All Chapters of The Winter That Buried Our Youth: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Dad glanced down at his phone, and his smug smile deepened a little more."See? He hasn't moved in two hours."He thrust the phone screen right in front of my uncle, Arnold Bowen, jabbing his finger at the stationary red dot a couple of times."This brat's definitely sulking and hiding out on some sheltered slope having a nap. I know him too well. The moment he runs into any difficulty, he wants to curl up and hide just like his mother."I told him that if he doesn't make it to the summit by midnight tonight, I'm cutting off his living expenses for the next semester."I floated above the dining table, bitterness flooding through me.The blizzard hit out of nowhere, and I lost all sense of direction.As hypothermia took hold, I started hallucinating. I even tore off that flimsy windbreaker Dad had grudgingly given me.Right before I died, I still fantasized that Dad might come to save me.Uncle Arnold's wife, Ethel Gallagher, shrank her neck and glanced at the howling snowstorm

Chapter 2

I turned to look out the window.The darkness had swallowed everything. And out there, my body was slowly stiffening into a block of ice.But in here, glasses clinked and warmth flowed freely.How wonderful.Since Dad loved tough love and desperate situations so much, then he must also loved the Christmas gift I'd prepared for him, right?Just then, urgent pounding on the door rang out. Mixed with the piercing sound of the doorbell, it instantly drowned out the cheers coming from the TV.The laughter in the private room came to an abrupt halt.Uncle Arnold's hand trembled slightly, sending ash from his cigarette onto his pants.Dad frowned in displeasure and slammed his fork heavily onto the table."Who is it? It's Christmas Eve—why are they acting like they're announcing death? Hey, waiter! What's going on? How can you just let anyone in?"The door to the private room burst open.My mother, Sharon Schmitt, stood there covered in snow, her hair plastered messily against her

Chapter 3

"Julian hasn't moved for three hours! Even the toughest man would freeze solid after staying still in this freezing weather for three hours. Something's definitely happened to him!" Mom cried.Dad snatched the phone back without even looking at it. "Bullshit! He's resting to conserve his energy. What the hell do you know about wilderness survival?"This is called tactical adjustment. You think everyone's like you, complaining about being tired after taking two steps?"Mom shook her head, her voice trembling beyond control. "No, Julian told me if he ever stopped in the snow for more than half an hour, it'd mean he couldn't go any further. He made me promise to come for him. That was our agreement."Dad cut her off impatiently. "Agreement? That's an excuse for the weak! I knew it—that punk's been contacting you behind my back. Fine, so you're working together now to trick me into going up there to get him? Not a chance!"Mom fell to her knees, clutching Dad's legs. "Trevor, this is

Chapter 4

"I told you Julian was playing dead and mind games with me!" Dad crowed happily.Mom looked up, a glimmer of hope suddenly igniting in her previously despairing eyes."He moved? He really moved?" She crawled over on her hands and knees, desperate to see the screen.This time, Dad didn't push her away, but smugly let her look."Take a good look! He's still moving! And very fast, at that," he said, pointing at the red dot slowly crawling across the screen. "This brat must've realized I wasn't messing around and got scared I'd actually cut his allowance."So, he finally straightened up. Spineless little thing. Needs a fire lit under him or he won't move."Mom stared at the red dot, tears streaming down her face again. But this time they were tears of joy."I'm just glad he's moving." She slumped to the floor, pressing her palms together. "Heaven be praised, heaven be praised!"Dad's relatives also breathed sighs of relief all around.Trying to smooth things over, Aunt Geraldine s

Chapter 5

I was praying that the wolf would eat faster.At least then my so-called father wouldn't have the chance to give his sickening little lecture over my dead body.Time ticked by, minute after minute. The clock on the wall pointed to 11:15 pm.The atmosphere in the private room had grown somewhat strange.Aside from that one momentary shift, the red dot never moved again. It just stayed there, 440 yards from Camp One.Dad was feeling the effects of the alcohol now. He glanced at the time and slapped the phone down on the table."Ten more minutes." He looked around at everyone, his gaze hazy yet fervent. "I bet this brat walks through that door right at midnight. He's definitely been there all along, just hiding outside waiting to surprise me."This brat's been this way his whole life. He wants to curry favor with me, but doesn't have the guts to just come out and say it. I'll wager a bottle of vintage wine that the moment he steps through the door, he'll get on his knees."Then, h

