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By C.A. Keith
For a few days the weather held at -25 Celsius with the wind-chill. Icicles formed inside the nostrils and it clung together with each inhalation. Sammy’s dog was driving her crazy. Sammy checked the outdoor thermometer, it was -10. The dog was going squirrelly. She hadn’t taken her for a walk for a few days due to the frigid temperatures. The dog wanted to go but Sammy preferred sitting in front of her gas fireplace nestled in blankets. Sammy had a fenced in yard so her dog still got to run around. She was a winter dog. Double winter fur coat, and dry as a bone when Lucy came inside. It was too damn cold to walk about. So on with the hoodie, fuzzy mitts, fur-lined boots, floppy hat, scarf tucked up under the neck, and down coat.
Sammy opened the door and the wind bit angrily at her cheeks. As she blinked, her eyelids watered and froze in seconds. It was a bad sign. Winter— mother nature’s evil prank. Sammy opened the car door and Lucy jumped eagerly atop the blanket in the backseat of the car. Sammy slid into her car seat. The leather seat sending goosebumps up her spine. The key cranked, clicked a few times, then sparked. Even her car knew better than to brave the elements. Sammy turned the defrost on high and tried to thaw her eyelids.
The trunk opened with a heave and she pulled out the scraper brush. Scrape, scrape, scrape. Her arms firmly held the scraper and pushed heavily against the windows to take the inch-thick layer off her windscreen. It was warmer than the other day because the wind wasn’t as biting. Still it nipped at any visible skin. After a few minutes, she managed to scrape all the ice away and tucked herself back in the warmed-up car.
Her Bernese Mountain Dog—Lucy, with all her layers of fur, didn’t mind the weather one bit. She would lie in the snow bank and roll around. Summertime she curled up near the air conditioning vent.
Sammy drove down the street to the park. Not a vehicle to be seen in the car park. No one else was crazy enough to go out today. She walked this path nearly every day; rain or shine. When it was really hot, they went early in the morning and before dusk. It was an early Sunday morning, so if the weather didn’t put people off, it was certainly the ‘I think I’d like to lie in for a bit,’ likely did.
The snow crackled under foot. In places, it went half way up her knee high furry boots. She trudged through, as did Lucy. Lucy’s big paws thudded with each step. Her nose poked holes in the untouched snow. They trudged through the baseball diamond and up the escarpment. The tree lined escarpment caught most of the snow. It was a lot easier to walk through.
The dog sniffed and darted from one scent to the next. Lucy darted up the hill, tail a wagging. Sammy hung from tree to tree to follow behind her furry friend. His impatient barks encouraged Sammy to hurry along. Sammy turned to look behind her. She could see the vast field and her car in the distance. She had struggled to get close to the top of the escarpment. Coming down wasn’t going to be easy.
“Come on Lucy. Lucy, come!” Sammy yelled.
Sammy did not want to venture any further. The ground was icier as she descended. She clung to each tree and inched her way back down the steep hill. Lucy turned to follow. Her dog loved the woodsy terrain. Lucy pranced proudly down the hill. Sammy’s heart raced as she hugged each tree. She could feel each beat as it contracted against her rib cage. Her left foot slipped and she steadied herself as her legs split apart.
“Ouch!” Her inner thighs didn’t like the stretch as her legs pulled away from each other.
Lucy’s head cocked to one side as her ears perked up to listen for a command. Sammy painfully pulled her legs together. Sammy’s arms wrapped tightly around the tree trunk. She took a deep breath and lunged for the next tree branch; steadied herself and planned her next foot placement. She slid to the next tree branch as Lucy plodded down the hill a little further and turned to look for approval to go further down the slick hill. The snow wet the leaves that scattered across the forested floor. The freezing rain and snow blanketed the leaves so it was hard to tell if the next step would be that of ice or wet snow. Sammy reached for the next branch. It wasn’t a thick branch but it would be the closest tree that she might be able to grasp onto. The thin twig broke as she grabbed onto it. Her feet slid from underneath her as she desperately tried to grab onto anything in her path that would stop her. She somersaulted and turned as her arm rolled underneath her. Sammy heard the crack of her wrist and a pop of her shoulder as she stopped hard against a three foot around pine tree.
Lucy ran to Sammy when her screams were heard. She licked and looked for a sign that her mum was OK.
