7: Sabrina

Sabrina

 

 

      It was cold. Unbearably cold. Was this the feeling within the domain of death?

          Behind shut eyelids, darkness prevailed. Sabrina Barnes could still feel her heart as it thrummed rhythmically against her ribs. Each beat pulsed blood through her arteries and veins, but that couldn't be. It had to be a figment of her imagination. Maybe her mind was tricking itself into feeling the only thing it had ever known. There was no other reason for her to be feeling anything, especially something so associated with life. She drew in a deep breath.

          Then exhaled quickly in surprise. She was breathing.

          That didn't make sense.

          Fearfully, the art student opened her eyes, allowing herself to see what lie beyond the shelter of ignorance. Ice stretched out as far as she could see. The crystals were jagged, splintered, reflecting a brilliantly bright blue light that shimmered. A small layer of powdery snow coated the frozen expanse. Breathlessly, Sabrina pushed herself up onto her knees, a labor that pained her, but she hardly noticed. With eyes as curious as they were dumb-struck, she looked around. In the far horizon were the purple shadows of mountains standing out against the night sky. She brought her gaze a little higher, and all feeling except euphoria faded away.

          The black veil of night was alive with stars beyond number. Some shone brightly, others mere specks. Slight orange and purple clouds of nebulae were painted lightly amidst the stars. Never before had she seen a display of the heavens with such clarity and beauty in a night sky that felt too large. Most striking and incredible were not the stars, but a massive celestial body that dominated the view. Part of the sphere was lit by a harsh light that reflected a bright blue that darkened and purpled into a pitch blackness that stood in thick contrast to even the star-saturated space. Swirls of clouds in varied shades of blues, teals, and grays covered the entire surface. It reminded her of Jupiter with the hues of Neptune, but no planet she knew of looked that way and the size was impossible.

          "Where am I?" she choked out, her breath rising in a pale mist. The fear began to take hold again, and with it came the biting cold. Pallid flakes of snow danced slowly in the wind, drifting upon her flushed skin and melting. A gust of wind whistled high above, sending a painful shiver down her spine. "Someone help me," she whispered, but only the sorrowful wind responded. 

erratedperous layer was darkness. A layer of She lifted her hands up to the pale blue light that reflected from the massive nearby planet. Diligently, she twitched each of her numb fingers and felt the pricks of pain. "Is this real?"

          The quality of the wind began to change, the swirling high-pitched whine had given way to a deeper sound. Sabrina wrapped her arms around her body, sticking her pink and tender fingers under her arms. The sound of the wind was chilling her as well. It didn't sound right to her.

          She tried to push that thought to the back of her mind as she rose to her feet and looked around for any semblance of shelter. In one direction spanned a flat expanse of glimmering ice devoid of any trees or rocks. The opposite way offered a distant tree line and somewhere far beyond that, mountains. With little option, she began shuffling her way toward the trees. The wind was picking up, but thankfully it was to her back. She tucked her chin down to her chest and continuously wiggled her toes to keep the blood flowing.

          The minutes passed by. Sabrina didn't think much, she was afraid to, so she did her best to let her mind go blank and let her body mechanically place one foot in front of the other. Her eyes were fixed on the tall pines in the distance that seemed to be no nearer than when she started.

          This deep of a cold was something she had not felt since her trip to Montana with her family. They had gone there for a ski trip as a Christmas vacation, to break up the monotony of hot winters in Florida. She had been fourteen then. A small smile touched the corners of her lips as she remembered how she and her father had spent an entire day on the bunny slopes trying to get used to the feeling of having two long pieces of fiberglass strapped to their feet. They had fallen and rolled down the hill so many times attempting to learn, her father eventually just rented snowboards. Because he had been a surfer when he was younger, the learning curve wasn't as severe but he had trouble changing old habits, like placing his weight on the front foot while snowboarding when he was so used to having it all on the back foot while surfing. That left Sabrina to do most of the tumbling alone as she was no better at snowboarding than skiing or even surfing. Her mom had gone with her older brother to the intermediate slopes to practice. By whatever miracle, they both just had a knack for it that Sabrina seemed to lack. By the middle of the afternoon she was red-faced and shivering, her elbows and knees were sore, and it felt like her cotton sweaters underneath her thick jacket had just gone through the wash, but she didn't mind. She had the beautiful Rockies all around her, the sky had been a clear blue, and she felt so happy. After their day out on the slopes, they had returned to the resort and taken seats at the cafe there. There weren't walls but massive windows looking out to the white capped mountains. The Barnes family had stripped off their dripping jackets and sweaters, leaving them in a weeping pile under the table. They ordered hot chocolate and a pound cake, talking and laughing while they warmed their bodies. It had been one of the best days she had ever known. She yearned for the warmth of a mug against her hand, the taste of chocolate on her tongue, and the comfort of those she loved.

