★:to be snowed in (Lee and Charlotte when they were teens?)
Send a “___” for our muses….
The case brought them to the woodlands of Northern Minnesota, where word on the hunter’s network was that a wendigo was on the loose. There weren’t many jobs these days that Marcus wouldn’t bring the two teenagers along to help out with, but the older hunter had put his foot down on this one; leaving them wait it out in the small wilderness cabin where they had set up their base of operations. Marcus had set out at dawn two days prior with the promise to return by the next morning, but a freak snowstorm had hit in the night and dropped an impassable barrage upon the area. Wherever Marcus was, he was stuck there—and Lee and Charlotte weren’t going anywhere, either.
The fourteen year old threw another dry log into the wood-stove, casting a sidelong glance to where Charlotte was curled up beside the window under three layers of blankets. ”He’s alright, Chuck. Ya’ ain’t gotta’ worry ‘bout Marcus…He’s prolly’ just hunkered down somewhere waitin’ for the storm ta’ pass.”
The blonde only shot him a skeptical look, running a finger along the iron band that encircled her throat, and turned her attention back toward the window.
Lee heaved a quiet sigh, shuffling over to huddle up beside her. He pulled one side of the blankets out of her hands, scooting in underneath of them to share the warmth with the other teen. Charlotte edged closer; grateful for the body-heat, and her lips ticked up into the faintest smile as his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"This kinda’ cold ain’t even pretty ta’ look at," He complained, turning to peer out the window at the dim gray blizzard outside, "Folk’s livin’ up here’s crazy."
Charlotte nodded wordlessly in agreement, resting her head on his shoulder as the two Southerners sat together in companionable silence.
Hours passed, and eventually the sounds of her breathing grew shallow and even. Lee gently lowered her down onto the pallet of blankets near the wood-stove, settling in next to her slight frame before pulling the covers up over them both and wrapping an arm around her middle. “Charlotte?” The young hunter whispered; blue eyes trained on the girls’ sleeping face. Confident that she was out like a light, Lee leaned in and brushed his lips lightly against hers. "Sweet dreams, Charlotte."
When the teens awoke the next morning it was to a warm, dry, and rather amused looking Marcus standing over them with arms folded across his chest. "Leroy, ya’ better be decent under them blankets or I’m’a toss ya’ outside in the ice ta’ cool off."
Lee sat up, rolling his eyes, and watched as Charlotte bolted into the older hunter’s arms to wrap him in a tight embrace. ”See, Chuck? I told ya’ there weren’t nothin’ ta’ worry ‘bout. Marcus always comes back…Sooner or later.”