A Deadly Winter Retreat

|15|

THE DAY WORE ON, and the evening descended upon Pine Glacier Hills. Sitting comfortably on the sofa next to Lena and Gina, I stared out the window longingly. The snowflakes danced drearily from the sky with a bleakness I had not witnessed before, and the sky was a gloomy gray as the moon's crescent peeked through.

"What's so fascinating out there?" Lena turned in my direction, a mischievous grin lighting up her face. "You act like you've never seen snow before," she teased, her smile slightly crooked.

I chuckled softly, "It just seems a bit gloomy today," I replied, still staring out the window, "Normally, the sky is a clear blue with a few clouds, but now it's all gray."

Gina chimed in, "Well, the night is approaching." she said while holding a small bag of potato chips. She dipped her fingers into the bag, grabbed a few chips, threw them into her mouth, and munched on them. The crunch of the chips resonated through the air as she munched away.

"When is dinner gonna be ready, Troy?" Gina's voice rang out, tinged with a hint of irritation. "I'm starving, and these chips are not doing the trick," she added, frustration evident in her tone. She carelessly tossed the empty chip bag onto the rustic dining room table before grabbing her beer and swiftly downing the remaining liquid.

"Gina, I think you've had enough beer for the night," Lena intervened, taking the can gently from Gina's hand.

"Take it. I'm done," Gina responded, playfully sticking her tongue out at Lena, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

In the kitchen, Troy was in his element, skillfully flipping burgers on the custom grill. He had a history with cooking that began during his teenage years at the Burger Inn in Connecticut. There, he fell head over heels in love with the art of grilling, and that passion had never waned; it only grew stronger with time.

A few years back, he seriously considered opening his own burger joint. The idea was cemented in his mind, but when he sought financial help from his parents, they advised against it. Despite that, his dedication to cooking remained.

The sizzling grilling sounds echoed from the kitchen, and the mouthwatering aroma of the savory burgers drifted through the air, causing my stomach to rumble.

When dinner was prepared, Troy called us into the kitchen to fix our burgers. Dale had to be the odd man out when he exclaimed, "Where's the sardines?" Instantly, our heads snapped in his direction, and our faces twisted in a collective expression of disgust. Gina, having already indulged in quite a bit of alcohol, was on the verge of puking, and I'm sure the mention of 'sardines' only added to her discomfort.

"Dale, seriously?" Lena's voice carried a mix of disbelief and revulsion, her brows furrowing as her eyes locked on him.

Dale nonchalantly shrugged, his demeanor undeterred by our disapproval. "Hey, it's not my problem if nobody else likes sardines on their burgers. I do," he declared, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I chuckled as I grabbed a paper plate from the gray stone countertop. I tossed a bun onto it and made my burger.

It was definitely going to be a long night.

***

After dinner, we all gathered in the cozy dining room, the fireplace going, sparking ambers of orange flame as we sat discussing how we wanted to spend the rest of the evening.

The ping of my phone soon disrupted the cozy night. Glancing down at it, the caller's I.D. indicated it was the private investigator, Leroy.

I answered quickly, "Hello?"

An older gentleman's heavy breath came through the phone, "Hello, is this Trish?"

I replied, "Yes, it is."

"This is Leroy, the P.I. you hired," he coughed into the phone, "I just wanted to inform you that I'm still working on your case. I've made progress, but I need to conduct further research."

"Thanks, Leroy!" I was relieved to hear that Leroy was making headway in his investigation. His tone didn't convey any concern; instead, he sounded as if it might be the work of a bored college student trying to spook us, as I had initially suspected.

"It's not a serial killer, is it, Leroy?" I joked, followed by a slight laugh. I wanted to confirm subconsciously.

Leroy chuckled in response, "No, it's definitely not a serial killer."

I sighed, comforted by this assurance. Leroy promised to call me back once he had solidified all his evidence and was ready to present it to Troy and me. We exchanged goodbyes and ended the call.

Smiling, I shook my head.

I had gotten myself all worked up for nothing.

Suddenly, the memory of the brown van that had tried to run us off the road resurfaced in my thoughts like water poured into a cup. My smile quickly faded. Then again, it could have just been some crazed individual with road rage. I shrugged off the thought.

As I strolled into the living room, everyone gathered around, discussing how they planned to wrap up the evening.

"I vote for horror movies!" I announced with a playful smile on my face. Gina strolled in from the kitchen with a large steak knife. She held it up in the air.

Lena gulped as she nervously eyed Gina, swinging the knife and slicing through the air.

"I vote for horror too!" Gina added, stumbling over herself in a drunken stupor as she mimicked an attacker while she swung the steak knife back and forth, slicing through the air.

"Hey, Gina!" Dale placed his hands in the air, motioning for Gina to stop, "Don't do that. You could seriously hurt someone." He put his hands over hers and gently slipped the knife out of her grasp, "I think you've had too much to drink, Gina." Dale gazed into her eyes, "Why don't you go upstairs and take a nap?."

Gina pouted and folded her arms, "I don't want to, Dale."

Dale rolled his eyes and delicately placed his hands on Gina's shoulders, his eyes locking with hers, "Well, why don't you just sit here on the couch with Trish and watch a horror movie."

"That's w-what. I.. I... was planning to do."Gina slurred her words, "Until you inter.. inter..interrupted."

Poor Gina had way too much to drink. I think Dale was right when he motioned for her to go upstairs and take a nap.

I was in the mood for a good scare. I had thrown the thoughts of the brown van out of my head, so I felt more relaxed, especially with a houseful of people. I was at ease. Horror was my favorite genre. Thanks to my gothic, horror-obsessed mother, I had been watching horror movies before I could even talk.

The guys, though, had a more laid-back approach in mind and wanted to engage in a friendly game of dominos. Lena, ever the nature lover, wished to embrace the serenity of the snow outside and suggested going out into the snow-filled forest for a peaceful walk.

As we weighed our options, it was evident that each choice held its allure, and whatever we decided, the night would be filled with laughter and memories.

I observed Lena making her way toward the front door. Her movements were graceful. She slipped her arms into each sleeve of her oversized beige parka, wrapping herself in its warmth like a shield protecting her from the outside Chill. She carefully positioned it with a matching beige knitted hat atop her head. Prepared for the winter chill, she appeared to be cozy and ready to embark on a magical snow-filled journey.

"Enjoy your walk," I smiled at Lena, a hint of concern in my voice, "And don't wander off too far," I added as a cautionary note.

Lena returned the smile, reassured, "I won't. I just need to get some fresh air, that's all," she replied, her voice carrying a sense of tranquility. She turned to the door, grasped the knob, and twisted it open. She stepped outside. The cold air struck her in the face, and the snowflakes gracefully danced against her parka and knit hat, leaving delicate traces of wet snow as it melted away. She strolled out into the forest, her hands placed in the pockets of her parka as she disappeared into the serene beauty of the woods.

And from that moment on, we hadn't seen Lena again.

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