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My Dad Tried Warning Me About the Dangers of the Cold… I Wished I Listened
The last few winters had been pretty mild, all things considered. I grew up with parents who lived through the blizzard of ‘78 … and talked about it any chance they got. My dad was a little bit of a prepper. We always had a generator, kerosene heater, and shelves full of canned food in case of an emergency. My parents relocated to a warmer area two years ago. They seemed to enjoy the mild weather and beaches. They only visited my siblings and I in the midwest during the summer. We were of course free to visit them anytime. Unlike most of my family I really didn’t mind the winter. I wasn’t particularly sensitive to cold and enjoyed the way the world slowed down- at least after the holidays.
My phone rang waking me up from a dead sleep. I rubbed my eyes, annoyed that anyone was calling at 8:00 sharp on a Sunday.
“Hey dad”, I answered.
“Hey son, how are you?”
I yawned. “Pretty tired. Is everything okay?”. I asked. Of course I was hoping his call was nothing serious but at the same time, I wasn't very happy about getting woke up so early.
Dad must’ve sensed the slight annoyance in my voice. “Sorry to call so early but I wanted to give you a heads up about the cold weather coming up”.
I was confused. Winter weather was typical in the midwest. Obviously some years were worse than others but it wasn’t like some of the southern states where the world shuts down for an inch of snow. “Okay, what’s up?”, I asked.
Dad immediately launched into a long explanation about how this weekend would be some of the coldest weather we've ever seen and gave me tips on protecting my home and car from the effects of the cold. I silently nodded along, too tired to really register a lot of it. All in all, I knew the drill. Change the furnace filter, don’t alternate temperatures on the themostat , let the water drip to avoid pipes freezing, keep emergency supplies on hand in case of an outage.
“I know you know all this son, it’s just the dad in me wanting to remind you”.
I began to feel guilty. Here I was annoyed at getting a call so early but all he was doing was looking out for me, even though I’m 28 and several states away. “Thanks dad, I got it”.
“Hey… one more thing…” he said. There was long pause then he hesitated. “The world gets a little… well… let’s just say, things can get a little different when the weather gets like this, especially for days at a time. Double that if the power goes out. You can’t be too careful”.
This felt ominous but I assumed he was talking about crimes like looting and break ins. I assured him I could handle it then promptly got off the phone to get some more sleep.
Later that evening, I remembered what my dad had told me. The weather alerts were already showing up on my phone. If anything, the forecast was only getting worse. Snow and ice were predicted on top of the extreme cold. I made a trip to the local farm supply store and picked up an extra flashlight and some more canned food. I was trying to avoid the grocery store at all costs as it was usually mobbed right before any kind of winter storm.
Before heading to bed I made sure to let the taps drip, change the furnace filter and charged my extra power banks. My boss called and let me know not to come in tomorrow. I was pleasantly surprised. Work hadn’t been cancelled for weather since I’d worked there. I put on a movie and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning I woke up to my alarm. Of course I hadn’t remembered to turn it off. I grumbled and shut it off. The house felt chilly. I got up to turn up the heat when I realized the lights were all off. Power was out already. I looked outside. Snow blanketed the yard and my car and continued to fall. I opened the curtains to let in the natural light and located my kerosene heater. I figured I would wait a while to start it to conserve fuel. I had a pretty decent day. I stayed off my phone as much as possible to save the remaining battery. I did check in with a few friends and family who luckily were all okay. Everyone in the village was without power and no one knew when it was coming back on. I spent most of the day cleaning and reading.
I decided to head to bed early. I needed to save the candles and there wasn’t much to do anyway. My dog, Arlo, started barking. He was still a puppy and was always on edge during bad weather so I didn’t think too much of it. But just as I was heading to bed, I heard a faint knock at the front door. It was so light that if I hadn’t happened to be standing a few feet away I wouldn’t have heard it. I froze. By this point, Arlo had retreated to the bedroom. I debated opening the door. I lived out of town and although I had neighbors, they were pretty far away, definitely out of earshot. But I knew if I was stranded or broke down in this weather I would want someone to help me so I took a deep breath and opened the door.
A woman who looked roughly my age stood there in a black coat and jeans covered in snow. Her lips were almost blue from the cold. She stammered something about being lost. I glanced around and didn’t see a car or anyone else. I hesitantly invited her in. I was normally smarter than this- I knew better than to let strangers into my home, especially after dark. But this felt like a life or death situation.
