| SNOW STORM |
| �Are we there yet?� Little Harmony Urbanic whined, not enjoying the long and boring car trip from Caribou to Williamsborough, Maine. Although, to a hyper seven-year-old, any car trip over half an hour was long and boring. Her father, Greg, who was driving, turned his head slightly to answer his daughter. �Not yet. Two hours or so, maybe.� Harmony snickered and whined again, aware of just how long that was. She couldn�t bear the thought of being cooped up inside the truck for that much longer. To make matters even worse, she was sandwiched between her parents, leaving her no room to stretch her restless legs. �I�m hungry.� �You want the other half of your hamburger?� Elizabeth, her mother, inquired. Harmony shook her head. �Nugh. Got any candy?� �Yeah, I got...� Elizabeth reached down to retrieve a tiny cooler that she had tucked away in front of her seat on the floor. She brought it to her lap and opened the lid. Trying to fish through the bags inside, she didn�t have enough light to see which was which. �Could you turn the light on for a second, Greg?� Greg reached above and flipped a switch which turned the inside light on. �There ya go, hon.� �Thanks.� Now, with the light, she was able to distinguish between the different bags and found the one she was searching for. �We got...,� she said as she was untying the bag and pulling its contents out, �cherry licorice, or... fireballs.� Yet again, Harmony whined, but to herself this time. She didn�t particularly like either. She despised the fireballs because they burned her tongue. They were okay once the red coating got washed off, but she�d have no way to do that now. �Ummm.... licorice, I guess.� Elizabeth pulled a strip out and handed it to her daughter. Then, she closed the bag and cooler and placed it back on the floor. Greg flipped the light switch and the darkness from outside the window once again surrounded them. ~~~~~ A little over six months ago, Elizabeth and a few of her close peers received their dental licenses after having graduated from their courses and completed their internships. Knowing ahead of time that they wanted to open up their own practice, each agreed on a location that was acceptable for all. They decided on Bangor, Maine, since it was a rather busy city and they figured it would be best for business opportunities. Over the next six months, they arranged to rent a building and to procure a loan to purchase all the equipment necessary to begin. After doing so, the final and most difficult step was moving family along with them. As they made trips to Bangor to work out the business plans, each found apartments or condos where they could reside. Once all arrangements were made, it was time to leave and head for a new home. For the Ubanics, moving was a bit more difficult. They lived in Caribou, Maine, and were a great distance further from Bangor than the other families. The worst part about it was that they had to take their truck with them and therefore could not fly to Bangor. It would be a long trip that they would not look forward to. The only positive factor with this move was that Greg wasn�t so attached to his job that he couldn�t pick up and go. He was a delivery man for Express Package, a company which basically delivered for local retail stores. He felt no major loss for having to leave them. At his wage, he could start anew almost anywhere. There was only one last thing Elizabeth needed to do before they could leave their Caribou residence for good. She was reading the newspaper one morning and was flipping through the classifides and noticed that there was a retired dentist that was selling some of his old equipment. There was still some supplies that she needed to furnish on her end before she and her associates could open up their practice. Elizabeth contacted this retiree and he did have some of the equipment she was looking for. So, the day before they were going to leave for Bangor, the Urbanics grabbed a map and headed West to find a town called Williamsborough to obtain the items Elizabeth needed. Williamsborough was a rather small town in North-West Maine, hidden away through a dense jungle of pine trees. There was only one road that led to it. Hollow�s Run ran straight and untouched by any other main road for over fifty miles. Along its narrow and winding path were two other quaint towns: Bigsby and Vagrant�s Hideaway. On the particular map that Greg picked up before heading out, these two towns weren�t even mentioned. It would be a long trip to and back again from Williamsborough. ~~~~~ Between the darkness provided by the dense forest around them and the fury of the blizzard, Gregory could hardly see where he was going. It wasn�t that late in the evening being only a bit after 6:00, but the sun had disappeared and left the desolate road in blackness. He drove cautiously, not wanting to endanger his family. As he drove, he came upon a sign. �Bigsby -- 10 miles� He had studied the map before he left. It mentioned nothing of Bigsby. �Anyone gotta go to the bathroom or anything?