Wanna read the latest from Clever Magazine?
Click here and return to the coverpage!

Christmas Day at Goose Lake.

That’s a first, Sidney thought as she as she riffed the pages of her journal. She had never been at Goose Lake on December 25^th. What else was there to write about? Still here at the lake, still snowing and cold, still without any means of communication with the known world. Wasn’t her daughter worried about her by now? Where were those damned helicopters? Why wasn’t anybody on their way to rescue them?

Sidney wondered just how many times she had written those lines. She tried to push her anger and frustration away. They were here, they were safe and they had had a lovely evening last night. Matt had been so sweet, giving her a real gift, one that he had created. She was still in wonder about it. She couldn’t remember him ever handing her a handmade present before. Something from his heart. She was beginning to think he actually liked being up here, stranded and alone and half starved.

She grinned at that thought. Nah, he was just coping the way he always did when things weren’t going well. That’s what everybody liked about Matt. He could always roll with whatever came his way. That was one of his strengths, that and not brooding and becoming frustrated easily. Sidney, on the other hand, was his other hand. She became easily frustrated when things didn’t work out. Like now. That was going to be her challenge today. She couldn’t spoil a perfectly pleasant Christmas Day by being difficult. What possible good would that do?

“Sidney,” Matt called from the stairs, just as she closed up the journal. “Are you ready to move some snow?”

“Coming, Matt.” She put the book away and dumped the cat off of her lap. Time for chores. It had snowed lightly last night. A good day for skiing she supposed. There were probably skiers on the slopes already, enjoying fresh powder on this glorious winter holiday. But for Sidney and Matt snow meant shoveling, pushing more snow off the deck, clearing it away from the door, keeping their path out of the house as clean as possible. It was a constant battle. Sidney knew they couldn’t just let it sit there. If they didn’t move the snow they would become prisoners in the cottage. If that happened, the helicopters would never find them.

Sometimes she dreamed of the helicopters and it felt so real that for a moment or two she thought they actually had been rescued. The helicopters would land right next to the cottage and big guys in uniforms would march up to the door and knock. She would pull open the door and jump into their arms. She could even feel the cold of their windbreakers as she hugged them. They would be stiff and unsmiling. “Mrs. Bryson?” they would ask? “Yes, yes, it’s me. You found me!” And then she would wake up.

“Good morning, dear,” Matt smiled at her as she descended the stairs to the kitchen. He was drinking tea, dressed for chores, obviously waiting for her. “Let’s get this over with so we can have a good breakfast. I’m hungry for some more of that Spam.”

Sidney couldn’t help but smile. He truly lived in the moment. She put on her winter parka, gloves and boots and they headed outside.

For the little animals it was just another day in the woods. The sun was peeking out through the slight overcast, so the birds were awake and twittering, jumping from branch to branch of the snowy pines causing little puffs of snow to fly through the air. There were chipmunk tracks here and there, marking their trail as they searched for fallen pine cones and whatever else might entice them out of their burrows. She'd be happy to see the Canada geese finally make their way back to the lake. She guessed that would be the first sign of spring. They would still be there, hanging around, just waiting until it was clear enough to walk out of here, if they had the strength left for the journey.

She sighed and picked up her broom. The snow was light and easy to push off the edge of the deck. Matt was working on the steps, and he was actually whistling as he worked. Sidney was trying not to let his good humor make her feel even worse. Then he came around to her side and helped her finish up the job.

They both stood on the deck and looked out towards the lake. As usual, the morning fog began to lift as soon as the sun came out. It would be well into the morning before they could see clearly across the lake to the far shore. Sometimes Sidney searched the other side for signs of life, like maybe a plume of smoke from a fireplace, or maybe even a car, but she knew that was silly. There was never anything but trees and snow. Matt stared out there too, but he never told her what he was looking at. The longer they stood there, the colder it got. As long as they moved, it was okay to be outside, but standing around was not good.

“I’m ready to go in Matt. How about you? Want that breakfast?” Sidney questioned.

Matt just stood there. He had a funny look on his face.

“Matt? What is it? Are you okay?” Sidney asked.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, Sid. I thought I heard something.”

“Really? I don’t hear anything.”

“Listen close. I can almost feel it,” Matt said, turning slightly.

“What? What? I can’t hear it.” She turned to look skyward. Hope springs eternal.

“Sid, where are the glasses? Run and get them, would you?”

