Summer could see a drop off further down the slope right in the direction of their fall. She struggled to wrap the rope several times around her hand and fought to pull herself up, but she couldn’t get her feet under her fast enough. They were getting closer to the edge in front of them, and it felt like the times in dreams when Summer would wake up right before she fell to her death. Except for this time, it wasn’t a dream. Summer tried pulling at the rope, but she had little impact on it since she was going down with it too. They were whizzing past tree after tree, and she was getting bumped from the roots underneath the snow, causing her body to swing from side to side as she was dragged. They were only a dozen yards away from the drop off now, and Meline began to scream. The sled barely missed colliding with the trunk of a tree and Summer desperately flung her free arm out and hooked it around the trunk.
Her scream ripped through the air as all the weight of the sled fell immediately to her shoulder. The rope around her hand dug painfully into her skin as it was suddenly pulled taut from the two opposing forces of the weight of the sled versus Summer’s anchor. The sled jerked to a stop, but the rope was twisted, and it tipped over with the abrupt change of direction. Summer continued to hang on as Bridger and Mccarthy half slid down the hill to reach Meline. They flipped the sled back over and quickly undid the ropes that were holding her inside.
“You idiot!” Bridger shouted, looking up the hill to where Michael was trying to get up. “You could’ve killed her!”
The blood in Michael’s face had drained, and he looked sickly pale as Bridger lifted Meline from the sled and moved the sled against a tree.
“Don’t talk to him like that.” Meline’s voice was hardly audible as she laid down in the snow breathlessly.
“No, I will talk to him like that!”
Michael’s body began to tremble, but Bridger continued.
“You said you could handle it and look what happened! Did you want to risk your mother’s life? I should’ve never trusted you to be able to do your part.”
He would have continued, but Meline sat back up and grabbed his arm firmly.
“Don’t.” She locked eyes with Bridger. He paused when he saw the fierceness in the sick woman’s face and while he still seemed agitated, he ended his rant there.
About ten feet above them, Summer was still lying next to the tree, trying not to move. Everyone else skidded down the hill and gathered around Meline and the sled. Summer lifted her head as Michael climbed down beside her and saw him hastily wiping at his eyes so no one would see the moisture in them. She called out gently to him, but when he halted near her, his look caused her to forget what she was about to say. He was staring at her arm that was twisted at an unnaturally upward angle above her head where she had latched onto the tree.
“Are you alright?” Julian asked, appearing on the other side of the tree.
The look in both of their faces scared her and Summer tried to get up nonchalantly.
“I’m fi—” She started but was cut off by the yelp of pain that escaped her lips when she tried to move her shoulder.
“Do you think it’s broken?” Michael asked, sounding even more devastated by this additional damage caused by his fall.
Julian kneeled down next to Summer and went to place his hands on her lifted shoulder.
“Don’t touch it!” Summer panicked and involuntarily jerked to get away. The movement caused a lightning bolt of pain to ripple through her shoulder and down her arm, and she immediately went still again as she bit her lower lip to stop the scream that wanted to escape.
“Be careful.” She murmured. Julian nodded and wiped her forehead that had begun to perspire from the pain.
Bridger looked up to see Julian holding Summer’s head in his lap and with a few long strides, he had climbed his way up to them.
“Leave her alone.” He demanded, pushing Julian away from Summer.
“She’s hurt” The thinness of Julian’s patience barely veiled the animosity in his words as he pointed to Summer’s mangled shoulder and arm.
“It’s dislocated.” Bridger said, in a matter of fact tone. “We’ll have to set it. I’ve seen it done before. Move aside.” He motioned for Julian to get back and he went around to Summer’s back. He sat her up and placed her arm against the tree for stabilization, ignoring the agonized moan that came from her.
“Relax.” He told her, and with a short, fast pressure, he pushed the palm of his hand into her shoulder blade, causing the thin forest to echo with Summer’s cry. He continued to push until it popped and her shoulder went down to its normal place in the socket.
He stood back up and walked around to grab her swollen hand that had been razored by the rope. She winced with pain at his rough hold, but stayed in place as he examined the three gashes that showed where the rope had been wound around her skin.
“You’re fine.” He finally pronounced and pulled her to stand up.
“I don’t think so. That looks pretty deep.” Julian opened his hand for Summer to show him her wound.
“Stay away from her,” Bridger commanded, stepping in between them. “I said she was fine and she is. She doesn’t need you to try to help when she has me to take care of her.”
He gave a meaningful look to Summer, and she bowed her head to look down at the ground.
“Maybe we should set up camp now,” Mccarthy suggested looking back and forth between Summer and Meline.
“No.” Bridger’s answer was definite. “We can’t let this slow us down. I want to get off of these infernal mountains as soon as possible, and we can’t be weak now.”
He walked back down and lifted Meline to her feet. They both started down the mountain once more with Bridger leading her by the hand.