I handed her a quilt as she sat on the couch. I tried to figure out where she was going but her answers were vague and non-committal. She barely said anything at all. From what I could gather, she didn’t have a phone or car and was headed “home” but didn’t seem to know where home was. “Is there someone you can call?”, I asked. She nodded. I unlocked my phone and handed it to her. She slowly typed in a number then waited. The then closed the phone and handed it to me. “No service”, she said. I nodded. Last I had checked I was still able to use my phone and data but maybe now it was out due to the weather. I heard Arlo’s low growl from the bedroom. I tried to call him over to calm him but he wouldn’t budge. “What’s your name?”, I asked. She provided it.
I offered her water and a granola bar and she accepted. I brought her the snack and drink and told her I’d be right back. Once I was out of sight, I googled her name out of curiosity. No social media or criminal records appeared but something else did. She was listed as a missing person a few counties over. She’d been missing for almost a year. I tried calling my brother but the call wouldn’t go through. I tried calling the police too but that call didn’t go through either. I checked my call history to see what number she dialed. It appeared to be a bunch of digits, probably at least fifteen… in what looked like random order with no area code. Frustrated, I put my phone back in my pocket and returned to the living room.
The strange woman was gone. The front door was wide open and snow and cold blew into the foyer. “Damn it!”, I exclaimed, shivering. I looked outside and there was no trace of her. Oddly enough, not even foot prints. I stepped outside and called out to her with no response. I shut the door and deadbolted it. I paced for a few minutes trying to figure out what do. If I didn’t look for her, she could freeze to death. She was obviously disoriented and likely in danger. Frustrated at the prospect of having to go back outside, I put my boots and coat on. My car was covered in a thick layer of snow and ice. I could barely get the door open. It wouldn’t start. I cursed and sat my head on the steering wheel. I checked again for phone reception but still had none.
I walked up and down the street, calling out for her. The walk was a cold hell. The icy breeze burnt my eyes and throat. My hands and feet were going numb despite wearing gloves and winter boots. I decided to head home. There was no point in getting frostbite to find someone who didn’t want to be found. But I couldn’t let go of the sick feeling that I could be the only thing standing between her and hypothermia. As I trudged home darker thoughts clouded my mind. What if Blayne was kidnapped and the perpetrators were using her to lure in new victims to be robbed or worse... I tried to push this out of my mind.
I put on my warmest thermals and pajamas once I got home. Arlo was still on edge so I petted him until he drifted off to sleep. My journey to sleep wasn’t as easy. Every time I started to drift off I immediately pictured the woman, lost in the woods, shivering and crying. Finally I fell into a more restful, dreamless sleep.
My eyes shot open to the shrill sound of Arlo’s bark. It was almost 2:00AM. I shushed him but he wouldn’t stop. I listened. In between barks I heard a scratching noise. The sound was coming from my bedroom window. Probably some kind of animal, I reasoned. Still half asleep and not using my best judgement, I peered through the blinds. At first I couldn’t see anything in the darkness. But just as I was about to go back to bed, I noticed movement. My eyes adjusted rapidly as if kicking into survival mode. Another human eye met mine. I cursed and jumped back. I could see the outline of a man on the other side of the window. Ice and snow glinted from his eyelashes and beard. I turned away, frantically reaching for my flashlight. The strange sound of fingernails scratching on the ice covered window filled the room.
“Who are you?!” I yelled.
There was no response. I called out again but again he did not respond. I debated what to do. The man clearly looked like he was in trouble but I also had a hard time believing anyone trying to pry open a window on a random house had good intentions. The scratching sound finally stopped. I waited a few seconds then opened the blinds and shined my flashlight. What I saw was gruesome. The man I’d seen standing at my window only a few minutes before was still as a statue, entire body covered in ice, including his eyes which stated forward with no movement. No breath escaped his lips. He was frozen solid. I gasped, trying to catch my breath.
I opened my eyes. I was laying in my bed. My phone was ringing. I sighed with relief. It was a dream. My brothers name lit up my phone screen.
“Hello?”, I answered.
The reception was very choppy and I could only hear every other word. I was able to gather that he and his family were trying to drive to my house but broke down. I immediately sat up and stumbled around my room, looking for my clothes. Barely able to hear anything over the static, I frantically tried get their location. My brother had two young children. One toddler and one infant. I had let them know they could stay with me if the power went out if they ran out of fuel. Finally, I was able to understand they were close to the pond. The pond was within walking distance from my house and I often took Arlo for walks there when it was nicer out. I ended the call and donned my winter gear once more. I packed an extra flashlight and headed out.