“I’m Ok. It’s OK, Lucy. I’m OK,” she said weakly.
She was wedged against the pine and a huge boulder. She didn’t notice it beforehand because it was off the pathway up the hill. The boulder was covered in moss and snow-covered leaves imbedded in the incline of the escarpment. Sammy tried to steady herself to a sitting position. She held her shoulder tight against her ribcage. She tried to move it and the pain seared through her shoulder joint. She likely dislocated it. Sammy could see the bump and instant swelling at the base of her wrist, likely broken, maybe sprained. The bluish tinge indicated that she was not going to be happy later. She covered it with cold leaves. She recalled in first aid training that ice was her friend. She took her scarf and tied her arm tightly in a L shape against her chest; using her other hand and her teeth.
She wouldn’t have far to walk now as she tumbled a bit down the hill. She was annoyed that she left her cell phone in the car. That was not helpful now. Only a ten-minute walk; she could do it. Lucy was not moving from her side. Sammy decided it was best to keep still for a few minutes until she was steadier. Any further tumbles and she would cause serious damage to her shoulder. She looked across the field and not a soul stirred. Her arm was stable and she wasn’t dizzy. She had to breathe deeply and calm herself so her body wouldn’t sense danger.
Lucy’s nose lifted high and sniffed out a scent. The dog came around to the front of boulder and frantically started digging.
“What you smell girl? Go get it!” Sammy said to keep the dog from being worried about her. The dog dug fast and her nose would come up full of dirt and rotted leaves. Lucy looked up at Sammy and barked. She looked at the hole and barked furiously. She dug a bit more. Sammy inched down on her bum, around the boulder to see what Lucy was barking at. Maybe she found an old ball or a dead squirrel. Who knew? Lucy was a digger all right. She could sniff out a bone she dug into the ground the summer before. Sammy laughed to herself.
“What did you find Lucy? What is it Lucy?”
Sammy stopped before the dog. Arm tightly against her chest. The dog looked up at her with fresh dirt covering her nose. Then she looked and sniffed at the hole. Sammy leaned in a little closer and used her other hand to brush away the dirt of the huge long hole Lucy had unearthed. A pile of freshly dug dirt blanketed the snow-covered forest. Sammy jumped back and let out a loud screech. Her heart pounded with adrenaline that pumped feverishly though her veins. She felt no pain, as pain endorphins pulsed through her veins. She moved in closer again. Lucy’s tail wagged proudly after unearthing something. She sat up tall with tongue panting. Sammy scratched her head to reward her.
“Good girl, good girl Lucy!” Sammy sat there with disbelief. She leaned in again to look at what was before her. She saw the blueish white hue of an unearthed hand. Sammy reached forward to brush the dirt away. She sat up on her knees and used her one hand to brush away more dirt in the pile. She moved further along and kept brushing away the dirt. There she uncovered the dirt covered face of a young girl with long hair. The cold snow likely kept the composure of the girl’s body as it didn’t show immediate signs of decomposition.
“Poor girl. Oh my God. Poor girl,” Sammy cried and saw brown stains that she assumed was blood. “Come on girl. Lucy come!” Sammy sniffed. Sammy inched herself down the rest of the hill on her bum. They got to the bottom of the hill and Sammy walked quickly. They got to the car. “Up Lucy!” and Lucy jumped up happily to the back seat of the car.
Sammy turned on the car and pulled off her hat. She picked up her phone and dialled for emergency.
“State your emergency?” said the operator.
“I’m at the Pinetree Trail on Fourth Street in Walkersville. Hurry please. I was walking my dog up the escarpment and fell down the hill and I think I broke my wrist and hurt my shoulder and I rolled down the hill and I tied my shoulder close to my chest and then my dog started digging and she was barking and made a big hole and she kept digging and...” Sammy said without breath as her heart pounded through her shirt.
“Slow down. Can I get your name please?” the operator asked.
“My name is Sammy Silverstein. I live on Broad Street and took my dog Lucy out for a walk. I’m in my car with Lucy. But I have my car on. I’m freezing.”
“Your dog seems brave. What kind of dog is she?” The operator randomly asked questions to Sammy. She was trying to distract her. Her training taught her to recognize the symptoms of shock. The paramedics would be arriving in a few minutes. She had to keep her talking so she wouldn’t pass out. Shock was a funny thing. Most people figured that only serious injuries would cause shock. With the combination of injury and witnessing a stressful event, Sammy would be at high risk.