“Glasses, what glasses, Matt?” Sidney was getting panicky. “What do you mean, glasses.”

“The binoculars, Sid. Get the binoculars.”

Sidney rushed inside. Where were the damned binoculars? She’d just had them the other day, looking at birds. One bird looked much like another bird to her, big birds, small birds, all were birds. More frustration, what were birders actually looking at? Oh, where were those binoculars anyhow?

The small desk by the other door was piled high with stuff. That’s where everything went until she sorted through it and put things away. She ran there and plowed through the old magazines, papers, keys, pens, a couple old paperbacks, a cat toy she’d been hiding from Toast. A potholder she had been missing for several days now. Ah-hah, under it all she found the binoculars, or glasses, as Matt liked to call them.

“Here they are.” She handed them off to Matt and then watched where he was looking. She still couldn’t hear anything out on the lake. Her heart was beating so wildly she couldn’t hear anything even if she tried. Her blood pressure must be through the roof by now.

Matt scanned the lake from one side to the other. No help there. He’d strung the leather strap over his neck. He let the glasses fall to his chest as he once again stared out there, the thousand yard stare.

“What are you hearing, Matt?” Sidney asked.

“I’m not sure, it sounds to me like a motor of some kind. Sort of like a motorcycle, something like that.”

“A motorcycle,” Sidney’s voice squeaked out. “A motorcycle?”

“Shhhh, Sidney. Be quiet, let’s be very quiet. Shhhh. See if you can hear it too.”

Sidney took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Breathe in, breathe out. Calm down, she told herself as she stood beside Matt and tried to follow his example. That’s when she heard it too. A rumbling sound, a long ways off.

“What is it, Matt?” she whispered.

“I don’t know, Sidney, maybe a snow mobile. That’s all I can think of. Maybe a snow mobile’s coming this way.”

The lake was large and it meandered a little. Across from them was a far shore, but the shore curved and the lake extended way past what they could see, so much of it was hidden behind that curve. They were in what was called the inlet to Goose Lake. Matt was trying to see out beyond the inlet to the way far shore, which was maybe a mile away, or longer. Sidney had never really thought about it. She didn’t know how far it was to that end of the lake.

The sound seemed to be growing stronger, louder even, maybe it was getting closer to them. Matt stood very still, the glasses once again pressed to his face, peering out into the far distance.

“Do you see something, Matt?” Sidney whispered again.

“Maybe, Sidney. I’m not sure. But maybe.”

“What? Matt. What do you see?”

“It’s a blur, Sidney, but it’s a moving blur. Out there.” He pointed out to the far end of the lake, passed the point of the inlet. He pulled off the glasses and tried to see it with his naked eyes, then he put the glasses back up to his eyes. He did this several times, mumbling to himself.

“Yes, I think it’s snow mobiles, maybe two of them. But they’re a long ways off. Up close snow mobiles make a lot of noise. So they must be way off there.”

“Will they come this way, Matt, do you think? Are they headed in our direction?”

“I don’t know, Sidney.” He stared at them a while longer. “They might be coming this way. It’s hard to tell. Go get me the shotgun.”

“The shotgun? What are you going to do with the shotgun?”

“Well, Sid, I thought maybe I’d shoot it into the air, maybe they’ll hear it. See, if it’s snow mobiles, they can’t hear anything. We could yell, scream, wave at them, they’ll never hear us, maybe never see us, unless they get close. If I fire off the shotgun, maybe they’ll hear that.”

“Okay, I’ll get it. Where is it?”

“Downstairs, Sid. Next to my bench. And bring shells too. You’ll find them right beside the gun.”

Sidney ran through the kitchen, remembered to hit the switch to turn on the light, and headed down the stairs. The bench was in the far corner. She spotted the shotgun right away and sure enough, the box of shells was beside it. The gun was heavier than she thought it would be. It felt foreign to her, an object she had never touched before. She grabbed it up and box of shells. Then she put the shells in her pocket. She didn’t want to slip and fall with this thing in her hands. She didn’t like guns of any kind.

“Here, Matt. Here’s the shotgun.” She handed it over and then the shells. Her hands were cold. She’s flung off her gloves in the kitchen. She slid her fingers into her pockets.

Matt was still watching the snow mobiles. She could just make out what he was looking at.

