30 Days

Copyright © 2013 by Small, L. C.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4797-9745-5

                Ebook           978-1-4797-9746-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 02/20/2013

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Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dedication

To my wonderful John, whom I love very much, and to my children—Mommy loves you so much.

To Lee and the guys in America—you are the best. I couldn’t have done this without you, guys. You all are the best. Thank you.

Chapter One

The rain was pounding down on the streets of New York with snow coming down at the same time. It was heavy sleet, and it was getting worse. They had said that the weather was going to get worse, and it was going to be a very white Christmas. The office had been busy that day, and all he could do was switch on his computer and wish he had completed the deal the day before. He could have spent time with his family on Christmas Eve, but he had to pay the rent and the bills and keep food on his family’s table.

The phone rang; picking up the receiver was the worst thing that he had done that day. After hearing the words, ‘I am sorry’, the receiver dropped on to the floor, and he just wished he had not taken the call. Why had it happened to him now? He had lost everything, and he had to do something that he didn’t want to. They were asking him to come down to the police station and speak to the detective that had been assigned to the incident and seen it too.

He stirred and woke as he saw the white room with cold white floors that looked so sterile. Mortuaries were not the place he wanted to be on Christmas Eve at six o’clock in the evening, but he had no choice. He had to see her and say yes. He didn’t want to; he just wanted to wish that it was just a bad dream—a dream that would go away and never come back.

Opening his eyes, Jake looked around him and found himself in his bedroom—the place he woke up to each time he had the nightmare. He was getting it less and less now, and yet still it was just as vivid as it was yesterday. The vision was as if it had happened yesterday, and it will be five years this Christmas Eve. Lying in the bed, wearing just his pyjama bottoms and nothing else, with a cold sweat that covered his body making him shiver, and getting under the duvet even more seemed like the only thing to do. The nightmares were getting more apart, and yet he never got to see her face; maybe it was for the best. The nightmare was enough in itself.

Shrugging off the feeling of the nightmare, he stayed in bed for a few more minutes as it was cold out of bed. The weather outside was not that kind, and for late November, it was the normal. The snow was deep; and with the high winds at night, it drifted for miles and miles causing more trouble than anything, but that was the Rockies—the mountain range was what it was. Some roads were already blocked, causing chaos for many people that stupidly tried to venture into the outback, which was where he lived. He had seen many of them get stuck on their afternoon walks. As a mountain ranger, he had seen a few rescues that he had to take part in; it was his job after all. It was -25 outside, and it was only November; it would get colder as December came into season. He was having his four-month break now. As the season was closed to visitors doing the range walks and expeditions, he could enjoy his solitude and relax in comfort, thinking of nothing and nobody but feeling lonely deep down and yet content that his life was simple now. He couldn’t contend with complications anymore. Life was what it was, and he liked it the way he had it.

Getting out of bed was hard that morning as he had the vision of the nightmare still, but he had to get on with the day ahead of him. He was to have his last delivery of his fuel for the harsh winter weeks that lay ahead of him, and the food supplies would all arrive to keep him fed and watered for the next six weeks. He wouldn’t see anybody for six weeks now, so he had to make the effort.

Stepping into the shower with the warm water running over his body made him hold on to the shower wall and just close his eyes. The water was relaxing, and it was making him wake up slowly. He had been by himself for five years now and felt like he could do anything he wanted and when he wanted to. He had the freedom, and he enjoyed that. Standing at 5 foot 7 inches, he wasn’t the tallest of men, but he had a good inside, and one day, he might get someone to find out. He had once and he was a man after all. He washed himself with the shower gel, and after washing his hair, he sighed, putting his hands through his short dark hair, then made his way out of the shower as he turned it off. He was awake now, and he was ready for another day ahead of him.

Walking back into the bedroom, standing in front of the wardrobe with just the towel wrapped around his waist, he opened the wardrobe up and looked at what he had. At one stage, he had possessed suits and smart trousers; now it was jeans, walking clothes, boots, and thick warm fleeces that kept the cold out and the warmth in. He possessed thick shirts that kept him warm in the house as it got cold throughout too. He did have shorts and T-shirts and summer clothes, but they were all walking ones. He worked seven days a week; he found it helped him forget.

