In the wee hours of the morning, the boys gathered in the hallway. "You two ready?" Matt asked.

Brandon nodded. "I'll go get her".

He knocked on the door. "Clare...it's time" No answer. "Clare". He slowly opened the door and found her sitting on the edge of the bed, tears streaking down her cheeks.

She looked up slowly, staring at him with wet eyes.

"We should go" he whispered, walking towards her.

Clare suddenly flung herself at him with a silent outburst of emotion. "I'm scared, Brandon"

Her fingers dug into his back, he ignored it. "Me too" He wrapped his arms around her. "Me too...but we have to do this".

Clare nodded and they headed out of the room.

Emerging into the hall, Jack and Matt were already standing by the door, backpacks at their feet.

"This is it," Brandon said nervously.

"Good luck", Matt hugged Brandon like a brother.

Jack too extended his hand. "Hope it all works". He handed the cell phone to Brandon. "Try it, maybe you might be able to catch a signal".

Brandon took the phone and put it in his inner pocket, then with a smile pulled Jack into a hug. "Take care".

Clare wanted to break down and scream but she held out. Jack approached her, fighting his own inner demons. "Well Clare, you stay alive out there," and gave her a warm farewell hug. "Without you, we're dead", laughing as heartily as possible.

Brandon saw Matt approach Clare, "I'll wait outside". Jack sensing why Brandon was leaving, followed suit, giving the two some privacy.

Matt moved in close, pulling her towards his body. He tenderly stared into her eyes, hesitating a moment, then whispered almost inaudibly. "I know our terms, Clare. No string attached, but does it really work that way?" he gently brushed her hair aside.

Clare's exhausted eyes lingered on him. "Matt," she said pulling away. "Don't do this," but Matt brought her closer, knowing that this was their last moment alone for a long time. He leaned in and kissed her softly before she pulled away yet again.

He looked at her. She likes him. His eyes suddenly overflowed. "I'm going to miss you...a lot...You better go now". He kissed her one last time on her forehead then escorted her outside.

Clare turned back to him, holding his hand. She stood up on her tiptoe, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll miss you too" she whispered into his ear. A weak smile crossed her face, and she let go of his hand.

Brandon waited for her at the foot of the stairs, then turned to the two on the porch. "Make sure you two stay inside at all times...just in case we happen to come by".

Jack and Matt watched until the others vanished into the landscape. Despair settled in and silence came.

* * *

"So, Simon, how is the search and rescue proceeding?" the Mayor asked, sitting behind his huge mahogany desk, his agitation clearly visible as he attempted to organize his flustered work space.

Simon cleared his throat. "My men have been scouting the accident area and its vicinity thoroughly for the four missing persons..."

"And...have we located these people yet?"

Simon shook his head, embarrassed. "No sign of them so far"

"This is not good, Simon. Not good at all."

"I know, sir, but..."

"I don't want to hear excuses." The Mayor huffed on the brink of anger. "This tragedy should not have occurred in the first place...but you must return these individuals to their respective families. For God's sake, they have been missing for seven days already ". The man rose from his leather chair and walked around it towards the window. "So, what plans do you have in place?" he asked.

"Well," Simon took a deep breath, "we are expanding our on foot search. We're mostly keeping to the road and its vicinity to search for them...we assume they have set out on foot and it is understandable that they would be keeping to the road".

"What about the cabins up there? Do you have anyone checking them out?"

Flabbergasted, Simon remained silent. Truth be told, he had not paid much attention to that possibility. Everything had happened so suddenly over the past few days that he had been swamped with trying to identify the casualties. "We'll get that search under way too."

The Mayor stared at him, clearly not amused by Simon's lack of attention to the severity of the situation. "You are dealing with a volatile situation, Simon. I wouldn't want you to be caught unawares." A cautionary hint lurked in his tone.

Simon nodded and rose from his seat. "We have two people still up in the mountains..." he swallowed. "A couple of scientists, Gary and Michelle Schuster. They refused to leave the slopes when closures were announced. I'll notify them of the situation, and ask them to keep an eye on the horizon for anyone".

As the Mayor leaned over his desk his features softened. "Get on with it, Simon. I want to see an end to this."

"Yes, sir"

* * *

The landscape rarely changed as the two set out. With each step they took, the load they were carrying became heavier. It had been more than few hours since leaving the cottage, but they were not covering much ground. It had snowed heavily the previous day. It was as high as their knees and the depth left them with no other choice than to drag themselves.

