Free After Ever by Jillian Eaton Page B

think she does, it is hard to hear over the howling wind – but I don’t stop. I don’t even slow down. I need to find Brian. I need to find him now .
    Even through the falling snow the ice sculptures are easy to spot. Nearly life size, they form a semi circle around an outdoor fireplace. I duck under the yellow rope with the ‘no touching’ sign hanging from it and go around every sculpture twice, shouting Brian’s name at the top of my lungs. I’m still shouting when Trish catches up to me. She pulls at the sleeve of my sweatshirt to get my attention and her fingers are like ice when they wrap around my wrist.
    “He’s not here,” I cry in dismay.
    “I know,” she says. Fear makes her eyes wider than normal.
    I rip my arm free. “Go back. Get my dad. He’ll know what to do.”
    A gust of wind blows between us. Trish clutches at her fur hood and falls back, bumping into the ice horse she was so certain Brian had come here to see. “What are you going to do?” she says, yelling to be heard above the wind.
    “Keeping looking.” I don’t even know for certain if Brian came out here, but as long as there is the smallest chance he did I am not going back without him. I will search every inch of this damn mountain if I have to. I am not leaving him.  
    “Be careful,” Trish says.
    I nod. She turns around and starts to make her way back to the resort, staggering into the wind. I shade my eyes and turn in a circle, trying to decide where a cold, frightened little boy would go if he came out here alone. It would be so easy for him to become disoriented. Every single stupid pine tree looks alike. Except for the ice sculptures and the ski shop there are no visible landmarks to pinpoint where you are. Brian could have returned to the resort on a different path or he could have headed straight up the mountain. There is no way to tell.
    A collection of trees off to the left catches my eye. They must have been planted recently because they are shorter than the rest. It is as good a place as any to start looking.
    Ducking my head I trudge through the snow, trying desperately to ignore the fact that I can no longer feel my legs below the knees. Ice water sloshes inside my sneakers, numbing my toes. The snow is deeper here in the woods. I don’t quite realize how deep until I step completely off the path and end up waist deep in a drift.
    “Holy shit!” I gasp as I wade my way through, keeping my arms stretched high above my head for balance. I grab hold of a slender tree trunk and use it to haul myself back to solid ground. I stand there for a few moments, soaked to the bone, teeth chattering, lips turning blue. I try not to think of what could have happened to Brian if he came out here. The snow drift I just walked blindly in to would have gone over his head and swallowed him up like a tidal wave. No one would find his body until spring. 
    Stop thinking like that, I order myself sternly. Brian is fine. He’s probably in the resort right now with Dad, drinking hot chocolate.
    Then why are you still out here?
    Why am I still out here? I’m not some trained outdoorsman. I don’t even know where ‘here’ is, not really. If I go any further I’ll be the one lost instead of Brian. Then who would look for me? Trish? Not likely. My dad? Maybe. Maybe not. Bridget? A snort of laughter escapes my frozen lips. If she was the one in charge of organizing my search party I might as well lie down and die right now. I lean against one of the smaller trees. Indecision hovers over me like a blanket, heavy and suffocating. Then it hits me.
     Sam. Sam would come looking for me. I don’t know how I know, I just do. We are supposed to go for a walk at ten. If I don’t show up, he’ll know something is wrong. Won’t he? It is a fragile hope, but it’s the best one I have. I can’t turn around now. I’m already down one family member. I can’t lose another.
    My mind made up, I plow ahead, calling Brian’s name as I go. My