He pulled out a pair of jeans, with a thick shirt and some thick socks that would keep him warm. On the bottom of the wardrobe were his boots and he pulled them out, ready for when they came, but he just liked walking round in his thick walking socks. It was him, simple and no complications. He got dressed and slowly started to smile, as he didn’t look too bad for a twenty-eight-year-old man; he was happy that he had another day to contend with.

Walking downstairs, he could hear the truck arrive outside the cabin. He opened up the back door so they could see he was awake and up, and they saw him by waving to him. He had known them for the last five years, and they had never asked questions; he found them kind and friendly, and that was how he liked it. They thought he was just seeking solitude, and they were right. He was deep down, and he had found it in his way but had he? The delivery was made, and he could see that they had delivered the big oil tank that fuelled his AGA and the appliances that he had, which were not too many. He had decided he wanted the simple life, and he had achieved it to a high standard. Jack waved as he left the cabin. Once he had delivered the oil tank, Gennie smiled as she had stocked up his cold house outside by the side of the cabin. She had dropped off the big bags for his house food in the porch, as Jake opened the door for her. He helped her with the bags and thanked her once he had all his stock. He looked, and he had over thirty bags of food that would last him six weeks and make the difference between living and dying in the middle of nowhere. Gennie left him after an hour of empting the back of her 4×4.

Alone and quiet again, he smiled. Looking at all the bags, he started to pick up the bags and replenish his cupboards and his larder and save his stock so he had all the food he needed. Putting on the kettle, he had a cup of coffee whilst he was putting the food away. By lunchtime, he had done his duty and sat down with his own company and some music in the background that made him relax. He had Amos Lee on playing his tracks; and smiling, he closed his eyes and sat in the armchair by the fire, just listening to the soothing voice and the guitar playing gently and softly.

Putting some logs on to the big open wooden fire and seeing the flames all come up was a beautiful sight; he found watching the flames relaxing and very therapeutic. He didn’t possess a television; he didn’t want to know what the world was doing. He just wanted to be in his own world and nobody to rock his balance he had with life in general. He had his stereo and the radio that the rangers used to talk to each other—that was all he needed, and he didn’t need anything else. The logs created a beautiful effect, as he watched what the flames were doing.

He had built this cabin with his own hands; he was proud of it, as he looked around. It was two storeys high; the ground floor had an open area that consisted of a kitchen, some sofas, and a wooden dining table with four chairs. The open staircase was in the middle of the room, and it went round and round like a piece of art. He had placed some rugs in each area as he had created wooden floors that might appear cold and hard, but he liked it that way, and he liked what he had done. The AGA in the kitchen supplied all the heat the cabin needed, for the water and the cooking. He enjoyed the food from the AGA better than a cooker now. This was his life, and he was living it the way he chose. He finished his coffee and walked over to get himself some lunch before he went out to cut some wood for the next few days before the weather turned. He would venture out each day and cut wood for two hours each time and that would get him through the next few weeks; he had the wood house to fill up for the next seven days. He would be busy, so he prepared his body, well built and stocky, to do the task in hand.

Standing at the AGA, he prepared his lunch, making it look so easy. He had practice, and he had learnt how to cook too. He had no choice when he was left alone. Within twenty minutes, he had created for himself a simple delight—a Spanish omelette with spinach and boiled potatoes. He liked simple meals, but meals that would give him strength and energy. He ate and sat in the armchair, with the fire roaring away, and watched the snow as it fell softly on to the ground and lay softly, waiting for the wind to drift it somewhere else. The winds at night had become gale force winds over the last few nights, creating treacherous weather conditions, but he was used to them. He just got on with them now. Finishing his lunch, he placed his plate in the big sink and finished his coffee.

Looking at the back door, he could see his big old boots that he wore when he was doing jobs that needed sturdy boots. These had been the original ones he had used when he had built the cabin all those years ago. They had fond memories that he just could not forget; so whether these boots were falling apart or not, he would never get rid of them. Walking over to the boots, he picked them up and smiled and looked to see that they were still intact, even after all that time. He put them on and stood up straight, watching the weather outside. Putting on his big shabby-looking brown leather jacket, with fur round the collar, he made himself warm as it was cold outside, and he had a good two-hour workout. Cutting the logs was hard work, and it had built his muscles up and toned him up. Even though he was not huge or massive, he was okay.

