Snowed In

Stranger Danger

I wake with a jolt. I look at the time and realize I was supposed to have left two hours ago.

“S**t, s**t, s**t!!” I curse myself

My family has celebrated Christmas at our cabin in Gatlinburg every year and they told me to make sure I left on time because of the snow storm coming in. Of course, I got way too drunk with my friends last night and didn’t get home till late. It was a good thing I had packed before I went out last night.

I jump out of bed throwing on a pair of sweat pants, snow boots, and a hoodie. My appearance doesn’t really matter seeing as I’m not dressing to impress anyone. I just broke things off with my long term boyfriend Alex. We had been together since we were 15 but I’m 21 now and I realize there is so much I haven’t experienced. Not to mention he was a s**t boyfriend. My mother was pretty disappointed in me about it and I will surely be hearing all about it this week. I pause my frantic state for a moment wondering if maybe this is a sign I should just stay home.

Pushing the thought aside I grab my phone and suitcase and head out the door of my apartment.

The snow has already layed pretty thick on the ground but my dad had snow tires put on my car a few months back so I feel pretty confident it will be fine. I put the address into my GPS, it is about a two and half hour drive but I can shave a little time off I’m sure. Just as I get on the road my mom starts calling me.

“Camry, where are you??” My mom asks as soon as I answer

“Hello mother, I’m on my way I woke up late” I tell her rolling my eyes at her dramatics

“Of course you did, we specifically told you not to leave late. The snow is already three inches deep here” Three inches isn’t even that much I think to myself

“It’s fine mom, I will be there soon and if I’m not you’ll find me in a few days” My mother has always hated my crude sense of humor but that’s what makes it partly what makes it so funny.

“Camry! Do not say something like that!” She yells not finding my joke funny as usual

“Ill be there soon Mom, bye love you”

“Love you too” she forces out before hanging up

I’ve pretty much made it a habit of making my mother angry. She wasn’t happy with the dress I picked out for prom at 16, or the college I decided to go to at 18, or breaking up with Alex at 21. Honestly, I don’t really remember the last time I did something my mother was happy with.

She’s a control freak and it drives her crazy that I don’t let her control my life. She is convinced I am always making the wrong choices but isn’t that what life is supposed to be about? She want’s to make all my decisions for me so I never make a mistake but I don’t want to live like that.

I put on my play list as I get on the highway. It’s pretty clear from all the cars driving on it, hopefully the road to the cabin wont be too bad either. Majority of the drive is spent on the highway. I take my exit and its only 30 more minutes to the cabin, I’m singing loudly to my music when I realize the snow is starting to get a lot thicker and my car is having trouble getting through. I turn the radio all the way down so I can focus on the road in front of me. Everything is starting to blend together, the snow making everything look white.

I begin cursing myself for my poor time management when my car starts sliding side to side. I begin to panic and try to correct myself but it only makes it worse. My car slides off into the ditch so I push the gas pedal all the way down but it only makes it slide more. I start slamming my fists into my steering wheel and pull out my phone to call my dad but there’s no service.

“Of course!” I yell

I am about to start crying and screaming when headlights appear in my rear view. I lock my doors because I am literally in the middle of no where right now. I watch in my rear view mirror as a very tall, very big, man steps out of the truck and starts walking up to my car. I think to myself how sexy he is before immediately dismissing the thought. He could be a serial killer who has been waiting to find some damsel in distress. He knocks on my window and I crack it slightly.

“Are you ok, miss?” His voice is deep

“I’m fine” I nod

“Do you have anyone coming to get you?” He seems nice but so did Ted Bundy

I should probably tell him yes since he could be a murderer but I have no service and there’s no way I can walk all the way to the cabin in this weather.

“No, I don’t have any service” I hold up my phone that is ultimately unless at the moment

“Yeah, I think the towers are down. Where are you going maybe I can get you there?” Ok, he’s offering to take me to where I need to go so maybe he’s not a serial killer after all.

“My family’s cabin, its down Love Lane” My hope of getting there melts away when he shakes his head

“That road has almost 10 inches of snow, I wont even be able to get down it in my truck” I can feel my chest start to tighten as panic to starts to settle in. What am I going to do?

I drop my head back against my head rest in frustration. Why did I have to wake up late?!

“My cabin is only a couple minutes from here. You can come with me but I’ll be honest it’ll probably be a few days until the snow melts enough for me to get where you need to go” Is he really offering to take a complete stranger to spend days at his cabin with him? That is serial killer behavior for sure.

I stare at him for a second. It’s either stay here and freeze or go with a stranger to his cabin in the woods. I feel like I’ve seen this scary movie before.

“You’re not like a murderer are you?” He doesn’t look like a murderer but what exactly does a murderer look like?

“Well, if I were I probably wouldn’t tell you would I?” He smirks, if he is a murderer then he is a f*****g sexy one “No I’m not a murderer” he laughs

“I’m pretty sure this is totally against stranger danger rules but I really don’t want to freeze to death” I grab my bag and open my door seeing no other option but to go with him.

When I get out I realize just how large this man actually is. Please don’t be a murderer.