Chapter 10: Snowbound (written on August 16th, 2020)

The next day...

When I woke up, I had trouble realizing I was awake. My surroundings were gripped by darkness. I used my nose to figure out my position. I was still in the sleeping quarters. All of the other Betas were here too, but I couldn't smell Loretta. I tried to sniff out the outside. I made it to where the entrance was and found out why it was so dark. A wall of snow covered the entire opening. We were trapped! Some of the Betas began panicking.

"We're gonna die in the dark!" one of them yelled. "They can't rescue us if they can't find the den!"

"Wait... Maybe this isn't so bad," I replied, trying to lift the mood. "Sure, it's dark, but the snow is blocking the wind."

"She's right," said another wolf, "This is the warmest it has been in a while."

"But Loretta's gone!" said a female in the back.

"We are not going out there," said Hutch. "Remember what Winston told us. We can just wait out the storm. It won't last forever."

"What if it lasts long enough that we starve? Our bodies are constantly fighting against the cold. Soon, we're gonna have to eat something..."

"Maybe we'll have to eat Can-do."

"Ahh!" Can-do shrieked.

"No ones eating anyone!" said Hutch. "If things become dire... I'll go and get something. My thicker coat lets me last longer out there."

"Are you sure you'll be alright, Hutch?" I whispered to him.

"I'm not sure of anything," he answered. "But I want to give them hope..."

Later...

All us Betas could do was nap and conserve heat as much as possible. I stayed by the blocked entrance, hoping my dad would knock it down with his big paws. I couldn't hibernate like the other Betas, for my mind buzzed. I was lying on top of Loretta's pawprints. I wondered why she left. It didn't seem like Loretta would be the type to risk leaving us alone for so long.

Loretta rang in my head, so... I myself did something risky... I dug into the snow wall until I could peep through a small hole. I was shocked. The training grounds were unrecognizable. Everywhere looked the same. The snow on the ground was probably around four feet high. As a result, the trees looked smaller than they actually were. Grass and shrubs were nonexistent. It was just the endless snow, the Douglas firs trying their best to survive, and the white fog racing across.

I then saw something that froze me... It was a wolf-shaped figure in the distance, walking away. Dad? Dad! I took one look at the sleeping Betas. Everyone was fine right now. I had to make my move or else the opportunity might slip away.

I dug a bigger hole and pushed my body through. Immediately, I was starting to regret it. I was being strangled by the temperature. But my dad was still there. I just needed to get closer... It was so intense that I couldn't keep my head up and my eyes open. My paws sunk with each step. Every step, the snow would touch my chest, disabling me more. Soon, I couldn't feel my toes then my paws then my entire legs. I wanted to cry, but I was afraid my tears would freeze my eyes shut for good. I couldn't use my sense of smell. My nose was going to fall off. My ears were ready to join. My neck became sore, trying to hold my head against the unforgiving atmosphere. The winds were so fast that I could hardly take in a breath. This was a mistake, I thought. I was going to die... I lifted my head one last time. The wolf was gone. No... It wasn't a wolf... It was my imagination... I now knew why Loretta left. This winter played deadly tricks...

I tried my best to look back. There were no pawprints behind me. No den opening in sight. North was the same as south, the same as east, and the same as west, and south was the same as north, the same as east, and the same as west. The sleeping quarters had vanished. But even if I knew where it was, I didn't have the energy to make it back. My joints were locked. I was becoming ice...

I really was going to die, so I accepted it and collapsed. White clouds kept exiting my mouth, and I thought that was going to be my last exhalation.

But then... there was a loud crashing sound deep below me. The next thing I knew, a gaping hole appeared, and I plummeted straight down! I whiplashed back and forth within a jumble of snow, soil, and rocks. Somehow, I didn't get crushed when I hit the bottom, and I was pushed deeper into the cavern. Snow and debris kept falling in until the hole was plugged. I was in darkness again. It was warm down here. After ten minutes, my joints thawed and I was able to move again. I got on all fours, but I was very weak, and I had a throbbing headache. It didn't help that there was a rhythmic dripping noise. That was when my ears perked. Dripping noise?! Water!

I scanned the ground with my paws in search of a watery consistency. It didn't take long to find a puddle I could promptly drink from. It was cold, of course, but I didn't have much of a choice. I was thirsty.

I sniffed the area in case I was lucky enough to share this cave with food. Instead, I smelled a wolf! No doubt it was! This place wasn't a den. It was a natural cave, and I smelled the wolf down a passageway. I followed it. As I got closer, I recognized the scent. It was Ms. Spade!