Checking the AGA was a must, as he always made sure that the oil was enough to keep the levels maintained. He relied on the AGA for heating and water and all his needs. The emergency generator was placed in the back of the cabin in a big wooden room. It was warm in there, as the heat of the house kept the room nice and warm, making it impossible for the generator to freeze, no matter how low the temperature fell to.

Looking towards the door, he bravely put on his big brown leather gloves and his big hat, and he opened the door braving the weather. The woodshed was near the room that housed the generator, and this kept the wood dry through the wet season and mainly the winter season when it dropped really cold. It had double insulated-roof heating, and he made sure that it was the shed that would be safe and dry. Walking around the cabin and towards the shed, he thought of all the chopping he would do and all the work he had to do, but it was worth it. Seeing a nice wooden open fire with big flames was so wonderful; he couldn’t even imagine central heating or electric heaters anymore. The thought terrified him now.

Entering the shed, he found all the wood that needed chopping. The wood had been chopped into smaller pieces delivered to him, once it had been cut back in town by the saw millers. They had just left it where he could chop it into smaller pieces himself. Closing the door behind him and keeping the wind and snow behind and outside, he smiled as he walked towards the big trunk that was in the middle of the room. In the middle of the tree trunk was a big axe that could cut through anything; it looked so sharp, and it was so big and heavy, ready for Jake to pick up and start chopping. Picking up a piece of wood and placing it in the middle of the tree trunk and then coming down hard into the middle, splitting it into two pieces, made the pieces ideal for the fire. Once there were a few pieces on the floor, he picked them up and threw them into the spaces where the pieces went like pieces of paper literally. They were heavy, but he made light work of it. After cutting wood for nearly three hours, he called it a day and headed back to the house, knowing he had done well that day and he had achieved his tasks for that day.

Walking back into the warmth of the cabin was divine as the heat from the fire came wrapping its arms around him and keeping him warm. Taking off his boots and his gloves and hat, he smiled as he walked over to the kettle to make himself a cup of warm coffee. His feet were so warm, yet they were cold too, so he sat by the fire as he warmed himself up and drank his coffee. When he had drunk half his coffee, the radio went off, making a sound that was calling for Jake. He had a special code, and he knew it was for him; he walked towards the radio and picked up the receiver and repeated the code so they knew it was him. The code was XL18BL, and Jake knew it with his eyes shut, as he had chosen it himself. He had worked in a publishing house for many years before he had chosen the life he had now. He had been happy enough doing his job, and he had met his partner, who became his wife, through long distance communication, and it had developed into something special. He had found his soulmate, but now he was alone—content by choice. He didn’t want anything else now. But the code was a special code to him, and it was his past in a way that he still didn’t want to let go of.

Repeating his code and waiting for the message, he smiled as he looked around. The message came through with some crackling in the background; yet he could understand the message clearly and without a problem. It had said that in five days the weather would be closing in and to make sure to supply and maintain safety. He knew what they meant, as it was short coded. They had meant that he should be sure that he was well supplied and that he was safe inside and he kept safe. He thanked them, and they said that they would radio in six weeks and make sure that he had survived the main winter disaster.

He had been grateful that they were thinking of him and that he was okay; it made him glad that he was not alone in the world after all. Finishing his coffee, he placed the cup in the sink with the plate and felt so tired that he didn’t really want to do anything. He decided to wash the plate and cup up in the morning when he got up. He had another five days of chopping wood and preparing for the bad weather. He had bought extra blankets and shirts with socks, so he was covered as he never knew what could happen in the middle of nowhere. The night was still young, so he went up to get showered and into some pyjama bottoms with his jumper, and with the fire roaring away, he smiled to himself. Looking at the guitar, he was tempted to play and so he did. He had special songs that he liked, and one song that he always liked to sing with the guitar was ‘Better Together’ by Jack Johnson. As he started to strum the tune, he started to sing the song quietly with the guitar in the background. The words alone were so meaningful to him that he couldn’t help but think of his past.

