A/N: I drew my manager's name for Secret Santa. I was so worried he wouldn't like his gift, I stuffed the receipt in the bag just in case, so he could return it if he didn't like it. But you know what, he did like it! I hate shopping. I can barely shop for myself, so it's next to nearly impossible for me to shop for anyone else. I hardly know what I want! I was actually calling up my loved ones and demanding to know what they wanted for Christmas. However, I made a deal with my sister this year. She's umemployed and broke, so she wouldn't of had the money to buy anyone anything, so I told her that she had to help me pick out gifts, I'd pay for them, and we'd put both our names on them. My aunt thought that was sweet of me. I just hate shopping.
I guess I felt bad for her too. And technically, the gifts were from the both of us.
ENJOY!
Chapter 6
Within moments, Tito, Ray, Lars, and Raul had bundled up. Ray took a stance in the center of the room. Mrs. Dullard had her arms wrapped around her son, a hand placed in a motherly manner on Reggie's shoulder. Cleo was holding onto Sandy.
"Alright," Ray announced, taking position as leader, "We assume Otto and Twister left the cabin and both have their snowboards with them. I don't know what reason they have for leaving, but I know for a fact that nothing is beneath our sons' common sense. We have to have faith in the fact that our sons have both boarded on these mountains their entire lives, and know the surrounding area like the back of their hands. Also, they've both been fully trained on how to handle emergency situations...oh man...um...we've deduced that they've left over an hour and half ago, and during the time the storm has picked up incredibly. The two may have sought refuge down at the lodge, or one of the many patrol houses along the way, but we can't be certain. We need the rest of you to stay here in the unlikely case the boys do come back, while Lars, Raul, Tito and I are going to search for them. We'll stay in touch by radio. Paula, you have the radio, right?" Mrs. Dullard nodded, lifting the transceiver up off the coffee table. Ray clapped his hands together, turning to the assembled men.
"Why aren't we using those snow jets?" Lars asked.
"Because the powder is fresh, and the storm's too thick to see through," Ray explained, "Now we have to stay close. I'm hoping the boys haven't gotten far, and chances are on our side. We're going to trek to the first patrol house, if we don't find Otto and Twister by the time we reach it...well...I just hope we do. Watch your steps...the snow is fresh, which means it hasn't had time to compact. You can find yourself neck deep in the stuff if you don't watch where you walk. We'll carry the high-beam flashlights, stay within visual range of one another." They began their good-byes, Lars and Raul receiving hugs and kisses from Sandy. Reggie thrust her arms about her father and Tito, who also received a quick kiss on the cheek from Mrs. Dullard. Lars slipped over to Reggie who stood against the far wall, arms crossed over her chest. Cleo sat beside her silently.
"You know, I think that I should get a good luck kiss from a beautiful young woman, as I am about ready to brave a snowstorm," Lars stated slyly, leaning in close to Reggie who narrowed her eyes menacingly at him, "Heroes always receive kisses. I prefer on the lips, but I'll accept one on the cheek..."
"My boyfriend is lost in a snowstorm with my brother and you're hitting on me?" Reggie demanded stunned. Cleo leaned in, pressing her lips gently against her older cousin's cheek. A smile slid across his face.
"Thanks, Cleo," he said, turning to her, "¿Le he dicho últimamente que te amo? (Have I told you lately that I love you?)"
"Tenga cuidado (Be careful)," she told him, "Y traiga el hogar de Maurice en una sola pieza. (And bring Maurice home in one piece.)"
"I will," Lars assured her as he walked to the door, "Because I am going to whomp the both of them so hard when I get their asses back here."
-0-0-
Twister ran his sleeve across his nose, sniffling slightly, grabbing the back of Otto's jacket for support against another onrush of wind.
"It's no use, Otto," Twister called, "I can't see anything. We have to go back."
"Yeah," Otto replied, turning to face his friend, though through the snow he could just barely make out the tall lanky form. He held his board up, "The faster the better," he cried, and Twister nodded. They bent, strapping the boards on, and looking down the mountain, seeing nothing but hazy white.
"Are you sure about this, Otto," Twister yelled through the howling torrents of storm.
"We can do it, Twist, we're the best snowboarders on this mountain," Otto shouted his reply, then jokingly, "Just try not to run into any trees." Twister paled, chuckling slightly but gulping as he stared down the slope. That wasn't entirely an impossibility, and he'd had his share of trees for that day.
They braced themselves, before turning and barreling down the mountain. They made a steady pace at first, and all seemed to be going well. It was Otto to go down first, as he'd been in the lead and traveling much faster. He had caught a snag in the snow at a sharp turn, tumbling down just as Twister was bowled over by the wind. Otto's fall landed him on his backside, but Twister rolled a great way down, invariably landing against a tree pushed over by the storm.
"Ack!" Otto cried, and Twister pulled himself up, straining his eyes and seeing his friend being dragged through the snow by a seemingly invisible force.
"Otto..." Twister groaned, brushing the splinters from his jacket. He ran his hand along the back of his neck, bringing his gloved hand back to discover it as slightly redder than he remembered.
"Help," Otto screamed, and Twister looked bleary eyed through the sleet to discover his best friend struggling to stop himself from being pulled off the side of a cliff. Otto was digging his hands into the snow to no avail and he was quickly moving towards the edge. Twister moved swiftly, unlatching his feet from his own snowboard, running over to his friend and shoving his hands under Otto's arm. The only affect was that he too found himself being dragged.
"I can't stop it," Twister grunted, feeling woozy, something warm and wet seeping through his shirt, catching in his jacket.