“Yes, it’s two snow mobiles, two guys maybe, is my guess. They are traveling slowly across the lake. I don’t think they are coming our way. I don’t know where they are going though. Looks like they are keeping to the far shore. What’s over there, Sidney? Do you know?”

“Oh, just some cabins, nice ones. That’s the area where the new ones are. I don’t go over there much.”

“Hmm. It’s not even noon yet. They must have come up from town. Wonder where they started from. Oh, look, I think they’re turning, maybe heading toward the middle of the lake.” He continued to watch them. Sidney could see them a little better now too. The motor noise was growing louder too.

“Maybe they’re going to the lodge, Matt? What do you think?”

“I don’t know what they’re doing. I never did understand snow mobiles anyhow. Just what do you do on a snow mobile? Hunt? You can’t pack a deer out on a snow mobile. I guess you just go for a very loud, bumpy ride in the snow. But they are miles from nowhere. What do they want clear out here?”

Sidney laughed at him, so practical. But he was right. She had no idea what snow mobilers did when they were out there bouncing around.  Didn’t they know what was lurking in the woods in the winter? The idea sure didn’t appeal to her.

“You know, I think they’re coming this way. When they get close enough to maybe see us I’m going to fire off this gun. Then we’ll start yelling at them, waving, make them spot us. Then maybe they’ll come over and we can talk to them. Get them to send somebody up here to pick us up.”

“Well, wouldn’t they just take us with them, Matt?”

“That I don’t know, Sidney. But we’ll soon find out.”

They watched the snow mobilers out on the lake. It was hard to tell just where they were headed. They would go a short distance and then stop and then head in another direction, then stop again. Finally, Matt decided it was time to try and get their attention. They had been headed their way, but now they appeared to be turning slightly. Matt figured it was now or never.

He put two shells in the old shotgun and raised the barrel aiming it toward the tops of the nearby trees. Sidney clapped her hands over her ears as Matt fired. The sound resounded over the lake, an ear splitting noise that sent birds flying, animals skittering, and out on the lake, the snow mobilers stopped dead in their tracks.

Matt and Sidney started yelling and waving but they didn’t see them. Matt put the glasses to his eyes again.

“I can see them fairly clear now, Sidney. They’ve stopped. They’re looking around, but not our way. Now one of them is stooping over, like he’s looking for something. They must be talking or yelling at each other. So strange.”

Matt watched them, straining over their deck rail as if trying to close the distance between him and the two strangers out on the lake.

“Holy crap, Sidney. I think one of them has a gun!”

They both heard the shots ringing in answer to Matt’s shotgun blast.

“My god, I think they’re shooting at us. Get down, Sidney.”

They both scrambled onto the deck, still watching the two guys out on the lake. There was a lot of rapid fire, like loud popping sounds, but Matt couldn’t tell if anything was coming their way. They seemed to be firing randomly and both of them were now hidden behind their machines, as if they were barricades.

“What the hell is the matter with them,” he muttered. “A couple of idiots out on the lake shooting off some kind of street guns. Did they think I was shooting at them?”

“Oh, Matt. This is awful. I’m scared. Do you think they saw us,” Sidney asked.

“Huh-uh, I don’t think so. They are firing wildly everywhere. What’s that all about?”

“They must be doing something illegal. Maybe they think we caught them.”

“Snow mobiling isn’t illegal. And besides, they can’t even see us, Sidney.”

“I don’t know what’s going on. I just want them to go away.”

Matt was watching them through the deck slats. They finally stopped shooting. The engines were still running, and the guys were yelling at each other, or at least that’s what Matt thought it was. He couldn’t hear their voices but there as lots of gesturing.

“Hey, look at that! They’re turning, but one of the machines isn’t moving. Can you see that, Sidney?”

“Yeah, I think so. Did that thin guy just kick his snow mobile?”

“Maybe so. Now they’re both in one snow mobile. They’re leaving the other one.”

Matt and Sidney watched in disbelief as the lone snow mobile roared away, leaving the disabled machine sitting in the snow. One last shot rang out. The skinny dude on the back of the snow mobile had turned and shot at something, maybe the lamed up snow mobile.

“Well, isn’t that the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen, Matt? I think we’ve been watching two wackos out for a Sunday drive. They must be on drugs or something. I’ll bet if they saw us they would have shot us deader than doornails. What on earth are they doing out here anyhow?”