The walk to the pond normally took five minutes but it took me almost fifteen minutes because of the snow and wind. I finally approached the pond but saw no sign of their car. I repeatedly tried to call him but the call kept dropping. I circled the pond, looking for any sign of my brother and his family. I hoped that he would know better than to walk away from the car but maybe he went ahead to get help.
“Help me!” I heard a soft voice. It sounded like a child but it wasn’t either of my nephews. I paused. “Help me”, I heard it again. The tone of voice didn’t seem to match the urgency of being stranded in this freezing hellscape. It was monotone, devoid of emotion or urgency. I continued around the pond when I hit a patch of ice. I slipped and fell, landing only a few inches from the pond. I knew getting water anywhere on my body right now could lead to hypothermia. I slowly pulled myself up, trying not to slip again. But then I felt something around my ankle. I turned around to see a pale face of what looked like a young boy poking out of the water. Ice and snow covered his face and hair. Despite being in freezing water, he didn’t shiver and his movements were slow and deliberate. His eyes were pitch black and his face was so unnaturally pale that the snow and moonlight seemed to reflect off of it. He pulled my ankle, trying to pull me into the freezing water. I frantically kicked and dug my gloved fingers into the snow pulling away. Finally, I broke free. I heard frantic movement in thr water but couldn’t bring myself to turn and see if he was following me. I frantically ran home, well as close to running as one can when your feet are completely numb and the ground is covered in snow and ice. I fell a few times but luckily was able to get back up. Finally I reached the front door. I was out of breath and felt weak. My vision tunneled and I collapsed in my entryway.
I woke up to a weird sensation on my cheek. “Stop it Arlo”, I mumbled as I opened my eyes. Sure enough Arlo was licking my face. I glanced over to see my brother as well as his family, sitting in my living room. “Oh thank god you're awake!”, exclaimed my brother. I sat up, confused. He explained to me that he noticed a bunch of missed calls from me early in the morning and when he couldn’t reach me they came out to check on me only to find me collapsed in the doorway. He appeared confused when I brought up him calling me from the pond. “We were asleep until five. That's when I saw your calls and headed out here. I nodded. I checked my call history and sure enough, there wasn’t an incoming call from him at two this morning. His wife speculated that maybe I hit my head. I went along with this. It would explain a lot. After resting for a bit, I excused myself to my room and opened the blinds. The bright sunlight glinted through the ice, revealing the scratch marks.
#entertainment
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The last few winters had been pretty mild, all things considered. I grew up with parents who lived through the blizzard of ‘78 … and talked about it any chance they got. My dad was a little bit of a prepper. We always had a generator, kerosene heater, and shelves full of canned food in case of an emergency. My parents relocated to a warmer area two years ago. They seemed to enjoy the mild weather and beaches. They only visited my siblings and I in the midwest during the summer. We were of course free to visit them anytime. Unlike most of my family I really didn’t mind the winter. I wasn’t particularly sensitive to cold and enjoyed the way the world slowed down- at least after the holidays.
My phone rang waking me up from a dead sleep. I rubbed my eyes, annoyed that anyone was calling at 8:00 sharp on a Sunday.
“Hey dad”, I answered.
“Hey son, how are you?”
I yawned. “Pretty tired. Is everything okay?”. I asked. Of course I was hoping his call was nothing serious but at the same time, I wasn't very happy about getting woke up so early.
Dad must’ve sensed the slight annoyance in my voice. “Sorry to call so early but I wanted to give you a heads up about the cold weather coming up”.
I was confused. Winter weather was typical in the midwest. Obviously some years were worse than others but it wasn’t like some of the southern states where the world shuts down for an inch of snow. “Okay, what’s up?”, I asked.
Dad immediately launched into a long explanation about how this weekend would be some of the coldest weather we've ever seen and gave me tips on protecting my home and car from the effects of the cold. I silently nodded along, too tired to really register a lot of it. All in all, I knew the drill. Change the furnace filter, don’t alternate temperatures on the themostat , let the water drip to avoid pipes freezing, keep emergency supplies on hand in case of an outage.
“I know you know all this son, it’s just the dad in me wanting to remind you”.
I began to feel guilty. Here I was annoyed at getting a call so early but all he was doing was looking out for me, even though I’m 28 and several states away. “Thanks dad, I got it”.
“Hey… one more thing…” he said. There was long pause then he hesitated. “The world gets a little… well… let’s just say, things can get a little different when the weather gets like this, especially for days at a time. Double that if the power goes out. You can’t be too careful”.
This felt ominous but I assumed he was talking about crimes like looting and break ins. I assured him I could handle it then promptly got off the phone to get some more sleep.
