LJ Idol 11 Week 8
I'd like to apologize in advance for this. This week's topic screamed trashy romance novel to me, which I admit is one of my guilty pleasures. :)
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Magna knew it was foolish the minute she stormed out the door, fury her only guide. Now she was living the proof of her temporary insanity. She wasn’t sure why phone calls with him made her crazy -ok, she was sure. He was an egotistical, misogynistic, self-absorbed, toxic asshole and she was glad she’d finally gotten away from him. She just wondered how long it would be before he realized they were done and stopped trying to contact her and/or the contact didn’t give her such heebie-jeebies.
The cottage was gorgeous. It was small, but perfect for her to get away and reflect. Isolated along the shore of a mountain lake, her nearest neighbors were at least a mile away. There were a few other cottages on the lake itself but being the off-season, they were currently unoccupied. It might be a little scary, but she got good cell reception - when her phone was charged, which it wasn’t thanks to the royal jerk - and she really needed the quiet. Of course, the isolation wasn’t helping her right now.
She knew better than to just run out the door without proper equipment in these mountains. She was an experienced climber and hiker and was well aware of how quickly weather could change at altitude. To be fair, in her agitated state, she had barely noticed the storm clouds moving in overhead. By the time she noticed the darkening skies, cold rain had begun to fall. It was around the same time that she realized she didn’t recognize where she was either, the lake being out of her sight. Instinct kicked in and she started to make her way downhill, hoping she would run into either the road or the lake. She didn’t account for the rain turning quickly to fat, white flakes, or the slipperiness of the shale rock she was traversing. The fall took her downhill, which was good, but it also ripped apart her ankle and she had distinctly heard a pop. She had tried to put weight on it, only to feel excruciating pain that made her nauseous and light-headed. Luckily, she wasn’t bleeding.
Her yellow, winter coat was warm, but it wouldn’t keep her warm through the night. She searched the pockets to see what she might have to help herself, but only came up with her forgotten work keys and a lanyard. If she could get to the trees nearby, she could try to fashion a splint, using the lanyard to tie it on. Maybe she could figure out a way to try to build a small shelter from some of the branches. She would have to half crawl; half drag herself over there. Hopefully it wasn’t as far as it looked.
~~~~~
Truman wasn’t sure what had made him pick up the binoculars and look through the picture window in his great room. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he saw what he thought he saw, but there was definitely something unnatural to the yellow coloring that was moving rapidly down the side of the mountain. This storm was moving in fast. If that was a human being, they were going to need help to get down. He put down the binoculars and picked up his phone, dialing the ranger.
“Joe, looks like there’s someone on Cascadia north of Crater Lake,” he barked into the phone.
“You goin’ out?” came the response.
“Yeah. I’ll let you know what I find. Switching to walkies now, but I’m bringing the satellite just in case this storm disrupts things.”
“Gotcha. I’ll monitor them both. Let me know if you need us.”
Truman marked the area where he though he saw the anomaly in his GPS unit, loaded his go-pack and some extra supplies in his four-wheel drive and headed out toward the lake.
It didn’t take him long to get to the end of the road that would take him as far as it could. He climbed out, put on his pack, and raised Joe on the walkie talkie to let him know he was proceeding on foot. He had about 3 hours until it was fully dark. Turning on his GPS, he started off toward the point where he would begin the search.
The climb was steep and slick with the snow falling at a heavier rate now. He found a good walking stick to help support his progress, stopping every ten minutes or so to take a look through the binoculars and call out in case the person he was sure was lost out here could hear him. About ninety minutes into his search, he heard a faint cry.
“If you can hear me, try to shout out a little louder,” he called. Thank God it was too early in the season for avalanche danger.
“Here, I’m here,” came the reply a little louder.
“I’m looking for you, on my way. If you call out every few minutes or so it will help me find you.”
“Ok.”
She, he was pretty positive it was a she, called out every few minutes like he had asked. She had started with a “hello” or an “I’m over here”. Soon however, they were having a stilted conversation across the mountainside.
Bright yellow and slight movement caught his eye nearly 45 minutes into their back and forth. Pulling out his binoculars confirmed that there was indeed a woman on the mountainside.
“I see you now. I’m about 15 minutes away. Hang in there,” he called to her. He could almost feel her relief.
~~~~~
Finally coming upon her, he removed his pack and took out a bottle of water and thermal blanket, handing both to her.
“Where are you hurt?” he asked as he crouched down next to her.
“My ankle. I’m sore, but I don’t think there’s anything else that’s major.”
“Do you mind if I do a quick once-over to make sure?”
“I guess.”
He started from the ankle, which she had impressively tied with a makeshift splint from nearby branches, and slowly moved up her legs and torso looking for protrusions or blood. Finishing up with her arms, he moved to her back and looked at her head. There was a matted, blood stained area at the back, but not enough to cause any major concern.
“You have some bleeding on the back of your head, might have hit it when you fell. I’m assuming you fell? I’d like to check you for a concussion,” he finished, reaching in his pack for the flashlight.
“I slid on the rocks and took a tumble down here. I’ve been so focused on the pain in my foot I didn’t feel anything else.”
He flashed the light in her eyes, concern crossing his brow.
“You might have a mild concussion. As dark as it’s going to get in the next bit here, I think it’s wise to set up camp. Are you comfortable enough spending the night on the mountain with a complete stranger?”
“Well, I don’t really have much choice now, do I?” Magna tried not to sound irritated, but she was cold, tired, hungry and in considerable pain. “If you’re going to kill me, just do it fast,” she attempted to joke.
“Ha! I assure you madame, my intentions are completely honorable,” he tried to humorously reassure her. “I’m going to set up camp while we still have some daylight.”
Magna was impressed with the amount of equipment he pulled from his pack. A small tent, another thermal blanket, an axe, more water, several protein bars (thank God!), a first aid kit, and matches. She might have even spied a tin coffee pot in there. She chewed on a protein bar and quietly watched him as he efficiently went about setting up a small camp, finding enough dry wood to start and maintain a small fire.
“Are you part of Search and Rescue in the area?” she asked.
“Not officially. I grew up on the mountain, moved away, came back. Now I live here full time. I get a good view of things from my spread, try to keep an eye out for Joe and the guys, let them know if there’s ever anything that needs looking for. Speaking of Joe, I better call him with an update.”
He stepped away and she took a moment to unabashedly stare at him. He was tall, probably topping 6’2”, with long, muscular legs that fit into his blue jeans well. His dark hair poked out from under his hat, and his blue eyes matched the crystal lake she had recently called home. He was gorgeous. She realized she was staring. She realized he was talking to her.
“Hmm? Sorry, I was…”
“Was just wondering if you were warming up yet. I can boost the fire if needed.”
“I’m starting to get more feeling in my hands and toes, but I wouldn’t mind a little more heat,” she answered.
“Let’s see what I can do,” he moved toward the fire with more logs. “We’re going to be here overnight, might as well start with introductions. What’s your name?”
“Magna Sorenson,” she told him. “And you?”
“Truman North,” he replied, “but my friends call me Tru.”