A Glow in the Dark

Night Shift Storytime

Given: "glow in the dark" (phrase/object) by Justin Cloyd

The snow was falling heavier than usual. It fell everyday this high up on the slopes of the mountain, but tonight, a storm was brewing. The wind began to whistle and rise in ferocity. Snow was billowing back and forth, covering the face of a young man trudging upward. He was bundled up heavily from head to toe and was carrying a large pack on his back.

"Pete!" called a voice from behind. He stopped and turned around.

"Eddie! Are you alright?" he called.

"My foot's caught!"

The storm was making it difficult to see and move, but Pete slowly made his way back towards his companion. It was quite the chore, as the wind had been to his back on the way up. After what seemed to be an eternity to the poor fellow with his foot caught, Pete finally reached him.

"I told you to say behind, Eddie. Over and over again, I told you."

"I know, I know. Just get me unstuck."

Pete bent down and removed the fresh powder from Eddie's boot. There were two large rocks with a small crevice between them that the foot of a man should not be able to fit through, yet, Eddie's managed to wedge itself in.

"How did you do this?" Pete called out.

"I don't know. Just help me out of it, will ya?"

"Be patient. This won't be easy. Can you feel your toes?"

"I can't feel anything in this cold."

"Ok. Hold on."

Pete reached back in his pack and pulled out a large old trowel. Getting on his hands and knees, he cleared more snow from around the rocks and found the edges. He tried to dig into the ground, but the frozen earth would not give. After a few more failed attempts, he resorted to pushing, pulling, and kicking, but the rocks also wouldn't budge. Not even the boot would show signs of movement, as Pete had attempted to wiggle it out.

As minutes passed, the storm grew more fierce, as if the mountain itself developed a dark determination  to expel or bury its invaders. Night was also approaching, making the atmosphere even darker and colder amidst the treacherous wind chill. Pete was beginning to lose hope in removing the boot from its prison; he was also losing his own ability to physically feel anything. 

"You're not going to like this," Pete said, "but we need to try to pull out your foot and leave the boot behind. It's either that, or we freeze out here."

Eddie was getting cold to the point where he could hardly speak, but slowly nodded. This was his first time up in the mountains. Pete untied the boot and carefully put both hands around the calf of the  wedged foot. Gently pulling, the foot slowly came out. It was surprisingly easy, as the foot itself was also covered in layers. Regardless, he knew that they needed heat quick. He looked over and noticed Eddie's face starting to turn blue.

"Ok, you need to trust me now. I've been here before and there are some caves scattered around here. Do you think you can walk?"

Eddie could barely make a sound.

"Hold on, bud," said Pete, "We'll get out of this. Here."

He took off his scarf and wrapped it around the mouth and nose of his companion. The icy wind bit his neck. Pete then lifted Eddie into his arms and proceeded forward. Luckily, the wind had mostly returned to his backside, providing some relief to their faces, along with a slight speed boost. The storm was also letting up just enough to allow Pete a little more visibility in the failing light. This did not last long though and the blowing snow increased again, reducing his vision. However, in those moments of relief, he saw in the short distance a dark shape, like a darker spot in the grey air.

"That's a cave opening," he thought. With the strength he had left, he journeyed forward without stopping towards the supposed opening. It was farther than it had initially seemed, but he finally made it, and entered the cave, for indeed it was, still carrying Eddie in his arms. After walking a short distance into the cave and away from the storm, he carefully set Eddie on the hard ground and let out a heavy sigh of relief. The cave was pitch black, but the relief from the storm was so overwhelming that Pete nearly collapsed in a comforted weariness. He quickly snapped out of it.

"I need to start a fire," he said to himself. Pete set down his pack and began to blindly rummage through what he had. Fortunately, there was enough experience in him to plan ahead for fire-less scenarios. He pulled out what he had for fire making, and in a manner of minutes, a small fire was going steady. Small though it was, Pete's spirits rose as the minuscule rays of light bounced off the icy rock walls of their shelter. He checked on Eddie, whose skin color had started slowly returning to normal. It also appeared that he had drifted off to sleep. Pete sat down next to him and thought of home. A warm fire in the fireplace; an apple pie in the oven; mother sewing in her rocking chair; father in the study, smoking his pipe - this was the first time he had been homesick in years.

"Tomorrow, we'll head for home," he spoke softly. He then took out a couple of small blankets wrapped in his pack. He unwrapped one and placed it on Eddie, but left the other unwrapped as he laid his head down on it. Pete rolled over and looked at the sleeping body next to him. "Good night, brother," he said, and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, further down in the dark tunnel of the cave, two large eyes opened. The looked this way and that. A large mass stirred. It was awake, and it was hungry. Its attention was caught by something in the distance. There was a glow in the dark.