� Greg asked just in case either of them had to go, even though he didn�t feel any urge at all. �No� and �nope,� Elizabeth and Harmony responded respectively. So, as the exit to Bigsby came, the truck just kept on going. As they passed by, a car turned onto the road, the first vehicle they had seen since being on this road. It turned in the opposite direction, though. And for a brief moment, there were a few street lights, but they ended as abruptly as they had started. The Urbanics� trip was destined to be cold, dark, and lonely. ~~~~~ �Oh, you should see Mary-Ann and Joseph�s place. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a game room, and outdoor patio with a hot tub. The place is gorgeous,� Elizabeth exclaimed, describing to her husband what kind of place one of her peers had rented out. �And it�s just right around the corner from our building. �Bout a five minute walk. It�s lovely.� She sighed and there was a brief moment of silence. Greg looked over at her. �Will you tell me the truth? You not happy with the place we picked out?� He knew her well enough to know when she wasn�t completely satisfied with a choice that she had made. She had sworn to him again and again that the apartment was good enough, but she wasn�t being honest. She just wouldn�t admit it. And the only reason why it wasn�t good enough was because it was not �home.� She was extremely attached to their house. It was where she was raised. After her adoptive parents died in the car accident, she had inherited the estate. Having been orphaned at such a young age, that was the only place she knew she could return to safely. It was more devastating than she�d ever let on. �No, Greg, it�s fine. It�s.... new. It�s.... our home now,� Elizabeth responded, turning her head toward the window while saying it. Greg glanced over at her a few times while sharing his concentration with the dangerous road. Another silence stabbed into the air. He didn�t like the fact that she was repressing her true emotions, but she was simply trying to move on in her own way. And he had to let her. Continuing along without conversation, Greg saw another sign. �Vagrant�s Hideaway -- 1 Mile� Another unmarked town. Just as he was passing by it, the sound of the engine faded. Greg was the only one who seemed to notice. Slowly, the truck decreased in speed. Greg pumped the gas pedal and realized that it wasn�t responding. Eventually the vehicle slowed down enough for Elizabeth to notice. She looked up and peered through the windshield. The trees passed by them very slowly now. She glanced over at her husband, who was just as puzzled as she. Greg applied the brakes and brought the truck to a stop and put it into park. Harmony looked up at him. �We there?� she questioned. �No, we�re not.� Trying to get the vehicle up and running again, he toggled the ignition switch. Nothing. �What�s wrong, Daddy?� little Harmony asked. She knew naught of auto malfunctions but she did of disruption of normalcy. �The truck won�t start, honey.� �What�s wrong with it?� �Not sure.� Greg attempted to start it again but nothing happened. Reaching down, he pulled the latch to release the hood. �I�m gonna go check under the hood. Just stay right here.� The inspection concluded with no palpable results. He had no idea what could�ve been wrong. So, he shut the hood and reentered the truck and tried the ignition, but to no avail. �Well, I don�t know what�s wrong,� Greg announced. �Just great. What are we going to do now?� Elizabeth asked. �Nothing we can do �cept go and get some help.� �We have to walk in this weather?� �I know but what else are we gonna do, Liz? Wait for the next person to pass by? We�ve only seen one car since we got on this road and they went the other way. Vagrant�s Hideaway. 1 mile the sign said. We�re gonna have to try and make it.� Greg took the keys out of the ignition and shut off the headlights. He reached into the backseat and grabbed their coats. �Probably be best if we all go. Could be a while before anyone can get back to tow it off the road.� Putting their coats and gloves on, the Urbanics bundled up to face the wrath of the blizzard outside. Greg retrieved a flashlight from the glove compartment. �Here. Why don�t you take the flashlight? I�ll carry Harmony.� �Okay.� Greg handed the flashlight to his wife. �Come here, Harmony. Give you a piggy back ride.