ABBY was regretting her earlier decision before they were halfway to Ruth’s grandparents’ cottage. It felt like the moment they agreed to keep going, the sky voiced its objection by opening up and emptying out all the snow at the disposal of the heavens. It had been snowing barely an hour and there was no visibility.

It was the snowfall that kept giving back. What fell got caught up in the blowing wind, and swirled around or blew across any remaining signs of asphalt roadway. Abby gripped the steering wheel and squinted to see what was left of any semblance of roadway, signage, or landmarks. There was nothing. Rob tried to help as much as he could, but reiterated more than once that he felt useless riding shotgun, as he could also barely see outside.

In the seat behind Rob, Ruth was less nonchalant about finding the way to the cottage. She opened and reopened the map application on her smartphone, and would either swear out loud when the map didn’t load, or belt out some unreliable declaration that a tree looked familiar, or a bend in the road seemed like they might be close. The truth was, Abby knew deep down that they were lost. The only upside was they were in her SUV, which could maneuver on the snow-covered roads as long as she kept her speed under twenty miles per hour. By the time they had gotten down the narrow mountain roads, she needed to top off her speed at ten miles per hour.

“Want me to try driving now?” John asked from the back.

Abby briefly entertained the thought. “Thanks for volunteering, John. Normally I’d be more than happy to accept an offer like that. With the roads this bad, and as you’ve never driven my car before, it’s probably best if I go the rest of the way.”

“You’re probably right,” he conceded, as Trina nestled in his arms, looking a little more fearful as the storm worsened.

“Okay, guys!” Ruth shouted. “That covered statue we just passed should be the neighbors four doors down from my grandparents’ place. That means you need to slow down even more, Abby. The driveway is coming up.”

“That’s great, Ruth,” Abby answered. “Just let me know when. I’m practically going at zero miles per hour.”

“It’s just past that large tree,” Ruth said ecstatically. “Turn now.”

Abby slowed almost to a full stop, but couldn’t see the ground ahead to navigate. “I don’t know if that’s a driveway, Ruth.”

“I’m positive it is. Just go really slowly into the turn.”

As soon as Abby turned the car, all six of them were jolted forward in their seats, and the SUV came to a sudden stop.

“What was that?” Rob asked, using the automatic button to turn down his passenger side window. It made no difference in visibility, and snow was piling into his lap. He opted to close it up quickly.

“We may have hit something,” Abby announced. “I’ll try reversing.”

She shifted to reverse and slowly hit the gas pedal. They all felt the gutter or whatever she had driven over. Then there was whatever the SUV had bumped into.

“No dice,” she said, shifting to park.

“Maybe John and I can help push it out?” Rob suggested.

“We may need everyone out of the car for that,” she answered. “Rob, can you get the flashlight in the glove compartment? Let’s grab our jackets in the trunk and check first.”

“Good idea,” he agreed.

“I can probably find your coats from back here,” Trina said, turning around and reaching over her seat to look in the packed cargo section. She grabbed the stack of winter jackets and raised them high so they could see.

“Score! Which of these are they?”

“That navy one is mine,” Abby answered.

“And the black parka is mine,” Rob said.

“Hey, leave the car running, okay?” Barb jumped in to give her two cents as the two got dressed.

Abby was surprised she had been this quiet for so long. On their trip home to Reno before Christmas, she had been the most talkative of the lot. She had also been the most self-centered.

“You never know with this cold weather,” Barb continued. “Plus, I’m already freezing back here.”

“Sure thing, Barb,” Abby answered, doing her best to stay positive. “And a good idea, too.”

“And we definitely don’t want you freezing, Barb, especially while we’re here in the middle of nowhere, possibly with dwindling fuel, and lost,” Trina shouted from the back seat. She was clearly annoyed.

“Who asked you anything, Trina?” Barb turned and snapped back.

“Let’s keep it together for now, okay, ladies?” John said calmly. “Everyone’s a little worried. And I know nerves are frayed. But we all need to keep calm and things will work out.”