Matt was staring at the retreating pair and shaking his head. Sidney could see his wheels spinning. Some sort of a plan was slowly forming in his brain. Sidney had no clue what it might be though. She was just glad nothing worse had happened to them. Strangers are supposed to be helpful, they aren’t supposed to shoot at you for no reason. Her sense of relief was over powering and draining at the same time.

“Okay, Matt, what are you thinking?”

“What am I thinking, Sid?” he smiled. “I’m thinking that that snow mobile might just be our ticket out of here. Maybe it just ran out of gas. That’s what I’m thinking. And I just happen to have a can of gas in the garage, and more of it in our car, which is buried in snow in our front yard. Maybe all we need to do is get some gas over to that little noisy machine over there, and we’re on our way back to civilization. That’s what I’m thinking.”

“Out of gas! Could that be it?” Sidney yelped. “Do you think so?”

“I don’t know, but I’m gonna go take a look right now. Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll get my snow shoes on, and hike over there, pour in the gas and fire it up. If it runs, I’ll be right back.”

“Do you know how to drive one of those things, Matt?” Sidney asked. “I never saw you on a snow mobile before.”

“I’ll figure it out. If those jokers can, so can I. So here’s what we’ll do. While I’m gone, you dig out the back of the car where the gas filler is. If it’s just gas that we need, I’ll siphon some out and we’ll fill it up and head out as quick as we can. It could be that these guys will be coming back soon to retrieve it. If it’s a rental and they don’t bring it back, they’re in trouble. If it actually belongs to them, they don’t want to leave it out here either. I suspect they’ll be back before too long. So we better hurry.”

“Okay. What else?”

“Pack up what you need to get out of here. Find our cell phone, wallets, warm clothes, the cat. Put her in her carrier with some warm blankets around her. There won’t be much room for stuff so only take what we absolutely need. Some food too. I’m hungry. And do what you have to do to the cabin to close it down. I think we’re about to leave home, Sidney.”

“But how far is it out to that thing? Can you make it on your own? Shouldn’t I come with you? What if those guys come back?”

“Too many questions, Sid. Better just do as I say. You can watch me. I won’t disappear. If I can’t start it, I’ll come right back. If that happens, we’ll go to Plan B. If those guys do come back here, I don’t want them to see us. If they take a good look at this cabin, they’ll know somebody’s in it.  We don’t want that to happen either.”

Sidney couldn’t argue with Matt, she had no better ideas. And there was much to do in very little time. She started on the car, digging into the snowy pile, finally remembering where the gas tank was. As she worked she watched Matt plodding off toward the snow mobile. He looked so small out there on the lake. It must be farther than he thought. It didn’t seem like he was making much progress.

That chore done, she headed back inside to warm her hands and think about what to do next. She found their wallets and the cell phone, and eventually the charger. She smiled, once again they would need the necessities of life in the real world – credit cards and cell phones.

She found the smallest tote bag in the cabin and packed a few necessities for each of them, tooth brushes, extra sox and undies, sweaters. Then she tried to gather suitable food for the road. They were both hungry but there was no way she could make sandwiches. She filled a thermos with soup, cut up the spam into bites, found some other odds and ends and tossed it together in a plastic bag.

She bagged some cat food for Toast and then looked around for the cat. She was sleeping, stretched out on the bed, nestled among the comforters. Poor thing would be in for a rude awakening in a few minutes. She switched off all lights, unplugged appliances, double checked the stove. There wasn’t much else to do. If they made it out of here, they’d be back in the late spring. Hopefully, everything would be okay. They’d have to deal with pissed off neighbors but she actually looked forward to repaying their kindness with huge gifts and treats.

A roaring noise filled the air. She ran to the door in time to see Matt horsing the snow mobile up the slope, and parking it next to the disabled car. She ran to the deck, waving and laughing.

“Hey, Sid, look what I got!” he exclaimed as he hopped off the sleek snow mobile. “That’s exactly what it needed, a little gas. It’s in good shape otherwise, just a little hole in the seat, looks like a bullet wound, but that won’t bother us.”

She stood admiring it, small but powerful looking, like some huge snow bunny, ready to take on anything. There was room for two on the seat and a small tray-like thing on the back where they could tie on the cat carrier. She’d have to hold the tote bag on her lap. There was no spare room. It wasn’t a car, the ride would be rough and probably scary, but she was ready to go.

