** The hiker with a broken ankle **

Miri is strong and independent. Usually. But It’s hard to be independent when you are alone in the forest, in a torrential raining thunderstorm and with a broken ankle.

The worst part though is not the pain. It’s the cold.

The hiking trip with her new girlfriend Lena started normally. It was a cloudy day, but nothing was preparing her for such a killing tempest. She dressed for Hiking: Shorts, boots, and a tank top. Not for spending a night in the rain, under a tree, at maybe 40 Fahrenheit. Things started to get complicated with she broke her ankle, because of her Nikon camera. Stupid picture taking habit. Not being careful, she lost balance, and all her weight landed and her twisted ankle. She heard the crack. She knew it was broken. Th pain was real, but the situation worst. No cellphone for them; Taking photos with her Nikon and with Lena’s Minolta, leaving their cells in the car, taking a break from it, sounded like a good idea at the time. It was not.

Of course, Lena had to go get help. So, she left, down the trail. Miri knew she had to be penitent; they were both a at good 3 hours distance of the cars. So, she waited. But 40 minutes later, the thunderstorm hit. And it hit hard. Crazy pouring rain, thick as rope, quickly drenched her. And the temperature crumble. Quickly. Devastatingly. She tried to move herself under a tree, but to small comfort. Within 30 more minutes, she was shivering.

As she laid under the tree, soaked, almost freezing to death, with no news from Lena 4 hours later, she thought this was the end.

Then you showed up.