Winter was the bigger issue. She couldn’t give up her job on ski patrol. She lived for the early mornings on the mountain, mitigating avalanches. She even loved the busy holiday season, when she spent most of her time assisting new skiers who got in over their heads and injured themselves in the process. Working outside in the winter, testing herself in the frigid Montana conditions, made her feel most alive.
Morgan pursed her lips. “So you need a place to live? Do you want to move in with me, or are you looking for money?”
“No, Mor, I can’t ask anything of you. Don’t even think about it. I just wanted to let you know,” Avery said. She knocked back another swig of the whiskey before she had to hear what her sister was going to say.
“It’s fine if you need help, and I have an empty room. Plus, I’m closer to the ski hill than your house in the middle of town. It makes sense for you to move in with me,” Morgan replied.
This made Avery feel worse, like a loser. Her beautiful, successful sister purchased a condo at twenty-three. That was unheard of, but somehow, her sister chose the moment months before the housing market went insane with people flocking to Golden for a piece of the newly “discovered” mountain town.
“Morgan, I love you so much. You’re my twin. We’ve got that crazy twin connection, but you know how we do together when we’re living in the same space.” Avery acknowledged, shaking her head from under her wool beanie. “I am a mess. I have way too much gear. There’s no way you want that in your tidy little condo.”
Morgan took a drink from the flask before she said, “I’m not some heartless bitch who’s going to let my sister go homeless or move into some house with four other roommates. I have a perfectly comfortable room for you. You can stay until you figure out what’s next. Please don’t refuse me. This is why you brought it up, right?”
“Ah, okay. And thank you for agreeing,” Avery said as she shrugged. She had a queasy feeling in her belly, and she crossed her arms. This was the best scenario for her, and she’d secretly hoped Morgan would suggest it. It would save her such a huge burden. But still… It was embarrassing that she needed to rely on her sister for housing. “How can I make this up to you? And please don’t resent me when I bring over all my stuff!”
“Oh, I’ll let you know if it drives me crazy. I will not hold back on you! I think I’m set on my whiskey intake for the night. What time do you want to climb Quartz tomorrow?” Morgan asked as she stood up and stretched.
“Let’s get up at seven and head toward the peak. I don’t need a sunrise hike, but it would be nice to summit earlier in the day before we get to our next campsite.”
“How about five-thirty? The sun will be rising, and we can pack up to move camp,” Morgan asked. Avery agreed, and the two headed to the small tent to sleep. Morgan drifted to sleep quickly. Meanwhile, Avery struggled to fall asleep. Despite her sister’s insistence that Avery move in with her, she had a gnawing sense of dread. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, but she wasn’t sure if it was moving in with her sister, or the threat of a bear nearby.
Chapter two
Avery
Morgan’s phone alarm went off at five-thirty sharp. Avery woke to the noise of Morgan stuffing her sleeping bag into her stuff sack. The crisp air made Avery want to roll over and go back to sleep. Grudgingly, Avery changed out of her wool base layers and into her synthetic yoga pants and tank top. She layered a fleece sweater over her tank top before lacing up her hiking boots.
“Let me braid your wild hair for you, Ave,” Morgan offered. Avery let her sister put her wavy hair into one long, loose braid. Avery topped her head with a trucker hat featuring the mountains outside of Golden. It was such a touristy hat, but she loved her hometown enough that she proudly wore it.
“Alright, let’s get this tent down. I’ll carry it today,” Avery said as Morgan nodded in agreement. Morgan occupied herself by taking down the bear bags and making an oatmeal breakfast and coffee. As she poured the hot water from Avery’s small backcountry teapot, Morgan looked at Avery with a thoughtful expression. Avery completed packing the tent and rearranging her sleeping gear into her backpack before she looked up to see Morgan staring at her.
“What’s up?” Avery asked.
“It’s nothing. Just thinking,” Morgan said, returning her gaze to her now-poured cup of coffee.
“Morgan, you arenever ‘just thinking.’ Tell me what’s up,” Avery stated, as she walked over to Morgan and took her cup of coffee.
“It’s just—well, it’s going to sound ridiculous,” Morgan said.
“Now you have to say it!” Avery gave her a teasing poke in the side as Morgan shook her head.
“I… uh… I’ve had the twitchy itchies since I woke up. Like a sense of impending doom. That sounded dramatic.”
Avery stared at her. Her eyes were wide, her face stricken. “I’ve had this weird feeling that I couldn’t shake all night. Do you think it means anything?”
Morgan stared back at Avery. “Maybe something happened back at home. Or maybe we should reconsider climbing the mountain?”
“Morgan, the whole point of choosing this location was to summit Quartz Mountain. We’ll be fine. But if we still have the twitchy itchies after summiting, maybe we should call it and get back in phone reception.” Avery wasn’t about to lose the chance to touch those gorgeous, clear crystals and view the lake and mountains below.
“You’re right. This is why I wasn’t going to mention it. But for both of us to have this feeling?” Morgan shook her head, and Avery felt a chill go down her spine. They should probably listen to their instincts, but here they were, ignoring them.
“Then let’s get our bags packed and continue on. It’s nothing. There’s been plenty of times we’ve sensed something… differently than others… and nothing happened. I’m sure this is the same situation,” said Avery as she wiped out her oatmeal bowl and packed the rest of her gear into her backpack. Morgan followed Avery’s lead and packed her bags without another word. The two women hefted their packs on their backs and walked down the trail that led around the sapphire blue lake.
As they turned away from the lake and headed up the trail to summit Quartz Mountain, it hit her as she watched Morgan struggle up the steep incline just how selfish she’d been. She had spent the last twenty-four hours pouting and talking only about herself. She hadn’t even checked in on Morgan. Morgan’s workload as a software engineer was heavy. Plus, Morgan was so driven that she would put her personal life on hold for her career. She hadn’t had a serious boyfriend since her sophomore year of college, and Avery knew Morgan wasn’t dating anyone now.
Avery took a long drink from her water bottle and continued following in her sister’s footsteps. The terrain had already changed from an alpine meadow to stringy groups of subalpine firs and crystal-laden boulders. As they continued to climb the steep trail, their hiking boots hit more crystals. Up and up they climbed through larger and larger quartz formations. The light shone off the crystal, casting glittery hues across their leggings and boots. Neither sister spoke as they hiked higher and higher up the peak.
They were within half a mile of the summit when Morgan paused. “Let’s take a break. I need a snack.”