Matt siphoned gas from the jeep’s tank to the snow mobile, spitting and pinching the little hose. He’d done this before. There were several little motors around the cabin that always seemed to need a little gas. “this thing is easy to drive but it’s really noisy and rough when the ground isn’t smooth. We’re going to have to be careful to keep in on the trail. I hope we can find our way down the highway. We don’t want to get dumped off the road into a ditch. Then we’d all be toast.” He grinned. Sidney could tell he was raring to go.

“Will it help to take a map with us? There’s one somewhere around here.”

“No, we’ll just have to wing it. We’ve driven this road a hundred times so maybe we can just figure it out as we go. I need something to eat and then we can go if you’re ready.”

Sidney tossed the food she’d packed to Matt and he sat down to eat. She ran upstairs to make sure she had everything. She grabbed her paperback and the journal she’d been keeping all these months. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to open it again after this was over, but for now, she needed it.

The cat stirred and looked at both of them. Then Toast spotted the cat carrier and meowed at them. It was like a question, sort of pleading them to, as if trying to tell them she really didn’t want to leave. It was warm here, and it was safer here than out there. Please.

Sidney picked her up and stuffed her into the carrier, fighting off Toast’s feet and claws. She’d placed the TV comforter into the carrier. Now she tried to cover Toast with it. Toast wasn’t having any of it. She howled and hissed until the lid plunked down on her head. Then she quieted a little, just growling at them as they went about their last minute prep for this difficult journey down the mountain.

“We’d better leave soon, Sid. It’s two in the afternoon. I have no idea how long this is going to take. If we were sure those two wouldn’t come back here, I’d follow their tracks and hope they were heading to town. But that’s not for us. We’ll break our own trail. If we get in trouble we can follow our tracks back here. Let’s give it an hour. If we’re sure we’re headed in the right direction, we’ll continue. If things don’t seem right, we’ll come back.”

Sidney nodded.

It was still bright and sunny. No snow falling, really a perfect day for snow mobiiling, if you were one of the hundreds of mostly young men who like such things. Sidney and Matt were more timid, and they had a heavy load, especially with the cat on the back, and Sidney balancing the tote while trying to hang onto Matt. He drove as slowly as possible, but soon realized that speed was his friend. The snow was not like cement, driving was tricky, drifts of snow that weren’t packed were dangerous and speed helped them get over the worst of the obstacles.

They worked their way past the cabins they knew and began to get the feel of the road. They couldn’t hear anything except the constant roar and whine of the engine beneath them. Sidney was tense. Matt could feel her clutching him trying to keep her balance as they moved over the uneven ground.

And it was cold, and windy, snow blew up in their faces. They were able to keep the road ahead of them by watching the tops of trees, keeping trees on each side. When they reached the crest of a hill, they’d stop and try to envision where the roadbed was, mentally marking trees on each side of it. They saw no humans, and heard no other snow mobiles along the trip.

Matt simply pointed to trees he wanted her to pay attention to. She remembered where they were, it looked vaguely familiar. As far as she could tell, they were on the right track, and perhaps soon they would break out into the outskirts of town, those lonely little farm houses they usually passed on their way to the lake. She wondered when they’d get to the plowed part of the road. If they could just get that far, they would be fine.

As they continued, Matt pointed out familiar landmarks. She would tap his back, and nod. It was going well. They crested a long stretch of upgrade that Sidney remembered distinctly. They were definitely getting closer. At the top, Matt eased off the gas and they coasted to a stop.

Matt cut the engine and they gazed down the hillside into the distance. They both listened closely. Matt held up his hand.

“Do you hear something, Sid?” he asked. She nodded. “Yes,” she whispered, “I think I hear something. Is it another snow mobile?”

“Maybe.”

Matt hesitated for a moment longer, then he pointed. Another snow mobile. They looked at each other. It was the same one they had seen earlier. It was a long ways off, just barely visible to them.

“What should we do, Matt? Maybe try to hide somewhere?”

Matt checked the road in front of them. “Look, Sidney. There aren’t any other tracks on the road so maybe he won’t be coming this way. Maybe he’ll veer off. If he doesn’t, we’ll try to hide somewhere, even though it will be pretty obvious we’re up here. Look at those tracks behind us.”

Sidney turned. Sure enough, there were definite tracks laid out on the road. They’d have a hard time hiding, between the tracks and the engine noise. Sidney was getting very uneasy.

“Maybe it’s not the same guys, Matt,” she said, using her bravest voice possible.

