Snowstorn
Snowstorm is a short story initially commissioned some years ago, for publication as a five hundred word story for Christmas. As you will see, the final tale is a bit dark and will probably leave you with more questions than answers! I have rewritten the original and offer it here for your reading pleasure.
Snow cascaded downwards slowly metamorphosing reality, the Devon countryside was blanketed in a deep covering of snow with more falling heavily. Jackie Gibbs sighed as she stamped her booted feet on the office doormat. She had volunteered to do the late check at the stables, volunteered was a euphemism, in fact she had not shouted quickly enough or been one of the chosen few who could get away with anything and who were therefore at home in bed on this cold Christmas Eve.
Jackie had long since finished her work, fighting through the increasing snow fall, jealous of the horses in their snug stables. When she had finally checked the last horses she had stumbled to her car, scraping inches of snow from the windscreen before getting in and turning the key in the ignition, dreaming of her warm bed.
The key had turned but there had been nothing, She had tried again and again before realising that her old and decrepit car had finally died and had chosen the worst moment to do it. She was alone, the next humans would be the staff arriving in the early hours to feed the horses.
She had not been able to afford breakdown cover for her car, it had been that or eat and food had won easily, so she had reluctantly unlocked the stables office and stepped inside. Initially she had picked up the telephone, but who would she call? Her boyfriend? That was past history, she had left him and taken this job miles away from her friends and family to escape some months before. Her family? – She sighed, they had disowned their academic daughter when she had given up a university place to work with horses. Her intentions had been good, she had been a proficient rider and her plan had been to compete, reality had meant long hours, hard work and the painful realisation that she was good but not good enough to make any lasting impression. So now aged twenty-four she was a groom at a small country riding school, eking out a living with no future plans.
She pulled out a handful of spare rugs, wrapped herself as warmly as she could and settled into the office chair, she glanced at the clock on the wall, Midnight. “Merry Christmas...” She said to herself.
***
Jackie was woken from her fitful slumber by the sound of the door opening, she glanced up to see a young woman walk into the office. Jackie blinked and rubbed her eyes as the woman switched on the desk lamp. “Hello?” Jackie shuddered involuntarily, she was sure she recognised the woman but could not place her.
The woman looked up but otherwise ignored Jackie, as she reached into one of the desk drawers pulling out a bunch of keys. Her hands trembling as she sorted through the keys before finding the key to the veterinary cupboard, she turned and unlocked the steel cupboard before pausing and staring at the contents.
“What’s up? Is one of the horses ill?” Jackie stood up, stepping beside the woman.
The woman ignored her before taking out a bottle. She paused, sighing and staring at the bottle in her hand. She took a deep breath before unscrewing the cap of the bottle and quickly gulping down the contents.
“Stop! What the hell are you doing?” She grabbed the bottle from the woman’s hand. “Oh shit this is poison...” Jackie looked into the woman’s eyes. “What have you done?”
The woman heaved, suddenly grabbing her stomach and crying out in pain. Jackie reached for her just as her knees crumpled, she struggled to support her, dragging her to the office chair. “Here, sit here.” The woman slumped heavily, gasping and moaning in obvious pain. “I’ll get you help.”
Jackie snatched up the telephone handset and dialled quickly. “Hello... Yes, ambulance.” She looked up. “I’ll get you help as quickly as possible.” Jackie quickly gave details. She paused listening the controller. “I understand the weather is bad... Please come as quickly as you can.” She slammed down the handset and turned back to the woman. “There is an ambulance on the way. The snow is really bad...” Jackie left the words hanging.
Jackie reached out to the woman, taking her hand. “Oh you are so cold!” She wrapped her more tightly in the stable rugs. “Oh why did you do this...” Jackie sobbed. “Please stay with me. I am sure I can help you work out whatever it was that made you do this.” She shuddered, it was true she had first aid training but was more practiced in broken fingers and toes than poisoning, the dire warnings on the now empty bottle made it clear there was little she could do. Jackie felt alone as she held the woman’s hand willing her to fight the poison which was clearly making her weaker. “Please stay with me...” She reached up and hugged the woman desperately trying to warm her body and to do anything to save her.
***
Hilary Jackson slowly drove down the lane. The snow had stopped falling but the ice made the journey treacherous. As she approached the yard she was shocked to see an ambulance and police car parked outside the office. She pulled up quickly and stepped out into the cold. “What is going on?”
A police-officer stopped her as she reached for the office door. “May I ask who you are?”
“I’m Hilary Jackson, I own the riding school.” She paused. “What has happened here.”
The policeman sighed. “Come with me please.” He opened the office door, as she stepped inside she saw two paramedics and a female police officer. She gasped as she saw something covered with a green sheet.
“Is that...?” Hilary stuttered.
“I am sorry miss.” The female officer spoke. “We received a call early this morning from this premises from a...” She paused pulling out her notepad. “...Jackie Gibbs. She called for an ambulance.”
“Jackie... Is she okay?”
The police woman paused. “She said that a woman had come into the office and had ingested a poison from the cupboard here. The paramedics came as quickly as they could.” The police officer paused. “I am sorry. We would like to find Ms Gibbs also to try and resolve what happened here. Do you think you could help us.” The policewoman reached towards the green sheet. “Could you help us with identification.”
