Instinct

I gasped as my foot slipped. My frozen fingers tightened their hold on the rock as the climbing rope stabilized me. I could hear my heart beating as I gazed down and found my footing again.

The freezing sleet and snow made every move a risk. What if a cam slipped against the icy surface? I could fall and be lying injured at the bottom of this cliff, exposed to the elements and praying someone came along to rescue me.

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and slowly released it. No, that wasn’t going to happen. I was going to be just fine. All that I needed to do was to reach the top and look for some place to shelter till the storm passed.

A gust of wind rustled through the trees lining the ridge, blowing snowflakes across my exposed face. I quivered as sweat trickled down my brow, and I tried to swallow the ball of nerves that had caught in my throat.

“Almost there,” I muttered, releasing a breath through pursed lips as I pulled myself up and searched for another handhold.

I ignored the burning in my muscles. Exhaustion was setting in, but the sudden storm left me no other option but to keep going and find shelter at the top.

I glanced up at the looming gray sky, my breath visible as the temperature continued to drop. The howling wind whipped around my body as more and more snow fell, the unexpected blizzard growing worse by the minute.

What was supposed to be a refreshing climb was quickly becoming a fight for survival. I couldn’t help but release a dry chuckle. I had just wanted to come out and get the story I’d been working on for the past year off my mind for a bit.

After giving it a firm tug to ensure it was secure, I clipped on the quick draw and threaded my rope through, resuming my climb. Normally, I’d be appreciating the view around me and enjoying the crisp air, but reaching the top required all my focus.

After what felt like forever, I finally hauled myself over the ledge. A short-lived sigh of relief escaped my lips. I unclipped myself from the rope and stood carefully, watching my footing on the sleet-covered rock and searching for shelter.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to warm my body as adrenaline coursed through my veins. I looked around, hoping for anything I could hunker down in, but saw nothing. My mind buzzed as panic threatened to settle in. Then I spotted a thin, tree-lined trail winding along the edge of the cliff.

The temperature had plummeted near the top of the mountain, making me tremble beneath the layers of wet clothes that clung to my body. The situation felt more dire as the seconds ticked by. I knew if I stayed out in the open much longer, I was at risk of getting hypothermia.

I carefully made my way along the trail, letting out a relieved sigh when it opened wider, leading into the forest. I trudged on, rubbing my arms.

Then, above the howling wind and the crunching sound of ice beneath my shoes, I heard what sounded like a voice. It was so faint I thought I might have imagined it at first, but then I heard it a second time.

A shiver of fear ran down my spine, and I picked up my pace. Was I hearing things? Was hypothermia already setting in? What if it was some crazy killer like in the movies, luring me to his creepy cabin in the woods?

The voice called out again, closer this time, and I froze in my tracks. There was definitely someone stuck out here like I was, and they sounded hurt.

I hesitated. I couldn’t just ignore them. They could die out here in a storm like this. I had to help them.

“You’ve got this, Annabelle,” I muttered to myself, following the weak cries and hoping this wasn’t some kind of trap or anything like that. “Please don’t be a murderer.”

I walked in the direction of the pleas, my unease growing as they got louder. I pushed aside a thin branch blocking my path and stopped at the sight.

“Oh my god,” I gasped, stepping closer.

My throat tightened as my eyes met the pale, pain-stricken face of an injured man, lying in the snow and clutching his bleeding leg.

“Please…,” he managed to croak between tightly clenched teeth, his hazel eyes pleading when they met mine. “Please…help…”