� He knelt down so she could climb onto his back. She got on and he stood up. He held onto her legs to keep a grip on her. She wrapped her arms firmly around his neck. Then, the trio began their trek down the snowy road. A mile was a rather lengthy journey to take in this type of weather. It certainly was not without taking its toll on Gregory. He hadn�t walked for even ten minutes before tiring out. �Daddy�s getting tired, honey. Think you can walk?� Gregory asked her. �Sure, Daddy.� Gregory crouched down and let Harmony climb off. He stood up. �Here. Hold my hand, darlin'.� Together, they walked alongside Elizabeth, who shone the light up ahead. It was eerily silent all around. There were no noises save the wind and the crunching of snow beneath their heavy boots. As their trip went on, the flashlight began to dim; the batteries were nearly depleted. The flashlight had been resting in the glove compartment for quite some time. Elizabeth shook it as a natural response to try to bring the light back to full capacity. That did nothing. Another minute went by and then it fully expired. Elizabeth stopped. �Oh shoot,� she said. Then, she unscrewed the end and slid the batteries out and put them back in. She flipped the power switch off then back on again. Still nothing. �So much for our light.� "Oh well. We�ll make it. It can�t be much farther. Least we've got the moonlight." So, without the security that the light had offered, they continued their way along the hauntingly dark and still road. The trees on either side of the road cast daunting shadows. Had it not been for the moon light reflecting off the snow-covered ground, it might have been impossible for them to see which direction they were going. The harsh wind cut through their winter attire, making them yearn for home, where they could sit by the roaring fireplace, drinking hot cocoa. Greg could feel his face going numb. He wondered if his decision to bring his family along was the right one, but the alternative wasn�t much more appealing. Slowly, the truck would�ve gotten cold inside. And if a tow truck couldn�t have come right away, they would have been stranded there for quite a while. Either way, it was an inconvenience. �How you holding up, Harm?� Greg asked, concerned for his daughter. Children usually had a lower threshold for discomfort, physically and mentally. �Just fine. I love snow,� she responded with enthusiasm, skipping alongside her father. Of course she had the thickest gloves and coat of them all. And with her hood drawn snugly over her head, she could barely feel the coldness at all. She, also, just loved winter, as most kids do. Kids don�t have to worry about such �trivial� matters like scraping a build-up of ice off of a windshield or wearing themselves out from spending an hour shoveling the driveway. Yes, to them, it was the season of snowball-throwing fun - a time when being a little bit cold wasn�t a burden. �Well that�s good,� Greg said, happy that at least she wasn�t suffering any. This road was narrower and the pine trees on both sides seemed more overbearing, but the light coming from the town up ahead illuminated their way better. As they progressed further, a wooden sign greeted them. �Welcome to Vagrant�s Hideaway Population 481" �Small town indeed,� Greg said. �I�d say,� Elizabeth added. �Hope they have a towing service here.� At that, Greg, too, worried that they may not, but then it occurred to him, �Well, if they don�t, I�m sure we can call one from Bigsby or something.� �Yeah, I hope so.� Walking past the sign, they came to an edge of the trees. The forest cleared away from the road and made a huge circle around the entire town. It was obvious that the entire area used to be all forest until it was cleared out just for the town. It was as if the town were tucked away from the main traffic of life. That touch alone made Vagrant�s Hideaway a suitable name. From where they were, the Urbanics could see most of it. The connecting road between the residential area and the entrance was rather long and went downhill. It supplied a marvelous overview. Elizabeth studied the scene. �Looks rather quiet, don�t ya think?� Greg pondered the situation. He couldn�t see a single car or person moving about in the distance. �Hmm... yeah. That�s odd. But... maybe with this weather, it�s keeping everyone indoors.� They stood a moment, simply beholding the scene. An ominous presence emanated from across the way. Suddenly, the wind ceased, leaving a silence hanging in the air. Serenity lasted only a few seconds, though, and the blizzard�s fury returned. �That was weird,� Elizabeth noted. �Yeah...� Greg scratched the back of his head. Something didn�t seem right. Something was different here. Little Harmony, not sensing what her parents were, blatantly announced, �I gotta go to the bathroom.� Greg chuckled, putting away all uneasiness. �Alright. Let�s go find you a restroom.� |