Blizzard

by Kirbi Fagan

  Jeff looked up to see Keith running ahead, plowing through the snow.

  “Wait!” Jeff shouted, realizing what the sign was. A second later he heard a loud CRACK!

  Following Keith’s trail, Jeff saw Keith’s tracks end at the edge of a hole in the ice. The flashlight was lying in the snow, but Keith was gone.

  CHAPTER 6

  BREAKTHROUGH

  Jeff stopped dead in his tracks. He knew without looking that the sign read: THIN ICE.

  Jeff fought back the urge to panic. He needed to act fast. He peered at the hole in the water, but he couldn’t see Keith. That meant his friend was somewhere under the ice.

  “Keith!” Jeff shouted. He wasn’t sure if his friend could hear him, but it was worth a shot. When he didn’t hear or see any sign, he used the small shovel to check the strength of the ice next to his feet. He tapped the surface a few times and took careful steps toward the flashlight.

  The ice creaked a bit as he neared the light. Using the shovel, he dragged the flashlight across the snow to within arm’s reach.

  Jeff aimed the beam at the icy hole, hoping that Keith would be able to see the light and use it as a beacon to find his way out. He held his breath, listening carefully.

  Nothing.

  Then, below his feet, the ice shook slightly.

  He’s pounding on the ice! Jeff realized.

  Jeff cleared away some of the snow with the shovel. The ice was too thick where he was standing to see Keith, but he moved the snow anyway to clear a path toward the hole. He illuminated the makeshift path he’d created.

  “C’mon, Keith,” Jeff said. “Follow the light.”

  The wind died down, making it eerily quiet. Jeff traced the beam of light along the ice path he’d made. Then he pointed the beam into the hole itself for a moment before starting to trace again.

  The black opening in the ice began to get as slushy as their ice fishing hole.

  “Hurry, Keith!” Jeff shouted at the top of his lungs. “Get to the hole!”

  A moment later, a wet, gloved hand rose through the water, quickly followed by Keith’s pale face.

  “Keith!” Jeff shouted. His voice echoed around the lake.

  “G-get me out of here!” Keith screamed.

  Jeff lay flat on his stomach to spread his weight out evenly along the ice. Using his gloved hands and shovel, he pulled himself closer to the hole.

  The ice beneath him started to crack, but It didn’t matter. Jeff had to keep moving.

  “Grab the shovel,” Jeff said, watching his friend flail around in the open water. “And stay still! You’ll need your energy!”

  Gasping, Keith reached for the shovel.

  “Get your fingers in the handle!” Jeff cried.

  If Keith could grip the top of the handle, he could at least keep his friend above water.

  “I can’t reach it,” Keith sputtered, cold water spraying from his mouth.

  Jeff inched closer, certain that the ice would crack any second and dump him in, too. When it didn’t, he scooted forward a bit more. Keith reached out and locked his finger into the handle.

  “Got it,” he said.

  “Now swim out!” Jeff cried. “Kick your legs and swim toward me. Grab a thicker part of the ice!”

  “I can’t see . . . how thick . . . it is,” Keith said between shudders. “Just p-pull me out!”

  Jeff hauled his friend closer to the edge. “C’mon!” Jeff shouted. “Get as much of your body onto the ice as you can!”

  Keith nodded. Jeff saw his friend’s breaths come in quick, ragged gasps. As he kicked and rowed his free arm, Jeff pulled. Keith climbed out so his ribs were resting on the ice.

  “Pull!” Keith shouted.

  “Kick your legs!” Jeff cried.

  Jeff tugged and screamed and closed his eyes. He heard his voice carry through the blinding white expanse around them. He kept tugging.

  Finally, he heard a splash. He opened his eyes to see his friend fall face-first into the snow.

  CHAPTER 7

  SOAKED

  Keith was silent. Jeff wasn’t sure for how long — it felt like minutes, but it probably was only seconds. In that space of time, Jeff was convinced Keith had died. He couldn’t see any breaths coming from his mouth, and he wasn’t moving.

  Then he heard a loud cough come from his friend’s mouth. “Jeff ?” Keith whispered. “I’m cold, man. I’m freezing from the inside out.”

  Keith curled himself into a ball. The flashlight glinted off of his water-soaked winter clothes.

  Now what do I do? Jeff thought. He took a deep breath. Cold air filled his lungs. First things first, I have to get us off the thin ice.

  Jeff slid back a little. He didn’t want to be too close to Keith or the ice would surely give way. “Can you roll over?” he asked.

  “What?” Keith whispered.

  “Roll away from the hole,” Jeff said. “Toward me.”

