Our steps crunched in unison as we made our way across the snowy expanse. We had been travelling for three days, towing our supplies on a toboggan behind us. We’d have to get to Nome before the thaw, which could happen at any time. Snow as far as the eye could see masked the hidden landscape underneath. Although we had found a couple of hares to supplement our diet, our supplies were dwindling, so it was more than just the impending thaw that pushed us forward. After a while the sound of our steps became a hypnotic pattern that only broke when I stumbled.
“Come on, slacker. We have to keep moving!” Ben intoned. I motioned him forward. It was his turn to break trail for a while. Soon we fell back into the “zen hike.”
Ben and I had met a few years ago in a hiking group. The group used to meet at different National Parks in search of the zen hike, defined by the group as unconscious unified movement among hikers that distracted our bodies so we could focus on the beauty around us. We strove for it with every hike, regardless of who was in the group. No matter where we were or how many miles we covered, we considered the hike unsuccessful unless we reached the zen. Now the zen was necessary for our survival as Ben and I cleared the miles toward Nome. We didn’t plan to get behind the group, nor did we plan to get lost, but at least we had a compass.
A deep groaning sound interrupted my thoughts. “That’s not good,” Ben said. I froze, pricking my ears for the least little follow-up. Ben took a few tentative steps forward. The snow shifted under his feet as the silence was broken by a cracking sound.
Suddenly the ground dropped away under my feet, and I plunged into a raging torrent. The river had been moving under us; our weight had broken the fragile dome of ice protecting it. I glanced up in surprise to see my look mirrored on Ben’s face as he watched the river burst into view.
My head went under, and all I could think of was that the warm wool turtleneck my mom had knitted for me now felt like chainmail as it dragged me down. Struggling to the surface, I drew a huge breath. Ben sprinted toward me, but the water was moving so fast he soon became a dark spot in the distance. I heard him shout as my head went under again.
I hope they find me.
