Chapter 3

Soraya’s POV

I wasn’t dead… yet!

A groan escaped my lips as I forced open my eyes before clutching my pounding head. The last thing I remembered was the man beside me clutching my hand so hard whilst the plane headed towards the white peak I had seen.

White.

Everywhere was white.

Snow stretched endlessly around me, and as my eyes adjusted to the scene in front of me… My breath hitched.

We were half buried in snow and it was still dropping fast.

“Is there anyone?” I found myself asking but my voice failed me.

“Anyone?” I managed to ask again, this time it hurt to say a word.

Silence answered me except for the creaking sound of the cabin door dancing with the wind.

I sucked in air sharply, then as I tried moving a gasp escaped my lips as pain lanced through my ribs. 

As I turned I saw the body of my seatmate half buried in bloody snow and looking away immediately I saw that a sharp metal had pierced through his eyes down to the back of his skull.

How did I survive?

My body ached everywhere, bruises, but I didn’t care… I was alive and that was all that mattered to me.

I shivered.

Cold… I was so cold.

From where I sat I saw that a few seats were empty seats. I wasn’t the only survivor… the left side of the plane was now open but I could barely see, if I didn’t leave nor I would be buried in no time.

I should be dead!

My hands flew to my shorts and upon seeing that I wasn’t bleeding, relief hit me so hard I almost sobbed.

I managed to push myself upright, my teeth chattering violently on impulse. 

My eyes caught the backpack the masked man had given me and I grabbed it.

‘I was a survivor and I was going to live!’ If I could continue to repeat it then maybe I’d believe and manifest it.

Judging from the cloudy sky, it was obvious that a repeat of what had happened here was going to happen again and without thinking I followed the fading footprints marked the snow nearby although bloody it was helpful to see that someone had survived this.

After walking for what seemed like hours, I could feel part of my body were now frozen and breathing was now a hassle as my breath came out in ragged clouds.

Then I heard it… a distant howl.

I shook my head and closed my eyes… it wasn’t what I was thinking it was… it had to be the wind.

Ignoring it, I continued forward until I heard another but this time it sounded from behind me causing a squeal to escape my lips.

They must have found the carcass of the plane crash.

Another answered the call and soon it was all howling around me.

I didn’t stop moving… this mountain wasn’t going to take me just like Matt hadn’t.

I froze as I heard frantic screaming from ahead of me and before I could take another step, I saw a hand, it looked like something that had dropped off someone.

The wolves weren’t at the crash?! They had stalked the survivors!

I took a step back, holding my scream in as I saw a man on the ground in front of me, it seemed like the severed hand I had seen was his.

He was in a pool of his own blood and judging from the missing Chuks on his body, those wolves had found him,

Another scream echoed and I tightened my hand over my mouth, my heart was pounding so much in fear…

I took retreating steps so slowly even though I hadn’t seen any wolf it would be suicide to continue in that direction and present myself as dinner.

I ran ignoring the chronic pain.

And that was when I saw it.

The cabin the survivors must have been heading to.

The thought that the danger might be in there rather than outside hit me but I shrugged away that thought as the fear of being eaten alive by these vicious packs slapped me.

The path up was steep and felt like a death trap.

While clawing my way upward I slipped and nearly lost my going excuse of how steep it was.

Below me, I could hear yips and their howls as they closed in on me. 

They had sensed me.

As I reached the top, I slammed my shoulder into the door and it immediately gave way causing me to stumble in before shutting it behind me.

I sat there for a while, and surprisingly the wince didn’t come any closer to the door

Their distant howls caused me to let out a sigh of relief, and that was when I assessed the house I had entered. 

It was neat, meaning it wasn’t an abandoned cabin.

“Hello?” I managed to call softly, ignoring my sore and aching throat.

There aren’t any pictures in the hallway nor did I see anything that belonged to a woman or child.

“Anyone, I’m sorry for barging into your…” another distant howl cut me short and I waited for a sign of life, but no one answered.

Perhaps I could check if they have a phone… no! I wouldn’t be stupid to lead Matt directly to me.

Moreover, who was I going to call?

I shook the snow on the door and took in the warmth in the house.

The cabin was built like Matt’s den but the scent… I just couldn’t put a finger on the scent.

“My name is Soraya and I was in the plane that had…,” I called out again, trying to explain, “I need help.”

No answer!

I was alone.

This house was empty.

Like a robot I walked to the bathroom and at the door I shed my bloody torn dress before entering and luckily for me there was hot water.

Not even thinking for fact that I was laying naked in the tub of a stranger without even being given permission to enter.

I don’t even feel my eyes growing heavy as I sink deeper into the scalding water.

 No one is going to enter here anytime soon, I could see the blizzard roaring from the window.

All I needed was a few minutes to close my eyes… Who knows it could be that the owners were killed by the wolves whilst on their way to help the survivors? Or perhaps this was owned by filthy rich men that are in the city.

I closed my eyes and embraced the peace that came with sleep.

I could think about the strange house I had entered later on.

Shortly after, I woke to the feeling of being watched and eyes flew open as fear clutched me by the balls.

Three men stood over me.

The youngest-looking one tilted his head, then grinned slowly, wide, unhinged.

“Oh,” he drawled, amusement dancing in his eyes, “Look like the raging blizzard had forced goldielicks into the wolves cabin.”