"Brandon!" Clare's voice escaped through her dry cold lips. "I can't go on, my legs are killing me, let's just stop for a while, please".

For the first time since they left, Brandon turned to look at her. Then without a word, he dropped his backpack and sat down, sinking waist deep, "I was wishing you'd say that. I'm starved."

Munching on pieces of stale cracker, Clare looked worried. "I can't even tell which way we came from and which way we are going. I don't like this, everything looks the same".

Brandon simply chewed.

They knew that this was as far as they could go for the day; the heavy snow and the freezing weather had tired them out. The wind too had picked up a notch or two, and the heavy clouds overhead threatened more snow. Eventually Brandon brought out the tent and started pitching it firmly to the ground.

"You still scared?" he asked, tying a rope to a nail.

Clare nodded. "Aren't you?" When faced with a blank look, she asked again, "aren't you, you know...scared?"

He nodded. "Yeah...Get in!"

Once inside, Brandon zipped the tent behind them. "The storm is gathering again, we may be bogged down for a while". He sat down and tightened his scarf around his neck. "The night is going to be very cold. Make sure you've got layers, ok?" Clare simply nodded, worry embracing her again.

She tried to speak in the calmest tone she could find, "How long do you think we'll be bogged down?"

"Few hours at least"

She grabbed her sleeping bag. "May be we should have left a few hours earlier."

"Wouldn't have made a difference, weather is unpredictable out in these parts."

* * *

"Boyd, what do you have for me?" Simon asked, sitting down.

"The media's been a great help. The announcement of names on the list in the news has had many families already claim some of the bodies. However, the four that are still missing. Nobody's come forward with any information ..."

"Anything else"

"Your sister came by earlier. The driver, Reeves', funeral is tomorrow, which she thinks you should attend".

Simon nodded. "So we have how many names left to be claimed on that list?"

"Just the four presumed missing, sir, three males and a female. The air search hasn't been very successful. It's as if they've simply vanished."

Simon swayed on his chair a moment before leaning on his desk. "People don't just vanish, Boyd. How about the cabins up there, near the accident area? Have we sent out troops to check them yet?"

A perplexed look washed over the face of his assistant. "No sir, as far as I can recall, we've been so busy searching the vicinity around the crash site and the road, and trying to identify, and get people to claim, the bodies ... Nothing as yet. The boys have just come down today with Larry's ploughs to re-equip and get a bit of a rest before they go back up...and no, they didn't find anything on the road either."

Simon pressed his lips together and stared intently at the wooden surface of his desk. "Order the men to resume their search immediately. I want those people found alive. Send another party to search all cabins, one by one, down the mountain from the accident site. It's very likely that they've taken shelter in one."

"Yes, sir" Boyd hesitated.

"What is it?"

"The men can't carry on without a bit of rest, they've been up on that mountain and out in that cold for almost two days what with clearing the accident and search...besides the day is nearly..."

"And those four people who are injured, or God forbid, dead, have been stranded up on that same cold mountain for a whole week, Boyd...and they are looking to us, and so is the town, and the families...In fact, since we've announced this tragedy, the whole nation is looking at us to deliver these men and woman safely to their homes. Now Boyd, tell me, should I let these people down?" His recent discussion with the Mayor had him riled and Simon subconsciously took his frustration out on his assistant.

"No, no sir"

"Well then," he sat up straight, "an hour, that's all the leisure time the men get."

Boyd rose from his seat and walked towards the door, and hesitated. "It'll be dark by then,"

"I know, Boyd" Simon called back.

"The visibility will be poor. And the weather bureau..."

Simon looked up from his paperwork and stared at his assistant. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Boyd. I know you mean well." He nodded again. "Okay, as soon as dawn breaks."

The young rooky nodded. "I'll let the men know."

* * *

The howling wind seemed to be annoyed by the tent in its furious path; it eventually woke Clare from a dreamless sleep. Inside the tent, it was becoming icy cold; her teeth chattered slightly. She looked at Brandon's sleeping form, her mind telling her to wake him up. She was afraid that he might freeze to death.

"Brandon" She leaned in, closer. She couldn't help but stare at his calm, peaceful face. She was close enough to see the soft skin of his cheeks, the ruffled hair. She ran her hand through his hair affectionately, and whispered again, right into his ear. "Brandon. Brandon, you have to wake up, you listening to me? It's time to wake up!"

