SNOWED IN

A Short Story by Danny

 

 

 

January 23

I’ve decided to start keeping a record so that incase I don’t survive I want people to know what happened.

I woke up this morning to find that Uncle Mike was gone! There was a note on the table that said...

 

Joel,

     I went for help! Stay in the Cabin until

I get back!

                             Love Uncle Mike

 

I wonder how long he’s been gone. It is cold and the fire in the fire place must have gone out sometime after Uncle Mike left but at least the ashes and coals are still giving off some heat. There are only two small logs left and I figure I better save those to cook with later; I mean I don’t know how long Uncle Mike is going to be gone so I best try to plan ahead.

It took us a full day to drive up here and that was before the snow storm came two days ago. Yesterday evening it was so deep that it took us almost three hours just to dig a path to the outhouse only to find that it had collapsed under the weight of the snow drifts.

Speaking of outhouses, I really need to go right now and I’m thinking that if I at least go near the outhouse it would be better then stinking up the cabin.

 

Oh man, I just looked out back and the path we had dug is completely filled in again. There is only a slight depression in the snow where our path used to be. The snow is up to the sill of the front windows now so I am guessing it is about three and a half feet deep out front of the cabin but out back it looks twice that deep due to the snow drifts.

I think I am going to try digging a spot a few feet away from the front door so that I can go number two.

 

January 23 Second Entry

It’s no use! The wind is blowing too hard and the snow is coming down so heavy that I only got about five feet from the door and I couldn’t see the cabin anymore. As cold as it is out there, I am sure I’d freeze while trying to squat to do my business.

I am so cold right now that I am going to have to burn one of the logs. Thankfully the need to poop has gone away, for now, but I still need to pee. Once I get the fire going again I’m going to try and pee outside.

 

January 23 Third Entry

Uncle Mike’s not back and the snow is coming down even heavier now. I can’t see out the back at all; I think the snow is higher then the doors and windows now. Out front is nearly as bad although I can see out the top half of the windows. It’s snowing so bad that I can’t see the tree that I know is less than two feet from the front window. I used the first log to cook the fish we had caught the first afternoon we got here; they were frozen solid but the fire thawed them nicely. I cooked them all but only ate one and I’ll save the rest for later.

I am going to bring the blankets from the bed and lay next to the fire to stay warm while the heat lasts.

I really, really need to go to the bathroom but there is no way I could dig through all that snow on my own and besides I can’t even see. I had an idea and I guess I’ve no choice but to use the ash bucket for the fire place and then toss it out the front window so not to stink up the whole cabin.

 

January 24

Woke up this morning and I can’t see out any of the windows now, they are completely covered. There was snow in the fire place too. I reached up in and closed the thing inside the chimney so that the cold and the snow can’t keep coming down in. It doesn’t really matter because I got so cold last night that I used the last log. Now I wish I had waited ‘cause despite the fact that I’m wearing all of my clothes, my coat, hat, gloves, boots and have the blanket wrapped around me I’m still so very, very cold.

Oh yeah, I just discovered a new problem; I went pee in the ash bucket but the bucket turned out not to be water tight. I don’t know what to do for a bathroom now as I couldn’t toss the waste out the window.

It’s just so cold!

 

January 24 Second Entry

I’m not sure but I think I fell asleep for a while yet I don’t feel any more rested then before. Can’t keep my body from shaking either; I need to try to find a better way to stay warm.

 

January 24 Third Entry

I was able to drag the mattress off the bed and over next to the fire place. I took the old bear skin off the wall too and I’m now using that as a blanket because I had to use the blankets to make a tent over the mattress. Now I am in a smaller area and my body heat seems to be keeping it a little warmer. I just hope Uncle Mike isn’t too mad about me using the bear skin.

 

I have been able to build a small fire too. I had to use a chair to reach the matches on the mantel and I used the hatchet that was hanging on the wall by the backdoor to chop up one of the wooden chairs. When Uncle Mike finds out what I did to the chair he’s going to kill me! I think the chair will last me through today and tomorrow as long as I keep the fire small. There is one more chair and the table yet so if Uncle Mike is not back by the end of tomorrow I can start using them to keep warm. I guess if he is going to kill me for chopping up one chair, he can’t kill me more for chopping up the other chair and table. Boy I hope Uncle Mike is ok.

