Snowed Over (A Christmas Novella)

by Angie Stanton

He slowed to take the turn. “River Road hasn’t been plowed.” The truck fishtailed as he took the corner.

  “Whoa, don’t do that!” Katie gripped the dash.

  “Sorry.” Alex peered out at the deep, unmarred snow before them. Someone had driven by from the other direction not too long ago; he used their tire treads to help guide the way.

  “So where’s the river?” Katie peered into the darkness with nothing but snow flying all around.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been this way before. It could be right next to us for all I know. I can barely see the road.” He gripped the steering wheel and peered through the mesmerizing snow.

  “At this rate, you’re going to end up staying the night with me at camp dysfunctional. Ha!” she taunted, sounding more nervous as they neared her destination.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? To make me suffer alongside you?” He might not mind staying at her place. The closer he got to home, the more he dreaded the task ahead.

  “Anything to save me from facing Mom and Not the Boyfriend alone. I feel like I’m going to death row, not celebrating Christmas. How messed up is that?”

  “Pretty messed up, but isn’t that what the holidays are about? Forcing families to spend time together so they can be reminded how odd everyone is.” That’s how he felt about Trina. She used to be pretty and fun, but now she stood out in ways that weren’t good.

  “Interesting theory. I always thought my family was pretty normal. But now that you mention it, I have my Aunt Liz.” She giggled.

  “What?” He glanced over to see her laughing face illuminated by the lights from the dashboard.

  “Whenever Aunt Liz hosted Christmas, during dessert she’d bring out this old jug filled with what looked like dark, grimy apple juice. You see, after my great grandpa died, they found three jugs in the cellar from when he made moonshine.

  Aunt Liz would set up little shot glasses and pour for anyone who wanted a shot. A couple hits of Great Grandpa’s juice and they were wasted. It’s pretty hysterical.”

  Alex had seen his parents tipsy a few times and joined them on a couple of occasions, too. “Have you ever tried any of your Grandpa’s moonshine?”

  “Once I took a sip. It tasted like pond scum. I thought for sure it was going to burn through my stomach wall.”

  “Not much of a drinker?”

  “Not really. I’ve been to a few parties at school, but everyone gets drunk so fast. It’s fun at the time, but the next day is so horrible, I swear I’ll never drink again.”

  “Until the next party,” Alex added.

  “Exactly.”

  Katie reminded him of his freshman year and all the hellraising he did.

  “Oh, Aunt Liz likes to strip!” Katie giggled again.

  “Seriously?” Alex wished he wasn’t stuck driving through a blizzard. He’d rather focus on Katie. Did she know how her face lit up as she recalled old times?

  “Erase whatever visual you’re thinking of, because you’re wrong. Aunt Liz is a very large, fifty-year-old woman. She sings loud, crude songs and pretends she’s a size-two, Vegas showgirl,” Katie said.

  Alex laughed and smiled at Katie. She grinned and shrugged, then looked forward.

  “Look out!” she yelled.

  He snapped his head forward. A deer stood in the middle of the road, staring transfixed at the headlights. The truck careened forward.

  “Shit!” He slammed on the brakes. Unable to get any traction, the truck slid, turning sideways. The four-wheel drive was useless in the deep snow.

  Alex turned the steering wheel to keep the tires pointed forward. He laid on the horn. The deer bolted. He struggled to get the truck under control.

  A second deer ran across their path. This one wasn’t so lucky. Alex had no choice. The truck clipped the deer’s hindquarter and sent them spinning.

  The truck turned like a Tilt-a-Whirl, and with the heavy snow falling, he had no idea which direction was forward, or if they were about to hit a tree. “Hang on!”

  The truck careened off the road, back end first, then turned sideways. He felt sure the truck would flip. He thrust his right arm out to hold Katie in place. Each nanosecond passed in slow motion.

  The truck bounced down a steep embankment, turning forward and finally sliding to a halt.

  Then Katie screamed like he’d never heard anyone scream before.