His husky voice floated up. "And if I say no?"

"I know you won't"

In the darkness, his eyes took a while to adjust. Clare was close enough for him to make out her blue eyes. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you are about to kiss me..." he smiled.

She snapped upright, away from his face.

Brandon pushed himself up. "Sorry, I just wanted to see how you would react"

"You weren't really expecting that I would..."

"Not really, I know there's someone waiting for you back at the cabin" he said with a grin. Clare refused to turn around. "Cheer up, you will be back with him soon. I promise no funny business from me". He looked at her, "If you don't mind, may I ask you a question?"

"Shoot"

"You and Matt?" he scratched his head, "don't get me wrong, but Jack's speculation has...had", he quickly corrected himself, "had me intrigued too...don't have to answer though,"

"We ought to be leaving?"

"So was he a time pass then?"

"Brandon!"

"You don't have to tell me twice...sorry"

Walking against the howling wind and the blinding snow, they made their way in the opposite direction to where they assumed they had come from. Walking beside Brandon, Clare spoke as if they had been in mid-conversation.

"It was a good distraction from everything, talking. Matt and I, we just talked. I didn't feel like an idiot talking to him".

For a moment Brandon wondered what on earth Clare was talking about. "Did I make you feel like an idiot?" he turned around and halted, astonished.

She chuckled, "I didn't mean you..." and marched on ahead. "Besides, I don't feel that way about him" she added.

Brandon quickly caught up. Clare snatched at his arm, trying to keep pace, "What is it with you guys? Always walking a few paces ahead," she muttered, practically scuttling besides him.

He glanced at her once, and without a word slowed down.

"How long you think, before we find help?"

"Honestly? I don't know," he shook his head.

She nodded, "Okay...another question"

"Another?"

"Give me a break, I'm bored!" She sighed and linked her arm through his. "If you could have one wish at this moment...what would you wish for?" He gave her an odd look. "Honestly...what would you wish for?"

"This is stupid...but I wouldn't mind erasing something from the past..." his voice barely audible over the hissing wind.

"Girlfriend?"

He shook his head with a grin. "Why do you want to know?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged.

He became silent, walking besides her. He could tell she was itching to find out, and he couldn't help but laugh inside. "My mum" he said after a while. "It was my mum I was talking about. And home town".

"Whole town..." she eyed him, utterly intrigued. "Look at me..." she stretched her arms out as if showcasing herself. "Personally I know, no matter how much I pretend otherwise, I'm a selfish, arrogant person born into a rich household and despite that, I have only a handful of people who dislike me. And you are none of that!"

Brandon smiled nervously, "Some people are a little more sensitive".

"Well, they shouldn't concern you, so forget about what they think. Just listen to your own people", she giggled. "Take it from me, you can't satisfy everyone!"

His eyes went cold. "I'm not sure if I have my own people" he swiped at the corner of his eyes, turning away. "Let's not talk about this anymore".

She watched him pushing his emotions back, and couldn't help but begin to understand why he was so closed off. Those undisclosed issues were still bottled up inside and he didn't have a healthy outlet for it. She began to realize he would take them to the grave if he didn't feel like he was beginning to stare at it already. The years of agonizing over the past surfacing now, in front of a total stranger.

Clare's eyes watered. The one person she thought who would come out of this unscathed was crumbling. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry"

His eyes danced with tears. "Don't pity me, Clare."

"I don't pity you, Brandon!" Clare quickly shouted in the howling wind, searching for a spark of recognition in his eyes. "I know I may be a person you would prefer to talk to about your past, but Brandon, from where I'm standing, you are the most courageous person I know."

She whisked around and stood to face him. "People make mistakes, and mistakes are meant to be forgiven". She wiped away her tears. "I want you to remember one thing", she pulled at his jacket, her face serious. "You are a beautiful person and no one can take that away from you!"

He stood frozen.

Her voice struggled to be heard over the wind. "And if I ever get the chance, I'll prove it to you, you truly are beautiful...because if you weren't, why would I be here talking to you. Brandon, I like you, and that's the truth".

He glanced away from her; blinking his eyes dry. "Thank you!" He hugged her and said with a tired smile, "Shall we go on then?"