Trina and Barb seemed to take his advice to heart, albeit reluctantly. Barb returned to her forward-facing position, although not before shooting an evil glance at Trina, who was now looking away from John and out the other window.

“Let’s go, Rob,” Abby said, opening her car door.

They both got out, and Abby walked around to the front passenger side. It was clear as she held up the flashlight that they had hit the side post of a locked, metal driveway barrier. It had been completely covered by snow, so there was no way to know beforehand. The SUV had made contact with the barrier just above the bumper, which had crumpled the hood.

“That’s not a little fender bender, Abby,” Rob said, worried.

“You’re right,” she agreed. “I don’t think we can drive it like this, even if we could reverse and get out.”

“True,” Rob answered. “You know, I’m thinking we should turn the engine off. Could be dangerous, keeping the car running like this.”

“I agree. Let’s also get Ruth to check and see if this is her grandparents’ place.”

“No need. Look here,” he said. He walked up to a partially hidden sign and dusted off the snow. “Shit. It’s Broad Oaks Golf and Country Club. My uncle plays here often. They’re closed for the winter.”

“That’s not good.” Abby scratched her head. “Let’s get back in the car and warm up while we weigh some options. We’ll have to move fast, especially if we can’t keep the engine running for long.”

“Are you gonna break it to them?” he asked as Abby headed back to her side of the car.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Good,” he shouted above the howling snow. “I don’t want to be the target of Barb’s wrath.”

“If it’s not now, it’ll happen eventually,” she teased. “You’re the one who likes her, remember?”

“Touché,” he answered and smiled.

“I can just imagine how much fun you’d have if she liked you back! Just a little food for thought.”

They got back in the car, and turned the heat up. Abby took a deep breath, preparing her message mentally.

“So what gives?” Barb asked.

“Okay, everyone,” Abby started. She turned to the back so she could face them. Giving bad news without eye contact could prove disastrous, in their predicament. “Before I start, let me ask you, Ruth, how far is your grandparent’s cottage from the Broad Oaks Golf and Country Club?”

“At least a good twenty-five minutes’ drive,” she replied, looking confused. “Why?”

Abby looked at Rob, who shook his head in disbelief. They both had grown up on farms; they understood the implications of her answer. They could be at least ten miles away from her family’s place.

“And how many properties do you think are on the way between their place and Broad Oaks?” she continued.

“Seven, maybe eight,” she answered. “But they’re all closer to the cottage than to Broad Oaks. The grounds of that place are massive. But what does that matter? Shouldn’t we be trying to get the SUV unstuck or something?”

Abby returned her focus to the passengers in the back. “We don’t have any good news, guys. First thing is, we’re at the driveway of Broad Oaks Golf and Country Club. Second thing is, the car is really badly damaged. We turned right into the metal entrance barriers. So the front fender and hood are crumpled up, and we don’t think we should keep the engine running for long.”

“What the hell?” Barb reacted first. “You mean we have to walk? Fuck. Serves us right for listening to Ruth.”

“But I was so sure it was around here…” Ruth trailed off, looking out the window as if to recalibrate her bearings.

Trina let out a short whimper and leaned her head on John’s shoulder. “We’re all gonna die of hypothermia. I just know it.”

Panic was swirling and about to rear its head, so Abby knew she had to take control. “Look, I don’t want to scare anyone, but here is the plan we should consider. First, let’s all find our phones and see if one of us can get through to 911.”

One by one, they reached into their pockets or purses, and tried. None of them got a signal.

“No luck,” Rob said, looking back at everyone frantically trying and retrying the phones. “Not that they would be able to do anything. They probably don’t send emergency vehicles out in this, and even if they did, we may not be the only ones who need help.”

“Understood, and we needed to explore the option first,” Abby said calmly. “So what this means is, we need to find shelter somewhere nearby.”

“Can’t we wait until morning and maybe by then we’ll get some help?” Ruth asked.

“We can’t stay in the car, Ruth,” Rob answered. “We can’t keep it running and we can’t stay in it overnight without heat.”