“Put a coat on. It’s too cold outside. Where’s your hat? You could get frost bite. Go home. It’s too scary. Someone’s hurt up there. Where’s your parents.”
“Hi. I’m Sarah.”
“Where’s your coat? It’s cold outside.” Mary stood beside the little girl. She was wearing tights and a long jumper. Her running shoes were covered in mud. She had no winter coat, hat, mittens or boots.
“I’m ok. Can you tell my mom I’m sorry for worrying her?”
“Why would she be worried?”
“Cause I’m late coming home.” Sarah had tears running down her face. Worry lines creased her brow.
“Well, hurry home now. Maybe you won’t be too late.”
“Can you see me? I’m so glad you found me. I was lost.” The little girl looked around, as if searching for something. “My dog, Candy, ran home already. Now I’m on my own.”
“You want me to walk you home?” Mary reached for the little girl’s hand. She was cold. Sammy took off her mittens and handed them to the little girl. She took off her winter coat and pulled her hoodie off. She zipped back up her coat and helped the little girl to put on her oversized pink hoodie. Mary took her hand. They walked on a path that was stomped flatter so the little girl’s feet wouldn’t be too cold. When they walked out of the woods, they turned into a path that led to a street near the escarpment.
“This is my house. Thanks for walking with me. I was a bit scared to be walking by myself.” Sarah smiled widely. She looked up at the sun. “I have to go now. It’s time. I see my Nanny. She is there. Hi, Nanny Grace. Can you see her? She’s with Great Granddad Bill.”
Sammy waved at the couple holding hands by the gate at door number 11. They were likely relieved that Sarah was home. They were smiling. The little girl ran to them.
“You have to go. You can’t come. It’s not your time. Lucy needs you. She’s waiting at the car. You have to go now. Tell my Mom and Dad that I’m with Nanny. I’m ok now. Thank you, Sammy!”
Sammy felt a thud and a heavy weight on her shoulder. Lights were shining around her. She couldn’t hear anything. She saw two people overtop her.
“Where’s Lucy.”
“Everything’s fine, Sammy. Lucy is over there. Everything is fine. Keep breathing. Can you do that for me. That’s right slow breaths.” Paramedics had to work quick. She was in and out of consciousness. They placed her on the table and pushed her into the ambulance.
“Sammy. Can you hear me? You are at the West Memorial Hospital. Do you know why you’re here? We had to reset your shoulder and cast your arm. You needed stitches to close a wound on your head. Sammy. Wake up. It’s time to wake up now. You gave us quiet a fright young lady. Lucy is OK. Your Mom is down watching her.”
“Where’s Sarah? Is she OK?”
“Glad you’re back. You gave us a fright. We will call your Mom to let her know you are awake. You’ve been in and out for a week. Who’s Sarah?”
“I saw her at the park with Lucy. I walked her home. I lent her my mittens and hoodie. She shouldn’t have been walking without a coat.”
“You’ve been here for a week Sammy. You must’ve been dreaming. I’m glad you are OK. Would you like a little water?” The nurse helped Sammy sit up and have a sip of water.
Slowly Sammy started improving. After a few days she went home. Her Mom and Dad would take turns helping her. Dislocated left arm and broken right wrist made for a slower healing time.
Sammy went through that day in her mind several times. Most of that day was a blur. The police and paramedics came to take her to the hospital. She remembered lights and she remembered someone taking her keys and Lucy back to her house. She then woke up in the hospital. She must’ve gone into shock when the paramedics arrived. Sammy had dislocated her shoulder, broke her wrist and had several scrapes and scratches. Her body went into shock and she fainted. In and out of consciousness, she saw lights and people talking to her, felt someone anchoring her shoulder and wrapping her tight. It was all one long blur. It seemed like she was watching herself. She heard nothing. The silence was unnerving.
A few days after she was settled back at her house, the police came to thank her for her information. The police called her mother to come to mind the dog. She didn’t even remember telling the police all the information. They had dug up the remains of a ten-year-old girl that had gone missing a year ago. Her name was Sarah Whitestone. She was wandering with her dog along the escarpment and must’ve slipped. If Sammy hadn’t fallen that day, she might not have been found. The leaves and mud and snow covered her body. No one thought to look at the escarpment. They assumed the little girl walked towards the lake where she always walked with the dog. It was surprising she’d not been found before. But as the leaves fell, her body covered. As she tumbled down the hill, her body covered in mud. She must’ve hit a rock pretty hard; likely the same boulder as Sammy had. They worried when the dog came home and the little girl was not with her. There was a ground search for months but there were no leads so the investigation was tabled.
