Hellfinder by Paula Stokes

Author:Paula Stokes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Regal House Publishing
Published: 2023-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

18

The crevasse isn’t wide enough for Gunnar to fall all the way through the ice. If it weren’t for his bulky backpack, he might have plummeted who knows how far down. Instead, he’s stuck, dangling in mid-air.

“Oh my God!” My heart beats wildly, a terrified baby bird locked in a cage.

Gunnar spreads his arms flat across the glacier, his ice axe still clutched in his right hand. “I’m afraid to try to anchor myself,” he says. “If the surface is fragile, I could make the hole bigger.”

I look over at Gram, praying she’s had some kind of training for these situations.

“No one panic,” she says, her voice maddeningly calm.

“Too late,” I reply.

“Let me take a closer look.” Gram moves slowly toward Gunnar.

“Hold on,” I say, again envisioning a life without my grandmother. “The ice might break.”

“Trust me.” She scans the situation. Around us the entire world has gone quiet. Deathly quiet.

“I feel securely wedged right now,” Gunnar says. “And I don’t see any cracks in the ice.”

“Maybe I can pull you out,” Gram says.

“With what?” I ask. “Gunnar has all the rope in his pack.”

“I suppose that was bad planning on my part.” He swears under his breath. “You were right, Rory. I should have split the safety gear among us.”

“It’s okay. This is all my fault.” My voice wavers. “I shouldn’t have distracted you by asking about a stupid bird.”

“It’s not your fault,” Gunnar says. “I should have been less easy to distract.”

I gnaw on my lower lip. It’s nice of him to say that, but my brain still logs this as one more time my behavior has gotten someone I care about into trouble.

Gram lowers herself to her knees. “I’m going to crawl toward you and then try to pull you with my hands.”

“All right,” Gunnar says.

“No, wait.” My voice is sharp with fear. “Gram, let me go. I’m lighter.”

“Rory, I don’t—”

“Please, let me do this,” I insist. She weighs probably thirty pounds more than I do, and I would rather die than live without her.

“Okay,” Gram says. “Stay low. Take your time. Keep breathing.”

I slide my backpack off my shoulders. Slowly, I lower myself to my knees in the snow. The ground beneath me feels sturdy and solid. I drop down to my belly to further distribute my weight.

I start to shimmy toward Gunnar. My heart is still slamming against my rib cage. It’s a full-grown bird now, trying to beat its way right out of my chest. I pause and force myself to take a couple of deep breaths.

Gunnar is perfectly still as he watches my approach. When I get close enough to him that I can grab his hand, I remove my gloves. He does the same. Our fingers touch and I am comforted by the momentary warmth. I grab both of his hands, lock my fingers around his.

“Hi,” I say softly. “God, I am so sorry about this.”

“Me too, but we’re going to figure it out,” he says. “Now scoot backward, very slowly. Don’t try to pull too hard.

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