  The headlights revealed rushing water splashing at the front of the truck.

  They were in the river.

  Chapter 4

  “Oh shit!” Alex tried to scramble backward in his seat to avoid the dark, angry water engulfing his truck, but his seatbelt held him in place

  “The river is going to pull us in!” Katie yelled in panic.

  Alex looked around frantically. The front end of the truck was clearly in the water. Would the whole truck slide in? Was Katie right, that the force of the strong current would pull them in further?

  “We have to get out!” Katie nearly cried.

  “Let me try putting it in reverse. Maybe it’ll get us out of the water a little.”

  “No! Don’t touch anything. It’ll suck us in!”

  Adrenaline pumped through Alex. He had to move quickly. He gingerly put the truck into reverse and stepped lightly on the gas.

  The truck lurched backward for a second, but then slid back into place. He glanced at Katie, her face terrified, her hand gripping the truck door, her other planted firmly on the dash.

  He tried one more time, giving it more gas. The truck rocked back a fraction and then slipped forward again.

  “Stop, stop, stop! Please don’t do that anymore! You’re going to rock us further into the river.”

  “Okay.” Alex put the truck into park and placed the brake, hoping it would hold them in place. With a sigh, he turned off the ignition.

  “We’ve gotta get outta here.” He scanned the truck for the best solution. “It’s gonna have to be either by the door, which is close to the water, or the cab window. I’m not sure I can fit through that.”

  “I don’t want to be stuck in that tiny window if the river suddenly pulls us in,” Katie said.

  Alex couldn’t stop staring at the water as it raced by. He opened his door a few inches. A rush of cold wind blew in. “The water at my door is only a few inches deep.”

  He yanked the door shut and turned to Katie. “Put on all your winter stuff and let’s get out of here while we can.” He quickly slipped on his coat, hat and gloves.

  Katie looked ready, except for frantically pulling items out of her shopping bag and stuffing them into the pockets of her coat.

  “What are you doing?” Alex asked in disbelief.

  “I’m taking as many of the gifts as possible.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “If your truck gets washed away, I’m not losing all my stuff.”

  Alex reached past her legs to the glove box. “Excuse me.” He popped it open and grabbed a flashlight and slammed it shut.

  “Good idea.” Katie stuffed a couple long, narrow bags of bread down the front of her coat and zipped it tight.

  “You planned on giving someone bread for Christmas?” He slid the flashlight in his backpack and pulled one strap over his shoulder.

  “It’s a family tradition. My grandpa used to have a bakery. Plus, we might need it later.”

  “Good point. Now let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Alex unhooked his seatbelt and balanced himself between the seat and the steering wheel. He glanced at Katie and the fear in her eyes.

  He attempted a brave look. “Here we go.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Katie unbuckled and stood awkwardly in the tilted truck cab. Her heart nearly pounded out of her body.

  Alex opened the door. Cold wind blustered in. He held tight to the truck as he stepped down. Katie noticed he wore boots. Smart guy. She instantly regretted her poor choice of shoes. With her backpack containing her laptop strapped on her back, she sc
ootched to the driver’s side door. No way was she letting Alex out of her sight.

  He stepped out and stumbled to his knees. He stood and held on to the truck for support as he managed to move a few feet away from the door.

  He held out his hand. “The rocks are covered in solid ice. Hold on to the truck as you step down and then take my hand,” he hollered over the wind.

  Katie looked out at the dark, churning water. They might have drowned if they slid further in. The cold, biting wind threatened to push her back into the truck.

  She gripped the truck door with one hand and the hanging seatbelt strap with the other. Katie stepped down and broke through thin ice into glacial water that instantly soaked her shoe. She planted her other foot further away, in several inches of snow.

  “Good job. You’ve got it.” He kept his hand outstretched, his face encouraging.

  Katie let go of the seatbelt straps and took a large step toward Alex. She almost reached him, then her foot slipped and she fell.

  Hard.