“If she can do it, then you can do it too.” He called back as they went downwards.
“That’s not good for her,” Tania remarked, looking to the others.
“Well, she probably feels safer that way than getting in the sled again,” Michael mumbled bitterly.
They hiked downwards until they were once more surrounded by darkness. The camp split according to the two different groups, and they both started to build their own fires. The snow had been falling for a good portion of the day, making the wood they carried with them wet and resistant to the sparks. Eventually, Mccarthy and Julian got their fire started using the several lighters that they had, but Summer struggled even to get a spark as she fumbled with the flint and steel in her injured hand. She tried striking it again and again but could not get the friction needed to create flames. She wistfully shot a glance over to the other fire that had grown in size, but Bridger was watching her and reached out his hand for her to give him the flint and steel.
“Here, let me do it.” Bridger was always short with her when her incompetencies frustrated him and his tone was stern as he replaced her in a crouched position next to the wood, though this time even he couldn’t get it to light.
“Maybe we should—” Summer began looking over at the large fire that had been started by the lighters.
“No!” Bridger interrupted. “We don’t need their help.” He continued to strike until finally a singular spray of sparks created a small flame and he fanned at it until it had reached the other pieces of wood.
The mood was downcast as it felt like the fire could never get big enough to warm them all. Summer passed around pieces of jerky that they still had, but Tania almost didn’t notice and was enviously looking over at Julian’s fire. Phil had begun to eat dinner with them, and he sat at their fire while Summer and Bridger had decided that Meline should stay with Stephanie who was now making tea at the other campsite. Michael hadn’t said more than ten words since Bridger had yelled at him and it was quiet as the small group ate their jerky with little interest in each other. A small laugh sounded from where they could see Mccarthy talking to Julian and the older Mary. That was en
ough for Tania.
“I’m going over there.” She announced and bumped Michael as a signal to follow her. Michael shot a resentful look at Bridger and then stood up to follow his sister.
“You guys...” Summer attempted to say, but she let her words trail off as she watched them go. It was hard to tell them not to do something that she wanted to do herself. However, she didn’t dare show that kind of defiance to Bridger, and she noticed him staring at her analyzing her reaction to them.
She shrugged her shoulders and handed another piece of jerky to him. This seemed to satisfy Bridger, and he moved closer to sit next to her. She scooted closer to the fire to try to feel more of its warmth, but she couldn’t help herself from looking over where she could now hear Tania and Michael joining in the conversation of the other fire.
Their actual words were muffled, but she saw Julian jostle Michael’s hair and Michael break into a smile for the first time that night. The fire created a hazy, steam-like smoke from the slightly wet wood and it made their features seem both farther away and more intimate as Summer stole glances at them from across the way. Julian looked at her once, and Summer let her gaze linger only for a couple of seconds as their eyes connected before she looked away into the empty darkness of the night.
The light of the fire reflected on their faces as they continued to joke with each other, and Summer happily observed how at ease her younger siblings were in that group. Julian threw his head back and laughed hard, making Tania apparently beam with pride at whatever she had said to cause that reaction.
“Hey.”
Summer was jolted by the voice and for the first time, realized that she had been smiling from watching the contagious scene. Phil was staring at her with his usual apathetic manner that inexplicably annoyed her.
“Hey.” He repeated motioning to her hands. “Are you going to eat that?”
Summer was holding several pieces of jerky that she had forgotten until Phil had pulled her out of her mesmerization. She nodded her head in the negative and passed them to him disinterestedly.
Chapter 17
As they came down further from the mountain range, the air was getting slightly warmer and more wildlife was emerging from their winter hideouts. However, it was hard to try to catch anything while they were hiking and Bridger didn’t want to stop. Winter was passing, and the melting conditions around them were dangerously ideal for avalanches. When they had camped for the night, Bridger would go off hunting by himself, and it was then that Summer decided to put up her traps again.
“I’ll go with you.” Julian volunteered, causing Summer to hesitate.
“I don’t know. I don’t think Bridger would like that.”
She expected irritation, but instead, Julian whispered.
“He doesn’t have to know.”
Summer had been careful about her shoulder ever since she had dislocated it two months ago. Yet, the fear of popping it out again often made her actions clumsy and unnecessarily difficult, and she subconsciously placed her hand across her chest to hold her shoulder with her other arm as she considered what Julian had just said.
“Alright.” She agreed. “I’m going to leave now. Wait ten minutes, and I’ll wait for you outside of camp.”
She put a lasso of rope over her shoulder and grabbed the bag with her pulley systems inside. Waving to her mother, she left the camp and walked to the left and downwards of the camp. She put her bag down and hoped that Julian had been watching the direction she took. It didn’t take long before she saw him appear, but then he stopped to look around him.
“You’re not very good at being subtle.” Summer couldn’t help but laugh a little as she raised her voice and beckoned him to her.
