The Last Winter

Friday: Nightfall (6)

Wesley
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An hour passed before Dad was convinced that there was no help coming for us. By then, we were half-frozen and terrified, and the last rays of the sun had long disappeared.

"I think I just heard a howl," Veronica manages to whisper, her teeth chattering.

"Oh no," Vena whines, "there's wolves out here! They're gonna come and eat us!"

"Calm down!" I hiss, rocking back and forth to keep myself warm. Della is latching herself onto my arm to share body heat. "There's nothing out here! We're not gonna die!"

Of course, I have absolutely no idea of what's out here. There's no telling what kinds of wildlife are living up in these parts. But I have to reassure them of some kind of lie for the sake of keeping panic at bay.

Cameron struggles to his feet, and with Dad's help, he manages to balance himself on one leg. He's breathing in and out really fast, trying to concentrate on not passing out.

"Okay," he says slowly, blinking a few times. His hands are shaking as he holds onto Dad's arms for support. "We gotta go. No one's coming for us."

"Cameron, you really shouldn't push yourself. We don't know just how injured you are. You could be making things worse just by standing," Eddie tells him sternly.

Cameron shakes his head. "I don't care. Let's just get back to the lodge, okay? There's gotta be a landline phone there. I-I just need to get warm. We're all gonna freeze to death if we stay out here any longer."

"He's right," Dallas chips in. "Let's go!"

I come to Dad's aid and drape one of Cameron's arms around my shoulders, so we can support each side of him. It's a good sign that he's able to stand, but this fact will not make Cameron immune to the difficult task ahead: making it back to the top of the slope.

"My phone just died," Isabella announces when she comes back to us.

She and Michal and Nolan had all gone out half an hour ago to look for the road that Ronnie had promised us.

There isn't one.

Dad nods solemnly, confirming his fears. "That's fine. We'll all just have to...have to climb."

Vena groans. "My legs hurt!"

"I think I'm t-too frozen to move," Veronica stammers.

None of us like the idea of having to brace the wind and climb, but that seems like the only option we have. The only shelter we know of lies just on top.

We travel close together, huddled like a pack of penguins. Each time someone slips, there's always someone else right behind to help them back up. Leaving our skis behind, we hike with the heavy skiing boots on, making every step harder than the last one.

An eternity passes. There are many times where I believe without a doubt that we will never make it back to the top.

We're going to die, I think numbly. We're all going to die.

"Oh ye of little faith. Why are you so afraid?"

I look up, shocked, and turn to Dad. He's looking ahead and ignoring me, training his eyes on the finish line.

"Did you s-say something?" I ask, stuttering over my chattering teeth.

He glances at me in surprise. "No. Why?"

I heard those words clear as day. If Dad hadn't said them, then who had?

I glance at Cameron, but he has his eyes cast down, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other as carefully as he could.