Later that evening, I remembered what my dad had told me. The weather alerts were already showing up on my phone. If anything, the forecast was only getting worse. Snow and ice were predicted on top of the extreme cold. I made a trip to the local farm supply store and picked up an extra flashlight and some more canned food. I was trying to avoid the grocery store at all costs as it was usually mobbed right before any kind of winter storm.
Before heading to bed I made sure to let the taps drip, change the furnace filter and charged my extra power banks. My boss called and let me know not to come in tomorrow. I was pleasantly surprised. Work hadn’t been cancelled for weather since I’d worked there. I put on a movie and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning I woke up to my alarm. Of course I hadn’t remembered to turn it off. I grumbled and shut it off. The house felt chilly. I got up to turn up the heat when I realized the lights were all off. Power was out already. I looked outside. Snow blanketed the yard and my car and continued to fall. I opened the curtains to let in the natural light and located my kerosene heater. I figured I would wait a while to start it to conserve fuel. I had a pretty decent day. I stayed off my phone as much as possible to save the remaining battery. I did check in with a few friends and family who luckily were all okay. Everyone in the village was without power and no one knew when it was coming back on. I spent most of the day cleaning and reading.
I decided to head to bed early. I needed to save the candles and there wasn’t much to do anyway. My dog, Arlo, started barking. He was still a puppy and was always on edge during bad weather so I didn’t think too much of it. But just as I was heading to bed, I heard a faint knock at the front door. It was so light that if I hadn’t happened to be standing a few feet away I wouldn’t have heard it. I froze. By this point, Arlo had retreated to the bedroom. I debated opening the door. I lived out of town and although I had neighbors, they were pretty far away, definitely out of earshot. But I knew if I was stranded or broke down in this weather I would want someone to help me so I took a deep breath and opened the door.
A woman who looked roughly my age stood there in a black coat and jeans covered in snow. Her lips were almost blue from the cold. She stammered something about being lost. I glanced around and didn’t see a car or anyone else. I hesitantly invited her in. I was normally smarter than this- I knew better than to let strangers into my home, especially after dark. But this felt like a life or death situation.
I handed her a quilt as she sat on the couch. I tried to figure out where she was going but her answers were vague and non-committal. She barely said anything at all. From what I could gather, she didn’t have a phone or car and was headed “home” but didn’t seem to know where home was. “Is there someone you can call?”, I asked. She nodded. I unlocked my phone and handed it to her. She slowly typed in a number then waited. The then closed the phone and handed it to me. “No service”, she said. I nodded. Last I had checked I was still able to use my phone and data but maybe now it was out due to the weather. I heard Arlo’s low growl from the bedroom. I tried to call him over to calm him but he wouldn’t budge. “What’s your name?”, I asked. She provided it.
I offered her water and a granola bar and she accepted. I brought her the snack and drink and told her I’d be right back. Once I was out of sight, I googled her name out of curiosity. No social media or criminal records appeared but something else did. She was listed as a missing person a few counties over. She’d been missing for almost a year. I tried calling my brother but the call wouldn’t go through. I tried calling the police too but that call didn’t go through either. I checked my call history to see what number she dialed. It appeared to be a bunch of digits, probably at least fifteen… in what looked like random order with no area code. Frustrated, I put my phone back in my pocket and returned to the living room.
The strange woman was gone. The front door was wide open and snow and cold blew into the foyer. “Damn it!”, I exclaimed, shivering. I looked outside and there was no trace of her. Oddly enough, not even foot prints. I stepped outside and called out to her with no response. I shut the door and deadbolted it. I paced for a few minutes trying to figure out what do. If I didn’t look for her, she could freeze to death. She was obviously disoriented and likely in danger. Frustrated at the prospect of having to go back outside, I put my boots and coat on. My car was covered in a thick layer of snow and ice. I could barely get the door open. It wouldn’t start. I cursed and sat my head on the steering wheel. I checked again for phone reception but still had none.
I walked up and down the street, calling out for her. The walk was a cold hell. The icy breeze burnt my eyes and throat. My hands and feet were going numb despite wearing gloves and winter boots. I decided to head home. There was no point in getting frostbite to find someone who didn’t want to be found. But I couldn’t let go of the sick feeling that I could be the only thing standing between her and hypothermia. As I trudged home darker thoughts clouded my mind. What if Blayne was kidnapped and the perpetrators were using her to lure in new victims to be robbed or worse... I tried to push this out of my mind.