 They watched and waited as the snow mobile moved along the far distant road, and then, suddenly, it turned off and headed away from them.

They both let out huge sighs. “Maybe there’s a different way to the lake down there, Matt.”

“Yeah, I hope so. What do you think we should do? Wanna go back?”

She shook her head. “No, let’s keep going. By the time we get down there, they’ll be long gone. Maybe we can follow their tracks into town.”

“Okay. Let’s hit it. How’s the cat doing?”

They looked into the carrier, which was mostly closed in except for the wire door. They saw Toast’s big eyes staring at them, she was still growling, and seemed very frightened. But she was curled into the comforter so she would be okay.

“We’ll be there soon, Toast,” Sidney purred at the little animal. Then she took her place next to Matt and they took off again. Just as they thought, there was nobody there by the time they got to the spot where the others had turned off. And even better, there was a snow mobile trail they could follow.

Soon they were flying along, and the scenery looked even more familiar. They knew they were close to town now. The road was plowed and those familiar farm houses began to crop up. Sidney had tears in her eyes and she pounded on Matt’s shoulder as they flew along the ground getting closer and closer to civilization.

Matt rounded a curve and there it was – town sprang up, only a few blocks away. Matt stopped and shut off the motor. He grinned at Sidney and they both got off the sputtering snow mobile. He gave her a big hug and they stood there for a long time. They still hadn’t seen a soul but soon enough they would be surrounded by people.

“Where should we go first, Sid? You want to telephone? Hospital? I’m not exactly sure what we should do next.”

“Me either, Matt. How about we head to the sheriff’s office. We need to report a crime. In fact, we need to report several of them. And then I want to know why they didn’t send up a helicopter. After all, we’ve been missing for months.”

“Okay. But do you think they’ll really believe us?”

“What do you say we head for that burger place first and have us a real Christmas dinner? I’m starved. And I bet there’s a phone we could use.”

Sidney grinned and nodded. They jumped back on and started off. Nobody gave them a second glance as they drove their snow mobile through town and into the parking lot. When they got off, Matt finally noticed the lettering on the side. “Look, Sid. This thing is a rental, from Bud’s Place. Here’s the phone number. At least we know where to turn it in. But I’ll have to do some explaining about that bullet hole!” He smiled at his lame joke.

“Let’s go in. I need to make a phone call, quick!”

They unhooked the cat carrier, picked up the tote bag and went inside. It smelled wonderful -- onions, hot grease, and warm bodies. They just stood at the door, blinking, dumbfounded, taking it all in. There weren’t many other customers. The clerk looked at them in a strange way.

“Is that a cat? We don’t usually allow animals in here, you know,” he said. “But what the hell, it’s Christmas, and you folks look like you need to get out of the cold. What would you like?”

Matt looked at Sid. She couldn’t speak, she just stood there smiling and confused looking.

“We could sure use a couple of cheese burgers, and fries. Right, Sidney, you’d like some fries too, huh? Maybe some hot chocolate?”

Sidney just nodded.

“Sure thing, coming right up. Is there anything else you’d like? Maybe a bowl of milk for that wild animal you’ve got in that cage?” Toast continued her constant growling.

Sidney smiled at the clerk. “Thanks. Toast isn’t hungry, she’s mad at the world right now.”

She was back in the world. Here in this burger bar. It finally started to hit her. They had escaped from their prison. The relief flowed into her, and with it the sense of eagerness to hear her daughter’s voice. “Do you have a phone we could use, or maybe a plug in for our phone charger. You see, we’ve been out of touch for a while, and we need to make some phone calls.”

The clerk nodded. He seemed to understand. “Here. Use my cell. No problem. Your food is on its way.”

Sidney carefully punched in the phone number for Lynne, watching Matt from the corner of her eye. He took the cat carrier over to a small table and then steered her there too. They sat down while the phone rang and then Sidney heard Lynne’s voice.

She took a deep breath, “Hello? Lynne, honey? It’s mom. Merry Christmas, my dear.”

Epilogue:

As it turned out, Lynne was very worried about her parents. They hadn’t phoned her, but she reasoned that they were in some out of the way place with no service. She just couldn’t convince herself that anything bad could possibly happen to her beloved parents. When she heard they had been stuck at Goose Lake, she couldn’t believe it at first. But when Sidney started talking about helicopters and the ski patrol, she knew it was real.

