TWISTED ICE (ONC 2023)

CHAPTER 7

Ever since the moment we crashed at the bottom of the ravine, none of us can get a signal on our cell phones. That means we have no communication with the outside world. No calls, texts, or weather reports. Nothing. It must be the mountains.

Despite my irritation, Chloe had smoked another reefer before she went to sleep, reaffirming her desire to avoid reality or at least dull her conscience. As for Jasmine, before she called it a night, she found Isaiah's whiskey and hit the bottle pretty hard, downing the dark amber liquid like she was guzzling water. Now, both of them are curled up under their blankets as I try to think about my latest novel, staring at my blank notepad, wishing I could come up with a few words. But I can't, not tonight.

I put my pen and paper away with a frustrated sigh. Who could write at a time like this, anyway? In the cold. In a cave. On the hard ground.

I'm about to pull the covers up when I glimpse Hunter tossing more wood on the fire, enough to last the night.

I lie down, thankful for the heat that makes it into the cave, and my blanket, which I pull up to my chin as I find the coziest position on the bumpy floor. Preferring to sleep on my right side, I turn to face Jasmine and the back wall. It doesn't take long for a rock to dig into my hip and force me to flip over. When I do, I catch sight of Hunter again, this time staring at Jasmine with beady eyes. He's so entranced he doesn't register my movement but keeps looking at her with his jaw set so tight I fear it might crack as he grinds his teeth together.

I can't tell if his motivation is undying love or dying obsession. Just when I think I've gone unnoticed, his eyes dart to me, hold for an uncomfortable second, then divert to Chloe's sleeping figure. Even in slumber, under covers, her hip rises and falls with the perfect curve. With her backside facing Hunter, if he has any attraction for her, I would imagine the sight of her butt would magnify it. I think Jasmine described it as luscious. However, his eyes don't stay on her curvaceous form for long, perhaps because he knows I'm watching. Instead, his gaze returns to Jasmine.

I huff, having lost all desire for him. I can see now he has no feelings for me, and deep down, I've always known. Denial has always held me captive.

But not anymore.

Before long, I roll over to face Jasmine again, wiggling my way to a spot where the rock doesn't jab me. Then, at some point, I fall asleep.

When I wake up, an eerie gray light sifts into the cave, bleeding through the heavy laden skies, the smoky scent of the campfire creeping in with it. Outside, the snow has ceased to fall after hammering away in a nonstop oblivion all night long. A polar vortex must have caused the storm system, and I slept right through it again.

The fire has burned down to a pile of red shimmering embers, hot enough to blister the bottom of a bare foot but cooled off enough to allow the bitter cold to slither into my bones.

This morning, Hunter isn't staring at anyone anymore. He stands at the mouth of the cave, looking out at the hazy skies.

"You're awake," he says without looking back.

I glance at Chloe, then Jasmine, who both are asleep.

"I am."

"Since the storm has slacked up, we should continue moving west." He turns toward me. "We can't stay here forever. We only have enough power bars to last another day. If we stay, we'll run out of food, and who knows when the snow will start falling again. Better to go when we have protein and carbohydrates to fuel our journey. Besides that, we don't want to miss our chance."

Chloe sits up, stretching. "I agree. We need to go. I say we eat, hydrate, and head out."

"Eliza," Hunter says. "Can you wake up Jasmine?"