"It's my board," Otto groaned, "The wind is pulling it...you have to undo my board!" Twister nodded, crawling through the snow. He reached down, pressing the latch to release Otto's left foot, and getting his fingers crushed under Otto's shoe. Otto used his free foot to undo the other latch, grabbing onto to Twister as his board clacked noisily down the side of the mountain. They collapsed to the snow, panting.
"It's so cold, Otto," Twister mumbled.
"I know, Twist," Otto snapped, then looking at his friend in concern, "Are you okay?"
"Why?" Twister asked in panic. Otto touched his fingers to Twister's collar causing a stinging sensation, bringing his glove back to reveal the red. "I'm bleeding," Twister cried, "I'm bleeding."
"Calm down," Otto said, using Twister's shoulder to lift himself up, "It's not that bad. We have to move. Come on." He extended his hand and Twister clasped it, pulling himself up, then faintly slipping back down.
"I don't want to keep going," he moaned, "I can't. My body won't move. Every one of my muscles hurts."
"Bro, we have to..."
"I ran into two trees, Otto! Two! How many have you run into?" Twister demanded, "And I'm bleeding! Are you bleeding?"
"No, but I nearly got dragged off a cliff..."
"And l haven't found the gift. Otto, I can't go back...I have nothing to give Reggie," Twister whimpered, slumping.
"Well, dude, the storm's getting worse, I'm not staying here, and I sure as hell am not going back and telling my sister that her boyfriend's a Popsicle! I know that you are going to have nothing to give Reggie on Christmas, but after this do you really think she'll care?"
Twister grimaced as he pulled himself up, latching on to Otto for support as they stumbled through the haze, hopefully back the way they'd come.
-0-0-
Ray brought his hand up to shield his face, looking back to the men following him. Tito was close behind, directly followed by Raul and Lars who were desperately clutching one another. Ray could barely see anything through the icy slush. He knew his comrades were all as cold, miserable, and uncomfortable as himself, but he also knew that meant so was his son, and that thought alone was enough to drive him forward. He pulled out his compass, tucking the flashlight under his arm, and knocking the icicles from the compass glass. He estimated they were more than halfway to the first patrol house, a thought that didn't sit well with him. He couldn't imagine Otto and Twister being able to push out as far as the first post, and it worried him that they may have gone another direction, or simply got turned around and lost, heading for far more dangerous parts of the mountain.
"I can see the light of the patrol house," Tito shouted to Ray clasping his old-friend's shoulder, "I don't want to say it, but maybe they didn't..."
"Then don't say it," Ray snapped, pushing determinedly forward. His son had to of headed in that same direction, as the slopes were that way. Otto had no reason to traverse the rest of the mountain. Ray grimaced, feeling a pang of despair. Otto really had no apparent reason to go into the storm as it was. Anything was possible at that moment. With an anguished grunt, Ray realized, yes, anything was possible. Ray frowned, he couldn't voice those concerns or even think them. He had to hold onto that belief that his son was waiting somewhere, shivering and cold, and simply waiting for his father to come to the rescue. Yes. He was safe, healthy, a tad freezing, but well.
In a distant shout, Ray could hear Raul almost pleadingly calling Twister's name. Lars and Tito were deathly silent, obviously fearing the worst fate for the two boys. It was too much. Ray sniffed, bellowing his son's name with all his strength, only for the wind to carry away his voice. It was no use, but he tried again, and again, and again. When he finally touched the stilt leg of the first patrol house, he let out an almost animalistic roar, but even that too was dragged away by the storm. He fell to his knees, feeling Tito place a placating hand on his shoulder.
"We have to turn back, Ray. I didn't think it possible, but the storm is getting worse," Tito shouted, though his words sounded like a desolate whisper, "We might as well be looking for a grain of sand, it's no use!"
"We cannot turn back," Raul cried almost angrily, clutching tightly to his older boy's arm, "Maurice is still out here...I refuse to leave until I find my son!"
"And I'm not leaving Otto," Ray shouted to Tito, turning to push further in the blur of white and sleet. The large Hawaiian held a restraining grip on Ray's shoulder .
"You will freeze, the both of you," Tito snapped, "Look at your oldest son, Raul, if not for yourself, turn back for him! Ray, your daughter is back home, you must go and reassure her that everything will be well!"
"But Maurice..." Raul argued.
"Otto..." Ray protested, "How can I assure Reg that everything will be fine if I go back there without her brother? I can't...my son needs me..."
"Ray, listen to reason," Tito yelled, "It's no use! We have only to hope that they sought warmth and safety somewhere, and to turn back!"
"Why don't you say what you really think!" Ray growled, grabbing Tito by the collar, "Say it, bro!"
"Ray, we have to go back," Tito whimpered.
"Say it!" Ray roared. Tito swallowed hard.
"There's no chance for them," he said dejectedly, "In this, there's no chance for them. We can only turn back, Ray, and search when the storm ends...and pray."
"Dad..." Lars whispered, his voice cracking in a sob, his heart pounding madly in his chest, "Mi hermanito..."
"No, Lars, no lo piensa (No, Lars, do not think it)," Raul shouted, grabbing his son roughly into a tight embrace, "No lo piensa."
END A/N: Oh my, so dramatic. What more could happen? One can only guess!
Please excuse any...oh, yadda, yadda, yadda, you know the drill. PLEASE REVIEW. I love REVIEWs, especially really long ones. Even if you're just writing to babble about anything. In fact, tell me your Christmas stories, I want to know how your guy's holidays went.
THANKS FOR READING.