Page 60 of Demise

“Thank God!” Ronan says as he unclips his board and rushes over to us.

“We gotta keep moving! Into the trees!” Wesley says.

Asher undoes his board, and together, we all move making sure to keep Skyla in the center in case she slips, or the ground gives way. Once we are in the tree line, visibility is a little better, but not much.

“Where the fuck did this storm come from?” Asher shouts.

“We’re on the south side of the mountain now. We have to find shelter until it calms down. None of us are equipped to board through unmarked trails in this.”

Our heads begin to swivel as we search for a place to wait out the storm until Liam shouts and points up the hill.

“There! Up there! Is that a chimney?”

I squint in an attempt to see through the snowflakes before I nod. I’ll be damned, Walcott is on a roll today.

“Let’s go!” Ronan says.

Slowly, we all begin making our way up the mountain, taking care with each step we take. The cold is biting despite our gear, and I notice it starts affecting Skyla especially. Her legs begin to shake, and her arms are tucked in tight to her chest. Wesley lifts her up, tucking her into his chest as he carries her. Ronan steps in front of them, attempting to block out the wind, and I do the same on their right while Asher stands to their left. Liam is behind them, staying close just in case.

The closer we get to the chimney, the clearer it becomes. It’s a shack, like a small hunting cabin. Shelter is shelter, though. I don’t think any of us will be picky. Ronan is at the door first, and of course, it’s locked. He puts his shoulder into it several times before he assesses where the weakest point is. Then he lifts his boot up and kicks the bastard in. The door flies open, and we all file in, quickly closing the door and scooting a desk to the side in front of it to keep it in place.

The place is bare bones, and the musty smell in the air tells me no one has been up here in a while. There is a three-cushioned couch in the middle of the room in front of a bear skin rug, a small wood-burning fireplace, and a kitchen the size of a postage stamp. I peek my head into the single bedroom to find a mattress no bigger than a full, and a toilet and shower combo bathroom.

Wordlessly, Ronan begins loading the fireplace up with some of the pre-cut kindling, digging into his backpack but coming up empty.

“Top pocket of my bag,” Wesley says through chattering teeth.

Ronan moves behind him, unzipping his backpack to pull out several lighters. He gets the kindling lit before he slowly begins building the fire. Asher and Liam are sifting through the kitchen, and I’m doing the same in the bathroom and bedroom. All I was able to find was two blankets, two pillows, an old pair of wool socks, and a tube of toothpaste. Of course, there is no power.Wouldn’t expect there to be for a hunting cabin or whatever this place is used for. They probably only have it turned on when they plan to be here, and based on the dust collection, it’s been a year at least.

“Find anything?” Wesley calls out from the living room, where he’s now sitting with Skyla in his arms.

“A can of black beans that expired two years ago, a pot, and a single set of silverware. Oh, and two mugs,” Liam says.

“Better than nothing,” Ronan says as he gets the fire roaring and closes the door.

I bring one of the blankets out, wrapping it around Skyla and Wesley. She smiles up at me weakly as she watches the fire with a distant stare. Squatting down in front of her, I run my fingers through her hair.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice tight.

“Why?” I ask as my fingers begin massaging her scalp.

“I lost control…I tried to slow down and stop…I almost got us killed, and now we’re stuck in this run-down cabin in the middle of a blizzard.”

I tug on her hair a little, grabbing her attention as I shake my head.

“I don’t care about any of that. All I care about is that you’re safe. That’s all any of us care about, right?”

The guys all agree, and she nods.

“I guess f-frozen water isn’t exactly where I excel,” she chatters with a weak smile.

I smirk and nod.

“Let’s keep you in the liquid stuff moving forward.”

A shivering huff leaves her as she nods.

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