Just Another Memory

“The wind sure is wild up here.” Noah looked up to the sky. The wind whistled in his ears and the snow was as lush and white as it had always been. Nothing had changed. The sun stood stock still high in the sky, clouds drifting overhead, casting shadows on the mount, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. The frosty air bit at his face, penetrating his lungs and shocking him from the crisp feel of the wintry air. Noah’s lips cracked dry and the breeze turned his cheeks pink. He hastily tugged his scarf closer. 

When was the last time they had been here? Two, three years ago? Maybe four. Nevertheless, to be here again, standing alongside the love of his life and grasping his sled that he hadn’t touched for so long . . . it felt like an extra rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, like a nearly forgotten memory reminisced again. He watched as Audrey gently brushed aside a lock of her auburn hair, her smile still as exuberant and enthralling as ever. Her eyes crinkled. 

“I guess so.” She gazed forlornly at the mountainside, her eyes skimming over the evergreen treetops and the clustered local children frolicking near the edge of the woods. “Do you think Charlie’s still here?” 

Charlie. Noah swallowed. The owner of the small restaurant that rested on the tip of the precipice had always taken kindly to them; he could still remember the warm, everlasting taste of his freshly baked pancakes and the way Charlie’s eyes twinkled as he saw their faces light up. Scents of mouth-watering pastries wafting from the kitchen. The fireplace crackling as they shared their hot cocoa, sitting together on the wool rug and listening to Charlie tell anecdotes of his childhood. That had been so long ago. Was he still here? It was quiet. Noah glanced up at the sky. Audrey focused on him curiously, her emerald eyes calculating and flitting around, studying his poker-faced expression. 

He tenderly took her gloved hand in his. They stood together in shared silence as Noah’s thoughts drifted from where they stood on the blanketing escarpment. He thought about the first time that they had gone here, together, as mere teenagers looking for some fun on a secret getaway that they had bestowed upon each other to keep quiet about. The memory was hidden behind walls, bordered up and concealed so that only they knew about it. 

* * *

“Shhh.” Audrey’s captivating eyes glowed faintly under the midnight empyrean; slivers of moonlight etched their way into their wooden cabin nestled deep in the neck of the woods, camouflaged by dark oak branches and bristles. It was undoubtedly messy; trash and soda cans littered the ground, and wrappers lay on the bed stand. Still, that didn’t make it any less exciting to be here, alone with Audrey and having the time of their lives. Sneaking out? Definitely something Audrey would do. Noah’s face flushed as she absent-mindedly took his hand and led him out to the path that they had trampled and walked on so many times. “I wanna show you something special.” she whispered to him. 

“Hah,” Noah closed his eyes and let out a brief snort, “of course you would want to show me something after making me stay up this late. I’m guessing Charlie told you about it?” Audrey always loved talking to Charlie; she was a social butterfly and liked interacting with others, though he was more laid-back and relaxed. She rolled her eyes and flicked him with her finger playfully, letting out a soft giggle. 

“It’s only eleven, shut up. And yeah, he did. Now get on your snow gear, we’re going up to the hill.” 

* * *

After trekking through the snow-covered mound, ankle-deep, they collapsed at the top of the hill, breathless. 

“So . . . what did you-. . .” He trailed off as Audrey raised an exhausted arm to point at the bright stars in the sky. 

“Look.” She pointed at a glowing, bright illumination. “That’s . . Sirius. Do you-do you see it? It’s right there.” 

Noah only nodded in awe, admiring the tranquil beauty of the stars under the luminescence of the moon’s luster; something that he hadn’t grown to appreciate until now. Audrey smiled. “Never really seen it like this before, huh?” 

He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. “Maybe I have, but seeing it here with you makes me really appreciate it.” She scowled, but he noticed a faint blush on her cheeks as she averted her eyes. 

“Alright, well . . .” she stood up and smirked. “Race you to the bottom!” She hopped onto her sled and made her way quickly down the hill. Noah laughed and quickly followed after her. 

Halfway down the hill, he watched as Audrey suddenly veered off the trail. It seemed to happen in slow motion; her figure tumbling out, Audrey’s face an expression of surprise; the sled swerving and landing at the foot of a tree; her mouth agape in a split second of shock, before registering what was happening and flailing her arms out in a desperate attempt to protect her face from the collision. Noah instantly jumped out of his sled as his instincts kicked in; instead of landing safely on the snow, though, he ended up toppling over and falling. He spat snow out of his mouth and wiped his face. “Urgh.”

Then he remembered what was happening. Noah looked down and realized Audrey was sitting down, her back slumped against the trunk of a tree and glaring at him, unimpressed. He sighed. Leave it to Audrey to still get annoyed after she just crashed into a tree. Noah chuckled at the thought as he trudged through the snow to Audrey. 

She looked up at him, frowning. “That wasn’t fair.” she said. 

“How’d you even crash?” 

Audrey pouted and looked away. “There was a rock in the way, and I just curved.” 

In response, Noah laughed and slid down next to her; pulling her closer and burying his face in Audrey's disheveled hair as she sighed in exasperation, her voice tinted with content. 

* * *

Noah blinked as the memory faded away and he realized Audrey was waving a hand in front of him. “Hello, earth to Noah? You’ve been spacing out for a while now. I kinda just let you, but it’s getting kind of annoying.” She smiled teasingly. A cool breeze blew her hair into her face, but she didn’t seem to mind; in fact, Audrey seemed to enjoy it. Her pale skin was prone to flush, but she had pulled her scarf up so that her voice was muffled. 

“Sorry, I was just thinking about our first time here.” 

Audrey blinked. “Ah, you’re right. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I guess that’s the beauty of this place; it feels like we’ve never left.” She peered over the rocks, then turned and pointed up at an old stone building on the cliff. “That’s Charlie’s restaurant. I . . . really miss having those pancakes. Don’t you?” 

He caught a glimpse of a craving expression on her face before it contorted into one of surprise. “Ah, look down there,” she took his hand and turned towards the woods. “That’s our cabin.” Noah swivelled around quickly; the cabin was still there. He recognized the familiar markings on the steps of the porch: Audrey + Noah. 

“It’s still there.” Noah whispered. It surprised him how quiet his voice was. “It feels . . . weird, doesn’t it? Something you thought you knew by heart, but when you see it again it’s like suddenly seeing it for the first time.” He looked at her, but she just grinned. 

Audrey tugged on his sleeve. “C’mon, race you to the bottom!” Audrey laughed as she set down her sled and slid down the hill. 

Noah smiled and followed after her.