GO, DIE & COME BACK

CHAPTER 31: MISSED BY THAT MUCH

Meanwhile, Nina dialed the contact number on the phone. Her hands were fumbling, and her fingers were numb. The snowflakes, falling swiftly, blocked her vision. There was not a single creature seen out there. She felt like she was standing in Antarctica. Nothing but snow was visible. She tried calling Oswald first, but he didn't pick up. She tried again, and he picked up when the call was about to disconnect. "Hello?" he asked.

"Sir Oswald!" Her voice merely came out of her throat. "Please save me. I'm going to die."

"Wait, who is it?" He asked, as he didn't recognize the voice.

"It's Nina. Please save me, or I'm going to die of a cold."

"Don't worry! I'm coming. Where are you?"

"At the main road, near my house." Though the area was overloaded with snow, she recognized the place from the signposts all around. Podrick used to bring her out sometimes to gain some fresh air from the park. She always used to pass by that route, and she never lost her memory, so she knew where she was.

"Wait there! I'm coming at once. From whose phone are you calling me?" The call was disconnected due to the worst weather conditions. He tried to connect many times, but it was futile. He grabbed the keys, took out the car, and went on the mission 'Save Nina'.

*  *  *

Meanwhile, Lara looked around Kate's room. The preparation was done, and the plan was ready to be executed. 'Perfect!' She thought, grabbed the phone, and called for someone.

*  *  *

Nina was unable to stand. The shawl was helping her the least, but that was the most Lara could do. She was trembling with fear and cold. The snowflakes started sticking to her skin. She was literally dragging herself. The weather was not at her side at all. Kilos of snow had covered her by then. Its weight was increasing significantly. It felt like she was about to be buried under the snow. Her voice was entirely lost by then.

She began crying, but even the tears froze in her eyes. She was praying that Oswald would reach there before her brutal death by nature. Dragging herself was becoming quite arduous for her due to the ample snow on her. She was completely hidden under a thick white sheet. How could anyone find her under those circumstances? She reached the footpath anyhow. The snow turned her lips and hair white. Then she saw light at some distance. It was a light of hope in her disparate life.

She kept on dragging herself to the road. Her body was not visible at all. It looked like a moving pile of snow. The car was approaching at a high speed. Nina's hope changed into fear. "Stop! Stop!" She cried, but her voice didn't even come out of her throat. It was just like the scene in Titanic, when Rose was calling back the guards on the boat who were supposed to save any person who survived that disaster. Her voice was not helping her out. That's why she used a whistle. In Nina's case, she didn't have a whistle.

The car was not far from her. She was screaming, but that was not audible only to herself. She reached out her hand in the air so that he might see it. Oswald was more engrossed in his phone, trying to contact her again and again. The car was a few meters away from her. Nina's eyes grew bigger and bigger. If the brakes were not applied in the next six seconds, her savior would become her killer. Oswald threw the phone on the seat with frustration and looked in front. He saw a hand buried under a pile of snow. The hand was upright and waving. He lost four seconds looking at it. The word came out of his mouth, "Shit!" Nina had lost hope. The car was half a meter away from her. The tires screeched as Oswald laid his entire force on the brakes. He had also pulled the handbrake and...

The car was dragged for some distance. After a sudden jerk, he made up for the situation around him and got out of the car. "No! No! No! Jesus!" He rushed to the front of the car. He was panting. The tire was exactly an inch away from her face. She opened her eyes and found herself in one piece. Oswald helped her out of the snow. He took her into the car. She was shivering uncontrollably. The warmth in the car helped her.

She was unable to breathe properly. She tried to squeeze her nose, which was stone cold, sniffed, and blurted out a blob of mucus mixed with blood on her trembling fingers, dripping down. It seemed like she was getting sick from the terrible cold out there. She turned to Oswald, gestured to drive, and turned on the radio. 'Style' by Taylor Swift was being played.

"I'm taking you to a hospital. You're getting sick and bleeding badly." Oswald said.

"No! Not the hospital. It's too late. They would be searching for me now."

"Who?"