Snowed In

Megan stood at a window in the lounge of the Three High Pines Lodge, listening as the wind howled outside. The heavily falling snow obscured everything beyond where the lights of the lodge reached. She was glad she’d been listening to the weather reports. The reports ad talked about the snow starting off light and becoming a severe blizzard later on. She’d bundled up, packed some other warm things and packed extra snacks. She’d even packed an extra blanket in the trunk, just in case. She’d hoped to get an early enough start on her drive to avoid the worst of it but there had been an accident that had delayed her.

Megan had passed the lodge many times. It was at the halfway point between her home and her destination. She’d arrived at the lodge an hour ago, just as the blizzard started getting worse and the radio began warning nonessential personal to stay off the roads. Luckily, the parking lot was still clear enough for her to park. It was a good thing she’d decided to heed the warning and stop. The snow had started getting heavier and the wind had picked up. She hadn’t felt comfortable continuing her drive to the conference. With the snow falling heavier now and the winds having picked up, she would have barely been able to see.There hadn’t been a lot of cars in the parking lot when she’d pulled in. Many of them belonged to the twenty or so employees who were there, who’d gotten in long before the storm hit. There were only about six other guests.

Megan took a sip from the steaming mug of hot chocolate she’d ordered in the dining room. It was doing wonders to warm her up. The walk from her car to the lodge had been frigid. The day hadn’t been particularly warm but the temperature had plummeted after the sun set. She was ecstatic to be off the roads and out of the icy weather and freezing temperature. She took another sip from the mug and decided to return to her room. She’d already called her both her boss and the people in charge of the conference to let them know she wouldn’t make it that night. She also probably wouldn’t make it the next day either. It might even take longer. There was no telling how long the storm would last or how long they'd be snowed in for. They told her it was alright if she was late to the conference. They’d rather she be safe the risk injury trying to continue driving.

Even though it was early still, she was going to take a warm shower, change into a warm pair of sweatpants and relax before coming back down for dinner. Maybe she’d order room service instead. That sounded like a plan. She’d take a nice, warm shower, change into her comfy pajamas and order room service. She’d put on some movies and work on her writing before bed. That sounded like a good way to pass the time in a blizzard.