One Last Time

9

Eddie

His fingers were completely frozen. Only seconds ago, Eddie was flying down the majestic mountain when the harsh winds hit. He was pushed over by the winds, and forced into an icy grave on the side of the mountain.

He couldn't even bear the thought of opening his eyelids. And his toes, he couldn't feel those either. Broken and cracked as his lips were, he couldn't muster any strength to yell for help. Dusting his forehead off, he tried to recall the last moments before he fell. He was farther behind the others, watching Athena smoothly stop at the bottom of the mountain. Bobby was near him too.

"Baw... Bobby," his voice trembled. "Athena?" Only the wind replied.

He heard some footsteps and some gasps floating through the air. "Help..." he croaked.

"EDDIE?" Hen's loud holler echoed. "Eddie, you up here?"

"Hen!" he screamed, his voice cracking. Hen rushed to his side, but Eddie's eyes remained closed. She knelt beside him, snapping off his skis.

"Oh my god, I saw you fall when I looked back!" she exclaimed. "We need to get you out of the snow fast!" Eddie tried to move, but his body felt frozen in place. His stiff arms felt weighed down by bricks. Hen touched his face with her hand.

"Where's everyone?" He asked weakly as she began digging out the snow around him.

Hen stopped for a moment, "I don't know."

"How are we going to get down?" he questioned, fear rising in each syllable.

Hen brushed away the snow iced on top of him. She took a deep breath of the crisp air. "You're in luck, I'm a firefighter," she assured. "I'm going to carry you down." Without a moment to brace himself, Hen swooped him onto her back. If he weren't so cold he would be impressed by her strength.

They trekked down, through the powder without taking a second to grab a breath. Like a rag-doll Eddie hugged Hen's shoulders, violently thrashing against her shoulder blades. She called to him over the rushing wind, yet he couldn't comprehend a single word. The world was somehow spinning with his eyes closed.

Air had never felt warmer. The lodge was buzzing with people of all ages. Little kids wrapped in blankets, seniors with hair whiter than the snow, and mostly young, impetuous teenagers who snowboarded on the steepest runs. Opening his eyes, Eddie groggily groaned at the blinding lights in the lodge. A large chandelier hung near the entrance. Still on Hen's back, they weaved through people. The crescendo of voices was burning his ears. They passed a little girl, hugging her dad's pant leg. She was bundled in snow wear and had her blonde hair braided tightly to her scalp. Her bulbous, green eyes peered into Eddie's. These days, anything seemed to remind him of Christopher.

Hen set Eddie down on a soft blanket. His entire body felt limp, as he collapsed to the ground. A slight sensation of worry was coursing through his veins, yet the cold overpowered it. His neck was cramped and his fingers were still rock-solid.

"Eddie, did you see any of the others?" Hen asked a pinch in her voice.

Eddie frowned as much as his lips could move, "Bobby was behind me on the mountain."

Hen exhaled loudly through her nose. She pursed her lips together. An older man with the baldest and shiniest head, Eddie had ever seen, ran towards them. He was dressed in a red jacket and clasped a first-aid kit in his hand.

"He's not hypothermic but I'm worried about his fingers and toes," Hen told the man. "If you give me the right stuff I can take care of him."

"We're low on supplies," the bald man informed.