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A murky grey fog bathed Edinburgh’s streets as I transferred from the bus to a taxi. The streetlights were just a dull yellow glowing faintly in the grey. I hadn’t even gotten the chance to see any of the city that I hoped to make my home.
Glancing up at the taxi driver’s information sheet, I spotted her name:Moira Leigh Grey. Well, I hoped Mrs Grey slowed down as large, fluffy snowflakes mounted up on the car windows. The further into the highlands we drove, the worse the storm seemed to get.
‘Well, lass, I’m not sure how much farther I’ll get,’ she sighed, ‘but we’re pretty close. This blizzard is a beast.’
She pressed a button as a crackly voice sounded from the car radio.
‘The storm has blown in from North America, causing massive disruption to air, rail, and roads. Government officials are warning people not to travel unless it’s absolutely necessary. There is a real possibility of danger to life, especially further north.’
‘We’re pretty far north, aren’t we?’
‘Sure are. In the arse end of nowhere. What brings you to Auchen, anyway? You’re nae from around here, are yi?’
Worry coiled in my stomach. The small county road ahead of us was caked in white, not even another tyre track around.
‘I’m surprising my boyfriend.’
‘Not enough boys back stateside that you need to come all the way over here?’ Moira said with a pleasant smile in the mirror. She clearly felt less panicked about the road situation than I did.
‘He goes to university in Canada with me.’ I squeezed my eyes closed as the tires crunched loudly.
‘Must be an affa fine loon if you’ll come all the way over here to spend Christmas with him.’
I had no idea what half of the things she said meant, so I just nodded, keeping my eyes closed.
‘Well, lass, this will have to do you. I’m no getting up that brae with the amount of snow that’s laying.’
‘What?’
‘The hill. I can’t take the car up. You’ll have to walk it,’ Moira spoke slowly, trying to make her accent clearer.
‘You can’t just leave me here.’
‘I’ve no choice. You walk the rest, or you’ll have to come back to Edinburgh with me. It’s no far. See the wee lights up ahead? It’s just there.’
Following her pointed finger, I squinted through the heavy snow, seeing a set of warm lights ahead.
Within minutes, I’d paid the huge taxi fare, and stood with my bag and case at the bottom of the hill. Wind bit at my face and my feet sunk to mid-calf in the quickly building snow drifts. Water seeped through my trousers while I shivered.
I pulled up my phone. I tried calling Adam, but it didn’t work. I had no signal. Worry settled heavy in my stomach as I gazed at the snow-covered track ahead.
Putting on my phone’s torch with frozen fingers, I sighed. There was only one thing I could do. I’d have to pull my case up the snowy ass hill and arrive looking like a drowned rat.
Fan-freaking-tastic.
Not exactly the movie-type surprise I’d envisioned.
FOUR
My teeth chatteredas I approached the address I had listed for Adam. If it hadn’t been so cold, I may have appreciated the large brick cottage, but as it was, I was desperate to get inside into the warmth. Snow continued to billow down around me as I reached the front door, my legs aching from the freezing cold after having to stomp through the deep drifts.
‘Thank God,’ I said as I rapped my raw knuckles against the old red door.
No one answered.
‘Shit. No, no, no.’ The house lay isolated, without no neighbours as far as I could see—which was admittedly not very far in the blizzard.
I banged the side of my fist against the door, wincing as pain jolted up my arm.
