With daylight nearly gone, I headed for the main road of the mountain. I kept to the center of the snow-covered path. I’d probably hear something long before I’d see anything, but I wasn’t holding my breath.
The moon offered the faintest bit of light to illuminate the snow-covered road. I had no flashlight, and the darkness of night seeped in, which reminded me there wasn’t a town for miles because there were no city lights nearby.
I glanced up at the heavens, the frigid night air offering way to a sparkle of stars peppering the night sky. It would be a beautiful sight if it wasn’t so cold, and I didn’t worry about freezing to death.
My lungs hurt from the cold. With each breath inward, a thousand knives were stabbing at my lungs. With my jacket zipped up tight, I leaned my head down toward my coat. I needed to find shelter. With sundown, the night would only grow colder.
My hands trembled even with the warmth of my gloves. The edge of the road was difficult to see with no light. It seemed even more impossible to determine if there was any evidence of shelter.
I kept walking up the mountain, the only way I could tell I was headed in the correct direction was because the wind assaulted my face, and my footprints were evidence of where I’d been. I could no longer see my car in the distance. The broken windows may have offered little shelter from the wind, but I could have been warmer had I stayed inside the vehicle. I could also have been catapulted down the ravine had I so much as shifted the car’s weight.
There was no use second-guessing my decision. I just hoped that the main road would lead off to a driveway, a house, a cabin, or some sign of civilization.
The chill of the cold brought tears to my eyes, freezing my eyelashes, stinging my cheeks. My hands were numb, and my knapsack offered no clothes. Frozen inside and out.
I stumbled over my feet. My toes burned from the frigid air that assaulted every inch of my body. The sensation went beyond numb and tingling. I tripped and braced myself as I hit hard-packed snow on the road, eating a mouthful. I spit out the contents as best I could. My lips were numb, along with my cheeks.
I shivered and curled up in the fetal position in the middle of the snow-covered road. I buried my face away from the chill. Shielding my cheeks from the cold, getting an ounce of warmth and a reprieve from the elements. I pulled my bag closer to protect me from the wind. My eyes shut. My body trembled, but I wasn’t cold. Not like I had been earlier. Numb. Nothing but emptiness, a cold and lonely existence stabbing at me.