Page 9 of Single Dad's Christmas Gift
“Are we going to make it?”
“We’ll be fine if the weather doesn’t deteriorate.”
The worse happens. Fallon slows down as visibility worsens drastically. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like a freak storm.
About twenty minutes later, we’re crawling.
“We’re going to have to stop. It doesn’t look like this storm is going to stop soon. It’s dangerous to go on without knowing what might happen.”
Alarm spreads through me.
“Here?”
Snow covered pine trees stretch towards the skies on our sides. The crying of the wind is so loud, it’s eerie. It would be great to record it as an audio prompt to improve my kids’ writing, but the prospect of having to stop here just reminded me of the horrifying fact that people can freeze to death in their cars.
If the wind gets any stronger, there’s also the possibility of a branch, maybe a tree falling on us.
“There’s an old hunting cabin nearby,” Fallon says.
“Can you reach it?” I see nothing. Will he be able to find his way there?
“A few times. I used to follow my brother Verlin and his best friend when they came to explore the forest here.”
The image of a young Fallon persistently bothering his older brother and friend makes me smile and, for a moment, I forget how dangerous our situation is.
On the left, a narrow clearing of trees becomes visible. Fallon eases the truck onto the space and inches forward.
“It isn’t a fancy place, but we should be able to start a fire.”
The sound of something heavy cracking startles me. A bang follows it. I turn towards Fallon, and can just make out a dark shape on the ground, inches from the crawling truck.
“What’s that?”
“Can you take out the torch in the glove compartment?”
“What?”
“Grab the torch in the glove compartment.”
I obey him.
“Good. Now check it works.”
I click the on button. A powerful beam of light flashes.
“A pack of batteries was beside it. Grab that as well.”
The truck stops.
“We’re here,” Fallon says.
I sigh in relief that we’ve arrived, and the truck didn’t stop because we broke down.
Fallon switches off the engine and climbs out. “Wait a minute.”
I get out as well.
He glares at me.