          Her father, a lean but strong man, kind natured and always seemed to know how to fix things around the house. Her mother who worked as an elementary school teacher and sometimes forgot she wasn't with little kids at home. Her brother who had always been very protective of her. With everything that had happened, she didn't know where they were now. She turned to look back toward the gas giant that dominated the sky.

          And there's no way they'll ever know where I am, she thought cheerlessly.

          She stopped, sensing something had changed. Carefully she listened. The wind had lulled and the night had gone eerily silent. The only sounds were the ragged breaths she exhaled.

          A deep howl pierced the night, a cold and dark sound that reverberated through the air. The guttural call seemed magnified amidst the ice, an echoless cry. The crescendo turned her blood to ice and at the peak she felt a salty sting in her eyes. A hush filled the void when the sound had faded, with the wind only whispering as it touched her. Sabrina began to shake uncontrollably. Her gut clenched, and her muscles felt very weak. She stood and stared toward the trees, no longer wishing to venture any closer.

          She desperately wanted courage but could find none. She wasn't like Sarah or her military friends. Art was her passion and her skill. She wasn't cut out for this. Fear came easily and was never quickly evicted; it had been that way her whole life. She had slept with a Cinderella nightlight at her bedside for most of her childhood, and even then, while safely tucked in bed, mysterious noises would spook her.

          This was a whole new kind of terror. Part of her hoped it wasn't a wolf that had lamented to the sky, but another part of her prayed it was so that there would at least be something familiar in this unfamiliar place. She looked again to the sky and shivered.

          Movement caught her attention instantly. She whipped her head down and faced the trees. In the pale light, she could see black shapes moving about in the snow. They were too far to see clearly, but there were at least five of them. She began to take timid steps backwards, careful not to make too much noise. One of the shapes stopped and turned, facing the flat expanse of ice. Sabrina froze, slapping her hand to her mouth to keep from crying out. The other figures took notice as well, halting and facing her. Sabrina could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate and she tried to calm her breathing. With extreme caution she continued to retreat. Her steps were slow and measured, but she could feel the violent shuddering of her knees.

          The dark shapes began to move forward, spreading out slightly. As they grew nearer, she could see they had a canine-esque body but were clearly not wolves. Their front legs rose to shoulder blades that shifted with every step and their large chests led to skinny, starved abdomens. They slunk closer with their heads low and ears back. Sabrina tried to keep herself together; she figured if she turned and fled they'd run her down before she even made it a few hundred feet.

          One of the creatures let out a high pitched yelp and took a few quick steps forward. Sabrina took a very hasty step back and her heel skid on the ice, sending her sprawling on her back. As soon as she hit the ground the pack charged. In a desperate panic she pushed herself off the ice and took off as fast as she could. Her pulse hammered in her head and the frigid air stung her lungs with every breath. Behind her she could hear the snarls and excited barks becoming louder and clearer. In front of her only flat ice remained. She prayed she was on a glacier and there was a cliff at the end; better to die quickly than be ripped apart.

          A growl came from very close, and her whole body tensed. She kept running, just waiting to feel sharp claws and bulky weight land upon her back and end it. Hopefully it would be over quickly.

