Visitor
"That storm doesn't look like it is going to give up soon." Her friend grunted.
"No, it is not. I heard a group of riders went up to the mountain, and were lost, they are still missing." She stated. Her friend looked at her with knowing eyes, "I heard about that, I heard that they left last Thursday. None of them have shown up." The timer went off. "Izzy? I think the food is ready." Both girls tended to the oven. "Charlotte, do these look done?" Charlotte smiled, "Well this is the first time we made them, and grandma did say to cook them until done…. Looks done." Both chuckled and carefully stuffed the ladyfingers into their mouths. "Yup, yup, they're done."
"Well I am going to go check to see if those lean-tos are holding up outside." Izzy dully stated. "Just be careful." Izzy by then was already out the door leaving Charlotte in the kitchen with the warm delights in hand. Then within a second she was back in, with the look of fright written upon her face. "Charlotte, come quick."
With out hesitation, they ran outside to see a man in a weather worn jacket. He looked frail and deathly, gaunt and meek. He dropped to his knees. "Izzy he must be one of the men that went missing. Quick, get him inside." They took the man up and brought him to the house.
They sat the man next to the heater on a nearby chaise lounge. Charlotte stripped his clothes. "Izzy get a heated blanket," she looked down, his hands were almost black from the frost, "And damp warm towels." Izzy rushed into the kitchen.
"What is your name?" Charlotte asked the man. He wheezed and sputtered. "I'll ask that question later when you are feeling better, ok." The man was so sickly, his cheeks hollow, and his eyes sunken and dark, almost blank from the cold. His lips chapped and shriveled, showing off large teeth that seemed too big for his face. His blonde thin hair wispy. He was a handsome man if not for the cold which devoured him first.
Izzy came back in. Charlotte took the blanket and wrapped him tightly. "We are going to bring you to my room. It is the warmest room in the house." They took him under the arms and let him slouch upon them as they made way into the back of the house.
Charlotte kicked the door open and left Izzy to bring him to the bed as Charlotte turned the lights on and grabbed the damp towels. "Sir, here, your hands please." He held out his hands as far as he could with the fatigue wearing him down, they shook violently in her hands as she wrapped the towel around them. His fingers were long and frail, his tips blackened from the bitter weather. She looked up at him. "Oh god Izzy, his ears!" She came closer to inspect them. "That's not good, not good." The man looked at both at them, no expression, just cold and blank. "Stay here Izzy. I will grab more towels."
Charlotte stepped out and went to the kitchen. The ill man looked up at her through tired eyes. "Here, I will help you, lay down more, you don't look comfortable." Izzy bent forward and assist him in shifting downward, and pulled the covers to his chin. "So you were part of that group that went up to the mountains huh?" He nodded slowly, his eyes half way closed.
Charlotte stepped back in with the towels, handing one to Izzy. They sat on either side of the man who lay utterly, and held the towels against his ears. "So when do you think this storm will be over?" Charlotte said almost in a whisper. "I don't know, the weather girl said it'll be over soon." Charlotte shook her head. "How soon, we need to get him to the hospital." She looked up at Izzy, she was a gorgeous girl. Izzy, hazel eyed, dark haired, and faired skinned, and she had it going for her. She has been her friend ever since junior high. "Well these are getting cold, and we can't have him suffering under the wetness, he has been through a lot." Charlotte nodded in agreement. "Ok, we are going to get you a glass of water." Izzy left this time.
"Ok let's get those arms back under the covers." She carefully took his arms and pulled the covers over. Izzy came back as if on cue, "Here." She smiled. After helping him sip the water, she placed the cup upon the night stand, and took the extra layer and joined it up with the rest. "We are going to turn the lights, just call out if you need anything, we will keep the door open just incase." He closed his eyes and quickly drifted to sleep. They did as they said and moved over to the living room for the night.