Suicide Peak

Debbie panicked a second.  She stared at the blanket of whiteness which undulated for hundreds of yards before dropping off into a vastness of trees in the distance.  The pickup was puttering up the gravel driveway.  Debbie’s boots hit the pristine snowy terrain just as the truck crossed level ground and the high beam of headlights struck the side of the cabin.  She trotted toward the tall trees and dense thicket, snow spilling from the skies, her boots sliding and spraying snow to the side.

Suddenly the truck hopped the edge of the gravel driveway and skidded into the grass.  The driver, probably Alice, floored the accelerator and the truck tires spun wildly in the slick blanket of whiteness before finally setting out on a straight trajectory toward Debbie.  Debbie ran as fast as she could, huffing and puffing as if engaged in a rather high impactive cardiovascular exercise session.  A few seconds later, the truck was barreling at her sideways, snow spewing all around.  It angled toward where she was headed, dipping into ditches, sliding and spinning—engine whining. 

Debbie kept running.  She slid all over the frozen ground and slick snow.  The cowboy boots weren’t worth a shit in the snow.

The headlights blinded her as she jumped between a couple trees and swatted at some dangling vines.  The truck was just twenty yards away.  Debbie weaved in and out of the phalanx of oaks and pines.  She heard a door slam shut.  She glanced back and saw two hulking figures approaching from the edge of the woods in front of the bright pickup lights.

“I’m going to get you, cowgirl,” Alice shouted.  Debbie cringed and almost fell down at the sound of her voice.  Her heart thundered.  It felt as if the thundering beats would crack her ribs any second.

She groped through the darkness.  The snow was no longer striking her cheeks, and the foliage and density of the woods repelled the wind a bit, but she was still freezing.  And the two girls were getting closer.  They were chatting.

“Come on, teach,” said Claire.  “Give it up.  You’re dead meat no matter what.”  Debbie was stunned to hear Claire’s voice but had figured that Alice was hiding her out.   

Debbie didn’t know where the hell she was going, but her eyes were now well adjusted to the dark.  In the distance, she thought she spotted a light reflecting off a large body of ice.  Further out, a few lights shimmered through a low patch of fog.  Then as she made her way to another section of the woods, she saw the frozen lake.  A funnel of moonlight was shining across several hundred feet of surface.  Debbie paused a second and looked at the skies.  A million stars twinkled from above.  A coyote howled in the distance, sending shudders up her spine.

Debbie’s arms shot out as she swept some pine fronds aside.  She cut left and flew between two trees spaced a couple feet apart.  Her boots were gaining more traction as less snow had fallen between the trees.  If she could just get to the body of ice and make her way across, she could find help.