Jason thought the smartest thing he could have done was delay his trip back to college. But it was too late, he was over halfway there. The road to I.U. in Bloomington was covered with ice and snow. Periodic wind gusts were pushing his Bronco dangerously close to the edge of the highway. Visibility was poor; his speed now reduced to twenty miles per hour. The blowing snow was nearly blinding, and ice was beginning to cling to the windshield wipers.
Jason told his mother he would wait and go back Monday, except he had an important Physics exam he couldn't miss. There was always the possibility of classes being cancelled because of the weather, but he didn't want to take that chance. Besides, after one quick stop, it was only another five miles or so to his apartment.
"Can you see well enough?" Leah asked. Leah was Jason's aunt, his father's sister. She and his uncle Michael lived in a small community just a few miles east of the I.U. campus. His uncle had dropped her off at his parents home Friday on his way to a week long business convention he was attending in Cincinnati. Jason had readily agreed to give aunt Leah a ride home on Sunday evening when he returned to school.
Although Leah was two years older than his father, at 51, she was still quite an attractive woman. She is tall and slim, with shoulder length frosted hair. She is the co-owner of a combination health, fitness, and tanning salon near campus. She keeps her body well toned, and always has a year round tan, even during the winter.
"It is a little hard to see," Jason said, turning to see the somewhat worried expression in Leah's eyes.
"Do you think we should pull over and wait for the snow to stop?" Leah asked, as another gust of wind caused the back end of the Bronco to slide to the right, which made her grab the dashboard.
"There's really nowhere to pull over, aunt Leah," he said.
It was 6pm and almost completely dark. During the past hour only one car had passed going in the opposite direction, and no traffic on their side of the road. The windshield wipers, now covered with ice, were of little help.
Jason turned off his CD player and tuned to the local radio station. A severe winter storm warning was being issued for the Bloomington area, which included below freezing temperatures and an additional three inches of snow accumulation. All residents were being advised to stay at home, and off the roads, unless it was an emergency.
"I wish we were in a more populated area," Leah said.
"Yeah, me too," Jason said, as he leaned even closer over the steering wheel to try and see the road.
"With these hills and curves, I'm worried we might slide right over the edge, and it could be days before someone would find us," she said.
As they climbed to the top of a hill, their speed dropped to less than fifteen miles an hour, as the Bronco fought for traction on the now ice-covered road. The headlights were casting eerie shadows on the trees.
Jason reached for his cell phone to call his mother and let her know they were all right. "Damn," he said.
"What's wrong?" Leah asked.
"We're right in that area where we lose the signal for a few miles."
"I have no signal either," Leah said, as she put her cell phone back in her purse.
As the Bronco crested the hill and started down, Jason lightly applied the brakes. There was a sign indicating a sharp right turn ahead. Their speed increased as the front wheels locked and began to slide on the ice. As they continued downward toward the curve, the back end of the Bronco began to slide around. Jason fought for control, turning the wheels sharply to the right, but it was no use. The Bronco went sideways through a small guardrail and slid down the embankment. It seemed to happen in a split second. There was the sound of crunching metal and breaking branches as they continued their downward slide. Thankfully, they didn't tumble, but came to rest right side up, fifty feet straight down from the road into a small gully.
The engine stalled, and the head and tail lights were broken.
"Are you all right, aunt Leah?" Jason asked.
"Yes, I think so. I must have bumped my right elbow against the door handle when we hit the guardrail. It's a little sore, but other than that, I think I'm fine. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. It just scared the crap out of me, that's all."
The snow was beginning to accumulate along the side windows. There was a slight chill, but the heater had stopped only a few minutes ago, so it still wasn't uncomfortable.
"So, what do we do now?" Leah asked.
"Well, our cell phones won't work, and we can't stay here all night and freeze to death, so I guess I need to walk and get some help," Jason said.
Leah looked at him with a shocked expression, "You can't go anywhere in this weather. You would freeze to death in less than ten minutes with this wind chill. And besides, I don't see any houses or lights anywhere."
"Then what should we do?" he asked.
"Well, first of all, we need to take stock of our situation and supplies. I have a bottle of water we can share, and two packs of cheese crackers, so we won't starve or die of thirst, but we're going to have to find a way to keep warm."
"Aunt Leah, I'm 21 and healthy. I work out fours days a week, in addition to running three miles every day. I really think if I just start walking now, I'll find either a house, or run into someone to help us soon."
"That's out of the question, Jason. I know you're young and strong, but this kind of weather is dangerous for even the most healthy people. We have to wait here. At least until the storm passes, or someone spots us."
Thirty minutes had passed since the accident, and the interior of the Bronco was getting much colder. The blowing snow had almost completely covered all of the windows. Leah pulled her leather coat tightly around herself and shivered. Jason turned the ignition key but nothing happened.
"Do you have a blanket or an extra coat in here somewhere?" Leah asked.
"No, I wish I did. Mom always told me to take one along in the winter in case I had car trouble, but I never listened."
"And all you have now is that light weight jacket, right?"
"Right"
