Page 11 of Snowbound with the Santas

I have no control. No matter how I pull the wheel, intense pressure fights against me with every movement, and eventually, the rubber slips from my cold fingers.

“Fuck!”

There’s a split second when I’m thrown upward and I’m entirely weightless, then the vehicle and I slam down. The car shudders to a painful stop while I’m thrown around against my seatbelt like a rag doll. I’m barely able to suck in a breath against the pressure of the belt, and I reach for the steering wheel like it’s some kind of lifeline.

“Oh… myGod…”

The headlights flicker, illuminating a tree I was inches away from slamming into, and the wipers continue to streak back and forth across the windshield. Snow tosses back and forth, and an eerie silence follows.

The only sound is my own panting.

Fucking hell.

What have I done?

Peering out the windows, I see nothing in terms of signs to tell me where I am or even how to get back. I can’t stay here, though. The longer I stay here, the more snow will pack in around the Jeep and driving back will be impossible. Placing the Jeep in reverse, I step on the gas and… the Jeep doesn’t move.

Tires spin, sending vibrations through the vehicle, but I don’t move an inch.

Am I stuck on something? Given how quickly I spun out of control, I wouldn’t be surprised if a branch or something got caught under the wheel. With limited options and a mind still fogged with earlier fear and confusion, I unbuckle myself and open the door.

I’ll take one look and then call the emergency number. That will still work, right?

But when I swing my legs out of the Jeep and hop down from the vehicle, there’s no ground to meet me.

A terse scream rips from my throat as I immediately plummet down and my hand gripping the door handle for balance becomes a death grip to save my own life. My body jolts, and my shoulder pulls painfully as I manage to catch myself at the last second.

The Jeep slid to a stop on the edge of an incline, and a yawning darkness stretches out beneath me as I dangle from the open door.

“Fuck!” Kicking my legs out in search of anything to step on, there’s nothing but soft snow that caves the moment I come into contact with it.

My fingers slip. The cold I’ve ignored up until now hits me full force, and my entire body is suddenly completely numb.

My fingers slip an inch more.

Snow falls around me, and then a single chilling flake lands on my knuckles.

My grip fails, and a scream of terror escapes me as I lose my hold and plummet down into the darkness below.

5

RAYNE

—THUNK—THUNK—THUNK?—

My head hurts.

Sleep pulls at me, trying to drag me back down into the comforting darkness, and the strong temptation to give in is distracted by that strange sound.

—THUNK—THUNK—THUNK?—

It continues, almost rhythmically, and yet there’s something not quite right about it. It’s not steady enough to be the ticking of a clock, and far too loud to be something like my own heartbeat. And yet it sounds distant, like it’s not as close to me as I first thought.

Fuck. What the hell happened?

Groggily, I open my eyes and immediately close them as the light burns at my eyes. It’s too bright.

Is it all the snow? The headlights of my car? Maybe the thunking is the windshield wipers still trying to clear the snow for me.

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