Page 96 of Trapped: Until The Darkest Of Night

I think of Lou again, hoping not to find her with twisted limbs at any moment now. As I glance over my shoulder into the dark valley, my feet kick a few stones loose that rumble down the steep slope. For a second, I lose my footing and dangle from the rope midair. My muscles burn and the backpack pulls me down heavily. As if far away, I hear my scream echoing back to me from all sides as I bend my legs simultaneously and connect with the cliff face again. It takes me a few breaths before I realize the flashlight fell out of my mouth. I peer down and see its light a good fifteen feet below me. It lights up a shore with small pebbles.

Thank God! “We’re almost there, Grey,” I choke out breathlessly. As if he wanted to answer me, something wet trickles down my stomach into the waistband of my pants.

“Did you just pee on me?” I don’t know whether to laugh or scold him. He lets out a whimper that sounds quite rueful.

I venture another look and see gravel but no Lou lying there. However, I’m still too tense to feel relieved.

When my feet finally hit the ground, I illuminate the area. Although I can’t find Lou, I do spot a familiar-looking granola bar floating in a puddle.

“She did make it down here, Grey! Well done!” Grey is already bouncing ahead. I unwind the rope as I rush after Grey, who is walking along the river. Only now do I realize that my hands are wet with blood. I stop for a moment and dip them in the water. It’s icy, but it feels good. Suddenly, I’m sure I’ll find Lou again despite the cold slowing me down and my burning arms and legs. I just have to persevere.

When Grey eventually stops by the river and starts howling, my hope crumbles as quickly as it rose.

“That must be wrong, Grey, she can’t swim. She would never…” I stop and look at the black surface of the water, which slides through the valley like a snake.

Grey no longer smells the trail, so Lou must have crossed the river.

And drowned in the process. Suddenly I can’t think straight anymore. Not knowing what I’m doing, I grab Grey and dash into the river.

I feel my pant legs soaking up the water and growing heavy, but I don’t care. The water is icy, but I don’t feel the cold as if every part of my body is numb and desensitized from shock, as if I wouldn’t feel anything anymore if something happened to Lou. Only a part of my mind is aware that the river is not deep here.

This part removes Grey from the protective jacket and lets him search for Lou on the other side. And that part also hurries after the little wolf as if on autopilot while the other part swallows the lump in his throat, not knowing what he will do if he can’t find Lou.

My lungs begin to burn and a strange wheeze accompanies my breathing. Maybe I’m too cold now and haven’t noticed. I know the killer of the unprepared. Canada’s newspapers are full of it. A silent, unspectacular assassin. Insidious because you don’t feel it breathing down your neck until the last second.

“Lou?” If I’m like this, what about her? “Lou?” I feel feverish, weak, but there’s no way I can give up. I clench my teeth and hurry after Grey. Eventually, I realize I’ve lost the flashlight. It must have slipped out of my stiff fingers.

Stunned, I stare at the sky. The cloud cover has broken and a few stars peek out. Help me find Lou, I send a prayer to the sky. To a god I don’t believe in because he forgot me. Now I implore him to help me. I’d promise him anything if he’d just let me find Lou.

At some point in my prayers, I hear Grey howling in the distance. It startles me because he was merely whimpering the whole time. Without paying attention, I run faster and find her lying huddled on the gravelly bank.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

“Lou!”

I’m at her side in no time and hold my stiff, frozen fingers under her nose. As her warm breath fills my palm, I collapse over her.

She’s alive. Thank God she’s alive!

As if in a trance, I put my hand on her forehead. Her skin is so icy, it scares me.

I recall what I know about hypothermia. I want to do a thousand things at the same time: start a fire, make tea, strip Lou of her wet clothes, and put her in the sleeping bag.

I carry her carefully to the edge of the forest, set her down, and spread the contents of the backpack on the ground until I find the blanket. I cover her with it. She is still unconscious from the cold. I have to think about how she touched me. “Hold on, Lou,” I whisper, caressing her pale cheeks. “Just hold on and we’ll see what we can do to make things better for you.”

While Grey snuggles up to Lou, I collect birch and deadwood in the nearby forest since both burn when damp. Still, it takes forever to get a decent fire going.

Then I set up the tarp and spread out the sleeping bag underneath.

This time when I lift Lou and lay her on the open sleeping bag, a whimper escapes her mouth.

“Hey, it’s okay, Lou.” I don’t know if I should be happy she’s waking up now. I can’t possibly put her in the sleeping bag in her wet clothes, besides, she needs warmth from the outside, that’s the first rule of hypothermia. And since she’s incapable of drinking hot tea, the skin-to-skin-contact method will work best.

With a sigh, I kneel beside her and rip the seams of the sweater with one jerk, too impatient to take it off her.

She moans and tosses her head from side to side without opening her eyes.

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