  Her legs slid under the truck into the icy water.

  “Katie!” Alex yelled, scrambling over the slick rocks.

  Stunned, it took her a second to realize what just happened. Freezing cold water soaked her legs and seeped up the front of her coat. Her elbow hurt like hell.

  “Katie! Are you okay?” Alex appeared at her side.

  “Yeah,” she said, startled to find herself in the water.

  Alex’s hands slid under her arms and pulled her out.

  “I’ve gotcha.” He lifted her to her feet and leaned her against the truck. The wind and snow whipped around them. He moved close to her face. “You’re going to be okay. Got it?”

  She nodded, absorbing the affirmation in his eyes. Cold river water dripped down her legs.

  “Good. Stay close to me. We’re going to get back up to the road.”

  Katie balanced herself against the side of the truck as they eased their way over the worst of the large rocks. Alex led them up the steep embankment, pausing often to help her. Beneath several inches of accumulated snow, dried weeds helped secure her footing. She still slipped and fell a couple of times, and her wet jeans were quickly coated with snow.

  At the top of the embankment, they looked down at the truck. Both front tires rested in the river. Thank God they were safely away from the terrifying water, but Katie didn’t like the odds of being out in a blizzard either. Shivering, she turned to Alex. “We are in deep shit.”

  “That’s an understatement.” He zipped his coat all the way up, and tugged it higher to cover his ears.

  Katie hugged herself in a failed attempt to stay warm. Her legs were numb. She fought to stand straight against the blowing wind, her coat no longer a barrier to the cold.

  “How are you doing? You okay?” Alex checked her over, his brows lowered in thought.

  “Other than freezing to death, I’m f-f-f-f-fine.” Her teeth chattered.

  Concern clouded his eyes. He reached for her scarf, the red one she got last Christmas. He rewrapped it around her neck, this time covering her mouth and nose. “We’ve got to hope someone comes by really soon or find some shelter, and fast.” He tucked the ends of the scarf in snug.

  “Which direction should we go?” She wanted out of this cold as fast as possible.

  “We didn’t pass anything for a while on this road, so let’s keep moving forward.” Alex hitched his backpack higher and started off, bracing his body against the strong wind.

  Katie trudged behind. She appreciated Alex trying to serve as a windbreak, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Within minutes, her jeans were frozen, the icy fabric rubbing against her skin like sandpaper. The biting snow hit her face like tiny needles. She tugged her scarf higher, so it all but covered her eyes. She wished she had a hat.

  Each step became agony as they pushed forward. Katie could no longer feel her toes and her feet felt like they would break off with her next step. Her fingers turned into frozen sticks. The cold seeped into every pore. If they didn’t find shelter soon, she was in danger of frostbite or hypothermia.

  After what felt like an hour of walking but may have only been ten minutes, Alex stopped. Katie walked right into him. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

  Alex turned to her, his face red from the fierce wind. He tucked his hands under his arms and yelled over the howling wind. “How are you holding up?”

  Katie wiped frozen snot off her nose. “I’m really cold. Do you see anything?” Her teeth still chattered.

  “No, only trees on this side. The other side is the river. There’s got to be a driveway to a cabin or house eventually. You usually can’t go two minutes without running into a fishing cabin or summer cottage in this area.”

  Maybe they should have stayed in the truck. She couldn’t believe she was actually entertaining that thought. The truck might be washed into the river by now. But at least in the truck, they could have run the engine to stay warm. “Do you know how to build an igloo?” She joked, but really meant it.

  “I wish I did. We’ve got to get you out of the cold, and soon.”

  The wind howled through the trees that lined the left side of the road. “Let’s go. I’m afraid if I stop for too long, I won’t be able to keep going,” she said.

  Alex put his arm around her and pulled her close, practically holding her upright. She tucked her body into his, which helped block some of the wind. They trudged forward like dazed zombies through the deepening snow, praying for a break in the tree line that would indicate a driveway.

