Tundra

A vast wasteland- abandoned and forgotten. A piercing, gelid, area that inhabited nothing but white snow, and next-to-no oxygen. The top of Mt. Everest was well-known, but even with hikers and viewers and fans, it still had a lonely atmosphere. 

However, the stillness of the mountain was overcome. The silence, broken. A guest, cloaked in complicated safety measurements, walked into the icy death trap. Slipping, ever so slightly, he slowly made his way up the steep slope. Not, however, before calling down to his peers. 

"Holy- guys! Guys we made it!" He said in a muffled tone, his oxygen mask blocking the volume of his celebration. "I-wow...It's beautiful! Hurry up!"

As the rest of the group stumbled onto the formerly undisturbed snow, they panted and shouted in celebration, giving each other weak hi-fives and slinging their arms around each shoulders in pure excitement and fulfillment. Snow was kicked into the air, shouts were carried on the wind, a mountain was dominated. A great effort, for a hard-working team. 

Minutes later the team had settled down, arms still around shoulders as they glanced at the view. It was like they could see the world, like they were giants looking down on Earth. 

"It's really breathtakin'." A man- nearly unrecognizable in his mask- said with a country drawl. "This ain't somethin' you see every day back home. Hell- you can't see a speck of this at home. I'm sayin' the climb was worth it!"

"Speak for yourself!" Said another man on the far end of their group. "Yeah, I'll admit this is pretty, but I don't think my back can take much more of this stress." He said, gesturing to a ragged backpack hanging loosely off his shoulders. "I was panting all the way up here."

A woman scoffed, her eyes not leaving the horizon. "Don't worry John. You can roll it down the mountain when we leave. Though I ain't helping you clear all the snow off of it when you get to the bottom."

The country man chuckled, wrapping his free arm around her waist. "And that attitude is one of the many things I love about being your husband." Not being able to kiss his wife on the cheek, he resulted to pulling her closer. The woman's annoyed demeanor instantly melted, and she laughed lightly at the man. 

One of the men, the one who first climbed up the mountain in fact, was sitting down and swaying back and forth in a childish manner. "Man this is so cool! I gotta take a picture to hang on my dorm wall!"

John tilted his head, slightly confused. "You're a college kid, Reed?"

"Nah." Reed replied, taking pictured of the beautiful scenery. "I'm gonna be though. In two months, back up in Washington. I'm going to be a Husky."

The man with the southern accent shook his head in mock disappointment. "Betrayin' his fellow Cowboys he is. And I thought I raised 'im to be a good an' proper Texan."

Reed rolled his eyes in response. "Whatever, Dad." He then turned to John. "Thanks Uncle John, for coming on our family trip this week." He said with a bright smile on his face. John grinned, rubbing his knuckles on the hood of Reed's jacket.

"No problem."

And as they left, the mountain, even if it was just for a moment, felt lighter. Happier. The warmth and love the family had on the mountain changed the atmosphere by a small fraction. It warmed the snow and the air, and the sun seemed to shine brighter.

And then quickly, in a swift blink of an eye, the warmth was gone. Blown away by the bone-chilling wind. And the mountain became a merciless tundra once again.