A gentle, breeze wafted time away. Genie had no idea how long she lay there. Every bone in her body begged her to stay where she was. Take advantage and rest, they said. There's plenty of time, they said.
She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the clear sky. It showed the colourful glow of the sun beginning to show itself for the day.
“Wake up, Hamilton,” she said, releasing a lungful of condensed air that drifted and merged in with the surrounding, low-lying mist. “One step forward, ten steps back.” She shook her head. “Onward and upward, as they say.”
She rolled back onto her stomach and started to rise to her knees. Her movement was too much. She began to slip once more.
“No...No...No..!”
Her shout taunted her as it echoed back from the steep rock walls on each side.
She dropped flat again and tried to dig in her fingers but the sharp pain from her open wounds refused to let her grip. The slow slide continued, attended by a shower of light snow and several larger lumps thudding down around her. She ignored them, concentrating instead on pressing her body hard against the surface.
It worked.
Her slide slowed to stop.
Another sizable snowball thumped down close to her head. Slowly, she twisted her head around to see if she was about to be bombarded with anything else. Snowballs were acceptable. Chunks of rock weren't. Deep shadows hid the detail but, as far as she could make out, the snow had stopped playing games with her.
She examined the snowball that had just landed beside her. “If that's your idea of an avalanche, Lorenzo Calderone,” she said, “you're going to have to find another word to describe it.”
Enough. Let's go.
Shifting her weight carefully, she tried to rise to her knees. But, as soon as she moved, her body began to slide in earnest.
“Damn...damn...damn,” she yelled.
The echoes once again screamed her words back to her.
Falling flat, she grunted against the pain as she dug her fingers through the snow to the solid base beneath.
An ominous rushing sound above her head and the heavy shadow spreading over her swept aside the pain. A white cloud fell on her with alarming speed. It was light at first, like a snowy day in England. Then a tsunami of snow enveloped her and swept her along in the billowing wave.
Chapter Fifteen
Lorenzo threw back his second espresso and cocked an ear in the direction of the stairs. No Genie so far. He snuffed a short laugh. “When did she ever wake up this early? She'll come down when she's ready.”
He rinsed out his cup and turned to leave when Domino trotted in and barked at him.
“Va bene, Amico. I'm coming.”
Domino lumbered ahead of Lorenzo and stood to one side of the door. He took up a stance that clearly demonstrated he was ready to bolt through as soon as Lorenzo opened it.
“Che successo, Ragazzo,” Lorenzo said. “You are restless this morning.” He opened the door.
Domino forced his way through immediately. Even before Lorenzo had a chance to step out into the open, the St. Bernard was already following a trail only he could detect, nose skimming the ground over the many footprints in the snow created by him and Genie the previous day. When it appeared to be drawing him to the barn, Lorenzo's curiosity notched up a couple of levels. “We had intruders, Amico?”
Then, Lorenzo's concern grew when Domino swerved away from the barn and sniffed his way to the gate. He skidded to a halt in front of it, his paws temporarily losing their grip, looked up and barked,
“Are they still around, Domino?” Lorenzo said, striding out towards the barn. Everything looked intact. The doors were firmly closed and, as far as he could see, there were no partially dug holes under the doors or any other part of the barn.
With the ground still frozen hard, he was not surprised.
After making a closer inspection of the barn, satisfied that everything was normal, he joined Domino at the gate and tested it. It was still secure. No makeshift tunnels beneath it either. He peered into the darkness among the trees beyond. No movement “There's nothing out there, old friend,” he said. “Whatever's been here has gone.”
Domino scratched at the ground, looked up at Lorenzo and barked twice. “It's okay Amico. They've gone.” He patted his thigh. “Come, let's check the fence.”
It didn't work. Domino remained at the gate, peering through it and emitting occasional subdued 'woofs'.
“Please yourself.” Lorenzo set off and made a rapid security round of the fence. No breaches anywhere. Whatever predators had tried in the night, their only success it seems, was to disturb Domino.
On his return some fifteen minutes later, he found the St. Bernard still maintaining his vigil at the gate.
“What is wrong, Ragazzo?” Lorenzo shook his head in exasperation. He peered through the gate once more. “There is nothing out there. If there ever were, they've gone now.”
Domino ignored Lorenzo and snuffled his way from one side of the gate to the other, apparently looking for an opening.
“Come.” Lorenzo spun around and strode out towards the barn. “Let's go to work.”
Chapter Sixteen
Genie pressed her hands to her face as the snow enveloped her. The huge, white wave picked her up and spun her wildly, wrapping itself around her. She imagined it turning her into a giant snowball.
The idea should have amused her.
It didn't.
Particularly when she hit a rock with bone-jarring force on her shoulders, spinning her around 180 degrees.
Then, abruptly, everything stopped.
She held her breath and lay still in the oppressive silence.
When she was sure that the avalanche had run its course, she released her breath. She fought off the beginnings of panic and focused her mind.
