Short Story: A BODY TO BURN

Humans are the smartest creatures on the planet, so surviving in the freezing cold couldn't be that hard. My body could adapt, right?I bit down on my lip, testing to see if I could still feel it. It was cold and tough between my teeth, but I could feel no sensation in the frozen skin. That had to be a bad sign. I shivered deeply as a strong gust of wind blew cotton ball-sized clumps of snow across my face, stinging my already numb nose.

“Are you still alive over there?” I asked Mitchell, who had grown a little too silent for my comfort.

He uttered a grunt in response.

“You know that whole, ‘snuggling to keep warm’ thing is not sounding too bad right now, eh?” I said playfully.

“There is no way in hell I would ever snuggle with you man,” he mumbled. “I’d rather freeze.”

I chuckled and blew into my hands in an attempt to warm them. There was really no use since my breath turned into icy crystals of fog the instant that it left my mouth. The snow was swirling around us so fiercely that it was impossible to tell the ground from the sky.

“I’m starting to think that this isn’t worth it,” Mitchell sighed, scrubbing his hands across his face. “Not even for one million dollars.”

“Speak for yourself,” I replied. “After I win this, I’m taking up permanent residence somewhere where it’s hot as fire year round.”

Mitchell groaned as another gust of wind roared through the trees, piercing our bodies like frozen shards of glass.

We shivered in unison for a while, our blood beginning to congeal in our veins. We were the last two contestants in a survival of the fittest contest—what a stupid idea. I jumped in surprise when Mitchell suddenly nudged me in the ribs with his elbow. I turned to him to protest, but the look on his face stopped me.

“Do you see that?” he asked, pointing a shaking, blue finger in front of him.

I peered through the falling snow in the direction that Mitchell was looking, but didn’t see anything.

“You mean that hot girl carrying coffee and parkas?” I teased him, trying to ignore the ache that enveloped my body. 

“I’ve heard that insanity makes you hallucinate.”

“Seriously, Adam,” he said eagerly, standing up from his perch on the log that we were sitting on. “What is that?”

I squinted, trying to make my vision clearer. I saw it; there was a light reflecting off of the snow. The roar of the wind grew louder at that moment, and I marveled at how it was possible for air to make such a noise. But then I realized that it wasn't the wind yelling at us; it was a helicopter. Somebody was going to save us.

We both began flapping our arms and screaming at the sky. We were going to be warm again. At that moment, I couldn't even remember what being warm felt like.

The trees were too thick for the helicopter to land, and I wondered how they were going to get to us. Then, through the blinding blankets of falling snow, I saw feet descending toward us. A small woman bundled in thick winter gear jumped to the ground from the helicopter’s rope ladder, landing nimbly on her feet.

“So there are still two of you,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “Boss was afraid this would happen.”

“You’re here to save us, right?” I asked eagerly, no longer caring about the stupid contest. I just wanted to be lifted into that warm helicopter. I wanted her to save me from this cold. Mitchell took a step toward her, ready to hop onto the ladder as well, but she pushed her hand against his chest, stopping him in his tracks.

“No,” she said, shaking her head, the fur trim around her hood fluttering in the wind.

S

he pulled three objects from her jacket pocket and threw them onto the ground. They landed in the snow bank with a soft “whoosh”.  Mitchell and I stared down at them, not understanding. What did she mean, “no”?

She tapped her right foot in annoyance, nodding towards the items: a pack of matches, a tiny bottle of lighter fluid, and a long, carving knife.

“What are we supposed to do with these?” I asked, unable to keep my voice from shaking.

Her expression hardened. “There can be only be one survivor,” she said slowly, like she was afraid we would not understand. “Those are the rules. There has to be a body to burn.”

A body to burn?

“You have one hour,” the woman continued. “Whoever is successful must take the other body and set it on fire. Be sure that the body is coated completely in lighter fluid so it will burn beyond recognition. We will come get you when we see the fire. If neither of you succeed, you will both die.”

What kind of sick game was this?

She grabbed hold of the rope ladder and it quickly began pulling her back into the sky, the snow swirling around her as she climbed. Mitchell reached out to grab the ladder, but his almost-frozen limbs made him too clumsy to be fast. The woman disappeared in seconds, and we were left alone in the dark again.

I did not want to do it. But I had to survive. I had to. Mitchell dove into the snow to grab the supplies, but it was too late for him; I already had the knife.

 Later, as I warmed my hands in front of the blazing flames before me, I smiled. Humans could adapt to the cold, couldn’t they? I sure thought so.