As night fell, the depth of the darkness stretched beyond the scope of their eyes and eventually they stopped to camp. Brandon again took out the open packet of crackers he had saved from the morning. That was to be their dinner. The last few crackers were all the food they had left. Clare constantly peered at the twin peaks of the mountain which lay far above them as she ate. She could make out the heavy clouds that were gathering around their peaks.

Brandon sat, contemplating the conversation they had had earlier. He swallowed the cracker on which he had been chewing for a while and finally spoke.

"What about your wish? What is it that you would like at the moment?" he asked. Oddly enough, he was beginning to feel comfortable around her.

"I wish I knew how a proper family functioned". She laughed uncomfortably, "With loving parents and innocent children. My mum died when I was six, in an accident. And my dad kept himself so busy since her death that he hasn't realized he treats me like one of his employees. It's as if he pays me my allowance so I keep out of his way..." her voiced was slightly strained, "I miss him."

"At least you know he is there", he placed his hand on her hand, which lay on his knee. "I wish I could say the same thing about my mum, that she knows that I'm there, but that would be lying, to you and me".

Her eyes held his gaze and her voice trembled. "You're her child though"

"I was about eight. It was a Sunday morning... we were all dressed up. Dad in his suit, mum in her Sunday dress, and I was in my best pair of pants and shirt..."

His left hand ran through his hair. His eyes flickered, fixed on her hands. "Dad wanted to go and have a look at the wheat fields, to decide when to cut them. Mum was baking a cake back at the house for the food hamper at church".

Those memories danced in his vision as fresh, vivid images. He looked at Clare although his eyes were vacant. "There was a fundraiser at our local church that day. I went with dad to check on the fields, 'cause I knew he'd be riding the tractor, and I wanted to ride it". The vacant look deepened in his eyes deepened. "I shouldn't have gone!"

Clare's voice sounded to him as if from a distance. "Why?"

He stared at her but his eyes couldn't find her in the old memories. He continued almost confused as to where he really was. "Dad stopped in the middle of the dirt road, in the field...and he..." he heard his voice crack and realized he had started crying. "...he usually applied the hand brake every time I was with him 'cause he knew I'd play with the wheels. I guess he forgot that day, since we were in such a hurry".

Brandon placed the cracker back in its packet, his mind had already placed him back, all those twelve years ago, back in that tractor, and there was no room for any crackers there. He began again. "When he got off the tractor I moved to his seat. I don't know why I did what I did, I never used to play with the accelerator...but that day I just looked at the pedal and stepped on it".

He looked up at her again and shook his head. "Honestly, I didn't think anything would happen so I pressed the pedal right down..." his voice came out in sobs. "...it moved Clare, the tractor moved!" By now he was shaking his head uncontrollably. "I couldn't see him...I was small...I... I couldn't hear him either, the tractor was loud and I was scared!"

He felt Clare's grip tighten just as he was dreading the words that were about to escape his mouth.

"I only let go of the accelerator when I felt the bump under the tyre...then I crashed into a tree. My heart was pounding...I was scared that my Mum was going to yell at me. I never liked mum yelling at me."

Clare gently touched his cheek, wiping away the tears that were on freefall. She could feel the trembling in his body as he touched her hand and held it close to his heart. "I could see the trail of blood under the tractor...I ducked underneath and there he was, caught between the wheels".

Clare took him in her arms as he went quiet, and hiding his face in her hair, began to cry. He could still see the trail of blood in his vision, and the unrecognizable tangle of his dad's body beneath the tractor. He ran towards the house, calling out to mum for help. She thought he had been joking, but when she heard the tremble in his voice, she ordered him to call the paramedics, and run off into the field.

"...when I ran back I found her, halfway, screaming in agony...she had been pregnant then..."

Clare's face contracted at the thought of a pregnant woman falling on her stomach.

He stared at her face, just inches away, and her eyes sympathizing with his. He looked down at her hands. They seemed to be lost and fidgeting with themselves. He held them a while, his voice a mere whisper. "I was looking forward to having someone to play with. I used to imagine the two of us chasing chooks". He laughed nervously.

"That was the day...the last time mum ever spoke to me..."

"I waited hours outside the emergency ward. No one would tell me anything. Then the doctor came around midday ...he had a serious look...I tried to listen to what he was saying but all I could hear was my own heart beating, mum's screams and the shuddering of the tractor". Brandon hung his head, defeated. "He said mum was fine, but she lost a baby girl".

Brandon looked tortured. "I lost everything that day."

"What happened to you and your mum after that?"