I put on my warmest thermals and pajamas once I got home. Arlo was still on edge so I petted him until he drifted off to sleep. My journey to sleep wasn’t as easy. Every time I started to drift off I immediately pictured the woman, lost in the woods, shivering and crying. Finally I fell into a more restful, dreamless sleep.
My eyes shot open to the shrill sound of Arlo’s bark. It was almost 2:00AM. I shushed him but he wouldn’t stop. I listened. In between barks I heard a scratching noise. The sound was coming from my bedroom window. Probably some kind of animal, I reasoned. Still half asleep and not using my best judgement, I peered through the blinds. At first I couldn’t see anything in the darkness. But just as I was about to go back to bed, I noticed movement. My eyes adjusted rapidly as if kicking into survival mode. Another human eye met mine. I cursed and jumped back. I could see the outline of a man on the other side of the window. Ice and snow glinted from his eyelashes and beard. I turned away, frantically reaching for my flashlight. The strange sound of fingernails scratching on the ice covered window filled the room.
“Who are you?!” I yelled.
There was no response. I called out again but again he did not respond. I debated what to do. The man clearly looked like he was in trouble but I also had a hard time believing anyone trying to pry open a window on a random house had good intentions. The scratching sound finally stopped. I waited a few seconds then opened the blinds and shined my flashlight. What I saw was gruesome. The man I’d seen standing at my window only a few minutes before was still as a statue, entire body covered in ice, including his eyes which stated forward with no movement. No breath escaped his lips. He was frozen solid. I gasped, trying to catch my breath.
I opened my eyes. I was laying in my bed. My phone was ringing. I sighed with relief. It was a dream. My brothers name lit up my phone screen.
“Hello?”, I answered.
The reception was very choppy and I could only hear every other word. I was able to gather that he and his family were trying to drive to my house but broke down. I immediately sat up and stumbled around my room, looking for my clothes. Barely able to hear anything over the static, I frantically tried get their location. My brother had two young children. One toddler and one infant. I had let them know they could stay with me if the power went out if they ran out of fuel. Finally, I was able to understand they were close to the pond. The pond was within walking distance from my house and I often took Arlo for walks there when it was nicer out. I ended the call and donned my winter gear once more. I packed an extra flashlight and headed out.
The walk to the pond normally took five minutes but it took me almost fifteen minutes because of the snow and wind. I finally approached the pond but saw no sign of their car. I repeatedly tried to call him but the call kept dropping. I circled the pond, looking for any sign of my brother and his family. I hoped that he would know better than to walk away from the car but maybe he went ahead to get help.
“Help me!” I heard a soft voice. It sounded like a child but it wasn’t either of my nephews. I paused. “Help me”, I heard it again. The tone of voice didn’t seem to match the urgency of being stranded in this freezing hellscape. It was monotone, devoid of emotion or urgency. I continued around the pond when I hit a patch of ice. I slipped and fell, landing only a few inches from the pond. I knew getting water anywhere on my body right now could lead to hypothermia. I slowly pulled myself up, trying not to slip again. But then I felt something around my ankle. I turned around to see a pale face of what looked like a young boy poking out of the water. Ice and snow covered his face and hair. Despite being in freezing water, he didn’t shiver and his movements were slow and deliberate. His eyes were pitch black and his face was so unnaturally pale that the snow and moonlight seemed to reflect off of it. He pulled my ankle, trying to pull me into the freezing water. I frantically kicked and dug my gloved fingers into the snow pulling away. Finally, I broke free. I heard frantic movement in thr water but couldn’t bring myself to turn and see if he was following me. I frantically ran home, well as close to running as one can when your feet are completely numb and the ground is covered in snow and ice. I fell a few times but luckily was able to get back up. Finally I reached the front door. I was out of breath and felt weak. My vision tunneled and I collapsed in my entryway.
I woke up to a weird sensation on my cheek. “Stop it Arlo”, I mumbled as I opened my eyes. Sure enough Arlo was licking my face. I glanced over to see my brother as well as his family, sitting in my living room. “Oh thank god you're awake!”, exclaimed my brother. I sat up, confused. He explained to me that he noticed a bunch of missed calls from me early in the morning and when he couldn’t reach me they came out to check on me only to find me collapsed in the doorway. He appeared confused when I brought up him calling me from the pond. “We were asleep until five. That's when I saw your calls and headed out here. I nodded. I checked my call history and sure enough, there wasn’t an incoming call from him at two this morning. His wife speculated that maybe I hit my head. I went along with this. It would explain a lot. After resting for a bit, I excused myself to my room and opened the blinds. The bright sunlight glinted through the ice, revealing the scratch marks.
#entertainment
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