be much longer. Tell David to sit tight for a little bit until we're sure it's safe."
"I already know what he'll say: 'We don't need a couple of girls telling us it's safe.' I can come along if you want."
"We're all right, but thanks for offering," Samantha said. Wendell blushed at this and then closed the doors.
Prudence cast a disapproving frown after Wendell. "Are you sure we can trust him to tell David?" she asked.
"He'll be fine. Come on, let's get down to the fields and see what's left." They began the long trek through the snowdrifts that covered the path to the meadow. Prudence needed to rest halfway through the forest; Samantha found a log to clear off so they could sit down.
"Do you think there's going to be anything left?"
"There wasn't much left to start with."
"What do we do then?"
"I have an idea, but it's risky." She scooped up a handful of snow to melt in her mouth. The snow reminded her of something she had tasted in a past life: ice cream. The word bubbled up from somewhere in the soup of her subconscious. After nine years in Eternity she could remember things like ice cream, but still couldn't remember more basic items like her name or place of birth.