Page 19 of Lost in You

This trip is going to be a lot smoother than the trip here. I won’t have to worry about Trinity, I can wear my coat and I’m layering on extra gear I found in the storage room. The ski mask, heavy gloves and scarf will keep me a lot warmer than the moving pad and emergency blanket did.

My cell phone is dead, but I have a flashlight I found in a kitchen cabinet. I’m also bringing a leather-sheathed hunting knife in case I run into trouble.

“You’ve got plenty of firewood and water. Is there anything else you need before I go?”

“No, I’m good.”

A flare of aggravation makes me exhale heavily. I’m trying to get us rescued, and she’s pulling the old I’m fine bullshit. All I can do is try. I’m not going to beg her to talk to me.

“I’m heading west. Do not leave this cabin for any reason. I’ll be back, so don’t come looking for me.” When she doesn’t respond, I add, “Okay?”

“Stop treating me like a child,” she snaps.

“Stop acting like one, then.”

She doesn’t fire back, which bothers me more than anything. The shell of a person curled up on the bed is not the Trinity I’ve spent the past few days with. Has she given up?

“We might be out of here by this time tomorrow,” I say as I tuck my pant legs into my boots. “We could be a couple miles away from help.”

“I hope so.”

I put my hand on the doorknob, looking over my shoulder at her. “I’ll see you before long. Don’t forget to drink lots of water.”

“I will. Be careful. Don’t run away from bears.”

Her random advice makes me lower my brows. “What should I do? Play dead?”

“No. Reason three hundred and twelve this is a bad idea. You have no idea what you’re doing. Stand your ground and move away slowly if it’s safe. If the bear is acting aggressively toward you, start yelling and try to make yourself look big. That comes pretty naturally to you.”

There she is. A smile plays on my lips. “Got it. Hopefully I’ll be back soon with help.”

No response this time.

I open the door and walk out, making sure it’s closed behind me before I lower the bolt to secure it.

Trinity can be so fucking aggravating. You’d think in this situation we could both let go of any pettiness and focus on surviving, but she’s still a woman. Emotional. Maddening.

My last girlfriend and I were together for five months and we argued less than Trinity and I have in a matter of days. We’re in stressful circumstances, though. And Sarah agreed with me on pretty much everything. She didn’t have any ideas or opinions of her own, and ultimately my boredom with her was the reason we broke up.

Trinity would argue with me about twenty of twenty things I said if she didn’t agree with me. She won’t think this trip out was a bad idea anymore when I come back with help. Hell, she’ll probably say it was her idea if it works out.

It’s still cold as fuck, and the dark doesn’t help. The wind is only hitting my eyes and lips, thanks to the ski mask, though.

Snow crunches under my boots as I walk. I wonder if searchers have found the plane and Chris’s remains yet. Maybe they’re tracking us to the cabin right now. My team can’t take a break from the schedule for any reason, even a missing team member. I wish I knew what adjustments Coach made to the roster to compensate for my absence.

This is horrible timing. We’re in playoff contention and I was closing in on a team record. I never realized how much noise there was in my life until I ended up in this eerily silent place. I’m used to screaming crowds, locker room conversation, the buzz of crowded bars and restaurants. The only silence in my life is usually when I’m sleeping.

My plan is to walk as far as I can unless the wind picks up and the snow starts drifting. I have to be able to follow my footprints to get back. I already know there’s nothing in the direction we came from, so hopefully this one will lead me to someone. Anyone with a phone will do.

Since my mom passed away, I don’t have family who are worried about me. Maybe my dad, if he sees a story on the news about the plane crash. It’s been more than twenty years since he saw me, though. My teammates are my family now, and I imagine not knowing if your team captain survived a plane crash puts a dark cloud over the locker room. Hopefully they can push through and still win.

I smile beneath my ski mask at the expanse of sparkling, untouched snow ahead. It kind of looks like a fresh ice rink. Full of possibility.

How long do people have to be missing before they’re declared dead? I don’t think we’re anywhere close to that. It has to be at least a few months, I’m sure.

I plan to be back home in time to help my team clinch that playoff spot. That record’s still going to be mine, and it’ll be even more special after this unplanned detour.

We’re still in the United States, for fuck’s sake. It’s not like we crashed in some remote jungle. Either help will arrive, or I’ll find it.

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