Julian spotted her and saluted, quickly ending the distance between them. They took off together and began looking for tracks or droppings that would signify the presence of animals they could catch. Once they had found a good location, Summer put down her bag and instructed Julian on how to assist her in setting up the ropes in the trees.
“So what made you decide to do pre-law?” Julian asked as he tied a square knot in the rope.
“I guess it’s because I wanted to be a lawyer.” Julian rolled his eyes at her obviousness, which was exactly the reaction Summer was going for.
She settled onto one hip and actually contemplated his question while she watched him bang a stake into the ground with a nearby rock.
“Honestly, the rule of law has always intrigued me. I think it would have been noble to be a part of the justice system.”
Julian was tempted to tease her, but he saw the seriousness in her face.
“That profession isn’t well known for nobility.” He finally said, hoping she would say more.
“Well that’s why it needs more people who actually believe in it, don’t you think? Human rights have just barely begun to be acknowledged as a legitimate foundation to build laws off of and as nuanced and imperfect as the system is, I believe it’s the best shot that we have at justice. The only way to stop corruption is if honest people continue to believe in the process and work inside of it to check it from disintegrating.”
Her passionate voice had built up speed as she went, and now she paused to catch her breath. Her excitement was contagious, and Julian had been captivated until a prick of disappointment entered his thoughts.
“Does it hurt to think that all of that is gone now?”
Summer was taken aback, realizing she had been talking in the present tense and it took her a moment to answer.
“Yes.” She finally decided. “But just like hope in ideals is what kept the system running, it has to be hope in an eventual return to order and what is right that creates a system in the beginning. We couldn’t ever truly lose good laws because they’re based on universal laws that have existed before us and will always exist. Hopefully, it just won’t take as long for our next society to figure out and evolve into.”
She paused and looked off into the distance as her own thoughts took her away, but then she realized she had been rambling.
“Why did you decide to become a lawyer?”
Julian was almost finished setting up the traps, and he sounded slightly timid as he continued his work.
“Because that’s what my father did. I definitely had not thought about it as deeply as you have.”
He stood up and brushed his hands together, joining Summer to look at his handiwork on the trees.
“Not bad.” Summer commended.
They picked up the now empty bag and began to walk back to camp.
“So is that what you’re waiting for? Society to rebuild?” Julian finally asked, breaking the silence.
Summer guffawed.
“No, I have no idea when that will be, and for all I know, it won’t be in our lifetimes. I would be happy just to get out of these mountains and find the Caravan.” She suspiciously cast a side glance at Julian. “It may sound stupid, but I know they’re out there.”
“I don’t think it’s stupid. Everyone needs a source of hope, and I think we’ll find the Caravan eventually.”
This was the first time that anyone else had expressed belief in the Caravan in months and Summer involuntarily stopped in amazement, staring at Julian before she quickened her strides to catch up to him.
Chapter 18
They continued to sneak off to set up the traps together, and while Summer was the only one who went to check them, Julian’s smile was a little bigger whenever she returned with something the traps had caught. They had it down to an art where once Bridger would leave, Summer would go, and then after a designated time, Julian would leave supposedly to go cut firewood or scout out the area. He had become quite expert in putting up the traps, and soon they spent more time talking than working.
It wasn’t anything worth talking about, but it felt like a reprieve for Summer to let her mind rela
x as they shared things that didn’t really matter. He told her about his baseball career as a fifteen-year-old, and she told him about the birthmark on her knee that was shaped like a crescent moon. They realized they were getting louder as they got more comfortable with each other and their trips to find suitable hunting grounds became increasingly further away from camp.
It was a late sunny afternoon with patches of earth dotting the snow and showing waterlogged grass when they came across the cabin.
Julian had been jabbering on about his backpacking trip to Europe when Summer stuck out her arm, inadvertently clotheslining him. She pointed at the lone structure in the middle of the woods, and they stood there in silence, staring at it. It almost seemed ungodly to see something manmade when they had survived months with nature’s cycles as their only structure of order.
“Should we go inside?” Julian sounded breathless yet excited.
Summer gulped and remained stuck staring. He brazenly grabbed Summer’s hand and pulled her towards the front of the house.
“What if there are people inside?” She whispered anxiously.
“Then we’ll make friends with them.” Julian seemed to be having too much fun, and Summer pulled back releasing her hand from his grip.
“People would rather kill you than make friends with you these days.” Summer pulled out one of her axes and subconsciously lowered herself from the view of a side window.
Julian pointed to an open window at the front of the house that had a curtain hanging out of it and a pile of snow sitting inside of the room.
“It’s abandoned.” He stated, after offering the proof.
“You don’t know that.” Summer continued to whisper, despite Julian’s careless volume.
Sin: A Survival Romance Fiction (Her Story Trilogy Book 1) Page 13