The Third Man

Chapter 9 - Stranger Things

Peter would have easily dismissed the voice, had he not heard it again. He couldn't imagine the possibility of another life in the crevasse. He slowly moved forward, unable to steady the beam of light. Suddenly his torch light fell upon what seemed like feet.

His eyes stared in disbelief. The last thing he wanted to encounter was a dead body. He wanted to run back to where he came from.

Just when Peter had assumed that it was a dead body and started back, he saw slight movement in the feet.

"It can't be" He whispered to himself, wild with fear.

"Who is it, are you here to rescue me?" he heard, an exhausted but excited voice.

Peter was pointing the torch directly on the man's face. He seemed extremely weak. Peter kept staring at him, not realizing his torch beam was hurting his eyes.

The man feebly raised his hand to cover his face against the torch light demanding an answer now-

"Please answer me, who are you" the man pleaded "can you please lower your torch?"

Peter lowered the torch immediately, which made it slip out of his hand.

"I'm Peter. No I didn't come to rescue you, I got stuck in this crevasse, like you." Peter said stammering, picking up his torch " who are you, and how long have you been in this place?"

"15 days now, more or less" the man replied exhaling loudly" I'm Dan, I came here for hiking, when the ice beneath me sank and I fell here."

"So you have been here for 15 days and no one came looking for you?" Peter asked, surprised.

"Do you know where we are? Middle of nowhere. Even if someone tries, they will never find this place" replied Dan " I have been waiting for my death, I heard you coming, for a second I thought I will live after all. Turns out I'll have some company at my last moments"

"And all this while, did you try to get out ?"

"I would have, but I broke my ankle during the fall, can't even feel my leg now" Dan pointed towards his ankle, twisted at an awkward angle.

Peter had a million questions, but instead he composed himself. He took out his water flask to offer Dan, which Dan immediately snatched out of his hands.

"You got something to eat?" asked Dan

Peter reached out for some packed food, which again Dan took no time to eat. All the time Peter kept looking at Dan, wondering if this was real or just a dream.

"So how long since you last ate?" Peter asked

"Well I guess it's been 5 days more or less, and a day since I had anything to drink. I had just given up."

Hearing that, made Peter scared. All the while, Peter was hatching his plan to escape, Dan had been lying here, waiting for his death, just meters away from him. He realized that if the search and rescue department couldn't find Dan, him being rescued was bleak.

"But I have been here for 3 days now, you never heard me? " Peter asked

"Now that I think about it, I did hear you. I heard a song, that's my favorite song by the way" replied Dan, grinning. " And wait a moment, you said 3 days, so that was you shouting"

"Yes, yes that was me. So you have been hearing me for 3 days but you never tried to call me?"

"Peter, I have been here for 15 days, I hear things every day, I see things every day, I can even see my wife" Dan said touching his diamond ring, briefly losing himself to deep thoughts "This place is a bitch, it shows you things you want. Drives you crazy bit by bit, before killing you"

Peter understood him, even he had to drift into his memories quite a few times, in the solidarity.

"Dan I don't know about miracles but you are not going to die, I can get you out of here. Maybe 2 or 3 days more and then you can see your wife again, for real" said Peter, now really excited.

"You can Peter, not me.... not me. I'm too weak to even stand up, my leg is broken"

Peter thought for a while, "but what if I get out, and find help for you. People get rescued all the time"

"I don't mean to discourage you, but I have been here too long, and I can't even think, getting out of here is a possibility"

"You are right about one thing Dan, you have been here too long, but  I have made a plan to escape, you'll change your mind once you see it. "

Dan looked at Peter, they shared a long silent moment, "What are we waiting for then, let's see what you got!"

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