Changing Spaces

They stared each other down. Blue eyes met brown with a fierceness that could cut glass.

How had they ended up in this predicament? Enemies for longer than they could remember, relying on one another for survival. Joe's knowledge of all things survival made him invaluable in their current situation. Manni's supplies, cabin and only water supply gave Joe a leg up in this crisis that he was not willing to sever.

Basic words were the key, at this point. A series of grunts and acknowledgments were all that had passed between them for the three days they had become prisoners of the mountain snow slide. Neither had known the other was traveling for the weekend though both loved the outdoors in different ways. Manni preferred the cabin's structured, heated and insulated containment while looking out the two windows at the majestic beauty of the Gandrau Mountain sipping some warm beverage or other.

Joe was a survivalist when he went outdoors. Single tent, no maps and the barest necessities so that the land could provide. Neither the pro nor the laid back man had seen it coming. Manni had heard the thundering train of snow before it had even begun to arrive but didn't recognize it for what it was. Joe had heard it and knew it for the deadly aftermath it would leave and looked for the nearest standing structure to try and shelter himself and have a chance at continuance.

Barging through door thinking it abandoned, he actually passed several minutes before he realized there was a second occupant. Starting to apologize profusely for the intrusion, Joe turned and viewed his host. The kind, words of respite died on his lips as her recognized the man whom he had found in bed with his then wife and a scowl darkened his face.

It took Manni for him to recall the face, but once he did, the look on his face could have chilled fire.

Both men had loved Gina. Both men had been taken in by her charms. Both men had been burned by her and her lies. Both men were left high and dry and utterly alone. Both men had been less than kind when relating tales of their blissful time with her.

Manni rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed deeply. "Why are we doing this?" He gazed at the square pane that should have given a beautiful vista of the mountainside but currently possessed a disheartening wall of white that shut them off from the outside world.

Joe didn't answer but seemed to lessen his tense gaze slightly.

"She was a piece of work and we both fell for it. Why are we at each other's throats because she couldn't stop bed hopping?" He stood up and began pacing the short distance from the door to the cabin to the door which led to the outhouse. He made a mental note of bringing up this part of the conversation at some point in the not too distant future.

Joe appeared to be processing this and allowed himself to break his locked stare and look down at the braided rug filling the center of the room. "I knew."

Manni had barely heard the low whisper but heard it, he did. "Knew?"

Joe grunted and stood up. His six foot five frame fairly filling the space between his head and the ceiling. He faced Manni full on and repeated, "I knew. I knew about you, I knew about the other guy. She made promises. She made me believe. I wanted to believe her." He looked down at his weathered, clammy hands as if ashamed. "I knew and I let it happen. I figured out early on that your marriage wasn't over and wasn't the way she described. But, I didn't care. It had to be over to some degree to have her end up in my bed."

He had expected Manni to fly into a rage or at least lash out at him, verbal or otherwise. When he looked up, he saw understanding. He was confused.

"I knew about you, too. Not the other guy until later. But, yeah, it was over fairly early. She needed my money to fund that hair of hers." Joe actually laughed out loud on that. Gina had the classic, stereotypical beehive hairdo at times, other times there was enough hairspray to account for the hole in the ozone layer.

Manni joined in and with that, they were cool.

The laughter subsided and they sat in silence for a while.

"What are we gonna do?" Manni asked knowing that Joe was the only one who could begin to figure this out. Manni's response had been to suppress a little kid scream and not get claustrophobic.

Joe remained silent for a bit and then asked a question that certainly sealed their fate. "Who knows you're here?"

They were screwed. "That's what I thought. Well-, " He stood and walked to the window and tapped the glass gently. "-no one knows where I am since I go off on my own and wander around. It will be the start of a three day weekend, so, it being Wednesday night.." He trailed off aware that the scenario was not good and required very little imagination.

"How much food and water do you have stored?" Manni walked over to the pantry to the right of the counters and opened it up. Every indulgent food and snack they could want was there. Twinkies, kippers, canned ham. The works.

He looked down to examine an errant dust bunny which had suddenly taken up most of his interest. "There's no water, is there?" Joe waited for the answer he knew was coming and when it was, he exhaled, exasperated.

"There's a well but it needs to be re-dug. I usually bring a few gallons with but this was supposed to only be an overnight stay. I'm sorry."

There were no exits, no other options.

It could be a week or more before anyone thought to look for them. Being bachelors, there was no one at home to mourn their absence. Their employers would be aware of something off kilter after the start of work Monday, it would take a bit to locate family that would be able to guess at their whereabouts. By then, the men understood it would be too late.

The wood was outside, the doors opened out, there was no water and the oxygen levels they were dealing with were not easily ascertained. Joe quickly peaked at the ceiling and saw no dampers or ventilation pipes. This also meant no cooking since the exhaust had nowhere to go.

"This is how it ends." Manni looked at Joe, grinning. "Hey, I guess we're even on that whole Gina thing now." He looked at the floor boards before Joe could answer.

It had been two days already. Joe had nursed his canteen until the wee hours of the morning. The reservoir in the kitchen had to hold at least four gallons. They might make it.

"Have you used any of the reservoir water yet?" He looked at Manni, hopeful. The other man surveyed the farthest wall of the cabin in silence.

"Shower. Hot cocoa. Tea. Dishes." Five little, innocent words. Now, not so innocent.

An inaudible 'oh' left Joe's throat. "If this is how it ends, then we go out in style." He clapped his carefully, manicured hands and set across the room towards the fridge. The power being out made caused him to be quick when taking out the few food choices he made.

He balanced his offerings in both arms and held them in place by his chin. Joe came to his aid as he helped unload a container with half a lemon chicken, canned cranberry sauce, lettuce, bread, various condiments and some carrots and celery. They tucked in and gorged themselves. Neither voicing the opinion that they knew rationing wasn't something that would be necessary. Either the food would spoil first or they would. Manni hoped it would be in his sleep. By Saturday, they began to trust only the canned foods in place of the sour smell that was emitting from the fridge.

Sunday came and went. Both had a hard time getting to sleep. The small space had formed an igloo like setting as the compacted snow insulated what warmth they had left. The heat was unbearable but the only alternative was to try to open the door. The influx of snow coming in would not be easily reversed and they would freeze to death. Joe wondered if it would be a horrible way to go considering he was sweating buckets.

As predicted, Monday came and questions arose. Families were called and authorities were notified. Searches began late Thursday. Dogs were brought in Friday but the snowfall made them all but useless. Maps and property lines were researched to zero in on a location for the cabin known to be owned and currently inhabited by Manus Corvin on the rare occasion he allowed himself the luxury of a vacation.

Deputy Harris was the one to spot the brick jutting out of the snow at first light Sunday morning. The search party backed out of the area carefully upon seeing just how high the snow pile was. Rescue crews and machinery were brought in, though no one involved was searching with as much earnest as at the start. It had been over a week and Manus' family hinted at the fact that he wasn't that knowledgeable in situations such as these.

Joe's searchers happened upon those looking for Manus and somewhere along the line a connection was made and they began to contemplate the off chance that they could possibly be together.

Thursday, the area was deemed unstable and rescue efforts were called off with all involved assuming the inevitable had already taken place.

Friday morning, both men gave up hope that the men would be back. They toasted Gina one last time with two tins of caviar and laid back to breathe their last.