Thank you Albie, that was something I threw together in like 30 minutes so it's far from perfect, just something I felt I had to write to 'release' something I guess
This is one I wrote a while back for the bants, I edited it slightly so it makes sense now but yeah
[Outbreak]17th January, 2001: 02.31 The howling wind caused the man to awake with a start. He looked around, frantically; trying to distinguish his surroundings. Wind threw heaps of snow up in his face, blinding his vision as he lay sprawled out on the forest floor. Several minutes passed. Finally, he worked up the strength to pull himself up, using a nearby tree as support. His clouded vision saw nothing but trees and snow; nothing that may pose a threat. At least he was alone.
Looking up revealed a steep cliff, showing the extent of the fall he’d taken. Searching himself for any injuries, he discovered nothing more than sore joints and light cuts. It was then he remembered the bag. His heart dropped as he saw the black rucksack upside down in the snow a few metres away. Quickly, he stumbled over to it, unzipping it to examine the passenger inside. Looking in, the child appeared to be asleep; he couldn’t make out if it was asleep or unconscious. No long-standing injuries appeared to him in the child's form. A few cuts yes but no broken limbs. However, he couldn’t be sure. The situation was going from bad to worse; he needed to get moving.
Biting his lip, he grabbed the black rucksack with a frozen hand and pressed on through the restraining wind. It must be around here somewhere, he thought. Nothing else mattered but to find his friend, and nothing must come between him and his mission. His eyes darted around, searching for any glimmer of life. Nothing showed itself besides the snow sparkling in the moonlit sky.
The sun had set long ago, that part he knew. The full moon shone its strong rays on the deserted landscape, transforming the snow banks into a sparkling masterpiece. However, the traveller was in no mood to admire the landscape. He needed to press on, a task made difficult without any water or food. The adrenaline surging through his veins blocked out those critical calls for help his body was sending, keeping him focused on his goal.
Hours passed with no sign of any forms of life. His mouth was now dry and he couldn’t ignore it any longer. He looked around, trying to search for any lakes, rivers; anything which would get him moving again.
There was nothing.
He sat in a snow bank, disheartened. Taking a moment to catch his breath gave him a second to take in his surroundings. Trees, trees, snow and hills. No sign of any shelter or any meeting points, nothing that could assist him. Well there’s no use sitting around is there, he thought, standing up and stretching his legs. The moon had begun to set as the man hiked on.
* * * * * * *
[/size]19th January, 2001: 08.25 Something was not right. The man looked at his watch yet again, sitting and waiting in the warm house. His face was pressed against the window, searching for the traveller. He should have arrived hours ago and in this weather, he was beginning to worry.
I need to go find him, he thought, getting up out of his chair and going to pack his bag. He gathered a thermal blanket, a thick coat and a thermos filled with tea. With that, the man dressed in thick thermals and headed out into the woods.
* * * * * * *
19th January, 2001: 21.42
Days had passed in a blur. The frigid weather was beginning to grasp the traveller in its hand, pulling him back. Exhausted and frozen, he fell to his knees, confused and unable to continue. His body temperature was dangerously low, fogging his brain and destroying his judgement. He knew continuing on for much longer wasn’t an option, but he had to try.
After what seemed like hours, he pulled himself up, trying to control his shaking legs as he stumbled through the trees. Head throbbing, he leaned against a tree briefly and grasped the left side of his head. He panted heavily; cold, blinded and confused. His vision shrank as his head ached..
There was movement.
His eyes darted up, desperately looking for what had caught his eye. Suddenly it ran passed his left. He swirled around, stumbling back onto an embankment and collapsing into the soft snow. Wild eyed, he watched as the figure jumped over him and disappeared into a tree.
Wait… disappeared into a tree?? That didn’t sound right. He looked over at the tree, and saw nothing. It was a hallucination. Desperately, he tried to get up, but failed. His head was racing; vision severely obscured. His attempts to move left him where he started. The weather was pinning him down, and no efforts could be made to move. His body began to feel warm, replacing the numbness around his aching joints for a pleasant, summer-ish feeling, encompassing him as he lay paralysed in the snow
With a sigh, he allowed his eyes to close, and was plunged into darkness.
* * * * * * *
He had been out the whole day, desperately searching the well-known forest for the lost one. His feet were numb in his thick boots, aching for a rest. The man pressed through the pain, knowing his friend’s life depended on it.
“Jonas!” he called out, seemingly for the thousandth time. No response. “Anyone?..” his discouraged voice trailed off as he soldiered on through the towering trees
After a long, cold hour, he discovered something. Boot prints in the snow leading towards where he started. His spirits lifted, but then he doubted himself. Maybe they were his own? Turning around, he stomped carefully in the snow to leave a print. He carefully examined the print he left, then the one he discovered. They were different.
Head flying up, he followed the prints as quick as he could. Suddenly, the footprints he was following seemed to stumble, and then spread out into the shape of a fallen body. The man studied the shape for a moment. It was him. Quickly, he followed the footprints which left the scene, noticing them get fresher and fresher. He was close.