Matt and Sidney decided to leave the snow mobile at the burger bar. They figured that whoever was looking for it might find them. They wanted no further confrontation with those hotheads, whoever they were. They walked down the block to the Feather Bed Inn and checked themselves in after explaining that they had been snowbound for three months. They needed a place to stay until a relative could come pick them up. The owners were reluctant to check them in when they first appeared. They were so thin and seedy carrying such a small bag, and a cat. They looked more like transients than their usual bed and breakfast guests. But once they heard the story, they welcomed them in and handed over the keys to one of their nicer suites. They even volunteered to run to the store for kitty litter. All guests should feel completely at home.

Next stop was the sheriff’s office. The deputy looked over her glasses at them and even rolled her eyes as they explained what had happened to them. She became more interested when they told her somebody had just shot at them. Once they got the story out, the officer needed a little help trying to figure out just what the sheriff's office could do for them. There might be several violations. First were the cabin break-ins. Since Matt and Sidney had admitted them, they would have to follow up on that when the spring thaw came. Complete restitution would be necessary, at the very least. Next was the shooting. It would be difficult to prove, but they would make a note of it. The deputy would check out the snow mobile. Since it had been abandoned it was difficult to decide whether Matt had actually stolen it. But that might be another problem for them. Finally they would check the cabins on the other side of the lake. If there were other break ins, they would follow up on that too.

By the time they finished with the sheriff, the local newspaper reporter was waiting for them. He had heard from the innkeeper. He wanted details. This could be big. He’d like to be the first one with the story, before the national media got onto it.

Matt groaned, but Sidney just smiled and sighed. News travels. It wasn’t the ending Sidney envisioned but now that she thought about it, it was a better ending that some of the other ones that could have happened. They were safe, the kids would soon be on their way, and there were still a few pages left in her journal. The only thing she couldn’t decide was when she’d feel like seeing Goose Lake again.

Acknowledgements:

As I write this epilogue, it’s October of 2009 and snow is falling in the Sierra. California winters can be tricky. Snow can begin, relentlessly, even in late October. People occasionally get snowbound. Matt and Sidney’s story could actually happen.

I’m sure nearly everybody has been on one of those deliriously fun ski weekends that you hate to see end. By Sunday noon you are hoping for a major snow storm to swing by unexpectedly that will keep you from heading home. Just a few days stuck in a ski lodge sounds like heaven. That was the idea that got me started on this piece of fiction.

I have to thank my sister-in-law Nancy for the setting. She owns a summer cabin at a lake in the high Sierra. The snow piles in and stays until June on the big snow fall years. Sometimes they get panicked and have to close the cabin much earlier than usual because of the early snows. Summers are lovely at the lake.  The cabin is small but cozy, tucked in among the tall pine trees with a large deck that overlooks the water. Thanks to her neighbors a big group of Canada geese spend the summer there mooching seeds and bread crumbs, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. That became the name for the lake.

I spent a couple of nights alone in the cabin in the early fall a few years back. It was sort of creepy to be up there by myself. When the wind blows, the trees bend and shake, creating lots of noise. The cabin creaks and the wind sneaks in around the edges of the door frames and swoops come down the chimney. I stayed in most of the time just to get the feeling of cabin fever. I ate sparingly out of Nancy’s pantry and mostly just tried to keep warm, stoking the little fire I made out of the huge pine cones that Nancy gathers and keeps dry at the doorstep. She does have a huge pile of wood stacked under the cabin. Because it's an A-frame structure on a hillside, there is plenty of room for wood. When trees fall, a good way to clear them away is to turn them into wood for the fireplace and for the outdoor fire pit. And as they say, the rest is fiction.

So Nancy's cabin became the one owned by Sidney and Matt. I have not met Nancy's neighbors so any resemblance to them is purely coincidental. I will refrain from naming the lake to protect their privacy however. But I want to thank Nancy for letting me use her cozy little nest for my story.

I’d also like to thank my good friend Betsy Anderson for reading the story and helping me figure out how to end it. She is trying to convince me that the world needs to learn more about Matt and Sidney. We’ll see how that goes.

Home | Contributors to Clever Magazine | Writers' Guidelines 
The Editor's Page | Humor Archive | Acknowledgements | About Clever Magazine | Contact Us

© No portion of Clever Magazine may be copied or reprinted without express consent of the editor.