The Last Wizard: Case Files (10 page)

FIVE
Jordan

   This night wasn't a night of fairy tails, it was a night of power and illusion. It was the night I danced with the devil.

     Taking a puff from my cancer stick, I released a phantasm in the air that twisted with the winds before disappearing into the night sky. The stars were out in full force tonight, always feeling out of reach, they shimmered along with the echoes of the northern lights. Something so beautiful, yet ignored by this small Albertan city hunkered down on the side of a snowy mountain for the winter, once it becomes a daily pleasure; I guess it loses its sustenance.

 
Bill, my superintendent, stood beside me shivering uncontrollably, "Godammit man, where is she?" He said commandeering my stare. Surveying his posture, a slouch as always, noticing me he quietly returned to his cigarette.

   Bill wasn't especially bright. Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly dislike the guy, but if you're standing in minus thirty degrees weather with your jacket unzipped... Well, you see where I'm headed. Although, I can't totally fault the man, he's a Brit. They're not accustomed to the Albertan cold - the one that lasts six months of the year. Transferring out here only three months ago he should still be adjusting, and by the looks of it, he tends to need adjusting frequently.

  We stood outside waiting the delivery of one lone survivor of an avalanche that happened nearly two weeks ago, god knows how she survived. It was a definite surprise, since we pegged them all dead already, case closed. I'll never understand why these young men and women put themselves in such extreme conditions for an adrenaline rush, to be frank, it’s stupid.

  
"I'm going back in, call me when they fucking get here."
   "Yessir!"

   Falling into my chair, I could feel the ice melt in my pours, my skin finally able to breathe. I try to conjure my memories of my last vacation with my wife, ahh, Bora Bora it was, that sweet white sandy paradise. Sitting in the hutted restaurant on a blissful Sunday morning overlooking the beach, I had an all American breakfast, eggs, bacon and bread. Oh, that bacon... there is nothing better than pig lining my insides.

   Crashing through my office door, ripping the beach from my grasp, Bill came in and dumped a bag onto my desk. I could hear as the contents spill onto the desk, some landing upon my lap. Oh how I wish I can stay in this dream.

   I could hear the air being sucked in by the skin of his teeth, "Uh, sorry, she's arrived. I placed her in the interrogation room." He said, trying to gather the pieces.

   Waning back to reality, my gaze was fixated on a small black book. Must have fell from the bag, a journal or diary, I would guess. Reaching forward, I lifted it off the desk. It was small enough to fit into the palm of my hands, the weak, feather-like pages trickled against my numb fingertips. Words and drawings scoured the pages of the book, some written on the lines with order, others drawn across multiple pages. If I were to guess, this was a glimpse of the inner workings of a woman's mind.

   The pages began to wrinkle, showing the roughness of its words towards the end. That is, until the last entry made me forget about the cold sweat that scaled my face. The color of the ink grabbed me by the collar, the dark red scrubbed onto my thumb as I brushed it.

   It was definitely blood. Sprawling onto the page, it read:

   "Yes, we did it. We killed them all."

   The redness of the words seared into my vision, and followed my gaze around the room, similar to how the sun would make its mark on your vision.

   Bill was mostly silent on the way to the debriefing room, carrying an awkward smile. Walking along the narrow brown hallway, Debra, was hard at work on the phones. I believe she had the worst job here. She was responsible for filtering the crap from the actual crimes that happened in this city. You wouldn't believe some of the obnoxious calls we got. One occasion, a caller claimed that a certain fast food restaurant gave them five chicken nuggets instead of eight. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

   Once we arrived at the room, Bill barged in without care, he plopped down into the farthest chair in the room. I was still at the door when he started; "Ello miss, my name is Bill, and this 'ere is the Captain."

   The girl shook with fear from his overzealous voice, shriveling like a snail approaching salt. Her fists clenched, and withdrew into her chest guarding herself. Leaning forward against the small metal desk, her dirty blond hair ran over her face. That was when I managed to get a glimpse of the deep blue eyes staring at me from under her haven. Her eyes surveyed more than it should for a young person, it reminded me of a wolf I encountered a few years ago while hunting. Dug into the snow, we came across each other on route to our game. Staring me in the eye, we both waited, wondering what we had to do to dine that night.

   The ticking of the clock echoed the loudest in the room as we waited for the next move. Bill was back in his chair wrestling with god knows what in his nose, I tried to ignore him the best I could, as I gave the girl my full attention.

   Huddling over her hot chocolate, she embraced the steam traveling from the cup into her face. Her eyes closed, she looked relaxed, breathing deeply. Her grip on the cup absorbed every bit of heat it radiated. Still, her lips trembled, and her legs fidgeted restlessly under the table. It was the sound of her pants made as her heel bounced on and off the ground like a basketball.

   Yet... I felt a smile lurked somewhere under her still expression.

   "I'm Brad, the commissioner." I started the conversation.

   She didn't pay heed to my pleasantries, "May I have your name miss?" I continued reluctantly. Trying to wave her attention, I reached forward on the metal desk with my hands down.

   Still nothing.

