Two Strangers in the Snow
The sound of a muffled voice in the distance broke through the gloom and jolted Suzette back from the brink of unconsciousness. The pain in her cramped limbs flooded her senses and she felt cold to her bones, and she cried out in response. Panicking and fearing she might go undetected in the tiny ice cavern crushing her body, she started to desperately claw at the ice, crying out with what little energy she had left in her frozen body. She could hear the steady taps of an ice pick, and the scraping of compacted snow loosening, and through the tiny hole in the ice she caught the first sight of her rescuer.
Eyes, bright green and so clear appeared and she swooned, almost fainting from a combination of relief, awe, and the first intake of intoxicating fresh air. A face peered in and smiled; it disappeared again and thickly gloved hands returned to rip the ice away until there was enough room for them to reach in and hoist Suzette out.
“Are you alright, love?” her rescuer asked as Suzette sat dazed in the snow and took in her saviour for the first time. Those eyes that first dazzled her were just as beautiful set in a strong face full of character, with cheeks rosy from the cold and hard work. Feeling the blood return to her extremities, Suzette couldn’t help but wonder what lay beneath the professional, orange uniform and imagined a well-toned, muscular body, well-formed in every way; firm, yet still feminine.
Embarrassed, Suzette looked away. “I think am ok,” she mumbled as her rescuer crouched down beside her and reached out a gloved hand to wipe the wet hair and grime from Suzette’s face. “All the same, I don’t like the look at that gash. I’m calling the rest of the crew to get up here and help me bring you back down to the village and we’ll get some medical assistance for you, get you fixed up and take you down into town to the hospital if we need to,” she said, matter-of-fact and professional.
“Thank you,” Suzette wanted to tell her how grateful she was, how she’d saved her life, but in the whirlwind within her mind the English words slipped away and escaped her so she kept quiet.
“Could be a while before the guys get up here. They’d better hurry up; I don’t like the look of this weather,” muttered her companion. “My name’s Karen, anyway,” she smiled.
“Hello, Karen,” Suzette replied, stealing another glance at her companion, remembering the strength of those arms that pulled her from her icy trap and the tenderness of those gloved hands stroking her face. Suzette wished for the gloves to be gone, and the thought of the deft, powerful fingers stroking her own skin made her heart contract.
“That’s an interesting accent you’ve got there, love. Where’re you from? You French or something?”
“No, Swiss,” said Suzette.
“Swiss! Jeez, you’d be used to real avalanches then, not piddly little things like that!” Suzette first thought Karen was rebuking her and it hurt her so much she felt she would cry, but before she could protest she caught sight of the look in Karen’s face; kindly and joking, with not a hint of anger or disappointment. Suzette laughed quietly, not really knowing how to respond, and not wishing to reveal how her own cockiness and stupidity separated her from her friends and landed her in the hole which caved in around her. Distractedly, she looked over her shoulder at the dark clouds speeding overhead
“So what’re you doing on holidays here? Our snow’s nothing compared to what you get at home; I mean, half this stuff’s artificial,” Karen laughed.
“Actually, I’m on exchange with my university, and my friends, we thought it would be nice to take a holiday and come skiing,” Suzette replied. “Are they ok?” she asked.
“Oh yeah, they’re fine. They were real good, actually. Came straight back down to the lodge when they couldn’t find you, they were real worried.” The wind whipped around them, icy and cruel, stealing their conversation. Karen made another call on her walkie talkie, her brow knitting.
“The guys are on their way with a stretcher, but it’s rough going. I don’t want you walking yet, and we’re not going anywhere while the weather’s on the turn,” Karen said and shuffled closer, reaching her arms around the younger woman to shield her. Suzette leaned in closer, so close their faces were almost touching and Suzette could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks. Snow started falling, whirling around them violently, and as the world closed in around them in a flurry of white, their eyes met and something was lit between them . . .
© Molly Cule, January 2008
