Himalaya II

A Story by Oscar

Every morning my dream becomes my worst nightmare.

My eyes fixed on her angelic face, tracing her elegant curves and red lips. Her eyes open, her lips part as they reveal her heart-stopping smile. I’m in love with the way her mouth moves, and her sweet caramel eyes lock onto mine as they say “I love you”. I reach for her as I say “I miss you” but instantly I'm back in my tent, whiplashing gusts of polar wind brutally blow as if they were trying to get in to kill me sooner.

I scream until my lungs feel like they could collapse on each other. I cry. Laying motionless hoping God lends his hand towards me. The cold made me miss her more than the distance did. Every time I get close to touching her, the cutting, freezing winds close in.

Every second my eye closed, I just remind myself I didn’t have to leave our warm bed with her in it that morning.

Now my group is all dead. I’m alone, hoping for a search group. I don’t know how deep in the Himalayas I am but it’s been about four days and I don’t know how much longer I can survive off of complimentary peanuts from the airplane. My frostbitten body pulls itself up as I make my mind to prepare for the bone-chilling night. As i begin to unzip my tent, about halfway my ears pick up the sound of crunching snow very close. Tremor runs down my spine as if I already knew it wasn’t anyone, or anything trying to keep me company. I feel my heartbeat slow down and my blood rushes down to the bottom of my feet. The steps are continuously closing in, every step closer, I take a step back away from my tent door. I hear the snow crunch right on the other side of the orange tent wall. Slowly the steps begin to circle my tent as if whatever was out there were intentionally trying to intimidate me. Finally, the crunching snow comes to a halt right in front of my only exit. I’m light years past terrified at this point, and the only thing keeping me from shitting myself is the cold. I feel the ominous presence on the other side, almost as if it could see me through the tent walls. All I can do is hold my knees to my chest and wait for it to come inside. I close my eyes and hold my breath as soon as I hear the steps prowl even closer and closer. I could feel the intensity of whoever was out there, they were here for something and they knew I was in here. I’m close to passing out until i hear a low, deep growl. Quickly I open my eyes and let my heart sink further than any submarine. The opaque, charcoal fur poked through the opening of my tent. The wolf could smell my fear increase by the second as it began to claw away at my tent. My throat is so burned from the cold it won't let out my cries for help. I’m helpless and the wolf knows it as it claws my only exit to shreds. It lets out a sinister growl and roar as it makes a bloodthirsty entrance to my last seconds of safety. The only thing now running through my delirious mind is grabbing the candy red hatchet next to my sleeping bag.