Chapter 1: The Abandoned Cabin

It was a snowy day in mid-January. The temperature was in the low twenties as the rising sun began to shine its rays on Adventure Bay. Ryder and the crew had gotten up early to meet Everest and Jake up on the mountainside, where the temperature had reached single digits. Jake had gone back up the mountain after receiving a call from some skiers, leaving Ryder and the pups on their own. They were all gathered around an ancient log cabin in severe dilapidation.

Marshall looked up at the condemned structure. "Ready to decommission, Ryder?"

Ryder did a quick head count to ensure everyone was a safe distance away. "Go ahead, Marshall. Whenever you're ready."

Marshall pulled out his flamethrower they had created for just such an occasion as burning down an old ski-lodge in near sub-zero weather. After taking a cautionary glance himself to ensure everyone was at a safe distance, he blasted the side of the old dwelling place. As he walked around the house to ensure the entire building would be engulfed, he heard a voice coming from inside.

"Hey! I'm still in here!"

"Everest?" Marshall gasped. "What are you doing in there?"

Ryder spoke up, "It doesn't matter, what matters is we get her out of there! Marshall, can you go in there and get her out?"

Without so much as a response, Marshall raced toward the entrance and lowered his smoke visor. Charging in, he raced through the smoke and steadily growing flames to the upper room where he heard Everest shout from. Jumping through the already flaming doorway, Marshall quickly called Everest over to him as he pulled out his water cannon.

"When the fire in the doorway is out, head out the front door. The way should be clear the rest of the way." After the fire in the doorway subsided, Marshall gave a signal and Everest bolted out the door. As she did so, the doorframe above the door gave way, trapping Marshall inside.

Everest stopped and turned around, "Marshall! Are you okay? I'll get you out!"

"No!" Marshall objected, "You won't get me out and then we'll both be buried when the house collapses! Go!"

As Everest complied, Marshall considered his limited options. He could try to get through the doorway or he could attempt to jump out the window and suffer some hopefully minor injuries. Deciding to go with that, he hoped Everest had made it out safely. Backing up, he took a running jump.

And then he fell through the floor as the room and building collapsed around him. Everyone outside looked up as the cabin fell, crumbling into the ground from the combination of fire and rot.

"No!" shouted Everest, displaying the dismay everyone else felt, though they were too shocked to show it.

"Did he manage to jump out a window?" Ryder asked hopefully.

"No..." Chase said in a daze, "he's just... gone."

"No!" Everest cried again, this time in despair, "he's dead and it's all my fault! I should have stayed to help him and I shouldn't have made sure everything in there was cleared out!"

"No. If it's anyone's fault it's my own," Ryder consoled her, "I told him to start; I thought you had gone back up the mountain with Jake. And besides, there's a chance he might be alright under there. We have to try to dig him out."

And so the crew set to work with hope on what would normally have been a hopeless mission.

This is a story that I started telling my younger brother as a bedtime story back in 2014, right around when Everest was introduced. It's gone through major changes since then, and this current version is what everything solidified down to about three years ago. Though it might not seem like it, I have the entire story arc planned out, start to finish, and I love dropping lore. I try to keep everything accurate to reality to a certain extent, so if you notice anything "off" then it's probably that way for a reason. This story is written with some darker themes in mind, like failure, death, and injury (if you couldn't already tell by the ending). I do keep it clean / clinical, though. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!