          Sabrina's foot landed on a thin film of ice and broke through, sending her screaming and tumbling down a descending shaft. All was a blur as she bowled down nearly thirty feet to a soft bank of snow. She lay on her back, chest heaving and staring at the low ceiling of ice. Her body was covered with powdered snow and her face was a bright red. She looked back up the shaft she had just come down. It was a circular tunnel at a fairly steep angle that opened with the hole she had fallen through. A ghastly pale light streamed in down.

          Nearby she could still hear the whines of the creatures as they circled above. Their dark bodies would occasionally block out the light and their claws clicked against the ice. Motionlessly Sabrina waited. The cold of the snow had begun to sink down and ache in her bones. After several minutes of silence passed, she noticed the light wasn't being blocked anymore. Slowly, out of caution and frigidness, she brought herself to her knees. She dug her hand into the moist snow and began rolling a ball with her bright red fingers. With a clump in her hand, she threw it at the opening of the tunnel. It landed with a loud slap. Instantly a dark muzzled head thrust in and began snapping and snarling. It resembled a massive, hairless German Shepherd with black, glistening skin and powerful teeth that clicked as the jaws snapped. The muscles of its face bulged and flexed, as if they had no skin to cover them. It thrashed violently for a moment before realizing nothing was there. The obsidian eyes turned down into the tunnel where Sabrina lay in darkness. Its lips pulled back threateningly, baring the long canines that dripped a stringy saliva. The black hound release a low and deep grumble of anger before the head disappeared.

          Sabrina closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths. She wasn't going to be able to go back out that way, which only left her one other choice. She opened her eyes and turned toward the total darkness the tunnel led to. There was no wind down here, so it was all uncomfortably quiet. The darkness was overwhelming even a few feet away. Any turns or pitfalls or, God forbid, creatures, would be impossible to see. She shivered. The path ahead offered only a fool's hope, which was better than what waited for her back on the surface of the ice.

          She went to brush the snow off the back of her legs and paused when her fingers slid against a bulge in her back pocket. It was a long shot, but she needed something. Deftly she pulled her phone out from the pocket and wiped a few beads of moisture from the screen. Anxiously she held down the power button, praying it would work. The screen remained dark. She tried again, whispering, "Come on. Come on."

          The phone remained as lifeless as the ice around her. "No," she whimpered. She slapped the device against her palm in frustration. She slid the phone back into her back pocket and reached into her front left one. Her fingers found the flat plastic of a small LED light. She'd forgotten she had it with her, but she didn't harbor much hope for it to work. Without much enthusiasm she pulled it out by the keychain. She pinched it between her thumb and forefinger and pressed the tiny button on top.

          A flash a white light chased the darkness away which startled Sabrina so much she released the button and darkness returned. Convinced it had to be her imagination, she pressed down again. The tiny LED lit up the tunnel enough to see several feet. The little device must have been simple enough to not be completely destroyed from the EMP blast. With her little light, she carefully began stepping timidly down the snaking tunnel.

          Swiftly the shadows enveloped her, shying only away from the minimal brightness that preceded her. At first she panned the revealing light across the ceiling, walls, and floor. As she moved further in, however, she would only focus on the ground below. No snow had blown in this deep. Beneath her feet was only the deep blue of permanent ice that shimmered like diamond. The tubular underpass was wide enough for her to stand unhindered, but she still found herself hunched slightly. The air was incredibly still and brisk. Time began to lose meaning, and she found herself wishing only for warmth as the passage continued endlessly on.

          She vaguely became away that she could hear, or maybe more so feel, something from deep within. At first she believed it to be her own heart's rhythmic melody, but something about it felt different. It pulsed in a deep bass tone that traveled through her body.

          "I'm going crazy," she said softly, then she let out a small gasp of surprise as her voice echoed repeatedly in fading whispers. She did begin to wonder if her sanity was waning. For several more minutes she intentionally ignored the sound and tried to find other means to occupy her mind. It was in vain. She wanted to make sure she wasn't insane and just imagining something that didn't exist. She lifted her shirt and placed the fabric against her palm to use between her hand and the dense ice. Even through the shirt she could feel the deep cold sucking what little heat she had from her skin as she pressed against the wall.