“Jonas!” he shouted again. “Jonas where are you?!” Still no reply. Soon, he saw the body of his friend laying in the white snow His heart lifted as he saw him, but immediately fell again when he saw the condition he was in. He ran over and grabbed his wrist, trying to find a pulse. There was one, but it was faint; almost not there. He was on the edge and needed treatment fast. Unzipping his bag, he grabbed the thermal blanket and wrapped it around him, turning it on to begin warmth up his frozen body.
"Stay with me Jone," he said, refusing to lose hope. Worriedly, he pulled out his phone and called in an ambulance. After what seemed like forever his call was finally put through, and he was alerted an air ambulance was on its way.
A whimper escaped the black bag which lay beside his unconscious friend. His rescuer looked up, and immediately remembered what was in it. He unzipped it and pulled out the small child which was inside. It, too, was frozen but had been saved from hypothermia by the thick
blanket which encompassed it. Carefully, he placed the infant on Jonas's chest underneath the thermal blanket.
"Seems your father wasn't so lucky now was he?" the rescuer joked, turning his attention back to Jonas.
He unscrewed the thermos he was carrying and poured the hot tea into the lid. Carefully, he coaxed the liquid into his mouth. Still no movement came from him as the liquid poured down his throat. He shook his head, hating to see his friend this way. Feeling his dangerously cold forehead only strengthened his fears but, as long as he had a pulse, he should be ok until the paramedics arrived.
Just to be safe, he grabbed his wrist again and tried to find his pulse. There wasn’t one.
Wait, no pulse? Was he sure?
Checking again, no pulse.
No. he thought. This couldn’t be.
“No, no no no Jonas you’re not going to die on me now buddy, not after you’ve come all this way!” As he spoke he moved the child off his chest and began performing CPR. “You’re not dying now mate, you’re staying with me! Do you hear me?! NO DYING TODAY!”
Minutes passed with no change. At long last his ears caught the sound of a helicopter’s blades chopping through the air as it descended nearby. Quickly, he got up and frantically ran towards the paramedics, his mind racing with confusion.
“Look look he’s over there! You have to save him quick!!” he screamed at them. “He hasn’t got a pulse and I don’t think he’s breathing!” He watched two paramedics run over to where his friend lay. He watched as they treated him; checked his vitals and put an oxygen mask on him. After a few minutes, one of the paramedics called for the pilot to bring out a stretcher, and then walked over to where the man stood.
“We’re gonna need to take him in, this one doesn’t look good at all I’m afraid,” one of the medics explained, a morbid expression on his face.
“What about his kid, are you taking him too?” he replied, biting his lip nervously.
“We could, but he’s in a well enough condition I’d be comfortable leaving him with you if you’d prefer that,”
“Good stuff, I’ll keep him safe then. Please, bring him back,” he pleaded, a tear rolling down his face as he finished that last sentence.
“We’ll do what we can, but I’m not sure it’ll be much. He’s been out here for very long, but rest assured he’s in good hands,” Looking over, the medic saw his companions calling him back towards the ambulance. “Right, I’ll see you later then. He’ll be at Redfern hospital when you’re ready to come visit.” And with that, he turned on his heels and ran back to the helicopter.
* * * * * * *
Once inside the helicopter, the pilot took off carefully and headed back towards the hospital. The medic who spoke to Jonas's rescuer looked at his companion and back at the patient. He shook his head.
“Nothing to be done is there,” he said sadly. The other shook his head.
“He’s beyond hope now I’m afraid. Was dead when we were there and no chance of coming back now… Suppose we should call it then,” As he spoke, he looked at his watch.
“Jonas Reist, time of death, 19th January 2001, 22.43. Cause of death, severe hypothermia and dehydration,”
* * * * * * *
The helicopter flew through the night sky and was soon out of sight. He knew there was very little hope, if any. He walked back to where he had laid. The paramedics had flattened the snow down around where his friend had laid, making it crunch under his boots. He looked at the child, still wrapped tightly in the blanket he’d been found in. He picked him up. At least this one’s alive and warm, he thought. The morbid man lay her down on top of the flattened landscape and began to slowly undo the blanket, trying to examine her for any injuries. A quick looking over left him satisfied he was healthy, until his eyes caught sight of her right shoulder. A long scar which ran the length of it looked meanacing. At least she was still alive.
After wrapping the child back up in the blanket, he turned his attention to the black rucksack. Inside it was a handwritten letter, addressed to him. He peeled it open and began to read it:
‘Kandis,
If you’re reading this, there’s a chance that I’ll be dead. Inside this bag is precious cargo, the only thing I have left. I know you know what happened, why I can’t return. So, if it’s too late for me, I need you to look after Kat for me, keep her safe.
I know you’ll make her a great person just like yourself, which is why I’m begging you to help me when it’s too late for me.
Oh and if this really is my ending, know how much you’ve meant to me, how much you’ve helped me over all these years, and now I have no way of repaying you. So thank you for all you’ve done.
Goodbye’ His last words caught in his mouth, leaving him staring off into the distance, reminiscing on their past together. He looked again, and thought he saw tear marks on the page. But, the past was in the past, and beside him lay his friend’s future.
“So, Kat is it? Well I’m Kandis and will now be your, guardian I guess,” he said, picking the child up and walking back towards his house. He shoved the letter in his pocket and forced back a tear. Don’t worry Jonas, don’t you worry a bit…
Topic: Lumix's small pieces (Read 2193 times)