Cage of Ice and Echoes by Pam Godwin

Author:Pam Godwin [Pam Godwin; Pam Godwin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Heartbound Media, Inc.

Three days dissolve in a whirlwind of hurried preparations. Our urgency to outrun the next blizzard fills the confines of our cabin with thickening tension.

We move around one another with restless energy, our actions fueled by the need to be ready, to leave nothing to chance. Yet beneath it all, dread lingers, an unspoken fear of what can happen along thirty miles in the heart of an arctic winter.

The morning of our departure arrives with quiet reluctance. The workshop, once a frigid mausoleum of unfinished projects and frozen breaths, now maintains a bearable temperature, thanks to the coal that Leo and Frankie recovered.

Our packs are heavy with provisions, each item a preventive measure against the unknown. The thought of the pemmican waiting in the hunting cabin, potentially ravaged by animals, adds another pound of uncertainty to our already burdened shoulders.

I’ve made this hike countless times, but never this time of year. And never with Frankie. So I took our preparations to an excessive level.

I doubled, even tripled, our supplies of matches, bullets, and arrows, knowing the devastating consequence of a fire that won’t light or a weapon that can’t shoot. Each item was carefully waterproofed against the pervasive damp that seeps into everything.

The weight of our packs became a secondary concern to the assurance that we would have enough to survive. I packed extra bear meat, more than we need, just to ensure Frankie would have enough energy to sustain her through the demanding hike.

The thought of her going hungry, of her body succumbing to the cold because of a lack of nutrition, spurred me to add just one more piece of meat, one more pouch of nuts.

Even the clothing we wear was subjected to my over-preparation. I checked and double-checked the insulation, waterproofing, and stitching, making sure Frankie’s gear would offer her the utmost protection against the vicious wind. If she’s shivering in the cold, or if frostbite claims her fingers or toes, that’s on me. I won’t fucking allow it.

So I made lists. Checked them numerous times. Still, I’m not ready.

Have I forgotten something? Missed a vital detail?

If it were just Leo and me, we would already be on our way. But traveling with Frankie? It changes everything.

With her, I have zero tolerance for error.

In the glow of her ingenious tin lights, we linger at the door in the workshop, the time for saying goodbye hanging heavy between us.

A sense of foreboding mingles with the warmth from the coal stove, creating an atmosphere thick with emotion.

Leo breaks the silence first, his voice rough. “Take care of each other out there.”

His mercurial eyes linger on her, tinged with uncharacteristic vulnerability.

We share the same mind, he and I. A mind that spins with strategies and contingencies, each one centered around a single, unyielding priority.

Keeping Frankie safe.

Our love for her transcends the bounds of romance. It’s a fierce, protective force that drives us to extremes. Every step we take, every decision made, is filtered through this lens to the point of obsession.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.