Now that I have a fire again I was able to melt some snow in the frying pan. I didn’t realize how thirsty I was; I drank two whole pan worth of melted snow and ate another fish. Oh and I guess I don’t have to worry about the fish going bad because they were almost frozen again just sitting on the table overnight.

I also had to use the bathroom again, number two but this time it was kind of runny; probably ‘cause I’ve not had anything other then fish to eat. I used the ash bucket and put it on the other side of the cabin. Some of it is leaking out of the ash bucket but I don’t care because I know it is probably going to freeze.

There is an old clock on the wall. I pulled the two chains with the things that look like metal pinecones so that the pinecones were all the way at the top just like Uncle Mike did the first night we were here. I think I might have broken it because it made a weird clanking sound.

 

January 25

The clock is definitely broken so now I have no way of knowing what time it is. I also have no idea when I fell asleep; all I remember is eating the last fish. Now there is no food to eat.

I also melted some more snow for drinking.

I had diarrhea late last night and again this morning and I need to pee again but I don’t know where to go. Despite freezing the ash bucket really stinks!

I am going to start going through everything to try to find something, anything to eat. I’m going to need food but I’m also so bored that I can’t stand it!

 

January 25 Second Entry

Good news! I managed to find a box of powdered eggs that were in one of the cabinets on the back wall. I have never heard of powdered eggs and I have no idea how old the box is. I am not sure I want to find out either.

I also found a package of diapers in the closet by the front door and a partial box of shotgun shells too. I can’t help but wonder why there are diapers in my uncles hunting cabin since he isn’t married and doesn’t have any kids.

I’ve taken stock of everything I have been able to find:

1 wooden chair and table

3 candles

5 shotgun shells (No gun)

1 box of powdered eggs

1 partial package of pampers diapers size 6

1 hatchet

1 pocket knife

2 fishing poles

1 cup of frozen fishing worms (gross)

1 baggy of stink bate

1 tackle box

1 red backpack

2 towels

2 rags

1 bar of ivory soap

1 book of matches

1 flint kit

1 thing of deodorant

1 first aid kit

1 dead rat (still inside the cupboard)

18 rolls toilet paper

 

Guess I don’t need to worry about running low on toilet paper!!!!

 

January 26, I think!

I must have fallen asleep again; don’t know for sure when or how long I slept. I am hungry and cold but every time I get a good fire going, melting snow falls down the chimney and puts out my fire.

 

January 26 Second Entry.

I am just guessing but I think that it is sometime in the afternoon and I just heard something. I don’t know what it was but it was loud. I’m scared!

 

January 26 third entry.

I’ve heard the nose twice now. I think it is the cabin making the nose; kind of a loud groaning and popping sound.

I finally got a decent fire going despite more snow coming down the chimney and nearly putting it out. I’ve moved the mattress about a foot farther away from the fireplace and using the fire poker I managed to move what was left of my coals farther out of the fire place. More cold air is getting into the tent since I moved it away from the stones but I don’t want to run a risk of a stray spark setting everything on fire. The fire is still on the stone hearth and since it is a small enough fire the smoke seems to still be going up the chimney. I did that so that if more snow falls it won’t land on the fire and put it out.

I have to figure out something better for the bathroom because the bucket is nearly full and there is a sizable pond of frozen pee and diarrhea on the floor around it. It’s really gross.

 

January 26 Fourth Entry

I don’t believe I have done it, but I had no choice; I got the package of diapers from the closet, brought them to my makeshift tent and put one on. They fit but they are sure a tight fit. I put my underwear and pants back on over the diaper and I know no one could tell but even still, I would be totally humiliated if anyone saw me right now!

The cabin is really making a lot of noise now and has been for a while. Several pains of glass in the back window have cracked but they are still holding in place.

I can’t stand the hunger any longer. I’m going to try and cook some of the powdered eggs. The box says all I need to add is a bit of water and salt. I don’t have salt but I can make all the water I will need.

 

January ?

I have no idea what day it is. I’ve been so very sick with vomiting, diarrhea and a fever. I can only guess that the powdered eggs were bad despite the fact that they tasted good. As a matter of fact, they tasted so good that once I finished them I decided that since I had enough of the powdered egg mix I’d make myself another batch. A while later my stomach hurt so bad I thought I was going to die.

