Snowed In

MAY

The snow continued to fall, making it harder for me to see the road ahead. I turned on the wipers to the max, but it still wasn’t good enough. It was a blizzard at this point.

I was driving on an empty local road, an abandoned one on top of that, since I thought it would help me avoid traffic, but maybe it would have been better if I had stayed on the main road.

Now, not only was I driving on unmaintained roads, but a pathway with no other cars to help if, god forbid, something were to happen to me.

I was driving home after almost four years of being away from my family. My baby sister, Emma, was getting married in a winter wonderland-themed wedding to her boyfriend of five years, Thomas.

I couldn’t have been happier for Emma and her big day, hence I was in Nevada for two weeks.

It was the first wedding in our family in over a decade, and it was going to be a big one for sure, knowing how Emma loved being fancy.

Suddenly, the car swerved off the road, heading toward the trees. I quickly reacted, slamming the brakes and turning the steering wheel around, trying to get the car back under my control, but I failed, and the car had a mind of its own.

I tried the parking brake next, but it only jolted the car forward into the slope. I looked ahead and saw a thick group of trees, and closed my eyes, bracing for impact.

The car slammed into the trees hard, and my head slammed forward into the steering wheel, cushioned slightly by the airbags.

My vision went fuzzy, and my head was pounding hard. I hoped someone will drive by and help me out, but I had little to no hope. I hadn’t seen a car drive by for the past twenty minutes.

I touched my throbbing head and felt a warm liquid…blood. I looked at my hands, and they were covered in the crimson blood, and I began to panic slightly.

I was losing consciousness fast and needed a plan if I wanted to survive. I blasted the horn nonstop, hoping to reach someone before I passed out.

My vision became blurry. I needed to close my eyes for a few seconds, just to stop my head from throbbing.

Just for a few seconds, May. Everything will be okay.

***

My plane had landed twenty minutes ago, and I was getting restless in my seat, waiting for the doors to open so that I could step off the damn plane.

I had been on this flight too long and just wanted to go home to see my family. It had been a long four years since I’d been back, and I felt nostalgic once I stepped out to smell the crisp air.

It was snowing lightly, and I put a hand out to catch a snowflake, watching it melt instantly.

I got my carry-on and walked toward the car rentals, as I had told my family I would drive home from the airport and to not go out of their way to pick me up.

My father had a stroke a few months ago, and I was unable to visit him, but I FaceTimed him daily to check on him and was glad to know he was healing well but slowly.

I was always my mom’s daughter. She was my best friend, but my dad held a special place in my heart, and I couldn’t fathom losing him.

I signed off the paperwork for the rental and placed my luggage in the passenger seat before I started the long drive home, excited to see my family, especially my nephew, Mikah.

AIDEN

Aiden’s plane had landed before the storm got worse, and thank god for that.

He was annoyed that he would be losing money on his cabin’s rental for the week, even though it was he who had generously agreed to a refund, as it wasn’t the client’s fault.

He traveled a lot for his businesses, since he ran several operations with the help of his brother, Alex.

His home was in Florida, as that was where all his family members were, and he couldn’t live far from them. He would miss them tremendously.

Aiden was strict when it came to work, but he had a sweet spot for his family, and they knew how to take advantage of that really well.

However, in all other aspects of his life, Aiden enjoyed control, and he ensured he got his fix to keep his sanity.

Once he stepped off the plane, he got a whiff of lavender, and his pupils dilated. He looked around, but he could not pinpoint the scent to anyone in particular.

He wasn’t sure what it was about the scent, but it piqued his interest, and he was eager to know who it belonged to.

Disappointed that the individual was no longer there, he got into his car and drove off to his cabin, hoping to make it there before the storm began.

His dog and best friend, Bo, wagged his tail in the backseat, enjoying the wind in his face.

Aiden rarely left Bo alone when he was traveling, unless it was for a short trip, and since he didn’t know how long he would be in town, he decided to bring him along, and Bo was enjoying every moment of it.

Thankfully, Aiden arrived at the cabin just as the storm was picking up, opened the door for Bo, and got his things. Once he stepped inside, he cursed because the power was out, and it was freezing indoors.

He quickly checked the electric panel outdoors and restarted the breakers, sighing in relief when the power kicked in. Bo was a winter dog, so he was enjoying the cold weather.

Aiden left the door slightly open for him to return inside when he was exhausted and hungry. He made himself something to eat and checked the rest of the house once he was done.

His clients who couldn’t make it for the week had requested for some special add-ons when they rented the cabin, and as they were acquaintances from his time at the club, he had fulfilled the requests for the few toys and play items.

He cleaned up the bedroom and called his family, giving them a quick update so they wouldn’t be worried when he didn’t show up.

He was exhausted from the long day he’s had and just wanted to crash in his bed, but Bo hadn’t returned from his little adventure.

Begrudgingly, he put on his coat and went to find his buddy. A few minutes of searching led to Aiden finding Bo rolling in the snow.

“Bo! It’s time to go home, buddy,” he yelled out to his pal, who wagged his tail once he saw Aiden, running toward him. He laughed as he scratched him behind the ear.

They headed back to the cabin when he heard the distant sound of a car horn. He paused in his tracks, and Bo did the same.

The sound had stopped but immediately resumed within seconds, and he nodded at Bo, who ran toward the noise. Aiden followed Bo until they reached the road.

Bo ran toward a car that had hit a tree hard, and Aiden ran to the driver’s side and pried the door open. He pushed the airbags aside and lifted the woman’s head gently.

Blood stained his hands as he moved her hair aside to check her vitals. Once he felt a pulse, he quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and gently carried her out of the car, and got a good look at the woman’s face.

Fuck.