Taking stock of her situation in the darkness, she was surprised to discover that she had a considerable amount of snow-free space. She traced the rock at her back with her hand. It formed a partial arc over her head, providing her with a small cavern about an arm's length to each side and in front of her face.
True, she had to arch her back uncomfortably to sit, or she could lie curved in the foetal position but, at least, she could still breathe and she had room to move. .
“Somebody up there must like me.”
On the down side, she couldn't see anything. There was a total absence of light.
Genie leaned forward, tracing the overhanging rock to its edge. She stared hopefully up at where she believed the sky should be. While she recognized the sun wasn't very strong yet, surely light should have penetrated the snow somewhere.
“It can't be that thick.”
The pit of her stomach created a fear knot without invitation. The total darkness began to nibble away at her confidence. She took a deep defensive breath. “Steady on Hamilton,” she asserted as she expelled the air. “You've been in worse fixes than this.”
The fact that she couldn't call one to mind didn't help.
Even her recent hold up and wild car chase seemed to pale by comparison.
“Can't be that bad. It's only snow.”
All she had to do was dig herself out.
She undulated her straightened fingers into the snow, straight up from the overhanging edge of the rock. They passed through with some resistance, the coolness of the snow soothing her torn finger tips.
“C'mon 'out',” she muttered through clenched teeth, “where are you?
Disappointment welled up inside her. With her arm at its fullest extent, she still sensed the coolness of the snow at her fingertips.
And still no light.
Still no sign of the sun.
“Perhaps my arm isn't long enough.” She wriggled her body around to try to extend her reach.
Still no fresh air.
Still no sunlight.
She slapped at the snow before her face.
In her imagination, the wall of snow appeared to come to life and sl
owly close in on her - like in one of those horror movies where the heroine is about to be crushed by an ever-shrinking room. The villain is crackling his evil laughter in the background. Then, Prince Charming appears in the form of Leonardo di Caprio and rescues her at the last second.
“No Prince Charming for me - LdC, or otherwise.”
Then, a glimmer of as hope flashed briefly. “Lorenzo, perhaps?”
As quickly as the hope appeared, it evaporated. She tightened her lips in disappointment. “He doesn't even know I'm here.”
The tendrils of panic returned and wrapped themselves around her stomach. “It's down to me. I've got to do it by myself.”
She set her jaw. “I can do it. I'll dig my way out.”
Genie clawed at the snow in front of her to provide a space to work. She scooped out handful after handful and piled it around her body. As the hole in front of her grew larger, her impatience grew in direct proportion to her fear and her digging became increasingly frenzied.
Her wild exertion and her fears drove her lungs into a series of short, hard pumps. Within seconds, the snow ceiling she had dug through began to undulate like an ocean swell.
“Stop!”
She forced herself to take deep slow breaths until the effects of hyperventilation dissolved. But, even when she managed to regain control, experienced an odd shortage of breath. She had to work harder to supply her lungs.
“I'm running out of air,” she whispered and then immediately clamped her mouth shut to prevent any more precious air escaping.
Realizing that over-exertion would limit her 'air' time dramatically, she tried to relax and rest for a while. Lying down, with her legs stretched out into her newly dug space, she narrowed her eyes and stared malevolently into the darkness. “Sun,” she said through gritted teeth. “Give me a clue.”
Nothing changed.
It still all looked the same.
Dark.
Oppressive.
Frightening.
“I'm going to die here,” she whispered, “and no one's ever going to find my body.”
Chapter Seventeen
Domino's intermittent barking at the gate finally broke Lorenzo's resolve. Releasing a heavy sigh, joined his canine friend at the gate.
“I have a lot of work to do, Amico. Why all this?”
Lorenzo peered through the gate at the snow-covered hills and trees. “There's still nothing out there,” he said.
Domino barked and scratched the ground at the foot of the gate.
Lorenzo leaned down to pat Domino's substantial back when he saw the footprints. Small footprints. Genie-sized footprints - and they led away from the farm.
He stared intently at the path and the surrounding trees. “
Is she out there, Domino? Is that what’s bothering you?” He looked up at Genie's bedroom window. She's never been up this early.
Domino whined and continued with his attempts to burrow under the gate.
“That’s what it is, boy, isn’t it,” he said. “You’re put out because she left you behind.”
Should he go after her? Domino certainly wanted to. “Maybe we should go and find her, eh, Domino?” She can't have got far. Where can she go? The pass is still blocked. He and Domino could soon find her.
But, what if she wanted to be on her own?
“It’ll be a short trip, ragazzo.” He smiled as he envisaged her frustration at finding the blocked pass. She’d probably kick the snow in temper.
The look on her face when she returned will be a picture.
“I'll be calm, and even ask her if she enjoyed her little outing.” He laughed and nodded to confirm his plan. “She'll be angry. She'll probably kick me in temper, too.”
He patted Domino again. “She'll be all right, Amico,” he said. “Anyone who can battle through a snowstorm can manage a bit of cold.”
Best to leave her alone with her thoughts.
Still chuckling, he made his way to the barn again. “Andiamo Domino,” he called. “She'll be back soon. Let's go to work.”
