Here's the last part of our little tale. How will the gang handle the deaths of their friends?

Read and find out!

October Hike part 2

Ulrich, Jeremie and Aelita sat at one of the cabin's main tables, warm blankets on their shoulders and coffee in front of them.
"I can't believe what's happened..." Aelita said, staring at her cup.
"I know. It feels like a bad dream" Jeremie said.
He turned towards Ulrich who just sat there, looking into nowhere.
"Ulrich? Are you Ok?"
Ulrich just sat there.

The white mountain lunged towards her. She ran and ran, trying to escape.
A dark shadow lunged over her. She looked up and saw the massive wall of ice rushing down to crush her.
"Aah!" Elizabeth cried, waking up with a lurch.
Gasping, panting, she blinked and looked around, wondering why it was so dark.
"Ow!" she grunted as a sharp pain flared through her skull.
Gingerly she touched a large bump on her forehead. "How you feeling?"
She looked behind her and saw Odd limping towards from a large white wall.
"Head hurts a little. And you?" she asked, looking at his leg.
"Hit my ankle on a rock or something when we dived in here. Hurts a lot, but I don't think it's broken."
"Dived in where?"
"The cave, remember?"
"Why did-?" A series of images flashed through her head.
"Oh right" Elizabeth said, looking at the white wall, "The avalanche"
"Uh-huh" Odd said, also looking at the ice plug over the cave entrance.
"As you can see, getting out is going to be a little tricky"

"Ulrich's taking it pretty bad" Aelita said. They were in Ulrich's room, where Ulrich just lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Yeah. Ulrich and Odd were friends since always. Odd's death must've come as a real shock to him." Jeremie said.
Suddenly Ulrich sat up straight, a glint in his eye. "Ulrich?" Aelita asked, moving up to him. "They're not dead" he said, smiling.
Aelita and Jeremie stared at each other in concern.
"Ulrich, you where there. You saw them being swept up by the avalanche" Jeremie said, putting his hand on Ulrich's shoulder. "Sorry buddy, but they're gone"
"No they're not!" He said, jumping up and grabbing his suitcase.
"What are you doing?" Jeremie asked.
"Getting some help" Ulrich said, pulling out his mobile. He texted in a message and sent it.
"How can you be so sure?" Jeremie asked.
"Because his my friend, and I'd know if he was dead"

"Odd, what are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, sitting curdled up like ball.
Odd grunted and groaned at the ice wall before stumbling back, two long branches in his hand. "I'm trying to get us some firewood. It's got to be close to nighttime, which means it's going to get colder soon. But there's one other problem" he said, dumping the branches down before moving back to the wall.
"What?" Elizabeth asked.
"Unless we get this wood dry, it won't burn. Which means we'll freeze to death anyway."
"Great" Elizabeth moaned, shivering.

Ulrich walked along the newly made snow mound left in the avalanche's wake.
"Ok, this is more or less were they were, right?" he asked.
"I think so" Aelita said, her voice muffled by the thick scarf around her mouth.
"How deep do you think this snow is?"
"Deep. Very deep." Jeremie said. "Even if they did manage to survive the snow sweeping over them, they would've been buried under tons of snow."
Ulrich scanned the area in the fast approaching dusk.
As far as he could see there was snow.
"They're alive. I know it"

"Ok, that's all we have" Odd said as he and Elizabeth dropped the last of the tree limbs untop of the rest. They had managed to gather could a bit of wood.
All they had to do now was get it dry. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small black bag.
"Dad's survival kit. He always gives this thing to me when I'm going on field trips"
Odd reached inside and pulled out the box of matches.
"Gotta remember to thank him once we get out"
He didn't add if they get out. He was putting up a brave front for Elizabeth but he knew their chances of survival were slim.
"So how are we going to get the branches dry?" Elizabeth asked.
"I've got an idea" Odd pulled open his jacket and pulled out a couple of sticks.
"I put these inside my jacket to dry off" he said, pointing to the long wet patches on his vest inside, "Let's hope they have"
"But how are we going to do this?"
"We'll start a fire under some of the wet ones and use my jacket to keep most of the warm air over them."
"But Odd," Elizabeth said, looking at him with concern, "That' means you'll -"
"I know"

"Ulrich, come on! We've been out here for hours. If we don't get back soon we might get pneumonia." Jeremie said.
"Fine, go back. I'll find them myself!" Ulrich said, stomping away from them.
"Ulrich wait!" Aelita ran up to him and stop in front of him.
"Move"
"No. You're going about this the wrong way. If you don't stop and rest you might freeze to death out here."
"Move!" Ulrich roared.
"Is that what you think Odd would want you to do?" Aelita asked.
Ulrich stopped. He stared at her a while before dropping his head to his chest.
"Sorry Aelita" He mumbled. "Your right. Let's go back and-"
"Ulrich?"
"Look! Look, it's Odd!" Ulrich shouted, pointing up.
Up on the other side of the mountain, in the lee side, a thin stream of smoke was wafting out.

"It's n-no good-d Odd" Elizabeth shivered. "The w-wood's too w-wet!"
"I kn-know" Odd said, holding Elizabeth closer to him. They had managed to make a small fire with the dry bits, but the other branches had proven to be too damp to dry out.
"I-I guess t-this is t-the end" Elizabeth stuttered.
"If-f it is, I-I'm glad I'm with y-you" Odd said, kissing her.
"M-me too" Elizabeth said, kissing him again.

"They must be in one of the caves, but there are so many!" Aelita said, staring at the map of caves in the cabin. Around them mountain rangers and guides were moving about, trying to mount a rescue attempt.
"It's getting colder out there. They might not make it" Jeremie said.
Ulrich stood behind them silently. A few seconds later he said:"Sorry Jeremie"
"For what?" Jeremie asked.
"This" Ulrich pulled out his mobile and speeddailed someone.
"Yumi, it's Ulrich. We have no choice. Do it"

"Elizabeth? Hey wake up!"
"Odd? Were are we?"
"The cave, remember? Freezing our butts off?"
"Oh yeah. I hoped that was just a dream"
"Just hang on. Please."
"Sorry Odd, but I'm just so sleepy..."
"Stay awake! You've got to!"
"Sorry..." she whispered, slowly dozing off again.
Odd started to cry. He leaned down and kissed Elizabeth on the lips.
"See you on the other side" he whispered.
Suddenly the snow wall started to shine. A wave of white energy started to roll in.
Odd laughed and cried at the same time as he recognised the return trip energy. "Elizabeth, Look!"
Elizabeth blearily opened her eyes. "Is that heaven?" she asked, before the wave swallowed them up. "Nope, just our Guardian Angel" Odd grinned.

"Thanks Ulrich" he thought as the wave swept them up.