  Keith groaned. Slowly, carefully, he rolled away from the icy hole. Jeff crawled backward, inching his way through the snow, farther and farther from the thin ice.

  “I think we’re safe here,” Jeff said. He stood up and carefully pulled Keith to his feet.

  “I’m freezing to death,” Keith whispered. Jeff could hear his friend’s teeth clacking together. “What are we gonna do? I don’t want to be a Popsicle . . .”

  “We need to get you somewhere warm,” Jeff said.

  Jeff had no idea where that might be, though. Moving forward wasn’t an option anymore, and he didn’t dare head back the way they’d just come.

  “My jacket and snow pants are too heavy,” Keith cried, his breath ragged and choppy. “They must weigh like two hundred pounds.”

  “Let’s wring them out,” Jeff said. “Quick, pull that stuff off.”

  Jeff helped Keith out of his outer layers of clothing. Together, they twisted the soaked fabric to squeeze out as much water as possible. They did the same with his hat and when they were done, Keith put it back on.

  “I’d pay a million bucks for a bonfire,” Keith said as he zipped up his still slightly wet coat. Jeff watched Keith’s entire body shiver.

  Jeff picked up the shovel and the flashlight. “We’re gonna walk that way now,” Jeff said, using the shovel to point in a direction parallel with the thin ice. “I’ll test the ice with the shovel before every few steps.”

  Keith had his arms wrapped around himself. He nodded. Jeff could only imagine how Keith felt right then.

  I don’t know how much time we’ve got, Jeff thought, taking his first few cautious steps forward. If someone doesn’t find us soon . . .

  They moved slowly, testing the ice in front of them and listening for tell-tale cracks. They continued on, slowly making their way across the great, white expanse.

  CHAPTER 8

  BRIGHT LIGHT

  Jeff and Keith continued through the blinding snow and wind, still unable to see any sort of life outside of their small range of vision. Jeff was tired, cold, and ready to give up. Seeing how much Keith was struggling, though, gave him the strength to keep moving.

  “We have to get you warmed up,” Jeff said a few minutes later. “The next icehouse I see, I’m going to see if I can set it on fire.”

  Keith nodded. “You . . . criminal.”

  Jeff chuckled. His friend still had his sense of humor, at least.

  They pressed on.

  Jeff looked up to the sky. Staring up through the falling snow and clouds, he couldn’t see a single star — just billions and billions of snowflakes falling softly onto everything in sight.

  Keith groaned. “I have to stop. My body feels like it’s shutting down.”

  “Mine too,” Jeff said. He grabbed his friend by the arm. “But we have to keep moving. If we rest, we might never get up . . .”

  Keith shuddered. “Okay,” he said. “And hey, man. I never thanked you.”

  “For what? Asking you to come out ice fishing?” Jeff said. “Yeah, really turned out well
for us, huh?”

  Keith made a sound more like coughing than laughter. “No,” he said with a wan smile. “Not that. Thanks for saving me. If you hadn’t shined that light on the hole, I would’ve drowned.”

  “No problem,” Jeff said. “I’m just glad I didn’t have to jump in after you.”

  “Me too,” Keith said. Then he dropped to his knees. The snow was up around his waist now, and getting deeper by the second. “Sorry, but I have to rest.”

  Jeff watched his friend’s eyes slowly close in the waning beam of his flashlight. The batteries were likely dying. In moments they’d be in total darkness.

  Jeff slowly waved the now-flickering flashlight back and forth over his head. The odds of anyone seeing it in the whiteout were slim, but he had to try. His friend was running out of time.

  “C’mon, Keith,” Jeff urged. “Get up. Get up, man.”

  The flashlight died. Jeff looked around, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Suddenly he saw two single beams of light bearing down on them.

  Great, Jeff thought. Now I’m delirious.

  He slumped down next to his friend. He could barely hear Keith breathing. Jeff blinked his eyes as hard as he could. When he opened them, the beams of light were still visible.

  Jeff struggled to his feet and waddled over to the light. A moment later, the beams enveloped him and Keith. After a moment, he realized what they were.

  “Headlights!” he croaked.

  Seconds later, his dad’s pickup truck was there igniting the snow around them in a wide swath of light. Jeff tugged at Keith as his dad hopped out of the truck.

  CHAPTER 9

  WARMTH

  Together, Jeff and his dad got Keith into the backseat. The heat felt amazing against his skin.

  “I got to the ice shack and saw it was empty,” his dad explained, driving through the whipping snow. “I couldn’t see where you’d headed.”

  Jeff explained how they’d ended up lost and wet. He smelled the hamburgers in the front seat and his mouth began to water.

  Keith groaned. “We’re going to make it,” Jeff said. “Just hang tight.”

