Angel by Phil Cummings Page A

exposed to the full force of the wind and the sting of the driving snow.
    Deeply concerned, Rob slowly lifted Shane from his back and lowered him to the ground.Shane’s eyebrows were white and a heavy tiredness had turned his body to jelly.
    Puffing, Rob pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and brushed it gently across Shane’s face. ‘Don’t worry, Shane. It won’t be long now. Someone will be here soon.’
    Shane was numb: the freezing cold had seeped into his limbs. ‘I’m scared, Dad,’ he croaked softly. ‘What if they don’t find us? What if they’ve given up looking? What if they haven’t even noticed we’re missing?’
    Rob managed a smile. ‘Of course they’re looking and of course they’ll find us. We’ve got a bit of shelter now as well, so everything’s going to be okay. We’ll be back at the resort before you know it. We’ll probably get to ride back on one of those snowmobile things. I’ve always wanted to ride on one, haven’t you?’
    Shane pushed himself into his father’s bigcoat. ‘But I’m so cold, Dad. I’m just so cold. I can’t feel anything.’
    â€˜We know, Shane,’ said Jenny with surprising calmness. ‘But your dad’s right, it won’t be long now.’
    Rob and Jenny weren’t feeling much better than Shane but finding the shelter had given them hope.
    â€˜I’m going to see if I can get some sticks and branches,’ said Rob, looking out into the snow. ‘I can stand them around the front of this shelter and close us in a bit for more protection.’
    Jenny was horrified. ‘No! You’ve got to stay here! You might get lost out there.’
    â€˜I won’t go far,’ said Rob, puffing into his cupped hands. ‘We need more shelter, Jenny.’ He looked down at Shane leaning awkwardly against his mother. ‘We’ve got to try something to get ourselves some more protection, to get ourselves warmer.’
    Jenny followed his eyes to Shane. ‘Yes, yes you’re right,’ she conceded. ‘But I’ll keep yelling your name over and over again so that you know where we are and that you haven’t gone too far.’ She grabbed hold of Shane and began rubbing him as vigorously as she could. She rocked him instinctively as she watched Rob heave away from her into the blizzard. She immediately began calling loud and clear. ‘Rob … Rob … Rob …’ She gently brushed Shane’s forehead. ‘You help me, Shane, you call too.’
    Rob heard them as he fossicked clumsily in the snow beneath some trees. He couldn’t believe he’d led his family into this. What a fool he’d been. Like a hungry fox digging its way into a chicken run, Rob clawed away at the snow around a large log. If he could get it out it would be perfect. He could use it as a beam to rest smaller branches, twigs and leaves on. He had nearly exposed it, he was nearly there. Hepulled at it to see if he could drag it from under the snow. It wouldn’t budge. He kept digging, getting closer and closer to the trunk of the tree he’d guessed it had fallen from. But, to add to his frustration, he uncovered it only to find it still attached to the tree.
    He’d forgotten how deep the snow might be. The ground could be metres below and he could be halfway up the tree for all he knew. He shook his head. ‘This is hopeless!’ he growled. ‘It’s hopeless!’ Frustration erupted as he pounded the snow with his clenched fists and wept. ‘It’s useless,’ he sobbed, shaking his head. ‘Totally bloody useless! We’re all going to die here in this bloody snow and I can’t do a thing about it. It’s just going to happen. It will. It’ll just bloody well happen!’
    He was a lonely figure in the darkness, pushed by wind and aching with cold. The voices of Jenny and