"Whenever I went to visit her at the hospital, she was always resting, and I didn't want to disturb her. Eventually I realized she didn't want to see me, so I waited for her at home. She never came, so my dad's best friend came and took me home with him".

"One day I heard she was back at the farm, so I went back home. She refused to even recognize me...threw me off the property. I haven't seen her for six years now", he said. "I moved out, stayed with dad's friend who had taken me in. I've been on the move ever since I finished school, finding jobs here and there".

"Have you talked to her?"

Brandon looked up at her for a moment, "I call her every now and then, but can't muster enough courage to say hi. I just listen to her voice until she hangs up". He smiled weakly. "I've forgotten her laughter...I've forgotten a lot about her..." he lifted his hand to his lips, fidgeting, trying to hide his sniffles as tears welled up in his eyes again.

Clare moved closer. "Everything was an accident, Brandon. She can't hold that against you forever."

"I took away her husband and her unborn child..." Brandon's eyes stared coldly at his legs, "and I must live with that". But for how long...how long?

When he looked back up at Clare again, tears were visible in her eyes. "This is pathetic...sitting here crying!" He chuckled.

For a moment he almost looked like a child. Clare wiped the tears from his cheeks, her own face closer. Her eyes caught his for a moment. His hands gently held her face and he kissed her, softly.

Then just as suddenly, he pulled back and pushed himself to his feet. He glanced at her, then at the entrance of the small tent. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have done that," and he left her sitting there.

She watched him disappear into the nearby woods, a distraught look on her face. Not once did he turn around.

She crawled out on to the snow and picked herself up, and followed the footprints left by his departure. She entered the dark trees where the snow lessened in depth and his footprints vanished into the darkness of the night. She struggled to peer beyond the trees. She was scared of the dark, yet she was also determined to find him, so she kept walking, arms stretched out before her, scoping out her surroundings. Eventually she got to a point where she began to think she should have made a turn instead of walking straight. She turned around and started walking back out, eventually tripping on a root.

As she sat up gasping for breath, she heard the snapping of a twig and a hushed voice.

"I shouldn't have done that, don't know what came over me."

She turned around trying to determine where he was.

"Please, forgive me, I know..." there was a heavy sigh, "I know you and Matt...It wasn't right of me to have..." he stepped up behind her.

"Supposed you had asked, what did you expect?" she queried, facing him.

"Perhaps a no," he fought to keep eye contact.

Clare stood, jaw clenching and unclenching, fighting back tears. "Why?"

"I don't know".

"You don't like me?"

Brandon shook his head, searching his mind for an appropriate answer. He sighed heavily. "Perhaps...I don't deserve anyone." He quickly slipped past her, heading back out of the woods. He fought the urge to turn around and kiss her just once more. The world started to drown out in his mind, till suddenly he felt a tug on his arm, dragging him back. He found himself being turned around to face the woman he was walking away from. In the quickest of moments, he was kissing her back as she held on to his face gently, her body pressed desperately against his.

Clare pulled away from his lips, "Let me decide what I want". She kissed him again. Brandon gradually wrapped his arms around her slim waist, pulling her closer to his body.

Walking back to the tent, Clare slid her hand into his. The snow floated down from the trees around them.

"I wouldn't have thought I was your type... Matt seemed more..."

"Can't I like you?" she asked directly. "There was nothing going on with Matt".

"So that whole porch thing, and before it too...when we first found the cottage?"

Clare laughed. How silly, both those times Brandon had only seen the kiss, and not her pulling away.

"The porch thing...was nothing Brandon...besides, the fact that you were spying...you should have noticed I pulled away..."she said defensively turning around. "But...yeah...the other thing, I don't quite know myself what that was...guess I got caught up in the moment." She awkwardly walked beside him. "Matt's just a friend...a good company ..."

"Am I just company too?" he asked hurt.

"No...I just didn't think you were interested"

"Because just a day ago you seemed cosy with Matt and now it's me?"

"Please...you are getting me all wrong" she shook her head.

He suddenly let go of her hand and took a step back. "I'm sorry, Clare, I can't do this" then walked off into the tent alone.

Clare stood, startled. Fury replaced her confusion and she marched into the tent after him. She grabbed his jacket and snapped at him. "I don't think that's the problem, I think the problem is you, you are scared of me and of us. That's what scares you... us!"

"I just don't rush into things, especially with fast moving people. And there is no us".