  “Burger,” Keith said weakly.

  “That’s right,” Jeff said, feeling his body begin to thaw. “You want one?”

  “Yeah. To heat up my face,” Keith said.

  They both laughed.

  The truck raced across the lake, heading for the hospital. Jeff stared out the windshield, recalling the cold and the darkness. He shivered despite his warmth.

  For the first time in his life, Jeff wished for summer.

  WINTER SURVIVAL NEEDS

  Getting caught in severe winter weather is no joke. Proper preparation is key to survival. These items will help to ensure your safety in a blizzard.

  Clothing: Staying warm and dry is vital. Thermal socks, waterproof clothing, and thick boots will go a long way to shield you from the icy elements.

  Fluids: Staying hydrated is crucial, especially during long storms. It may seem obvious, but the places one would typically find water will likely be frozen in severe winter weather.

  Fire: Matches or a lighter can provide heat in case of power outages. Some lighters will not work unless they are warm, so matches might be a safer choice — unless they get wet. Ideally, matches should be sealed in a waterproof container.

  First Aid Kit: The kit should include the basics — but also a fully charged cellular phone and some emergency rations.

  Compass: Whiteouts make it nearly impossible to figure out where you’re headed. A compass will point you in the right direction.

  Flashlight: Power outages are common in severe weather. Just make sure you have the correct type of batteries!

  Batteries: Power outages are common during blizzards and other types of severe winter weather. Access to a generator is ideal.

  Shelter & Food: The best way to be prepared for a blizzard is to STAY INSIDE! A warm and safe place with plenty of canned goods will all but guarantee you live to tell the tale.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Thomas Kingsley Troupe Thomas Kingsley Troupe has written more than thirty children’s books. His book Legend of the Werewolf (Picture Window Books, 2011) received a bronze medal for the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award. Thomas lives in Woodbury, Minnesota, with his wife and two boys.

  ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

  Kirbi Fagan is a vintage-inspired artist living in the Detroit, Michigan, area. She is an award-winning illustrator who specializes in creating art for young readers. Her work is known for magical themes, vintage textures, bright colors, and powerful characterization. She received her bachelor’s degree in Illustration from Kendall College of Art and Design. Kirbi lives by two words: “Spread joy.” She is known to say, “I’m in it with my whole heart.” When not illustrating, Kirbi enjoys writing stories, spending time with her family, and rollerblading with her dog, Sophie.

  GLOSSARY

  amateurs (AM-uh-choors)—

  people who are poor at doing something due to a lack of experience

  eerily (EER-uh-lee)—

  strange and mysterious

  expanse (ek-SPANSS)—

  a large and flat open area

  frostbite (FRAWST-bite)—

  a condition in which part of your body freezes or almost freezes

  generator ( JEN-uh-ray-ter)—

  a machine that produces electricity

  glinted (GLIN-tid)—

  shined in small bright flashes

  jigged (JIGD)—

  made quick and sudden movements

  onslaught (AWN-slawt)—

  a violent attack

  traversing (truh-VERSS-ing)—

  moving across an area

  WRITING PROMPTS

  Make a list of things Jeff and Keith could have done to be better prepared for the blizzard. What would’ve made their situation safer or easier?

  Choose another type of natural disaster and write a story about it. What are you doing when the disaster strikes? How do you manage to survive? Write a short story about your own survival.

  Rewrite one of the chapters in this book from Keith’s perspective. In what ways might he see things differently from Jeff?

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  What would you have done differently if you were in Jeff and Keith’s situation? Why?

  What surprised you about what Keith and Jeff experienced during the blizzard? What aspects of severe winter weather did you already know about?

  As a group, come up with a list of words to describe a blizzard, like cold, frigid, and chilly. Try to come up with fifteen words.

  SURVIVE! is published by

  Stone Arch Books

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.mycapstone.com

  © 2016 Stone Arch Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available at the Library of Congress website.

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-2554-3 (library binding)

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-2560-4 (paperback)

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-2564-2 (ebook pdf)

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-8893-7 (ebook)

  Designer: Hilary Wacholz

  Design Elements: Shutterstock: Brothers Good, frikota, In-Finity, Thomas Bethge, vladis.studio, zelimirz

  Summary: Jeff and his best friend Keith are ice fishing in the middle of Big Lake. It’s been hours without a bite, but they’re still having a blast . . . until the storm of the decade closes in. Soon, the entire landscape is buried in three feet of snow and the snowfall shows no sign of stopping. With their heaters low on power, Jeff and Keith are forced to make their way home through the whipping wind, low visibility, and the ominous crackling of ice beneath their fe
et.