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1
SEAN
A thick blanket of pristine snow crunches beneath my boots as I make my way higher up the mountain. Above me, the trees stand grandly tall and hushed. It’s been over forty-eight hours since I saw another person, and I feel deeply happy in my soul.
It’s not that I don’t like being around people. People are great. But it’s here, alone in the middle of the wilderness, that I feel truly at peace. It’s my happy place, as some people would say.
Maybe the reason for that has to do something with growing up in a noisy, chaotic household. Growing up, I can’t even remember a moment of quiet. Man, with four boys to raise, our parents sure had their work cut out for them. I really don’t know how they did it. I can’t imagine having four kids myself.
Not that I’ve even come close to settling down. When it comes to women, my experience is basically nil.
A gust of chilly wind whips across my face, reminding me how cold it’s going to get tonight. I should set up camp. I need enough time to find a good spot and pack down the snow. Last night I got everything set up before the sun went down, but I was cutting it close.
I trek a short distance further before spotting the perfect location to sleep tonight. The terrain is flatter here and it’s more sheltered from the wind. With a grunt, I pull off my hefty backpack and start to unload my gear.
About forty minutes later, I’ve got everything set up: my tent, my sleeping gear, my cooking area. I take pleasure in the task of cooking myself a good meal over my small portable stove. The stew and biscuits I make both warm me up and fill me up.
Afterward, I clean up and then get settled in my sleeping bag, my exhausted muscles grateful for the rest. The last thing I’m aware of as I drift off to sleep is the increasingly strong wind lashing at the exterior of my tent.
* * *
Hours later, I wake to howling wind. The walls of my tent are shuddering and rippling, and I can hear the creaking of the trees around me as they’re assaulted by the storm. My sleeping bag rustles as I pull myself out and peer out the front of my tent.
“Fuck,” I mutter, seeing how bad it is. The first light of the day is caught in the furiously swirling snowfall, which is so thick that it’s difficult to see much of anything else.
A loud groan sounds from somewhere above me. Shit. It sounds like a tree is about to snap in two and crash down on my tent—and me. I need to find a safer place to ride out this storm.
Soberly wide awake now, and forcing myself to stay calm, I hastily pack up my things. It’s a hell of a struggle getting my tent dismantled in these conditions, but I get it done.
Then I’m off, fighting against the wind as I stumble through the storm in search of better shelter.
This isn’t good. Fuck, thisreallyisn’t good. For the first time in my life, I’m actually concerned about my life being in peril. I’ve never been caught in a freak snowstorm like this. It’s impossible to tell what direction I’m going, or if I’m about to walk right off the edge of a?—
A large dark shape appears in the distance, and my whole body goes tense.
Is that a bear?
Fuck me. Yep. It’s a bear.
I trudge through the deepening snow in the opposite direction, my mind whirling. This can’t be happening. A blizzardanda goddamn bear? Glancing over my shoulder, I’m relieved to see nothing but swirling snow—but then, a second later, I glimpse the bear again.
It’s seen me. It knows I’m here.
I continue to try to put space between us. But every time I look back, it’s still there. Is it stalking me? Jesus. I can’t believe this is how I’m going to die.
I think of the most important people in my life: my mom, my dad, my brothers. I hope they know how much I love them.
I’m sorry I had to leave you like this. I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye.
It’s at that moment that I see the cabin. I catch only a glimpse of it at first through the thick veil of snow. But then I see it again, and I lurch toward it. I don’t know if I’ll be able to reach it in time, but I have to try.
Behind me, the bear lets out a roar that cuts right through the storm.
2
TESSA
I’m cracking eggs into a bowl when the pounding strikes our front door. The harsh sound makes my chest clench. We never have unexpected visitors out here, and to have one in the middle of a snowstorm is alarming.
