Julia drove down the cold winter road. It was a few days before Christmas and she had finished her final project of the year. There were no more contracts for her until February as she had scheduled her vacation. The powerful SUV she drove had it's engine humming as she sped down the cold roadway trying to make it into the airport before the blizzard rolled in for her private flight.
Julia was a very short petite woman. Her slender figure made her look taller than her five foot frame would tell you. She had dark brown hair and brown eyes. She almost always wore long sleeved shirts as she was shy about her body, even though she was charismatic when dealing with business associates.
"How's my little girl?"
"I'm not little anymore dad, I'm turned 40 three months ago."
"You'll always be my little girl," the man's voice over the phone said. "I know you've been successful in your career but are you happy?"
Julia looked down the road as she meditated on his words. She had nothing to complain about in life. She lived in a nice penthouse, she drove nice cars and went on fancy vacations at the beginning of each year. She was a top performer at her investment partnership which paid her enough to retire comfortably at a years salary and was also the owner of several other firms and companies. Her employees were well trained and she could retire and not worry about her business.
"I don't know," she said.
"You've always liked other women, I just hope you find someone you can love. Get home safe."
"Thanks dad," she said. The phone call ended.
The blizzard began to roll in heavily and the heavy winds began to blow large amounts of falling slow onto her windshield. There was too much white and she couldn't see where she was going, but not wanting to be stuck in the woods on the road she pushed the car forward. Eventually she lost control as the car skid and ran off the side of the road and almost a hundred feet into the woods.
The car came to a stop and even when she stepped on the gas it wouldn't move. The snow was now too thick and she was trapped. Looking around Julia began to feel some fear. She couldn't see outside, and so long as the blizzard continued to settle in the car would run out of fuel and she would run out of heat. She hadn't prepared for an event like this.
Her phone still worked. She dialed 911.
"911 what's your emergency," the operator said on the other line.
"I crashed my car off the side of the road on high way 89 heading towards the airport," Julia said.
"What's your name?"
"Julia Barone," she said.
"Julia, I have bad news. The entire area has been flooded with snow and though we're trying to get crews out it will be quite some time before we reach you. Try to stay warm, eat whatever food supplies you have and we will get out to you as soon as we can."
Julia looked out at the snow. Being stuck out here all alone was a scary thought but she had no choice.
"I understand," Julia said.
"Let me have your callback number," the Operator said on the other line. "We should be able to ping your cellphone and try to get a crew out there as soon as possible."
Julia gave the operator a callback number, then the phone call ended and she turned off the car engine. There was more clothing in the back of her SUV so she climbed over the seats to get into the back. It was far more convenient than having a car. She folded some of the seats in the back down in order to make room.
Julia was able to remain comfortable for a while like this before the cold eventually began to settle in and she began to shiver. She didn't have food with her and became hungry. The blizzard eventually lessened and visibility became better as the sun began to set. There was still no word from the operator. She decided to call home.
"Dad? I'm stuck in the snow. We're waiting for crews to come out and get me."
"I see," her father said on the other line. "Listen, keep your blankets close to you and make sure you don't open the car doors unless absolutely necessary. You want to try and keep as much heat as you can inside."
"I know dad, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning as soon as you thought. I might not make it home for Christmas but I'll be fine."
"Yes I know," her father said.
They spoke a little more before the phone call was ended due to Julia trying to extend the life of her cellphone battery in case the operator called back once more.
She laid in her car for several more minutes as the sun set before hearing a knock. She got up and saw there was someone outside knocking on her window. Bundled up she became afraid as the person outside looked very tall. The person kept knocking on her window.
"I have a cabin right there, you should come inside for the night!"
The voice sounded like that of a young girl which made her less cautious. She opened the door. It was a woman with blue eyes and blond hair but the rest of her face was covered.
"I'm staying in a cabin about fifty feet away," the woman said. She stared at Julia for a moment. "You might freeze to death over night if you stay out here."
"Thank you," was all Julia could say.
She gathered some of her clothing and got out of the car. By this time the snow was thick and she had trouble walking out. The woman had snow shoes on and had to remove the snow from the behind of the car so she could open the hatch and come out. Since it was hard for her to move through the snow the woman lifted and carried her to the cabin.
