Atrox

Page 3

I don't remember passing out but when I begin to wake, the first thing I register is the sound of the wind and the feel of something heavy. It was pitch black. I could see nothing. There was no moon to help our extra sensitive eyes.

"Charles? Charles?" I say and give the clothes in my hands a shake to wake him up.

"Hey, I'm here. It's okay. We're down. Try to take a deep breath and calm down okay?" He says I nod and try to breath around my panicked sobbing. Suddenly a light pops on. Charles points it toward me and puts a hand to my cheek.

"How do you feel, is there any pain anywhere?" I shake my head no.

"No, I'm okay. What happened? Did we crash?"

"Yes we did. Now can you move all your limbs, turn your head, everything?" I twisted my head and arms.

"I, I can't move my legs but I think that's because you are laying on them."

"Alright. Just stay still a minute." He looks around with the light. Crunched metal, snow, tree pieces. He manages to move from over me onto the edge of what had been his seat. If he'd stayed there he'd be killed, I was sure about that. He points the light toward the cockpit. Metal, more trees. He moves over and around a few things until he can get to the door to the cockpit.

"Are they okay?" I ask with my voice wavering. He's quiet as he comes back to me. "Charles? Tim and Grant, are they okay?"

"No." Is all he says.

"Oh god. I heard them say mayday. The signal will get through and someone will come for us. Right?"

"Yes. With the storm it might take a little while though. We're too exposed, we need to find somewhere to take shelter."

"Shelter?" I ask and look up and around. The top of the plane was in ribbons. He was right. This storm wasn't done yet. We were not safe here from the weather. "Where should we go? Do you know where we are?"

"I have a general idea. Assuming we stayed close to the path we were supposed to take we are more then a few hundred miles from our destination. In clear weather we could get down the mountain in a few days and to a road. Unfortunately this storm isn't going to end any time soon. But the way the wind is whipping around I think there is a rock face not far to our left. It's an east facing rock face no doubt if we can follow that down a little I bet we will find caves or something similar."

"But, that's out in the storm. Isn't this better then that?"

"No. We are too high and too exposed. The wind and cold will drop to fast for this to be safe." He's grabbing the blankets that had been tucked in over head storage. He takes two and wraps me in them. Takes a third and wraps it around himself. He cuts seat belts off ties one to his belt and then through mine.

"I'm scared." I admit to him.

"I know. I'll keep you safe." I nod and following his directions we get out of the plane and with difficulty I trudge through the snow behind him. Thankfully his body made a nice path or I'd have been stuck. I know when we've gotten to the rock face because he tugs me into step going left, what I was assuming was downhill by the feel. I trudge, one foot after another. On and on. I'm getting numb all over and I'm beyond exhausted when suddenly I'm pulled off to the side. Suddenly I'm out of the wind and blowing cold.

"Dev? Devon? Hey." I can hear him but I'm not entirely sure I understand whats going. "Damn it, you are too cold and I think are in shock from everything. We need to get a fire going. Me and boy scouts, always prepared. He moves around the room gathering stuff then piles it and gets a fire started with some matches from his pocket. I'm shuffled closer to the fire and pushed to sit. My blankets are taken off and he quickly sits behind me, one leg on either side of me. The blankets around us both. I stare at the fire and as I warm up and the reality of what's happened. Cascading memories and feelings. The crash the hard landing. The wind, the cold, the fear. I was very, very lost. But Charles had been here, he'd taken care of me. I'd never thought about what I'd do in something like this. I took it for granted that despite my fear the plane would make it to it's destination. If I'd been alone out here I know I'd have frozen in the plane. But Charles had taken care of everything and was even sharing his body heat to keep me warm. I turn sideways curling tightly. Looking up at him I say the only thing I could but seemed so in adequate.