"Bullshit"

"Leave me alone"

"Don't be so aloof that you become totally cut off from the rest of the world"

"I'm sorry"

"No, I'm sorry. If you want your loneliness who am I to object...I just wanted...actually I don't know what I wanted". She sat down pulling her jacket tight around her body, bringing her knees closer and wrapping them with her arms as she rested her head on top of them, her face turned away. "Hate the world if you want, Brandon, just don't hate the people who want you in their lives, otherwise, you'll always be alone."

It was half an hour before Brandon found his voice again. "I don't know why I'm about to tell you this. You probably don't care but her name was Maggie..."

He waited for her to turn around but she didn't, and perhaps it was easier that way. "I was a fool to rush in...two years I wasted... I found her in bed with a friend of mine and that was it...she fell pregnant...eventually married him."

"Not everyone's like..." Clare mumbled.

"I know...I just never..."

"Never gave anyone else a chance?"

"No. Just no longer felt relationships were worth a try."

She cleared her throat "I'm tired. I'm going to get some shut eye."

Brandon watched her slip into the sack and quietly sat there staring at her sleeping, eventually dozing off. A little while later, she shifted, curling into a ball as she felt icy air swarm through her mouth and into her lungs. The temperature was dropping as the weather worsened around them. The cold started piercing the exposed skin on her face, and dug through the layers of her clothing.

She was shivering in her sack; her body curled into a ball. Her breath hissed out through her chattering teeth. A protective instinct led her to pull her arms across her chest; a tension spreading across it as her heart stressed trying to keep her warm. She struggled as if trying to breath in icy water. Panic set in and she soon, she woke him up. She didn't want to freeze to death alone.

She hissed his name, "Brandon....wake up please, please wake up" she shook him with effort, "I'm scared".

Brandon puffed out a cloud of air when his own shivering hands tried to steady hers, "What's wrong?"

"I'm cold, so cold" fear flashed in her eyes and she struggled to focus on his face. "I can't breathe, I can't breathe" her breathes short, her sobs broken, "I'm scared!" Brandon took her into his arms. Shivering, she held onto him for dear life. "...I don't want to die...not like this...not here". She buried her face on the cradle of his neck and felt his chest heaving as he breathed. It helped her calm down a bit.

"You are going to be all right" his comforting voice close to her ears. His one hand held her trembling body as the other gently ran through her hair. "Can you feel everything? Your toes, fingers, numbness you haven't noticed?" He watched the frost clinging to her soft hair vanish with his warm breaths.

She lifted her head, meeting him with a questioning glance.

"You might get frostbite" he said quietly.

He calmly took her shoe off. "Let's get your blood circulation going...hopefully it's nothing more than chilblains". He sat there intensely rubbing her foot, trying to breathe some heat into it.

"I'm getting pins and needles" said Clare.

"A good sign..." he said, putting her foot down.

He watched her struggling to tie up the shoelace and noticed her continued shivering. "Are you still cold?" he asked, gently pushing her hands aside and tying the shoelace for her. When she nodded, he took off his jacket.

"What are you doing?" she asked through chattering teeth.

"I've got one too many layers, you can have one". When Clare hesitated he smiled. "I'm going to be fine. My jacket is thicker than yours".

Clare took it, although reluctantly. "Thank you!"

She lay back down, heaving into a ball once again, her body beginning to warm up a little. Her shivering slowly ebbed.

Brandon was concerned. He lay down besides her, pulling himself close to her body. She said nothing. Instead, she grabbed his arm and pulled it across, pulling him closer. "I don't think I can go on!"

"We'll leave when you feel up to it" he whispered. She nodded, wrapped securely in his arms. A while later her grip loosened as she dozed off.

Worried, Brandon brought out the cell phone and turned it on, hoping to catch a signal. He waited as the screen turned on and stared at the signal tower. It was empty. He cursed, turning the phone off again and put it back in his pocket.

He laid there, his arm pinned underneath Clare's head. He could hear the icy wind screaming past their tent. Time hissed by with the wind and he could feel the chills setting in. It was only a matter of time before his hypothermia would turn severe. Shivering had already begun as his body burned off stored energy in order to maintain a healthy temperature. Brandon tried removing his arm from underneath Clare's head and ended up waking her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, trying to cover up his shivering.

"All right"

"Shall we get a move on then?"

"It's still dark"

"Yeah," he pushed himself into a sitting position. "We can cover some ground before the wind howls again."