The words all had stories of their own, and this one in particular was special as a tear ran down his face. He was thinking of her and his son and what they would be like now, five years later, and how he would be now if they were still alive. These were questions that he would never know the answers to; maybe one day, there was an angel out there for him that belonged to him. He would find out one day if that ever happened.

Playing the last note, he stopped plucking at the guitar and wiped the tears away from his face; he was trying to live again and be the good man that he knew he was inside. He just needed another chance, and he just needed to live again but in his way—that was out of his hands as destiny spoke in many ways.

Deciding to go to bed, hoping that he would not have another nightmare was a dream to him now, as he was tired, but it only 9 p.m. But out here, once it had gone dark, it was dark and going to bed seemed like a good idea. He had a good thriller next to his bedside, which he had enjoyed, and he had started to read the second of the six-book set. So he decided to read the second book, and before long, he was struggling to keep awake, realising the time had turned 11 p.m., and he had been engrossed in the book for two hours. Closing the book on the marker, he placed it on the bedside table and rolled into the middle of the bed and closed his eyes; sleeping was the best thing he wanted, as he just felt so tired now, but he was happy that day one of his five-day survival had begun.

Chapter Two

New York was a big place for someone to get lost in. Ellie was grateful she had her sat nav system set up in the car as a basic necessity. It was her lifeline in strange surroundings. She hadn’t been to New York for a few years now, as she had been in the United Kingdom studying, and she had graduated from university. With this, she had come back home, and she was visiting her father and his new bride. She had been away for four years and now she was back. Coming from a strong Italian background, family was important to her. She was angry with her father for just marrying this woman and then telling her. He had told her that she was lovely, and she had been a family friend for a long time, and it had just clicked one day. She didn’t understand love as she had been hurt at university with her one-night stand, and she hadn’t been involved with anyone since. She was anti-men, but the right one was still waiting somewhere for her. She could hope that was all she could do.

The traffic was something she hadn’t missed about New York as she was stuck yet again in another traffic queue that was getting busier. It was twelve days before Christmas, and she had been ordered to attend the meeting at her father’s office on the top floor. She wished she could get out of the meeting; she was still angry with him, but she couldn’t change the way things were. The lady he had married was Sara; she had been her mom’s best friend when they were growing up, and she knew her. She was nice, but what angered her was the fact that she had found out once the deed was done. She could forget but found it hard to forgive; she was stubborn and set in her ways which was a constant reminder for her father of what her mom was like. Sicilians were known for their temper, and she was the exemption. She had learnt to curb her temper and stay calm most of the time. At twenty-six, she was growing up and realising that life was what she made of it.

After fighting her way through the traffic, she found the building that was her father’s company. It was huge, and he had over three thousand staff members. She had been offered the job of resource manager for the entire staff in the building. She was honoured to be given the job, yet there was a catch with the job. She was to find out what the catch was that morning. Fighting her way through the traffic was a challenge; the snow that was coming down quite heavy was another in itself, but she liked challenges. It was something she enjoyed.

The building’s entrance for the car parking spaces was on her left, so indicating, she slowly steered her way into the parking bay and found a space near the lifts. It was warm and that was the main thing now, as it was -15 out there. She switched off her engine and got herself together as she looked in the car mirror and tidied her hair up a little. She had grown it since she had short hair for a while, and she now had it chin length with slight layers, and it was a dark red. It was her favourite colour, and it brought out her Sicilian look. She was proud to be Sicilian, proud of her heritage. She applied a little lip gloss; she didn’t like lipstick as she felt it was not appropriate for her. With her olive complexion, she just wanted to look natural and be herself. People accepted her to be herself or they didn’t it was how she wanted it.

Taking the key out of the ignition, she got out of her 4×4 red jeep and locked it, smiling as she now was the independent woman—the person who left for university was a child in her father’s eyes, but now he would see a woman. She stood at five feet and five inches with a boot heel of an inch; she was all curvy as she had been told by many men who had wanted to woo her. She was a size ten, and she was just Ellie. She wasn’t going to change for anyone. Straightening up her jeans that were figure hugging and her big long jumper that covered her and reached over her bottom to show her shape, with her black velvet boots, she was ready to meet her father for the first time since the wedding six months ago.

