Depth of Field by Natasha Deen

Author:Natasha Deen [Deen, Natasha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2022-01-21T20:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

I spend a few minutes cursing myself and my ridiculous plan. Again. Then I take a breath. I have to get out of here. I have to get home. My dads will kill me if I die.

Okay, I’m lost in the mountains. What should I do? Peeing my pants comes to mind. But that’s not a helpful idea, so I throw it away. I also throw away cry, scream and run around in circles.

I need to be smart, and smart takes energy. Eat. I should eat something. Wait. I should ration my snacks, then eat something. I sit on a rock and take out a protein bar. Sitting lasts for two seconds. The rock is cold and freezes my ass. I stand and eat. Then have to stop myself when the bar is half-finished. I’m surprised how hard it is to stop eating. Surprised to find myself hungrier than I thought.

I guess being a nimrod and getting yourself lost takes more energy than I thought. I put the bar back in my bag. I walk in a circle around the rock to keep my body temperature up.

Then it starts to snow. Not something I’d usually expect at this time of year, but it happens up here.

Great. Just great.

Hang on a second. This is great! Falling snow means snow on the ground. And that means footprints. I will be able to see if I’m doubling back on my path. Even better, I can see if there are other footprints! I can follow them to safety.

To be smart—for once—I grab a branch. I can swish it to the side when I walk. That way I’ll know if the tracks I see are mine. I grin. I’m a genius.

Just then a coyote’s howl echoes through the trees. A moment later there’s a returning howl.

I’m not grinning anymore. I’m back to being the nimrod who’s about to be coyote or cougar food if I don’t get out of the mountains. I check my phone. No signal still, but I’ve got a full battery. But that won’t last if I don’t keep the phone warm. I tuck it in my front pocket. After making sure my pack is zipped back up, I speed off in a straight line.

Wait. Maybe walking fast in the snow and the cold isn’t the smartest thing to do? Maybe I should slow down? Conserve my energy? That seems like a good thought. You know what’s another good thought? That I should have taken survival class instead of photography. Wait, that’s a useless thought.

Is thinking useless crap a sign of hypothermia?

The snow’s coming down in bigger flakes now. Luckily it’s drifting snow. That’s good news. It means my footsteps won’t be covered up too quickly.

Maybe it’s the cold. Maybe it’s the sound the snow makes as it falls. I’ve never noticed there’s a swish as it brushes against my coat. Maybe because I’ve never been quiet enough to notice. It’s silent enough to shove some hard truths into my mind.

About Lian.

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