April’s Dream

April did not want to be here.

She hadn’t planned on night hiking in the middle of winter, alone.

As she got up this morning, she’d thought she was going to be having a fun Bachelorette party for her best friend, Jada, tonight. She had been planning it for months. But rather than enjoying herself on the weekend getaway in Jamaica, the events of the day led her here.

How unfortunate. I’d rather be in Jada’s hometown in Jamaica.

April breathed in the cold air and coughed. The frost was already beginning to appear on the ground. She shivered. I wonder what time it is.

She grabbed her phone, hoping the battery was miraculously charged, but it was in vain.

April shivered again, thinking back to when the party began this morning at the airport.

~~~

Jennifer and Amy looked like they were ready to take on the world.

“This is going to be the best party ever!” Jennifer yelled, pumping her fists in the chilly air.

“Oh, you know it,” Amy said, hugging herself warmly.

April and Jada exchanged looks.

This is going to be interesting with them here, Jada seemed to say.

If only you knew, April’s response was.

April handed everyone their tickets at the check-in station.

“Uh, April?” Jada softly asked.

“Yeah?” April turned her head to look at her.

“This ticket doesn’t go to Jamaica; it takes us to Canada. Instead of Montego Bay, we’re going to Thunder Bay.”

April’s eyes widened, and she felt her heart drop out of embarrassment. April faintly heard a deep chuckle nearby. She started to feel weak in her legs. She took a step back but lost her balance.

As she fell, she thought about how things normally go wrong at parties. Someone doesn’t show up, food and drinks run out, but the wrong location? That just doesn’t happen.

Then she felt muscular arms wrap around her before she hit the ground. One arm protected her head and neck while the other was looped around her waist. She melted into them, realizing this was only a dream. She doesn’t make mistakes like that, and nobody randomly catches someone like this.

She glanced over to see warm, brown eyes staring back at her.

The man had a sharp nose and looked like he hadn’t shaved for a couple of days. His expression was soft. One corner of his mouth was raised in a small smile.

April couldn’t believe how nice this dream was. She lifted one of her hands and began rubbing it against the scruff on his face.

“What a nice man,” she murmured. “And very handsome too.” She closed her eyes and closed her mouth to kiss him.

“April! What are you doing?” Jada asked in a bewildered voice.

She opened her eyes before their lips touched. The man pulled away from her, his cheeks flushed.

“I guess that’s normal when you save a damsel in distress,” he said in a deep voice and grinned.

April’s cheeks burned. This wasn’t a dream.

“I’ll see you in Thunder Bay, I guess,” he said, then turned and walked away.

To make things worse for April, he was on the same flight. They both had aisle seats, and he stared for what seemed like an eternity to her, but he never said anything. When she finally acknowledged him, he just winked and pulled out a book to read.

When the plane landed, he waved to her and went on his way. She stared at the back of his head to see if he’d ever look back. He didn’t.

“At least you never have to see him again,” Jada said. The girls all giggled, but April felt a little sad at the thought.

The day went on, and they discovered things to replace the party in Jamaica.

Jennifer and Amy decided it would be fun to go on a night hike. April noticed her phone was at 1% but didn’t think it would matter. She was with her friends and could use their phones. She also had a flashlight.

As they hiked, April needed to go to the bathroom. She told them she’d catch up to them after.

When she finished, she pulled out her phone to find it dead. She grabbed her flashlight, but it didn’t work. She checked the batteries and discovered they were missing.

She walked in the direction she thought the path was but couldn’t find it.

Great. I’m lost.

The temperature kept dropping, and she felt nervous. She pulled on her gloves and continued to look for her friends.

April coughed. The cold air was clawing at her throat.

After some more wandering around, she noticed a cabin. There weren’t any lights on, but she figured there might be blankets inside.

She ran for the building. Her cold feet made her trip, and she scraped her face against the tree branches.

She reached the cabin and knocked on the door. No answer. She grabbed the handle and found it was unlocked. She pushed the door open, hoping the owner would forgive her intrusion.

Inside was just as dark as outside, if not darker. Her eyes adjusted, and she observed a bed in the back corner by a small fireplace. It was warm inside the cabin. She went over to the bed and climbed in pulling the covers over her completely.

Soon after, April heard the door open and froze. The lights came on.

Someone’s footsteps walked around the room. They finally came over to the bed and pulled back the cover.

April closed her eyes and screamed. “Please don’t kill me, I’m too young to die!”

She quieted down after a moment and opened her eyes. Staring at her was the man from the airport.

“I guess when you save a damsel in distress, we both realize we can’t live without each other.” He smiled warmly, heat rising in his cheeks.

She grinned. “Your name?”