INTO THE COLD | JENSOO

Chapter 12

Jisoo stopped and wiped the slushy snow off his goggles. He'd made it to the crash sight in good time despite the incline of the hill and its thick covering of snow.

Seeing the size of the debris field, and the violence with which the plane impacted, he was amazed that Jennie had managed to survive at all.

Her seat, which looked to have sheared free when the craft struck the treeline, was a good one hundred yards away from the main body of the crash.

Searching the wreckage, Jisoo found the pilot.

"Damn," he said under his breath, recognizing him. "Billy."

After digging a shallow grave due to the frozen state of the ground, he collected Bill's wedding ring and wallet, knowing his widow would want them. With a short prayer, he placed the pilot in the ground covering the spot with large pieces of the plane to keep animals from digging him up.

When that was completed, Jisoo strapped everything he thought could be useful, and a few things that weren't, to his sled and began the walk back down the mountain. Halfway down he'd seen the clouds rolling in towards the valley below. Pulling out his compass, he found his bearings and trudged on, redoubling his efforts to make it back before the storm hit.

Cresting a low hill, his eye was caught by a bright spot to his left. Squinting, he could barely make out the roof of his cabin through the blowing snow.

'Clever girl,' he thought as he adjusted his heading and walked the last hundred yards home.

Jennie was so engrossed in the photographs and papers she'd found, she didn't hear the door open behind her.

"What are you doing?" Jisoo boomed, standing in the darkened opening.

Jennie stood quickly, scattering the pictures and letters that had been sitting on her lap.

"You made it!" she cried, embarrassed at being caught snooping, but also delighted he'd returned safely.

Dropping his rucksack at the door, Jisoo shouldered past her and began scooping up the papers.

"What gives you the right to go through my things?" he demanded.

Jennie got down on the floor with him, trying to help collect the mess she's made.

"Don't touch them," he said fiercely, pushing her hands away.

"I'm sorry Jisoo," she said, touching his shoulder.

"You had no right," he said, choking back a sob as he looked down at a picture of the infant.

"Please," she begged. "Let me help."

Nodding curtly, Jisoo allowed her to help him stack and re-tied to bundles. When everything was restored to their original places and the lid closed, Jisoo leaned against the trunk, his shoulders shaking with sobs.

Jennie stood and dragged the bags Jisoo had left on the porch, closing the door behind her. She then returned to kneel in front of him, clasping his shaking hands in her own.

"Jisoo, I am so sorry," she said sincerely, "I didn't mean to pry."

"You had no right," he sighed, the sobbing subsiding.

"If I could take it back I would," she said, earnestness radiating from her being.

"I know," Jisoo said, finally looking at her with red rimmed eyes.

Trying to change the subject, Jennie gestured to the bags.

"I see you found the crash," she said. "How bad was it?"