We step into the cabin, luggage in tow. Ready to start winter break off right. Sandy, and Sammy the twins decide to bunk upstairs, where they can store their snowboarding gear, disappearing to settle in. Which leaves the downstairs master for Cory and I to split. Great. I remove my parka, and put it on the coat rack, stumbling out of my boots. "Well." I think to myself, "at least it's roomy." I pick up my discarded suitcase and duffle, shuffling to the room. When I arrive I find a half a dozen outlets. I plug my phone in. Nothing. I try again. And again. I start to panic. My phone's been dead since we left St.Gen. I try my computer charger. Again nothing. Cory walks in as I pack all my devices back in my bag. He looks at me with a mix of sympathy and amusement. After a beat he asks "Are you alright?" I look at him with fleeting panic. "We don't have any power." He seems puzzled for a moment, then it hits him with such force he almost tripped. Pulling out his phone he begins to walk through the room, holding his phone up high. Looking scared he mumbles "No service...." Trailing off he vanishes upstairs to tell the twins. He comes back 5 minutes later, sitting across from me on the floor. We bask in the silence for a while. "Maybe we could go back down the ski lift to the office, and go home." I suggest. He's quiet for a second then says "Alrighty, I'll go tell the twins." I pick up my bags heading to the living room. Cory returns, the twins trudging behind him. Already bundled in their matching coats and scarfs. Heading to the front door in single file, we brace ourselves for the cold. After Cory and I shrug on our coats, we open the door. Only to find snow. Piled high over the doorway. Cory and I exchange a look. We're trapped. Shit. I pace the house, thinking of a way out. Then I remember. The master bedroom is on the far left of the cabin, and it has a window low enough to get in and out of. I look at everyone, "There's a window in the bedroom we could throw our stuff out, and crawl out after." The twins look at each other, then at me, nodding in unison. Cory looking concerns mutters "I don't know Cas...that window is sorta high." It's my turn to show sympathy, "Cory it's ok... I'll even go first." Looking at the floor he nods. I grab the nightstand by the bed and put it under the window. Stepping up I grab the bags, throwing them down below. Cory and Sammy interlock fingers so I can get through. But. I slipped on the ice on the windowsill. Falling. Falling. For what felt like forever. My arms reached out trying to grab anything to stop. Finally, I hit solid ground. Hard. I gasp for air, but it feels like fire in my lungs. But it's so sweet. I gulp it down one breath at a time. I hear footsteps running. When the footsteps get close I look up to see the owner. But all I see is white fur. Confused I close my eyes, looking away, then turn back. Yep. Still white fur. I try and sit up, but Can't. The furry white thing bends down, scooping me up. I yelp out in pain. White furry thing says "Sorry, just take deep breaths. I'm gonna get ya fixed right up." I whip head back to face it. "Yo-you t-t-talk?" I stutter. It laughs, "Of course I talk. What did you expect?" It starts running, but it feels like floating on a cloud. I think for a moment. "I don't know- maybe more grunts and growls..?" It looks at me quizzically. Finally saying, "That's a little unfair to assume, seeing as how you've never met me." Wow. But what was said was true. I'd judged something before getting to know it. "Ok, that was unkind. What's your name?" I ask. Silence. It looks down at me and whispers, "I no longer have a name." That makes no sense how could something have a name and then not? But instead I say "I'm sorry....are you a boy or a girl?" It chuckles. Slowly. Then it grows into a great booming laugh, shaking the birds from their trees. Finally it says, "I am a male." Oh. Craning his neck down to me again he imitates my voice perfectly, "Are YOU a boy or a girl?" Stunned, I sit in silence. We arrive at the mouth of a cave moments later. Tucked into the side of mountain, COMPLETELY hidden from view of any normal person and most birds. Gently he nudges the door with his foot, it glides open to reveal a cave made of ice. Yet when we step inside, it doesn't feel cold at all. He brings me over to a table setting me down lightly. I cringe in pain. Gliding his hands above my body without touching me. All of a sudden the door kicks in, and in come my friends. I whip my head to see Cory bruised and nicked, red-faced but otherwise okay Cory. Cory sees Him standing over me and faints onto the floor. Sandy and Sammy walk over to examine him. He lets them check him out while he tends my wounds. He walks over to a depression in the counter I assume is his sink. Above it is a cabinet where he grabs bottles of herbs, and cups. As he fills the cups up in the makeshift sink, Cory moans on the floor. He places a handful of herbs in each cup, then throws the water from the cups into the air. As he reaches out to catch the water it freezes into ice balls. He catches the ice in the cups, slowly walking over to me. Slowly bringing the ice out of the cups he places them onto my body where it hurts. It's not but a few moments later I black out. When I wake up, I can breathe without it hurting. But I don't know where I am. I open my eyes but see nothing. Nothing but white. As my vision clears I see a few trees. Some boulders. I jolt up. "Wheres he?!" I shout. Cory clears his throat. "Cas...everything ok?" I spin to look at him. "NO. EVERYTHING IS NOT OKAY CORY WHERE IS HE?" I growl. Cory looks around for a minute then says. "You've been out cold in the snow for 8 hours." Well...that might explain why I can't feel any part of my body. But if that's true....who was the furry white man who helped me? Where did he go? Is he ok? Cory takes a few steps closer til we're almost shoulder to shoulder. "The twins took a lift back down to the office to get home but I wanted to stay with you....You've stayed seriously warm considering." I feel the heat radiate off his cheeks. "We should go catch the next lift down...wheres my bags?" I ask panicking per Cas style. Cory chuckles,tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "Down at the office with the twins,everything's there." We make our way to the lift waiting for the next one to slow. We climb inside where it's toasty enough to remove my coat. I gaze out the window praying he's ok, and that everything that happened had been as real as it felt. I wanted to go find him. But my mother must be so worried. I have to get home. Cory grabs my hand kissing my cheek softly. That'll be my next adventure, next time I'm on the mountain.
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