  A few minutes later, when her backpack felt like the weight of the world, Alex pointed. “What’s that?”

  Katie squinted and spied a shadow of something at the side of the road. A few steps later, her heart leapt.

  “A mailbox!”

  Chapter 5

  Sure enough, a thin break in the trees revealed a narrow driveway that wound out of sight. Thoughts of freezing to death disappeared. Instead Katie pictured a roaring fire, hot chocolate and a big dinner.

  They picked up their pace and followed the path that would lead to salvation. She hoped.

  The snow here piled higher. It appeared that no one had plowed this driveway all season, so instead of dealing only with today’s storm, they had all the snowfall to-date slowing their progress. Even with Alex forging the way and creating a trail, Katie still had to lift her legs high to get through. Each step became torture as her frozen jeans rubbed her legs raw. She grit her teeth and pushed on.

  “There it is!” Alex yelled with renewed energy.

  Katie paused to catch her breath, spying the distant cabin. “Thank God.” She didn’t know how much longer she could go on.

  Ahead, in a small clearing, nestled a quaint log cabin coated in snow like a gingerbread house with frosting dripping off the side. The only thing that took away from its storybook quality was the lack of smoke streaming from the chimney and an absence of light glowing warmly from within.

  Katie noticed a shed with a long row of snow-covered firewood lining one side. They dragged themselves through the deep snow to the cabin door.

  “Any chance they left the door unlocked for us?” She yelled over the whistling wind.

  Alex pushed snow out from in front of the screen door with his boot. “I doubt we could be so lucky.” He pulled on the screen door until he wedged it open far enough to reach the doorknob. “Locked.”

  Katie sighed. She wanted out of the elements. Now.

  “I’ll have to break a window.” Alex left the front door and walked around the cabin.

  “What are you doing?” Katie followed him back into the deep snow.

  “I’d rather break a window in a bedroom and not the main part of the cabin. It will be hard to keep the wind and snow out once we break in.”

  Katie nodded, hugging herself, thankful to be with such a smart, resourceful guy.

  They struggled around the perimeter trying to figure which window might be a bedroom. The first window Alex peer
ed in looked like a kitchen. A couple of large windows indicated a main room that probably looked out over a scenic view, but whatever the view might be on a sunny day, it was obliterated by the darkness and blowing snow.

  They reached the other side and discovered two smaller windows. “I think this is our best shot,” Alex said.

  The bottom edge of the window was about four feet off the ground and even with the snow, it didn’t give them much advantage. Katie noticed a screen covering the window. “How are we going to get past the screen?”

  “Have you got a jackknife on you?” Alex grinned and despite his chafed red face and their horrible circumstances, she couldn’t help but grin back. Even covered in snow and practically freezing to death, Alex looked sexy as hell.

  “Sure, right here with my thermos of hot chocolate and hand warmers.” She must be hallucinating from the cold. Why else would she be thinking about his good looks at a time like this?

  Alex slipped off a glove and fished in his pocket. He pulled out his car keys. He handed her his glove to hold and ran the key over the screen, his hand shaking from the cold. The key created a dent in the old metal, but didn’t break through. He ran it over the side of the screen where the mesh attached to the frame, but no luck.

  He glanced at Katie. She saw his determination. He repositioned the keys in his hand and she knew how frozen his fingers must feel. He jabbed the key straight at the screen instead of at an angle and punctured through. He dragged the key down, hard. The metal ripped. He made a four-inch tear and shoved the keys back in his pockets. He slipped his fingers through the gap he made and yanked hard on the screen, creating a larger and larger opening.

  Thank God.

  Alex brought his bare hand to his mouth and blew warm air on it.

  “Here, you want to put your glove back on?”

  He nodded, his face red, and slipped his hand in. Then he tore away the screen exposing the window.

  “Stand back. I’m going to try to break it with my shoulder.”

  “That sounds dangerous. You could get cut really bad.”

  “Have any better ideas? See any bricks laying around?” He scanned the area.