She didn’t think she would be so nervous; it was only her father, but she was. He was her father after all, and she did love him very much, no matter what he had done. Making her way to the lift with her handbag on her shoulder and car keys in her hand, she pressed the call button and waited. A man approached and waited as the lift had to come down to them; she was conscious that he was watching her. She smiled and just kept looking at the brick wall waiting for the lift door to open. He was making her feel uncomfortable, and she wished now she had put on her bigger jeans, but she had to take it as it was. The lift door finally opened, and they both got into the lift. She politely asked what floor he wanted to get off, and he answered, with a big smile, saying number 10. She was grateful he had said 10 as she needed 24. Pressing 10 and 24, she stood there with the stranger in the lift in silence. The lift approached the tenth floor, and she was grateful when he left the lift, wishing her a good day. She wished him good day in return with relief that she was in there by herself. She really didn’t feel comfortable with him in such a small enclosed space. The lift then took what seemed a lifetime to reach the twenty-fourth floor, but eventually it did, and it opened up to a nice big foyer that had Christmas songs playing in the background.

Stepping out into the foyer, she found that the desk was just to her right, and she knew the PA that sat behind the desk. She had been her dad’s PA for the last ten years. She stood up and walked round to Ellie with open arms and gave her a big hug.

‘Ellie, you look wonderful,’ she said as she looked at her. Stefanie was still the same, and she was so nice. Ellie was glad to see a familiar face in such a big city. New York had grown since she had been here last, she thought, but maybe she was just forgetting how big it actually was.

‘Thank you, you look amazing. You have not changed, and I am so glad. To see a familiar face is good,’ she said smiling at her. She was glad to see that something hadn’t changed at least.

‘He is ready for you. He has been waiting, and he is so excited, Ellie,’ she said as she walked back round to her chair to take a call from the outside extension that was blinking for her attention. As she picked up her call, Ellie walked towards her father’s door that said, CEO and boss. The boss thing had been a joke from her mom, and it had stuck.

As she hesitating before knocking the door, she heard a voice behind the door say, come in. He knew when someone was behind the door. How he did that she would have loved to know one day. She stepped into the room once she had opened the door and closed the door behind her quietly, trembling a little as this was quite nerve-racking for her.

Her father, who was standing, came around his big dark-wood desk that had a big leather writing pad and big black leather chair and tall lamp that stood behind the chair. He found himself standing there just looking at her and smiling with his arms open wide. She went to him and just held her dad. He was her dad, and she had missed him so much. Under her stubborn exterior, she was still her daddy’s girl; with four brothers, she was his princess.

‘Figlia mia!’ he said as he stood back, holding her hands and admiring his daughter. She had left as a child, trying to become a young woman, and now he could see a beautiful woman, a spitting image of his Sofia, but he had to look at the future as he had Sara now.

‘Papa!’ she said smiling, and suddenly, everything she had been afraid of just went out of the window, and she was glad to be there. He sat down in his chair as she sat in the other leather chair that was on the other side of the desk. The view from the window was amazing; she could see the whole of New York, in her opinion, and she could see the Empire State Building. This was a spot that she wanted to visit one day. An American that had never been on the top of the Empire State Building was strange, but she would one day.

‘How have you been, Papa?’ she asked as she looked at him. He was happy to see her, and he was still the same, not changed in looks, just happier. Maybe Sara was the best medicine that he needed. He stood at five feet and eight inches with greyish hair and was clean shaven. His complexion was identical to Ellie’s, so she couldn’t escape the fact she was his daughter. Their eyes were the same colour, greenish brown; he was stubborn too, maybe more so, but he was still her dad.

‘I have been good, but you look wonderful. I am so glad that you came today. It means a lot that you came,’ he said as he made himself comfortable, ready to tell her what he expected her to do. He knew she would have said no if she was not there in person.

‘Thank you, and you do too, Papa. But what do you want me to do?’ she asked as she knew he only wanted something from her if she was summoned by his PA.

