The next morning, the brilliant blue sky had vanished.
William stood by the massive window, a mug of coffee in his hand, frowning at the horizon. The peaks were no longer visible; a thick, grey wall of clouds was descending rapidly, swallowing the mountains whole.
The television in the corner, usually tuned to music, flashed a weather warning: *SEVERE WINTER STORM ADVISORY. HEAVY SNOWFALL AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS EXPECTED.*
“Is everything okay?” Victoria asked, walking in with Leo.
“The weather is turning,” William said, his voice dropping an octave. The instincts of the “Protector” flickered back to life. “The pilot says the helicopter can’t fly in this visibility. And the pass road might get blocked if it snows too hard.”
“We have plenty of food,” Victoria said, bouncing Leo. “We can just stay inside and keep the fire going. It’ll be cozy.”
William nodded, but he didn’t move away from the window. The snow began to fall–not the gentle flakes from their arrival, but heavy, wet sheets that obscured the world. The silence of the mountain, which had felt peaceful yesterday, now felt heavy. Oppressive.
“We stay inside,” William commanded softly, watching the whiteout begin. “Until it passes.”