          But through the ice she could feel something. A slow, repetitive pulse.

          Thum-thum.

          It almost seemed like a slow heartbeat. She kept her hand married with the wall as long as she could before the pain became too unbearable. She rubbed at her forearm which had gone mostly numb except for the shooting pains that frayed like lighting between her wrist and elbow. Intrigue kept her rooted for a time, and she repeated her curious examination with the other hand before continuing on, her mind still swirling with newfound curiousity.

          The tunnel took a sharp bend to the right and she hadn't been paying attention and nearly ran straight into the corner. A small stretch went forth after the turn before opening in a small cavernous room. Sabrina stopped at the mouth of the tunnel and shone her light across as much as she could. There was another identical passageway on the other side of the cavern, but that held no interest for her. What she was drawn to was the fur throw-rug beneath a stone fireplace that rose in a spire into and through the ceiling of ice. She threw one last sweep of light around and saw nothing threatening within the room and hurried forward to the fireplace. A stack of hewn logs were piled in a pyramid near the base, and she began tossing them into the mouth of the stone structure. Once she arranged them closer together, she began searching for a some kind of ignition source.

          Instead, hanging from a metal rung was a small ceramic container nearly a third full with a thick oil. Carefully she removed it and poured a small stream of fluid over the logs. She fumbled clumsily as she replaced it, her cold hands neither deft not accurate. Biting her lip, she searched again for something to start the blaze but wasn't entirely sure what she should be looking for. She had never done any type of survival training and she wasn't exactly a Boy Scout. Part of her had begun looking for two sticks to rub together, but she figured that probably wouldn't have done her any good anyway.

          With frustration, she paced around the room searching for anything that could potentially help her. Luck wasn't with her until she found a small urn nearby. Inside was a chunk of steel, a stone she assumed was flint, and several thin sheets of some incredibly dry material. With these she sat cross-legged in front of the fireplace and placed a dry sheet on the stone. Above it she smacked the flint against the steel, but not much was happening other than a loud clack that echoed down both passageways. She stared with anger and bewilderment at the stone and metal in her hands. A few hours ago she was simply an art student hanging out with some people and there was absolutely no reason to know how to start a fire. She wanted that simplicity back.

          Something made a sound behind her, or at least she thought she heard something, and she spun around so quickly it twinged her neck. She grimaced but she was too focused on the darkness of the tunnel. The hairs on her nape prickled and a cold wash of fear rushed back into her blood. Images of the black dog-like creatures prowling flashed through her imagination. She waited in extreme tension, but nothing stirred. She was very much alone.

          Still feeling uneasy and spooked, she kept trying to make something happen with the flint and steel. Every so often she'd shine her light throughout the room just to ensure she didn't have any company. She had begun to calm down and more than anything she just wanted some warmth. All her other thoughts could wait. She started trying to focus and use logic to figure out how to start this fire. She needed a spark or heat.

          Friction.

          Of course, how had she been so stupid? Her mind was too occupied with everything she had forgotten something so basic. For the first time since arriving in this place, she smiled a little. She began scraping the flint and steel together and small sparks leapt out into the air. A small gasp of joy escaped her lips. Hovering the tools above the thin sheets of tinder, she began striking. A few sparks jumped and petered out. She moved the flint closer and continued to scrape with more force.

          Sparks danced out, brilliant against the surrounding darkness. A few landed on the tinder sheet and left a small glowing dots. Then a miniscule little lip of fire appeared. Sabrina nearly dropped the flint and steel in surprise. Gently she lifted the sheet and blew lightly on the fire which spread slowly at first but grew to consume half the sheet. Once she could feel the heat against her fingers she placed it on one of the oil soaked logs. The fire spread out across the logs, growing and casting a dancing orange light through the entire room. As the oil was consumed the blaze nearly occupied the entirety of the burning chamber within the fireplace, but it waned once the fuel switched from the oil to the logs. A stable fire crackled and offered its warmth.

