Oblivion

• Cooper Winter, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2019

On a cold afternoon at an altitude of 1,700m, in the mountains of Victoria, with temperatures just under 0°, I was at the bottom of the chair lift with my Mum, Dad and sister Izzy. It was a pretty cold day, as there was a slight breeze, but because we had all our gear on it wasn’t that bad. We got into the 4 lanes to scan our ID so we could go on the lift. We scanned them and continued to ski to the red line where we would wait for the next lift to come around. They traveled very fast and we had to be quick. We skied to the next line and lifted our feet up as the chair caught us as it was moving up. We closed the bar and headed up the mountain. I got my Dad to press the record button on my GOPRO so that I could record the awesome run we were going on.

I was feeling excited and was ready for a good day because we were going on a black run. We were moving up the mountain and passed into a massive cloud. I could see nothing but the black gloves I was wearing. Suddenly panic set in. And I knew that it would be hard to see where we were going. The “lift your bar up” sign appeared out of nowhere we knew we had to get ready to exit. Now at 1,850 metres high in a cloud of Oblivion.

As I skied off the lift. Now facing this sort of weather it was very hard to know your surroundings and which way is the right way. My Mum told me to stay behind her so that we don’t lose each other, and to meet at the cloud 9 cafè at the bottom. There were small post to show were to go, I started to slowly ski to each post and followed them to the way they were pointing. My goggles were fogged up and I was feeling very cold, my fingers were going numb. I pushed myself along with my stocks. I was going at a good pace and I knew that it wouldn’t take that much longer. I was moving alone in the thick fog, he wind was howling. Suddenly it became all bright and normal the sun was shining and the wind had died down. I had escaped the massive cloud, then a big sign saying Cloud 9 cafe appeared up and I knew that I had arrived at the main part of the mountain. There my family were at the bottom of the run all my Dad was saying was how fun skiing blind is. I was very happy that it was all over and that I am all warm now. We all went into the cafè and had some mouth watering hot chocolates. But after all of that excitement and exhilarating moments, the worst thing about it was that my GOPRO on my head wasn’t recording after all.