The ash bucket is full and though it pained me to do so I’ve started using the diapers for their intended purpose. So far I’ve wet and soiled three of the diapers. It was a very weird feeling the first time I had diarrhea in the diapers but at the same time it felt so good because it was warm. However the warmth quickly wore off and the smell made me gag.

One thing I remember mom saying whenever I was sick with diarrhea is that I should drink lots of water to keep from getting dehydrated so I have been melting lots of snow and drinking it. I also chopped up the other chair and pushed the fire back inside the fireplace. With a big fire there is less chance the dripping water from melting snow can put it out. I tossed all of the pieces of the chair onto the fire and as soon as I get some rest I am going to chop up the table too but first I need to change into a clean diaper and get myself cleaned up. Boy I am glad I found all of that toilet paper.

 

January ?

I have no idea what day it is; I’ve completely lost track of time; for all I know it could be the middle of the night right now.

I’ve been so very sick with vomiting and this dang fever; just can’t seem to get warm even though I am sweating like a pig. I didn’t want too use it yet but I had to chop up and start burning the table. At the rate I’m burning it up; the table will be gone in less than a day. I guess I can start using the cupboard and closet doors next if I have to.

I’ve also used all but four of the diapers. I couldn’t stand the stench of the used diapers and the ash bucket any longer so I opened the back window, dug a hole in the snow, put all the diapers and the bucket outside and closed the window again. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before! I feel sorry for whoever finds that mess once the snow melts.

 

January ?

I had just put on the last diaper and was about to craw out of my small makeshift tent to dispose of the soiled diaper with the rest when I heard glass breaking and then a horrible sound like someone had just crashed a car into the side of the cabin. When I looked I saw that the back window had given way under the stress of the snow. Amazingly the rush of snow that came into the cabin stopped inches from where I was cowering in my crude blanket tent.

There is no more wood to burn, I’ve used it all up; I even got the dead rat and burned it too. What’s sad is that it smelled so good; like chicken but then it started to smell almost as bad as the ash bucket did.

I’ve started burning the rolls of toilet paper too. I figured they would burn really fast and at first they do but then they kind of sit there smoldering and giving off a little heat. I was surprised how long one roll lasted.

I’ve completely lost track of time. I’ve been so very sick with vomiting and diarrhea that I couldn’t even guess how many days it has been since Uncle Mike left to get help. I don’t think Uncle Mike is still alive; I mean, even as bad as that snow storm is if he was still alive he would have sent someone to find me by now.

 

January ?

All the toilet paper is gone but it doesn’t matter because I can hardly move now. With no more diapers I tried using the towels as diapers and they worked but they are both frozen solid now. I have burned anything I had that could be burned except for what I am wearing and the fur bear skin. I even burned the blanket I’d been using as a tent and the stuffing parts of the mattress. The fire is out now and I’m down to my last candle. To make things even worse, I just had diarrhea in my pants. For a while now it has been mostly just a dirty gray watery mess that’s been coming out of me but none the less it keeps coming and coming. Without the fire and with wet pants it is really getting to cold to even write any more but I’m scared that if I go to sleep again I won’t ever wake up. Oh god I don’t want to die! Please god, send someone to save me! Please! Please! Please!

 

_________________________

 

 

The following was taken from a local new broadcast:

 

On February 8, 2007 while on a hunting trip 23-year-old James Growling came across a pickup truck wrapped around a tree and more than half buried in the snow. Inside the truck was found the frozen body of a man later identified as 38-year-old, Michael Warren Rosewood.

Mr. Rosewood was last seen on January 20^th leaving for a camping trip with his 11-year-old nephew, Joel Lester Rosewood. The boy’s body was not found in the truck with his uncle and a search of the immediate area was conducted by local authorities but no sign of the boy or his body was found.

Believing the boy may not have been in the truck at the time of the accident authorities broadened their search to include a twenty mile radius from the crash sight. Search and Rescue teams were called in from surrounding areas to aid in the search.

Two days into the search at 4:47 PM a call came in over the radio that one of the Search and Rescue teams had located a boy believed to be Joel Lester Rosewood. He was reportedly alive and suffering from sever hyperthermia, dehydration and frostbite. A rescue chopper was dispatched to fly the boy out.

 

 

THE END