          Sabrina almost wanted to cry in elation. She stripped off her shirt and pants, placing them on the stones near the burning logs to dry them. Her numb fingers fumbled awkwardly with the clasp of her bra, but eventually she managed to unhook it. Her n*****s ached painfully in the cold. She edged closer to the fire's warmth. Setting the moist bra down, she held her hands out and could almost enjoy the tingling pain as the cold was chased away. The tongues of fire stretched upwards in vibrant hues of red and orange. It was such a welcomed and beautiful sight. She spent the next several minutes rotating between facing the fire and having her back to it, allowing it to warm her until she was somewhat comfortable.

          The logs had turned ashen black. Sabrina placed another fresh one in for good measure before slipping her bra back on. It was still warm. She was thankful to have some dry clothing, even if her thong and bra didn't cover much. She flipped her pants, which had retained the brunt of the wetness, over to dry the other side before laying down on the fur rug. The soft hairs were comforting. She grabbed at the edge of the oval rug and rolled herself into a tight cocoon within it. Her head touched the ground. The icy floor was hard and uncomfortable and grudgingly she unwrapped herself from the warm bliss to grab her shirt. She balled it up and placed it over the ice. Once more rolled with the fur, she rest her head on her nearly dry clothing. As the fire crackled and hissed, she began to feel exhausted. So many thoughts wanted to run through her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to face them. Not yet.

          She began to drift, seeing things in her mind's eye as brief flashes before shaking back to consciousness, but the harder she fought, the quicker sleep claimed her. Dreams came in a disjointed haze. Everything felt too slow and somehow off. Within every dream the background was a heavy grey fog that she dare not go near. She could see the shadows prowling just within sight. Black eyes watching. Waiting.

          Her senses were heightened, and she was somewhat cognizant of the fact that she was dreaming. That thought did little to ease her nerves as she walked down a lonely road with few buildings. It somewhat resembled the street the Rodriguez's house had been on, yet in other ways it was entirely different. Some of the buildings looked like homes, and others were just concrete shells. The grey husks of buildings had vacant windows that revealed only black like gaping maws in the concrete. Far past the fog she could hear the fluctuating whine of the canines. Hesitantly she continued down the street, toeing the broken yellow line that bisected the asphalt. The houses were fading and a gentle padding of paws over ice grew. Sabrina continued on, trying to will herself into waking from this false place.

          On her left she saw the Rodriguez's home. It was obscured by the fog, but she could recognize it. The front doorway was wide open, and in it stood a small figure. It looked like a young girl but before she could look any closer there was a sound from very nearby.

          She glanced to her right and the only thing she managed to see was a dark blur before she felt the powerful jaws clamp shut on her arm. Screaming she awoke to the view of the fireplace, still hearing the incredibly deep snarl of the monster. There was a half-second of total confusion before she remembered where she was and realized she had been dreaming, but she still felt the pressure on her arm. She looked at her right arm and screamed again.

          "Sabrina! Calm down, it's just me!"

          Chest heaving and eyes wide, Sabrina's vision focused on the shirtless figure before her. She stared dumbfounded for a few seconds before crying out and kicking off the fur rug and jumping into the arms of Michael Morrison. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly just to feel the genuine existence of him. With their bodies pressed together she could even feel his faint heartbeat against her own chest. She buried her face in his neck and it was all she could do not to break down right then. His right arm was strong as it pulled her close, but his left was noticeably weak.

          "I'm so sorry," she said softly as she pulled away slightly, her eyes tracing down to the small crater under his collarbone. "I had forgotten-"

          "Don't apologize," he said firmly. "It's just unbelievable to see you."

          "You have no idea." Her smile faded as she looked at him in earnest. He was shaking violently and his skin had gone nearly as white as the snow flurries above. Deep purple bags hung under his eyes and his lips had the faintest shade of blue creeping in. "Holy s**t, get by the fire!" She grabbed at his right arm and pulled him very close to the fire but he resisted a little. "You need to get warm."

          "I know," he said with a mild chatter. "I just can't do it too quickly. I have to ease into it or I may go into shock."

          "Well aren't you a little boy scout," she teased, though she was grateful he knew what he was doing.