   Withdrawing, my hand left a wet print on the cold desk. Bill, as I should have expected, gave me a shrug and a face one would expect from an infant being taught rocket science.

   Taking the hint, he pulled up in his chair and said: "C'omon doll, give us a word er two." To top if off, he gave me a confident nod afterwards.

   Perfect.

   He was definitely the type that gets comfortable too quick, and by the look she gave him, she thought so too. I decided it was best to have Bill get us some refills, something he humbly accepted. Remaining seated, patiently by my untouched coffee until it refused to procure the heavenly scent that brushed my nose.

   "Alice," She finally muttered in a hoarse voice, clearing it, she repeated: "It's Alice."

   "Hi, Alice." I replied with a warm smile. Waiting a moment before continuing, "could you tell me how many people were with you?"

   "Four." She replied turning her attention to her nails.

    "Where are they?" I said.

   Her eyes started on me before trailing around the room. First she landed on her mug, and then locked onto the door. "Alice, you need to tell me what happened. The parents of those kids." I said, collecting my thoughts, "They need to know, they deserve to know what happened to their kids."

   Alice rested the mug on the table, and took a deep breath with her eyes closed. Holding it, she released slowly while opening her eyes. Looking right to me, I could see every muscle in her body went dormant. Falling into her chair, the legs scrapping along the floor. She started in a crystal clear voice, "Everything went wrong since the drop..."

FOUR
Alice

   Disappearing into the clouds, the helicopter left the four of us standing upon the edge of the world with only the sound its blades swiping through the air. Knee deep in snow, we looked over at the entirety of the valley below. I felt like a giant, standing above the world, wielding this raw power of strength. But, there was a loneliness to it. Up here, you were another cog of nature, existing at the mercy of the silent winds and the rumblings of the mountain. The ground trembled and the mountain moaned with the shifting of snow. Thankfully, it lasted only for a moment.

   Then it hit us, a virgin mountain, resting below our feet completely untouched.

   Climbing to our jump spot near the summit, the sweet fluffy powder glided off our boards. Once we reached our designated jump, I dropped into the snow. I couldn't feel the landing at all, it was as if I landed on a cloud.

   Binding himself onto his snowboard, Jake yelled: "Are you guys ready!"

   "Did you know that banging your head against the wall burns close to a hundred and fifty calories an hour?" I told them. Jake turned over to me and gave me a look, "Oh god, she's scared again." He said laughing; Raj joined him as they continued to gear up.

   "Shut up guys!" Mel scolded them, she crawled to me and shoved on my back, "Why do you always do that... You know they'll laugh at you." She said with a resting smile.
   "No idea, I just can't help it." I said with a laugh, "I'm nervous." I snapped the bindings onto my boot and cranked it, tightening around my toes.

   "It'll be okay." She said strapping my goggles onto my helmet.
   "Yeah, I know, first time terrors right?"

   "Right," She said with a laugh, "Hey, Raj you have the flare?"
   "Yea buddy, no worries." He said tossing on his back-pack, jumping to his feet, he pulled down his goggles and covered his face with a skull mask.

   Clamping the bindings on my other boot, I maneuvered to the edge with Mel. The whiteness of snow ran to the horizon, rocks, trees and crevasses littered our path. It was truly uncharted territory, it was a once in a lifetime run. I didn't know what I was looking for, maybe it was an identity, or maybe I seeked fear. Standing on the edge, I did feel the pressure, the fear swelled like a balloon about to pop.

   Fuck it.

   Taking the leap of faith, I felt my board bend against the piles of snow, Mel followed closely behind twisting through the terrain. I could feel it... my body could feel it. The low vibrations gnawing at my legs as I scraped against ice, and the cold wind streaming against my cheeks. Everything was gone, the technology, the people, the responsibilities of life, nothing remained up here. It was just me, and my board carving its own path in the world.

   It took them a moment, but the guys flew past us at a speed I could never dare. For a second, I saw Jake swerve up a boulder and over a gaping hole in the ground. Landing roughly, snow spewed into the air cascading my view. It was spectacular.

   Slithering through the trees, Raj was in front of me while Jake led. It was so quick, all I heard was a snap before Raj started to tumble. I saw his body bend in ways that made me cringe, he rolled for a short distance before he slammed into the tree. The old tree weaved in the air before a massive crack echoed. We watched as it floated in the air like a butterfly, before pounding the floor like a mule on a long journey. Mel and I hurried over to look for Raj, but couldn't make out anything in the cloud of snow.

   Combing through the wreckage, we found and pulled Raj out from under some broken debris. He was unconscious, and his body, limp. As we dragged him through the snow, his right leg looked awkward, it was still strapped to his board. Resting him against a tree, Mel removed his board and felt his leg.

  "Is it broken?" I asked her, it didn't look right.

  "I don't know, looks that way. Fuck!" She said breathing noticeably hard, "Where is Jake?" She said looking forward. The entire forest was clouded with snow, but miraculously we heard his yells. Responding in kind, we sat and waited, if you have ever hiked through three feet of snow with snowboarding gear on, you would know why.