‘I want you to meet a few of your colleagues who will be calling you boss,’ he said as he looked at her. That seemed okay, she thought, so why couldn’t he just say that on the phone.

‘Okay, what office?’ she asked, expecting to go to an office and introduce herself. She was confident in business meetings, so it wasn’t daunting. It was one of the biggest publishing houses in the United States, and it was only getting bigger as every book was published, and it made more authors more successful day by day.

‘No office. The wilderness,’ he said, waiting for her to question him, and she did.

‘Explain, Papa. I don’t like the sound of that,’ she said, dreading what he was suggesting.

‘A team-building exercise in the middle of nowhere for a day, and that is it,’ he said as if it was just nothing to worry about.

‘You must be joking. I don’t do team building in outside conditions, Papa. You can’t make me do this. You can’t!’ she said with eyes looking sad and very scared. She had never done anything like that before, let alone in the wilderness and in the middle of nowhere. It was winter, and Christmas was near.

‘Well, they all know you are going, and it is booked for you—a minibus full of a selected few for the day after tomorrow. You have a list of things that you need waiting on Stefanie’s desk outside, so take the list, and I will see you on Christmas day,’ he said; he was telling, not asking now.

‘But I…’ she said, thinking, How can I fight my corner here? It is not fair. But she knew he had won, and she could not win. No matter how much she argued, she couldn’t let the others down. He had put her under pressure, and he knew how to do it. She looked at him with anger in her eyes as she got up and just looked in shock and horror at him. He was asking her to do something out of her comfort zone.

‘See you at twelve noon on Christmas day. Don’t be late. Your brothers will be there too,’ he said as he stood up and walked around the desk and gave his daughter a big hug and kiss on the forehead. She returned the hug and kissed him on the cheek, and she just enjoyed the hug.

‘Okay!’ she said though she was still angry, but she had no choice. Slowly, she walked out of the office, and Stefanie was holding the list in her hand and smiling as she gave her the list. She looked like Miss Moneypenny from the James Bond film with an errand for her.

She read the inventory list in the lift as she was making her way back downstairs, and she just looked in horror. He was sending her to the middle of nowhere, and he was expecting so much, but she was stuck with the task now, so she might as well get on with it.

The day came, and she had followed the list she had been given and put some things that she called emergencies in as well, such as her driving license and her day-to-day things that made her feel like she was human. She stood waiting for a minibus to pull up and pick her up from outside her apartment, and it was on time. She had hoped it would not turn up, but it had. She was to sit in the front with the driver, and she was to be the last member of the minibus team. They set off, and it seemed like hours to get to where they had to, and eventually after nearly a day of travelling, they arrived at a point where there was no human existence. She could see trees and snow and more trees and more snow. The view was beautiful, and yet it seemed so extreme. She only had to survive six hours and then back into the minibus and then home. How hard could it be. They were put into groups of four with each team having a leader. She didn’t nominate herself as she didn’t feel confident in leading this, even though she had got to know the people in the minibus on the way down to where they were now. They were nice people and they liked her and she liked them. She was happy to be there, so she wasn’t feeling too bad now. The first task was to find some clues that had been placed following the first clue that they had been given by the driver, who was also a part of the entire team. With the clue, they all went into their groups and started to hunt for the second clue.

The snow was deep, and it was getting deeper as the snow drifts had made it quite treacherous in some places; yet it was a challenge that she was enjoying, even though she didn’t want to admit it. Her team had found the second and third clue in no time at all, and then it was the fourth and penultimate clue that was going to be different. They were given a walkie-talkie each, but only lasted one hour of life, and they reached two miles; so they had to be wise and careful. Ellie felt confident as they all split up and agreed to meet back at that point in one hour’s time. They all made sure they knew where they were going and where to meet up, as they marked up their maps. Ellie was the second to leave the team, and they all did what they had to.

Ellie followed the directions and couldn’t find the things she needed to see; she was getting scared. She used her walkie-talkie, but it said out of range as she couldn’t pick anything up. Looking at her watch, she noticed she only had ten minutes to get back to the meeting point. So disappointed she had not found the clues they needed, she started to make her way back, and before long, she realised she was lost, and she just panicked. Calming herself down, by breathing and trying to keep warm, she looked around her to see where she was, and it all looked the same. She could just see trees and more snow. The snow was coming down, and the temperature was hitting -37, and it was getting colder and darker. The others would realise she was lost, and they would send out a rescue party. Her dad must have taken precautions. He was always prepared, and he was built that way.