          He rubbed his hands together, tugging and squeezing a little at his fingers. "Nah. The Army taught me that one."

          "Well when I was in Colorado skiing I learned this one." She positioned herself behind him and pressed herself against his back, wincing at the touch of his cold flesh on her own and began using her arms and hands to rub against him. "Please move closer to the fire, I feel like you're not even getting any warmth."

          He obliged, taking a few steps closer. "If I could feel my knees, I'd kneel down," he said with a very hoarse laugh. She frowned.

          "If I help you will you be able to sit?"

          "Yeah, maybe." Carefully she helped ease him down so he was sitting on the protruding stones that made the base of the fireplace. She crouched down and continued to run her hands hurriedly over his arms and back, careful to avoid the unusual skin that covered his wounds. Michael leaned forward slowly and fumbled with his shoe laces, but his fingers were too stiff and awkward to do more than undo a loop.

          "I've got it. You just worry about warming up. How long were you out there?" Her own fingers ached and protested but she ignored the pain as she pulled the knots from his shoes and pried them off. His socks were soaked and glistening with ice crystals. Gently she pulled them off as he made a guttural groan of protest.

          "I hope I don't have frostbite," he said as the socks came off.

          His toes were a bright red but there weren't any pockets of blue or black. He was lucky then. "No, you look like you may have dodged that bullet." She took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

          "It's fine, you don't need to walk on eggshells with me don't worry. I just, ah f**k!"

          "I'm sorry!" she offered as she gently began working at his freezing toes. "Seriously how long were you out there?"

          Michael grit his teeth together as she lightly squeezed and rubbed his toes. "Thirty minutes? Four hours? Hell I really couldn't tell you. I just remember - m**********r!"

          He didn't talk much as she helped undress him down to his boxers which had really only been wet around the waistband. Any article of clothing he could keep on for warmth was a blessing. He still shivered but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. For some time the two sat together by the fire and warmed themselves.

          "That blanket looks great," he said as he looked down at the fur rug.

          Sabrina placed another log into the flames. "It is. Come on, let's roll up in it." Using his pants for a pillow, the two arranged themselves together and wrapped the rug tightly around them. They were spooned together, and it didn't take long for the presence of his body and the warmth of his breath on her neck to make her feel so much safer. She grasped his forearm which lay against her side and pulled it tightly around her stomach.

          "I really can't believe you're here. I thought I was alone. To be quite honest," her voice grew a little softer, "I thought I was in some kind of purgatory."

          "I can't say we aren't, but hell at least we're not alone," he replied softly.

          "How did you find me anyway?"

          "Well I woke up facedown in ice. I thought I was dead, but I could still feel how f*****g cold the ground was. So I decided to open my eyes and when I saw the sky, I figured I had to be dead. I've never seen anything so beautiful or terrifying in my life. Have you seen it? It's surreal. I wandered around kind of aimlessly for I'm not sure how long until I heard something like barking and yipping. It sounded a bit like dogs or wolves. I saw them circling around something on the ground. I kept my distance but I could still see that they looked pretty big. Not sure what they were. I watched them for a long time and occasionally they'd back up and wait, then start pacing again. Then I saw the smoke rising farther down the ice and figured the only possibility was someone made a fire. Couldn't imagine it was a natural occurrence here. More than anything I wanted to go to it, maybe even just stand in the smoke for some kind of warmth, but those creatures were still around. They have to be nocturnal though, because as soon as light started appearing on the horizon, they left back for the woods. When I felt comfortable they were gone, I went to see what they had been looking at and found the tunnel. It was dark as s**t but I used my knuckles to feel my way though. I was afraid my fingers would stick to the ice or something. Of course at the end of the tunnel I found you asleep with a fire made, which wasn't at all what I was expecting but a damn good surprise."

          A damn good surprise, that she agreed with. There still was so much to process and come to terms with, but at least she didn't have to do it alone." What happens now?"

          "Let's get some sleep and keep warm. We can go out once the daylight is brighter and see if we can make sense of all this. For now, though, get some rest."

          I'm glad you found me, she thought and gave his arm a thankful squeeze.