   Resting in the grove. Mel sat with Raj whom was propped onto a tree trunk nearby. I sat, watching as the trees took their breaths in unison, weaving with every exhale. I was convinced as a child that trees were responsible for creating wind. I would sit for hours staring at them, my dad would get mad at me for wasting my time. But I found my comfort in it so I didn't care, maybe if he had something similar, he would've been a little happier.

   I don't know what it was, but the green peaking from underneath the piles of white gave me a feeling of tranquility, a high almost. Maybe its because the snow hides us from the dirty. It cloaks the impurities by illuminating the silence in a world filled with screeching tires, clicking cell phones and constant barter. Reminding us of a reality that we ignore, the place from once we came, and shall return, bare. Well, until it crumbles under the weight of snow, and starts afresh like the taste of a morning brew.

  
Jake finally reached, hiking pass me and collapsing beside Raj, exhaling deeply. "Holy... was that a hike or what! I'm pooped." He said seldom, heaving the cold air in, and out with a mist. Minutes go by before Raj slowly woke from his slumber, starting to fidget and mutter words inaudible to us.

   Kneeling at his feet, I rested my hand on his boot, "Raj? Can you hear me?" His head bobbed back and forth, remaining restless no matter what we did. Jake held him close, Mel and I simply exchanged looks.
   "My leg, I can't feel it." He managed to say reaching forward, Jake held his torso back onto the tree, noticing his pain.
   "Don't touch it, bro." Jake said holding him in place. Jake tended to be the most carefree of us, but this time he had such a stern face that if felt almost unnatural. "What happened?" He continued, looking to me for answers.
   "He crashed into a tree," I said, "He even took it down." I pointed towards the wreckage. The old remains of the tree were shattered across the ground a few yards ahead of us. Pieces even hung from neighboring branches.

   Leaning back to take a peak, "Whatta beast." He said bursting out in laughter, there he goes, I guess some people can't ever be serious.

   Raj whimpered a smile at the sound of his laugh, still weaving in and out of his senses. Jake gave Raj a 'highfive' on his hand laying in the snow.

   "What do we do now? The chopper doesn't come back for another three hours." Melony said, her arms crossed and held close to her chest. Her face reeked of worry; it was almost a permanent face of hers.

   "Nah, Man. It'll be fine. Relax, all we gotta do is pop a flare and they'll find us. That’s why we have em!" Jake said tossing his big thumb into the air with a careless smile.
   "But when they come back, they will be at the bottom." I said to him.

   "Yeah, so?" Jake asked.

   He continued to look at me blankly, even though I gave him a few seconds to think on it, "So they wont see the flare idiot! Its on the other side of the mountain!" I snapped. Both of them jolted to my voice. I began to lose my patience, organization is what keeps me afloat. If I don't have my schedule filled out on my fridge, I would drown in the morning.

   "Aight, aight, clam down there Alice." He said raising to his feet, he even pronounced my name - with a harsh 'k' at the end, he tended to tease my Russian heritage when I got edgy.
   "Don't call me that." I said firmly.

   Raising his brow awkwardly, "Easy, we will do something. Uhh." Jake said looking around for something, "Ah, I got it. We will tie him onto his boards and drag him down the mountain."

   "What?! That sounds ridiculous." Mel said throwing her hands into the air as if she gave up on him.
   "You got a better idea princess?" He said staring at her with the edge of his eyes, he shook his head, waiting for a response. Something he
knew
she didn't have.
   "Princess? What're you going on about?"
    Interrupting them, "Alright easy!" I said, they stared at each other with eyes of hate. "Let's stay focused. We will tie him to the boards and take him down, its the only way I see too. Since he went and broke his leg and all." I continued trying to defuse the situation, I felt like a preschool teacher trying to end a fight among children. The flare between them radiated  enough that I swore it melted snow that drifted into their aura.

   Hiking through the snow, I felt snow latching onto my boot, making it heavier with each step. Wrestling to keep my board in hand, I started to scrape the ice off the board that began to formulate, a damning thing to do. Reaching to the corner, my arm gave out and the board slipped from my grasp falling back into the snow. It laid on a bed of snow before sliding a few feet away from me.
   My mind raced with thought at a million miles per second. Chatter and screams flooded my mind in ways I couldn't understand, they felt too real... and I didn't know how to stop it. Sweat flowed from my brow as I felt winter dance around me, but, an inferno swelling from within. We just wanted to go home. Letting out a yell of frustration, it echoed down the mountain, but it still stood dormant. Unaffected by us.

   "Where is his bag?" I heard Mel ask, and it all stopped. Silence. She stood over Raj looking at his shoulder, void of the strap.

   Exchanging looks, we argued yet again, trying to push fault on one another. We eventually stopped our bickering and started to comb the forest for the bag. I brushed past the area where he collided with the tree, it was a mess. It looked alien, almost as if the mountain healed itself with the snow that landed, covering the wreckage up completely. Jake and Mel walked apart on both sides of me. We once again let the silence of the mountain sweep between us. It was the beginning of many silences that I would have to deal with, on this particular trip, something that probably aided me in my resolve.