Winter Camp

Chapter 20 - Olly

“You promise you’ll get Mr Morris if I don’t call you within an hour?” I asked Jenny firmly, as we packed a ton of blankets into my car.

“I promise,” Jenny muttered under her breath, not looking at me as she put a beaker of hot chocolate into the boot.

“Jenny,” I warned. “An hour, okay?”

“An hour,” Jenny nodded, finally looking at me. “I just want her to be okay…”

“She will,” I promised. “Now go back to your cabin and wait for my call.”

“Olly!” Jenny called me as I put a foot in the car. “She didn’t mean what she said…”

“She did,” I grimaced, settling into the drivers seat and started the car. It sounded too loud in the silence of the night.

“She didn’t,” Jenny objected firmly. “I promise.”

I nodded, knowing this wasn’t the best time to argue. I shut the door with a slam, my hands fumbling with the gear stick. I hadn’t driven in a while.

I pulled carefully out of Fort Fun and began the descent down the mountain. I had absolutely no idea where Liana would have gone, but if she had any sense she would be heading for the town.

The drive took longer than I hoped as my wheels slipped on snow and my car teetered dangerously close to the edge of the mountain as I drove.

I finally got to the wooded area that surrounded the town. I kept my eyes alert and wide as I observed the area around me. Every time a tree whistled in the wind I had to convince myself it was just nature, and not Liana shouting for help.

“Oh god,” I whispered under my breath as I saw the mound to my right, almost hidden among the trees. It could easily have been mistaken for a pile of clothes… but I could recognise Liana’s bright pink ski suit from a mile away.

I jumped out of the car quickly, not even shutting the door as I sprinted through the snow. Flakes had started to fall now, and I saw them settling on Liana’s coat, covering her in a light sprinkle of white.

“Fuck!” I shouted to no one in particular as I knelt down beside her. I carefully moved her arm, aware she could be hurt. My fingers trembled as I took her pulse, only breathing when I felt the steady beat under her deathly grey skin.

“Liana,” I begged, stroking a hand over her icy cold cheeks. She shivered, making me sigh with relief. I had extensive knowledge of hypothermia thanks to my staff training, so I was able to know exactly what to do.

I should have checked for broken bones before I picked her up, but my urgency to treat her hypothermia exceeded my need to check her injuries. I carried her quickly to the car. She mumbled incoherent things in my arms and shivered violently looking drowsy and disorientated .

Snow blew viciously against me as I staggered towards the car, struggling with the weight of Liana’s body. I tried to keep my back to wind to shield her from the vicious wind, but waking backwards in this weather proved impossible.

I fought my way to the car, placing Liana gently on the back seat. Her shivering continued, but her eyes stayed shut as she mumbled things under her breath. I shut the door after I’d climbed in the car myself, never more happy that my car was large land rover. I checked the heating was right up before quickly stripping all her cold and wet clothes off her body. Immediately I began to dress her in the thick jumpers and coats that me and Jenny had put in the car. After that I wrapped blankets around her tightly to secure the warmth.

“Jenny!” I breathed into the phone when my fumbling fingers had finally managed to dial her number. “I have her!”

“Is she okay?” Jenny blurted quickly.