Shelter

'Weird...'

'Definitely weird…'

'Something's not matching up.'

Lydia fumbled for a pocket, but there was none. There was no bag near her earlier either, so she concluded the body she was currently occupying was either carrying nothing or she left her things nearby.

'Damn, she doesn't even have a phone with her.'

'I'm in desperate need of Google and GPS.'

'Wait... Could it be that this body is a victim of theft?'

'Maybe they knocked her down and took her things...'

'If it's not that, and she just passed out or something, then her car is probably not that far... but she's not holding a key or a remote.'

'Oh, maybe she doesn't have a car, so she used a taxi or a bus.'

'But why would she drop by here?'

'Besides, she's not carrying anything.'

'Oh, I don't know, maybe it would be better if I just search for a trail or a road nearby. If I see none, following the river or lake might work since people tend to live near them.'

'The blizzard is raging though. I'll probably freeze on the way if I do that now. Besides, the visibility is low, so it's easier to get lost and waste energy wandering around.'

Lydia hugged her knees tighter as she stared at the snow. 

It was her first time experiencing winter, so she can't help but be in awe with the spheres of white hugging the ground.

However, with the harsh condition, she couldn't shake off the sense of unease building within her.

She was well aware of the risks and survival methods for landslides, floods, and fire, but not for blizzards.

Lydia shifted her gaze to the fog and recalled any information she had about surviving in a winter storm.

However, all she could collect was bits and pieces of information not suited to her situation. 

'Now what?'

'What should I do?'

'What's the best course of action?'

'Hello, Google, where are you when I need you?'

'Tsk, analytical thinking, logic, and intuition are still more reliable in cases like this.'

'Let's see, based on the movies and books I've read and watched, there's a high likely hood that there's a cave nearby. The main characters always find one near them. Then, they light fire from rubbing stones together and do lovey-dovey stuff when it gets dark.'

'Damn, that doesn't work in reality at all. Just how unreal are movies and books nowadays. I don't even have a companion right now,' she thought before scanning the area once more. 

With the wind no longer hitting her up-front, she was able to observe more of the terrain. 

The snow was thinner in some areas because of the strong wind. Thus, some twigs, branches, and rocks are visible.

'See, there are no big rocks suitable for shelter at all.'

'There are branches for digging though, so maybe I should just burrow myself underneath the tree till the blizzard stops.'

'Right. How long does it even take for a blizzard to stop?'

'I don't know, but if I compare it to heavy rain and strong winds, it would most likely pour hard for several hours and then stop.'

Lydia reached out for a fallen branch and shook the snow off before facing the tree.

When she was about to dig, it came to her that she could just gather long branches instead and make a triangular shelter around the trunk, so that's what she did. 

She positioned the branches diagonally and the pushed the edges towards the trunk and underneath the soil.

Once she was sure that the branches doesn't topple easily, she covered the top with twigs, leaves, and snow before staring at it with a chattering teeth.

'It doesn't look that sturdy...'

'But I did press the branches deep enough.'

Lydia, rubbed her palms together before making sure she placed enough snow on top to keep the leaves in place and prevent the strong wind out.

'Haa, I think it's still passable.'

'I feel so cold already. I'll just use it,' she thought before crawling in.

Once she was inside, she grabbed the sticks she left near the entrance and lined it on the floor before squatting. Then she used the rest to cover the entrance.

'Damn… that bitch. I can't believe I'm doing all of this because of her.'

'She should've fought me fairly,' she thought as she sealed the entrance with the last branch. Then, she shifted her position and leaned on the tree before hugging her knees.

'I wonder if the ambulance has arrived…'

'My parents would be devastated if they knew I was hit by a car and by my friend's car, too.'

'And Ivan… he would probably blame himself.'

'Ahh, it's so cold. It's a lot less cold now, but still cold.'

'I hope the blizzard stops soon.'

…

After about two hours, the gusts of wind gradually subsided, so Lydia closed her eyes and focused on the sounds outside.

'Wind, falling snow, and silence... I think it's safe to go out. I don't feel threatened either so there's probably no wild animal outside.'

She opened her eyes and removed one of the sticks covering the entrance before peeking.

The fog was gone and only bits of snow were falling on the ground.

'Wow, finally… I can get out of here. I'm tired of over-thinking.' 

Lydia pulled out the rest of the sticks she put in the entrance and crawled out. 

Then she scanned the area thoroughly to check for possible threats before wiggling her toes and fingers.

'Ahh, that felt good,' she thought before looking far and wide.

'Wait...no road nearby?'

'Oh gosh, there are no houses either.'

She scanned the place once more, but all she saw was a vast, flat terrain surrounded by tall mountains lined with thick trees.

'No way,' she thought as she shook her head.

'How did this body even arrive here if there are no roads or trails?'

'Did she walk by foot? But she's not even wearing suitable clothes.'

Lydia rubbed her hands together as thoughts swirled in her mind. Then she shook her head again and turned around before staring at the make-up shelter that was on the brink of collapse.

'No, I cannot stay here even if I don't know how far am I from a village or a town.'