Hilary gasped. Suddenly she understood what was beneath the sheet, a chill ran through her body as the police officer reached down and pulled the sheet back. She stared down at the face, peaceful but gray. She fought back the urge to be sick, tears stinging her eyes. “Do you recognise this person?”
Hilary sobbed. “Yes.” The word came out as a strained whisper. “That’s Jackie Gibbs...”
Jackie had long since finished her work, fighting through the increasing snow fall, jealous of the horses in their snug stables. When she had finally checked the last horses she had stumbled to her car, scraping inches of snow from the windscreen before getting in and turning the key in the ignition, dreaming of her warm bed.
The key had turned but there had been nothing, She had tried again and again before realising that her old and decrepit car had finally died and had chosen the worst moment to do it. She was alone, the next humans would be the staff arriving in the early hours to feed the horses.
She had not been able to afford breakdown cover for her car, it had been that or eat and food had won easily, so she had reluctantly unlocked the stables office and stepped inside. Initially she had picked up the telephone, but who would she call? Her boyfriend? That was past history, she had left him and taken this job miles away from her friends and family to escape some months before. Her family? – She sighed, they had disowned their academic daughter when she had given up a university place to work with horses. Her intentions had been good, she had been a proficient rider and her plan had been to compete, reality had meant long hours, hard work and the painful realisation that she was good but not good enough to make any lasting impression. So now aged twenty-four she was a groom at a small country riding school, eking out a living with no future plans.
She pulled out a handful of spare rugs, wrapped herself as warmly as she could and settled into the office chair, she glanced at the clock on the wall, Midnight. “Merry Christmas...” She said to herself.
***
Jackie was woken from her fitful slumber by the sound of the door opening, she glanced up to see a young woman walk into the office. Jackie blinked and rubbed her eyes as the woman switched on the desk lamp. “Hello?” Jackie shuddered involuntarily, she was sure she recognised the woman but could not place her.
The woman looked up but otherwise ignored Jackie, as she reached into one of the desk drawers pulling out a bunch of keys. Her hands trembling as she sorted through the keys before finding the key to the veterinary cupboard, she turned and unlocked the steel cupboard before pausing and staring at the contents.
“What’s up? Is one of the horses ill?” Jackie stood up, stepping beside the woman.
The woman ignored her before taking out a bottle. She paused, sighing and staring at the bottle in her hand. She took a deep breath before unscrewing the cap of the bottle and quickly gulping down the contents.
“Stop! What the hell are you doing?” She grabbed the bottle from the woman’s hand. “Oh shit this is poison...” Jackie looked into the woman’s eyes. “What have you done?”
The woman heaved, suddenly grabbing her stomach and crying out in pain. Jackie reached for her just as her knees crumpled, she struggled to support her, dragging her to the office chair. “Here, sit here.” The woman slumped heavily, gasping and moaning in obvious pain. “I’ll get you help.”
Jackie snatched up the telephone handset and dialled quickly. “Hello... Yes, ambulance.” She looked up. “I’ll get you help as quickly as possible.” Jackie quickly gave details. She paused listening the controller. “I understand the weather is bad... Please come as quickly as you can.” She slammed down the handset and turned back to the woman. “There is an ambulance on the way. The snow is really bad...” Jackie left the words hanging.
Jackie reached out to the woman, taking her hand. “Oh you are so cold!” She wrapped her more tightly in the stable rugs. “Oh why did you do this...” Jackie sobbed. “Please stay with me. I am sure I can help you work out whatever it was that made you do this.” She shuddered, it was true she had first aid training but was more practiced in broken fingers and toes than poisoning, the dire warnings on the now empty bottle made it clear there was little she could do. Jackie felt alone as she held the woman’s hand willing her to fight the poison which was clearly making her weaker. “Please stay with me...” She reached up and hugged the woman desperately trying to warm her body and to do anything to save her.
***
Hilary Jackson slowly drove down the lane. The snow had stopped falling but the ice made the journey treacherous. As she approached the yard she was shocked to see an ambulance and police car parked outside the office. She pulled up quickly and stepped out into the cold. “What is going on?”
A police-officer stopped her as she reached for the office door. “May I ask who you are?”
“I’m Hilary Jackson, I own the riding school.” She paused. “What has happened here.”
The policeman sighed. “Come with me please.” He opened the office door, as she stepped inside she saw two paramedics and a female police officer. She gasped as she saw something covered with a green sheet.
“Is that...?” Hilary stuttered.
“I am sorry miss.” The female officer spoke. “We received a call early this morning from this premises from a...” She paused pulling out her notepad. “...Jackie Gibbs. She called for an ambulance.”
“Jackie... Is she okay?”
The police woman paused. “She said that a woman had come into the office and had ingested a poison from the cupboard here. The paramedics came as quickly as they could.” The police officer paused. “I am sorry. We would like to find Ms Gibbs also to try and resolve what happened here. Do you think you could help us.” The policewoman reached towards the green sheet. “Could you help us with identification.”
Hilary gasped. Suddenly she understood what was beneath the sheet, a chill ran through her body as the police officer reached down and pulled the sheet back. She stared down at the face, peaceful but gray. She fought back the urge to be sick, tears stinging her eyes. “Do you recognise this person?”
Hilary sobbed. “Yes.” The word came out as a strained whisper. “That’s Jackie Gibbs...”
Copyright © - Wilf Voss 2013 - All Rights Reserved