She had to do something as she was lost, so she made her way to find someone, anyone, against her better judgement, but she had no choice. She must have walked for hours as it was getting dark, and her watch was glowing, and it was reading 5 p.m. She had been alone for three hours now; feeling cold and scared, she didn’t know what to do. She had to try to find someone or find some place where she could find shelter and try to survive the night, so she could be found alive. She had no idea how, but she would try.

After what seemed like hours, she could see some smoke coming from a distance. Her legs were so tired from walking in the snow as she made it to that point. She slowly fought her way through, and as she walked, the snow was coming down heavily, and it was getting deeper. The winds were picking up, and it felt more like -70 rather than what it actually was. With every step she made in the snow, the distance seemed to get closer as the smoke seemed to be getter closer. The smoke was really close, and with her eyes sore and tired, she thought she could see a big cabin. It was lovely, not like the normal ones; it was two-storeyed, and it was beautiful. She approached the porch at the front of the cabin and knocked the door, but then felt her legs give way, and she could see darkness as she came collapsing to the ground with a big thud; she was in darkness now.

Jake was coming down the stairs as he heard a knock on the door. He had been in just over an hour as he had now completed this stocking up of wood and all the food, and he was happy about that. Nobody was stupid enough to walk the forest in this weather, let alone come out here. He was miles out of the way of civilisation, so going to the door was a surprise, as nobody could survive this way out.

He opened the door and looked ahead of him and saw nothing except the snow and the trees; the sight he had got used to seeing and the view he loved to see every day. He stepped out in case they had walked around the cabin, and he felt his foot nudge something. As he looked down, he saw something curled up in a ball and realised it was a person on his porch. In this weather, this was insane as nobody could have survived, let alone made it to his cabin. He didn’t know what to think as he didn’t see anyone normally, except for the deliveries that he got each month from the town that was nearly twenty miles away. He bent down to see who it was, and he could see it was a woman, who was very cold and feverish and needed to be out of the cold.

Chapter Three

Jake picked up this woman who was on his porch and closed the door behind him. She was so petite that he was amazed she had survived it out here all alone. He placed her on the sofa at first, by the fire, and took off her rucksack and felt how cold she was. He just looked at her and couldn’t believe he had a woman in his log cabin, and he was with a woman after five years all alone. He had to get her dry and warm as her clothes were all soaked, and she was so cold. He placed her near the fire on the sheepskin rug on the floor now, as the heat was warmer on the ground, while he went upstairs and got some blankets. Running down the stairs, he forgot about the fact it was a woman; it was a survivor that needed help, and he had to look at her like that. It was the only way he knew how to. He saw her and became nervous as he knew what he had to do.

He slowly took off her wet clothes as they were soaked to her skin, and she was so cold he had to get her dry and warm immediately, no matter how hard it was for him to do this. He took off her boots and her soaking socks and noticed how little her feet were. His foot size was 7, and she was only a 5. It was a perfect little boot. Then he started at the coat that had clung to her. He took it off and placed it on the pile with the socks, removing her fleece that came off over her head. He smiled when he saw she was brunette, with the most beautiful soft skin. He hadn’t felt anything this soft for a long time. Her hair was chin length, and it was red; he liked the colour, and he was finding it hard to focus, but he had to. He was her only hope of survival now.

She wore a T-shirt under the fleece. Smiling, he was amazed how many layers she had on, but she had been prepared at least, and this might have saved her life. The T-shirt was stuck to her, so he peeled it gently off her, and he could see her in just her bra that held the perfect breasts in the bra cup. She had an olive complexion. He had to get these thoughts of how perfect she was out of his head, but he was finding it hard. She was like a doll, and she was lovely. He wrapped the blanket around her; now he had to take her trousers off as they were stuck on as well. He unzipped them and gently peeled them back and took them off, showing the perfect and most stunning legs he had seen. He had