Chapter 6

"Julian's fingers broke just to hold onto that torn piece of paper of yours. Are you even human? That's your son! You made him wear a single layer up a snowy mountain? You're worse than an animal!" Dwayne shouted.In that instant, everyone in the room froze.Uncle Arnold's cigarette fell from his fingers onto his pants, burning a hole in them. Yet, he didn't even feel it.Mom let out a sharp gasp and fell backward, chair and all, onto the floor.Dad kept the phone to his ear. "What did you say, you liar? Scammers these days are getting way too sophisticated. Are you trying to trick me out of my money or blackmail me? Well, let me tell you—my son is perfectly fine. In fact, he's in special training and—"The line went dead with a beep.Immediately after, a multimedia message came through.Dad's fingers trembled as he tried to open it, but he kept missing the button.Finally, Uncle Arnold reached over with a shaky hand and tapped it for him.The image was taken under the harsh l

Chapter 7

Unable to hold back anymore, Uncle Dennis slammed the glass in his hand onto the floor."Enough! Trevor, that's a human life we're talking about! How can you say things like that? Julian's weak, so you sent him to his death? That's murder!""I did not commit murder!" Dad shrieked hysterically. "I did it for his own good! I wanted to make him strong, to be able to make it in this world! Is that so wrong? Huh? Was I wrong?"He spun around the private room, pointing at everyone. "What do you people know? You're all just jealous! Jealous that I have the guts to raise my son this way!"Now that something's gone wrong, you're all coming down on me? Well, let me tell you—as long as Julian's still breathing, I haven't lost! I can still whip him into shape!"I floated in mid-air, watching this man who had completely lost his mind. It wasn't that he didn't believe it—it was that he didn't dare to.The moment he admitted that I was dead and that he was the one who killed me, his precious to

Chapter 8

It was a sheet torn from a notebook, its edges jagged and uneven. There was blood on it, along with stains from melted snow. The handwriting was shaky and crooked, the kind left by fingers stiffened in extreme cold.Dad reached out and took it with trembling hands.What did he think it'd be? An accusation toward him? A curse? Or a cry for help?He unfolded the paper.I floated over to look as well.It was what I'd written to him in my final moments of clarity, just before I died.The note had only one line, "Dad, I'm sorry for disgracing you. I can't climb any higher."Dad stood dumbstruck. He stared at that line of text, his eyes bulging as if they might pop out."He's sorry. He says he's sorry to me."At last, tears flowed from the eyes of this stone-hearted man. But they weren't for me. Instead, they were for himself. That apology, as humble as it was, had completely destroyed his pathetic pride.He thought I'd hate him or curse him. That way, he'd have an excuse to call m

Chapter 9

Dad's company also sent a termination notice, citing serious violations of social ethics that had caused a terrible impact on the company.The career he was so proud of was gone, as was his so-called family honor.He sat alone at home.The walls were covered with my awards from childhood—"Student of the Month", "Class President", "First Prize in Math Competition". Every single one was beaten out of me with his belt."If you don't get first place, you don't eat!""Stop crying! Real men don't cry!""If you can't handle a little hardship now, how will you ever get ahead in life?"Dad stared at those awards and started drinking heavily, polishing off one bottle after another. When he got drunk, he started to hear things.He kept thinking he heard me crying out, "Dad, I'm cold. Dad, I can't climb any further. Dad, don't leave me behind.""Ugh! Stop talking! Stop it!" Dad covered his ears and stumbled wildly around the room, knocking over a vase and overturning chairs.He cranked t

Chapter 10

Dad, who once prided himself on being the toughest guy and could run three miles, was now forever reduced to a man in a wheelchair.In the courtroom, he sat in his wheelchair, his empty pant legs fluttering with the breeze from the air conditioning.Mom stood across from him as the plaintiff. She had lost a lot of weight, but her gaze was resolute."The defendant, Mr. Trevor Bowen, is hereby sentenced to seven years in prison for negligent homicide."The judge's gavel came down.Instead of reacting, Dad just looked down at his severed legs. Suddenly, he raised his head and flashed an eerie smile."I win," he murmured into the empty air, his eyes unfocused. "I lasted one hour longer than him. I'm the tough guy. I'm the toughest dad of all."The courtroom erupted in murmurs. Everyone stared at him like he was some kind of monster.Only Mom understood that he had completely lost his mind.He was living in his own delusion, trapped in a nightmare from which he would never wake.B

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