“Let me finish, everyone,” Abby commanded.

Her tone was firm, but respectful. She had practiced that tone when working with patients during her undergraduate nursing clinicals.

“What we’ll do first is put on all the breathable layers of clothes that we have. The layers will keep us dry and warm. We need to cover as much as possible, so if you have extra gloves, scarves, hats, winter boots, anything to cover up, then put them on. Next, we’re better off walking back where we came from. The SUV tire tracks may still be visible, and that will keep us on the road. If anyone searches for us, they’ll probably be coming from that direction too. We had passed the Lake Tahoe main access road about a half mile back. There’s got to be some people or accessible cottages there. Last thing. We need to stick together. So we need to all agree to this one plan to make it through until we get help. Is everyone with me?”

Everyone nodded at various levels of enthusiasm. That was enough for Abby, so she turned to Rob.

“It’s good you brought some of your moving boxes, after all. Check them to see what else you have that we can use. Extra clothes, blankets, camping gear, lighters, food, water, anything we can use for heat or emergency shelter tonight, and to keep from starving or getting too dehydrated.”

“Good idea,” Rob agreed.

“And if anyone has food in your bags or purses,” Abby continued. “let’s take that with us.”

“I’ll help you, Rob,” John said. “Ruth, let me out from your side, please.”

“Wait,” Abby continued. “Rob, you and John will need to unload all the boxes. My dad put some emergency supplies in the wheel well under the cargo area. They will come in handy. Trina, come sit up front or beside Ruth. That way those boxes and luggage can go in the back seat. It’ll save Rob and John from having to repack everything.”

The ladies quietly searched through their bags passed forward from the back, and began dressing in what they could find. The tone was somber, but as they all had something to do, they seemed more focused and calm. Eventually, they were all cladded in layers upon layers of clothes and winter gear, and the men had emptied a large backpack and a gym bag to put in all the camping items, food, and tools that might help if they needed to sleep outside.

When it was time to go, Abby made them load up in the SUV to warm up one more time.

“Are you sure the snow plows won’t pass here soon?” Ruth asked.

Rob answered her this time. “We’ve been stuck here for at least twenty minutes, and drove through the snow for over an hour. Not one vehicle, police car, or plow. We’ve got to go with Abby’s plan, Ruth.”

“Okay, let’s go, everyone,” Abby called out as Rob turned off the engine for the last time. She pressed on the car horn and kept her hand fixed on it for almost a minute.

“Why’d you do that?” Barb asked, holding her hand to her ears to block out the sound.

“If anyone lives around here, they may hear it and come looking for us. That reminds me. Rob, there’s a whistle in the glove box. Let’s take it with us.”

With that, they left the warm SUV and headed into the bitter cold of the blizzard.

* * *

“Ouch!” Abby exclaimed, about ninety minutes into their walk. By then, they were all exhausted, near frozen, and beginning to get hungry. Abby was right. The main road to access Lake Tahoe was less than a mile back; however it had taken them an hour to get to it. As they turned onto the main road, the wrath of the storm worsened. The road elevation descended slowly and that was to be expected—they were getting closer to the lake. Walking through the driving, blinding, lake-effects snow, however, had slowed them down and worn them out. It didn’t help that the intermittent blowing of the whistle had not garnered any attention. And now this.

“What’s the matter?” Rob asked.

He came from behind to Abby’s side. She was doubled over, holding on to her ankle. He pointed the flashlight down at it. The rest of them stopped as well when they noticed the flashlight wasn’t pointed forward.

“I think I just twisted my ankle,” she groaned. She was the only one without winter or hiking boots, so she had to settle for the sneakers she had been wearing.

“I can’t see much,” Rob called out.

“We can’t stop here, guys,” John shouted. “It’s too forested on both sides of the road. Rob, I’ll take your backpack. You can help her walk.”

Ruth walked around to her other side and helped. This was bound to slow them down even more.

Could it get any worse?

Abby dug deep to hold on to the last remaining strand of faith she had left.