Short Stories 214 — Writing Prompt 47

You are stranded on a winter hike when you come across a little cottage.

Brittle Ice

A cup of hot tea feels really soothing in such harsh weather. It keeps you warm, while the chilly winds turn everything into ice outside. It is warm and cozy enough to put a smile on a dying man's face, in such icy conditions. I wondered as these winds blew, not even at their complete freezing might.

The leaves and the branches have bowed down to the snow, where there are faltering to a small breeze, and spring back, as they came to life like they took a deep breath after almost drowning. And let’s not even start with the snow that is on the ground. Actually, there is no ground whatsoever, only snow. I wonder how people, live and survive under such tough conditions.

“None of us were aware of the storm. If we knew about it, we wouldn’t be out here. We would be safe and curled in our blankets in hotel rooms. But there we were, right in the maw of the storm, asking to be devoured.”

“As the storm grew stronger, the vision started to decrease. It was worse than the fog, a fog that hits you in the face and doesn’t even apologize. But the situation was not that terrible until things went downhill, I went downhill.”

“The vision was greatly reduced and it made the trek, even more difficult. Taking a single step became a challenge, exhausted, by walking for hours and now we not only had to fight the fatigue, but these conditions, as well as cease our brain from running widely, with the weird thoughts. And each passing minute, the brain screamed, to give up, it is difficult. But, there was no stopping. Only dying.”

“And that is when I lost my footing and tumbled down. I have no idea for long, or how much distance had I rolled down. But I knew one thing and that is, I was separated from the crowd, and automatically, the chances of me surviving were slim.”

“After a while, I came to stand-still, but my head wasn’t. I had a severe headache from all the spins and the rolls. It took me a while to get back on my feet, but I was lost and did not have any clue, which direction to head to. So I decided to stay at the same location, hoping they would come to save me. And I had no idea, whether they even knew, whether I was present or not. And these are the tricks your brain plays on you.”

“I kept on waiting, but no one showed up, and the only thing that showed up stronger was the storm. It was starting to hurt, badly. One would wonder, how can snow hurt? But it really does, and it hurts from the inside. The outside is numb, but when it starts freezing your internal organs, it means danger.”

“I had turtled on the ground, waiting for someone to come to the rescue, but no one showed up, I guess, everyone was busy saving themselves. I realized it very quickly, and the storm was really starting to turn up. I had to show up for myself if no one does. As I got up and started digging into the hill. Created a cave-like structure with frozen hands. Which were starting to hurt really badly, by now.”

“I had caved in at the right time when the storm was at its peak. Winds weren’t blowing anymore, they were yelling. And luckily, I managed to carve a cave for myself, to protect myself from it. The wind howled the entire night. It is one of the scariest nights I have experienced in my life. Every passing hour, snow would get accumulated in front of me. The majority of it protected me and help to keep the space warm, but I had to shove some of it, as it was closing the entrance. And I was also afraid of the fact that the snow on top of me can slide any second and bury me off. And because of those two things, I did not get any sleep.”

“As my eyes opened, I couldn’t believe that I had fallen asleep. It must be because my body was already exhausted and it needed a break. But the entrance was closed, and I thought I will be buried alive, and so I used my upper body to tackle and shove the snow away. But it was just a tiny layer and I was out of the cave.”

“The weather looked completely normal like nothing had happened. I was still tired, but the sunlight was rejuvenating. And it gave me a much-needed boost. I looked around to assess my situation and decided that there was no point in staying there, it is better to go downhill further and hope I find something on the way.”

“And that is how I ended up here. And here I am after a warm bath and a hot tea in hand, sharing my scariest experience with you guys. Once again, thank you for letting, me here, you have saved my life,” I said genuinely.

Both the husband and wife looked at each other and smiled. “Oh dear, don't worry, it was nothing. Anyone would have done the same thing. But honestly, after hearing your story, let me tell you, it was a scary one. And we are happy you are fine. You survived without any scratches. That in itself is a miracle,” Ms. Deca said with a warm smile.

“And the rescue team will come here, anytime,” Mr. Deca said. He continued, “So would you came back again, are you done with, snow?”

“Honestly, I am so scared, but maybe I will come back, make the trek and also meet you guys.”

The trees had dropped the baggage of snow from their shoulders. The sunlight once again reigned supreme. And it brought back a smile on my face as I sipped on the warm cup of tea, “The tea is amazing.”