Domino didn't release his concentration on the gate for one second.
Lorenzo shook his head. Silly dog. Can't do without his new lady friend even for a few hours. “Stay here if you want to,” he said. “Tell her hello from me when you see her. “I've got things to do.”
Domino didn't move. His vigil at the gate was intense and singular.
Chapter Eighteen
The thought of dying spurred Genie into a flurry of renewed activity. She set her jaw and resumed her digging. No way was an outsized snowball going to defeat her.
“It's only snow, after all.”
Soon, however - and Genie didn't know how much time had passed - exhaustion and the difficulty to breathe took command. Her pounding heart reverberated from the walls of her icy cavern. She reached up to make a few more weak grabs at her escape route, then stopped and allowed her hands to fall onto her stomach.
“Rest for a bit,” she said.
The heat from her exertions and the spreading inner warmth encouraged her to relax. Her private cavern no longer felt cold. Even her feet didn't sting anymore.
“Must be all that digging,” she said sleepily as her eyelids began to droop. “Start again in a minute.”
Perhaps a nap first. That might help.
Something inside her told her she mustn't sleep. But he desperately wanted to. Her body was relaxed, pleasantly warm, and her eyes simply didn't want to remain open.
“Just for a little while,” she whispered. “Until I get my strength back.”
She drifted down into a dark, warm world. A calm and peaceful world.
At least it was calm and peaceful until the dreams started.
Her mind ran a kaleidoscope of images. Scenes from the past - her parents, friends, hopeful suitors flashed by like a “This is Your Life” show on steroids. Even Domino was here with his infernal snuffling.
Why do I have to dream about Domino of all things? What about Lorenzo? Even if he was like all the rest. Lorenzo before...Lorenzo the Magnificent.
She nestled her body into her snowy bed with his image slowly forming in her dream.
But, Domino's snuffling drove him away.
“Go away, you nuisance,” she slurred dreamily. “I want Lorenzo.”
“Genie.”
He's back. “I hear you Lorenzo,” she whispered. She frowned, struggling to hold on to his image. But Domino's infernal snuffling kept dragging him away before it properly formed. “Call him away Lorenzo,” she said, “so I can see you. I want to see you.”
“Attento, Domino.”
She smiled. He was here, with her, in her envelope of snow to help her dig her way out. They'd do it together.
“Genie.”
Somehow his voice seemed more distant than before. It even echoed, bouncing around in her snow cocoon.
“Lorenzo.” Her mind reached out to try to pull him back. “Don't go. Don't leave me.”
Then, she realized. Lorenzo wasn't leaving. She was. She was too weak to stop herself from tumbling deeper into her warm dark world as quickly as the snow that had fallen on her.
Chapter Nineteen
A bright light penetrated Genie's closed eyelids.
Her heart felt as though it was falling through space. Could this be it? They say you see a bright light when you're on your way to the 'other side' - wherever that may be.
Wait.
Wasn't it supposed to be at the end of a tunnel too? She couldn't see a tunnel. This light enveloped her. Perhaps she was already there - all the way through to the other side.
“I don't want to be 'there' yet. I'm too young.” She thought she whispered but her voice echoed in her head.
Perhaps it isn't that kind of light?
Think, Hamilton. What other light could it be?
The snow.
Maybe it's melting?
She felt a balloon of excitement in her chest. That must be it.
“I'm going to be free,” she
whispered. “Snow, snow, go away--”
“Genie.”
There's Lorenzo back again. But he sounds so far away.
Come Lorenzo, help me dig my way out.
She wanted to open her eyes to see him, but she was afraid.
What if she was mistaken?
What if the bright light was 'the other side' and Lorenzo was only a dream?
“Genie.”
There he is again. He sounds closer this time.
“Wake up, Genie.”
Wake up? I'm not asleep.
“You're safe now, Genie.”
Safe? How safe?
Should she take his word for it? How could she be safe if Lorenzo was only in her dream? Don't tell me that if it isn't true, Lorenzo. I couldn't bear it.
“Come, Genie. Open your eyes.”
That's easy for you to say.
“Try, Genie. Everything is alright now.”
She sighed. After a brief internal struggle, she climbed over the knot of fear in her stomach and forced open her eyes.
The overwhelming intensity of the light slammed into her retina and whited out her surroundings. She blinked rapidly several times to re-set her eyesight.
A shadowy human shape loomed over her. “You're safe now,” it said again.
Lorenzo. He was here?
As she focused on the silhouette, it began to harden at the edges and the shadow lightened sufficiently that she could make out detail.
“Lorenzo,” she whispered.
“Si. It is me.”
“What..? How..?” She could see the detail in his face now. It was Lorenzo.
“You're home now,” he said.
“Home?” Genie blinked some more, and with the clearing vision, other senses came into play. No longer was she lying in a snow cocoon. This cocoon was different. The mattress beneath comforted her and the cosy quilt moulded itself warmly to her body.
She was home.
It was her room.
Her familiar room.
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