SNOW KISSED {NOW PUBLISHED}

CHAPTER ONE // MY SEDAN, RUDOLPH AND A BUSH MAN

I grabbed the last packet of breath mints from the display box and walked to the counters of the tiny general store.

The woman behind gave me a quick smile, “Is that all?”

I put my cup of coffee down beside the mints, “Forty in gas too...” I pulled off my leather gloves and dug around my purse for some cash.

“Where ya' heading to this evening?”

I paused as I found my last eighty dollars, “Uh... Forrest Ski Resort?”

“Oh yes.” The woman nodded.

“Oh, you know it!” My eyes widened, I was revealed to hear I was near.

“You still have a while to go. It's about another hundred miles north.”

“What!” I stared at her, my money slipped my finger tips to the counter, “No, that can't be right. My GPS...”

“Never have much luck out here with a GPS.” The woman smiled and picked up my money, sorting it.

“You're joking, my friends said it wasn't too far...”

“You keep going down the highway here, you're going to eventually come to the resort signs... I would consider staying at the motel around back though, there's a big snow storm coming in tonight.”

“Oh...” I wrinkled my nose as I mentally pictured the state of the motel around the side of the building as I'd driven my car up to the pump, “Thanks... I'll... consider it.”

Christmas bells chimed and knocked into the glass of the door as it opened.

The woman went about ringing my order as the man, that had just came in walked around, grabbing a few things and walked up behind me.

“Oh, shoot...” The woman smiled at me, “I punched in the wrong numbers... this machine is so old.”

I rolled my eyes and looked out to the pumps, it had already gotten darker and I swore I started to see the snow she was talking about begin to fall.

She started to ring up my item again. Punching numbers in slowly, “How are you, Ean?”

“Oh, alright... How about you, Martha?” He stepped up next to me and I stepped aside with a stiff step. I didn't get why people didn't seem to understand personal space.

“Okay. What have you been up to? You haven't been by in awhile.”

The woman was now paying more attention to the conversation with the shaggy headed looking bush man than she was with my gas, mints and coffee.

“I just got home from camp. Seems like just in time too.” He tapped the counter and my eyes watched his thick finger's do so.

I glanced at him as he sniffed, the nippy air had seemed to get the better of his nose and cheeks.

“It's suppose to be a big one, I was just telling this lovely lady. She's on her way to Forrest Resort.”

I wasn't too impressed, they were having a full on conversation and somehow I had now been brought into it.

“Forrest Resort, eh?” He looked down at me as I looked up to him.

I nodded, “If I ever get there.”

“Yeah.” He agreed, “Should be careful. Hope you have winter tires.”

I was going to kill Beth! She hadn't said squat about needing snow tires or what did they call those other things... chains?

I had half the mind to turn around at that point.

The woman finally got me my change.

“Thanks.” I said curtly and walked towards the door quickly.

“Drive safe.” He called after me.

I paused with my hand on the door handle and caught his eyes, “Yeah, thanks...” I left quickly and moved towards my car, fumbling with the mints and hot cup of coffee. Balancing the cup on the top of my sleek sedan, I flipped open the gas cap and started to fill the tank.

I took a deep breath, shivering from the obvious temperature drop, “Jeez...” The pump was slow and old, I should have seen that coming. That's what I got for not stopping an hour before at the civilized gas station.

The bells rung minutes later as he came out into the bays. He walked in front of my car and over to his truck which he started to also fill with gas, this gave me ample time to take in his red plaid shirt, dirty jeans and black winter vest. It was an interesting style choice, that was for sure.

He looked over to me, “I'm Ean.” Small talk again? Really?

I repeated the name in my head and tried to smile at him, who was I kidding? I was too cold and grumpy to function.

“Amy.” I managed.

“Where are you from?”

“A warmer place.” I answered, I didn't mean to sound so snarky but then again...

“Oh yeah...” He grumbled, “So, just going to Forrest for Christmas?”
“Mostly.” I said to him, looking away and trying to hold it together as my fingers and toes went numb.

He chuckled and looked back down to the pump.

I didn't understand what was so funny but he better not have been laughing at me! Just a bush man, he was...

Finally, my pump finished and I slipped into the black leather, slamming the door beside me as I did. I turned the car over and pulled out as snow started to drop on my windshield. I stared at the size of the snow flakes and swallowed.

A few words came to mind, one being in particular becoming very clear... Death.

I flipped on the wipers and pulled out onto the two lane highway and started off north. I thought about the guy at the gas station. I should have said goodbye... Oh, who was I kidding! I didn't know the guy, he was just being friendly anyway. At least that's what I told myself.

I turned the heat up as the temperature continued to drop and the radio then began to cut in and out.

I searched for a new channel and it stopped on one.

“Blizzard warning... low visibility and black ice... snow warning for...”

It cut out again and now my heart started to pound, “Snow warning for where! Where!” I almost shouted at the fuzzing radio. I snapped it off in frustration.

The snow started to fall more and more. As the minutes passed, I slowed my speed.

The car had caught ice a couple times and that started to scare me.

I knew it. I had known it my gut and once again I had let Elizabeth convince me into something!

I reached for my coffee, trying to get rid of my chill but my hand couldn't find it.

I took my eyes of the road for a split second, found the cup and grabbed it. Then lifted it to my lips, my eyes squinting through the blizzard.

Then my headlights caught it, the silhouette of a deer standing directly in my path. All I could think was Rudolph and when it didn't move, I swerved from panic.

The car took a sharp dodge, caught ice and spun me into the other lane.

I screamed, I didn't register where my foot was or where the coffee had gone but I felt the burning of the hot liquid all over my lap.

The hood of my beloved sedan hit a tree and became one with it. Leaving my head to smack into the window as the air blags deployed.

Within seconds the world and it's noises faded...