cold.
As they descended into the valley the snowfall intensified. Gerald stared into the
dying day.
His heart sank.
Beyond a line of stumpy trees, for as far as he could see, there was heather and
bracken beaten down by the Scottish winter into a brown carpet that was fast disappearing
under a smothering of white.
His shoulders dropped. He turned back to Ruby and Felicity.
‘Anything?’ Ruby asked.
Gerald shook his head. ‘We could try to build something under those trees but they’re
so stunted. They don’t offer much cover.’ A pit opened up in his stomach. People
died of exposure on nights like this.
‘Or we could try that house down there,’ Sam said as he joined them.
‘What house?’ Gerald said.
‘The one down there,’ Sam said, pointing into the gloom.
Gerald, Ruby and Felicity strained their eyes into the near darkness as the blizzard
swirled around them.
‘I can’t see a thing,’ Ruby said. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course,’ Sam said. ‘What’s the matter with you?’
‘Apart from my terminal lack of a tent?’
Gerald grabbed Sam by the arm before another domestic dust-up broke out. ‘Take us
there, will you? You and Ruby can yell at each other later.’
Sam shrugged agreement and led the way down a snow-covered slope. Gerald could barely
see. He felt a hand fall on his shoulder and realised Ruby had grabbed hold so she
wouldn’t get lost in the murk. He hoped Felicity was doing the same to Ruby. He reached
out and took Sam’s shoulder and, like a line of baby elephants walking trunks to
tails, they cut a path through the bleak night.
Before long, Sam stopped. Gerald walked right into the back of him. Ruby and Felicity
stumbled into Gerald. It was a four-body pileup.
‘Why did you stop?’ Gerald asked, pulling his face free from where it had buried
itself in Sam’s pack.
‘Because we’re here,’ Sam said. ‘Why else would we stop?’
Gerald looked up and could just make out the outline of a two-storey stone building
against the night sky.
‘How did you even see this place?’ Felicity said. ‘You’re amazing.’ An inch of snow
had settled on her head and shoulders.
‘You can erect a statue to him after we get inside,’ Ruby said through chattering
teeth.
‘The front door must be round here,’ Sam said. He led the way up three steps to the
shelter of a covered porch. Gerald dumped his pack onto the stone paving. ‘We could
always climb into our sleeping bags right here,’ he said. ‘At least it’s out of the
snow and wind.’
Ruby tossed her pack next to Gerald’s. ‘I have marshmallows,’ she said. ‘And I won’t
be happy until I’m toasting one over an open fire. Let’s get inside.’
The last of the day’s light disappeared, sinking them into abject darkness.
‘I can’t see a thing,’ Gerald said. ‘It’s like swimming in ink. Ow!’
‘What is it?’ Ruby’s voice came through the dark.
‘I banged my shin on something.’ Gerald held his glove to his nose and could barely
make out his fingers. ‘This is ridiculous.’ He scrabbled about and his hands found
a large iron ring. ‘I think I’ve found the door!’ he called out. He tugged on the
handle. ‘Locked.’ Gerald muttered an oath under his breath.
‘There must be a window we could try,’ Felicity said.
‘Ow!’ Gerald howled again.
‘Now what?’ Ruby asked.
‘Shin,’ Gerald said. ‘Something.’ He held his hands out in front and inched along.
‘Glass! I think I’ve found a window.’
‘Told you,’ said Felicity.
‘It’s locked,’ Gerald said. ‘Should we break it?’
‘Of course!’ Ruby said. ‘We could freeze to death out here.’
‘What can I break it with?’ Gerald asked.
There was the sound of someone rustling around in their pack. Then Sam said, ‘Here,
use this.’ Gerald waved his hand around until he felt a heavy cylinder fall into
his palm, like a relay baton.
‘Thanks,’ Gerald said. ‘This feels solid enough to do some
As they descended into the valley the snowfall intensified. Gerald stared into the
dying day.
His heart sank.
Beyond a line of stumpy trees, for as far as he could see, there was heather and
bracken beaten down by the Scottish winter into a brown carpet that was fast disappearing
under a smothering of white.
His shoulders dropped. He turned back to Ruby and Felicity.
‘Anything?’ Ruby asked.
Gerald shook his head. ‘We could try to build something under those trees but they’re
so stunted. They don’t offer much cover.’ A pit opened up in his stomach. People
died of exposure on nights like this.
‘Or we could try that house down there,’ Sam said as he joined them.
‘What house?’ Gerald said.
‘The one down there,’ Sam said, pointing into the gloom.
Gerald, Ruby and Felicity strained their eyes into the near darkness as the blizzard
swirled around them.
‘I can’t see a thing,’ Ruby said. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course,’ Sam said. ‘What’s the matter with you?’
‘Apart from my terminal lack of a tent?’
Gerald grabbed Sam by the arm before another domestic dust-up broke out. ‘Take us
there, will you? You and Ruby can yell at each other later.’
Sam shrugged agreement and led the way down a snow-covered slope. Gerald could barely
see. He felt a hand fall on his shoulder and realised Ruby had grabbed hold so she
wouldn’t get lost in the murk. He hoped Felicity was doing the same to Ruby. He reached
out and took Sam’s shoulder and, like a line of baby elephants walking trunks to
tails, they cut a path through the bleak night.
Before long, Sam stopped. Gerald walked right into the back of him. Ruby and Felicity
stumbled into Gerald. It was a four-body pileup.
‘Why did you stop?’ Gerald asked, pulling his face free from where it had buried
itself in Sam’s pack.
‘Because we’re here,’ Sam said. ‘Why else would we stop?’
Gerald looked up and could just make out the outline of a two-storey stone building
against the night sky.
‘How did you even see this place?’ Felicity said. ‘You’re amazing.’ An inch of snow
had settled on her head and shoulders.
‘You can erect a statue to him after we get inside,’ Ruby said through chattering
teeth.
‘The front door must be round here,’ Sam said. He led the way up three steps to the
shelter of a covered porch. Gerald dumped his pack onto the stone paving. ‘We could
always climb into our sleeping bags right here,’ he said. ‘At least it’s out of the
snow and wind.’
Ruby tossed her pack next to Gerald’s. ‘I have marshmallows,’ she said. ‘And I won’t
be happy until I’m toasting one over an open fire. Let’s get inside.’
The last of the day’s light disappeared, sinking them into abject darkness.
‘I can’t see a thing,’ Gerald said. ‘It’s like swimming in ink. Ow!’
‘What is it?’ Ruby’s voice came through the dark.
‘I banged my shin on something.’ Gerald held his glove to his nose and could barely
make out his fingers. ‘This is ridiculous.’ He scrabbled about and his hands found
a large iron ring. ‘I think I’ve found the door!’ he called out. He tugged on the
handle. ‘Locked.’ Gerald muttered an oath under his breath.
‘There must be a window we could try,’ Felicity said.
‘Ow!’ Gerald howled again.
‘Now what?’ Ruby asked.
‘Shin,’ Gerald said. ‘Something.’ He held his hands out in front and inched along.
‘Glass! I think I’ve found a window.’
‘Told you,’ said Felicity.
‘It’s locked,’ Gerald said. ‘Should we break it?’
‘Of course!’ Ruby said. ‘We could freeze to death out here.’
‘What can I break it with?’ Gerald asked.
There was the sound of someone rustling around in their pack. Then Sam said, ‘Here,
use this.’ Gerald waved his hand around until he felt a heavy cylinder fall into
his palm, like a relay baton.
‘Thanks,’ Gerald said. ‘This feels solid enough to do some
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