The Police wanted more information about finding the body. Sammy told the Police that her dog was digging near where she fell and hit her head. They wanted to know what she was wearing the day of the accident. They wanted to know every detail. Sammy described her winter coat, boots and hat. The officer wanted more information about her mittens.
“I was wearing blue mittens and a floppy hat. And my black winter boots. I think I was wearing my pink hoodie and blue tee shirt.”
The officer stopped her and pulled the hoodie and mittens out of the bag. “Is this yours?”
“Yes, that’s mine. I lent it to Sarah. She was freezing. She wasn’t even wearing a coat. So, I walked her home. She says to tell her parents that she’s with Nanny Grace and great Granddad Bill. She said I had to go back to Lucy cause she was waiting for me at the car. That’s all I remember.”
The Policeman paled and his mouth dropped. He told Sammy that they found the little girl with mittens and a hoodie wrapped around her. “You didn’t walk her home love. You found her body and wrapped her up. Then made it back to your car and called us. You must’ve been in shock.” The officer finished up and left.
A few days later, there was a knock on the door. Her Mother answered the door and guided the couple to the living room.
“Hi, my name is Sharon and this is my husband Nairn. I want to thank you for finding our little girl.” The mother was pale and voice shaky when she spoke. She reached out for Sammy’s hand. “Thank you.”
“Who is Nanny Grace and Granddad Bill?” Sammy wanted answers. She knew she couldn’t have been dreaming. It felt so real. She watched as the lady holding her hand retracted and gasped.
“Why do you ask?” She murmured.
“Everyone keeps saying I was dreaming. But I saw Sarah. She was only wearing tights and a jumper. Her shoes were covered in mud. She looked cold so I lent her my pink hoodie and mittens. She asked if I could walk her home because she was late and was worried you guys would be mad at her for being late.” Her parents listened intently as Sammy retold the day that she found their little girl. Sammy continued, “We walked along the escarpment brow for a couple of minutes. We came upon this opening with a little path. We went left on this street then took a right. We stopped at house number 11 cause Sarah said that’s where she lived.”
White faced, they sat motionless. “That’s our house. Did someone tell you where we lived?” They sat in disbelief.
“No. I swear Sarah took me there. I thought I was walking with her. Then there was a white short fence in front on the house and a little gate. Inside the gate were an older couple. Sarah said she was fine. She was with her Nanny Grace and Granddad Bill. Nanny had greyish hair up in a tight bun. She was wearing a grey long coat. It went down below her knees. She had white gloves on. A white leathery kinda purse hung on her arm. Granddad Bill had dark slicked hair with a nice black suit and white shirt. I don’t know why but he was holding a black book and a pen was on his ear. They were so happy to see Sarah. She ran to them. Then they waved to me and told me I had to go back cause my dog Lucy was waiting for me.” Sammy paused. She looked from Sharon to Nairn.
Tears rolled down their face. They sobbed. They took Sammy’s hand, weakly smiling. They showed Sammy a picture of Sarah. Sammy knew that was who she saw that day. “Thank you. Grace and Bill are my parents. They passed away when Sarah was about two. They were in a car accident. They doted on Sarah. I know you must’ve seen them. My Dad always had a pen on his ear to jot things down in his little black book. He dabbled with writing as a hobby. My Mom always carried her little white purse around. She often wore her silky white gloves. It makes me happy that our little girl was found. We always wondered what happened to her. It looks like she slipped and fell. I wish we could have found her sooner. Luckily, she’s safely with my parents until we are joined again.”
Sammy felt bad that the little girl didn’t make it back home like she did. However, she was glad that her family would be able to rest knowing what happened to their little bouncy happy girl.
A tear trickled down Sammy’s face. It was bitter sweet. As winter passed, spring flowers popped up. Sammy and Lucy went back to the escarpment often. She planted little mums and wildflowers around the boulder. The area was altered slightly to allow for the proper excavation of the little girl. Lucy often sat near the boulder. She too, must’ve known that Sarah was safe and was finally at peace.
