Stupid Hurts

Stupid Hurts

"Hang on, here we go!" said Dani as she glided to the right and saw the sign with the black diamond nestled inside the bright blue square. This is stupid. The thought flashed through her head as she followed her friends down the hill. I'm going to kill myself on this run.

Four years after they'd met, Jody suggested skiing for the first time. From the moment Dani wedged her way down the bunny hill, she was hooked. The cold wind in her face, the snow sliding under her feet, and the exhilaration of speed kept her working at her newfound skill until she skied an easy Green run by the end of that day. It was next to the bunny hill, but still, she beamed with pride when she slid to a stop at the bottom without losing her balance or going over the fence.

The duo was partial to Winter Park, with its multitude of runs at varying difficulty levels. By the end of the second day, Dani had worked her way up the mountain until she was swishing down the steepest of Green runs. As the winter progressed, so did her skill on the slopes. Luck was with her that first year, too. The mountain snowpack was one of the deepest in recent years, so conditions were better than perfect. By season's end, her skills increased until she was comfortable with the steeper areas.

"Carrie called," Dani told Jody at the end of March. "She wants the four of us to rent a condo and get one last weekend in before the end of the season."

"I don't know," replied her partner. "I've heard the snow is slurpy in spots and icy in others, but sure, why not? If I don't want to ski, there's always the tubing hill. Besides, I could use a weekend away from the grind."

Jody picked up the phone. Molly answered.

"Awesome!" she said. "We'll pick you up at four on Friday. Be ready, Freddie!"

Dani had her bags packed and waiting at the front door by Friday morning. Taking the day off to prepare for the weekend, she was excited to indulge in her newest obsession and disappointed that the season would soon end. On the other hand, when ski season ended, motorcycle season began. Life was good.

At three fifty-five, Molly and Carrie rolled up in their truck.

"Why am I not surprised?" said Carrie when she saw the pile of gear Dani had schlepped out the front door.

"What?" Dani replied with a wink. "You said be ready at four. I didn't want to keep you waiting. I know how well the admiral over there expects her orders followed."

Molly, an Air Force officer, worked her way up the chain of command. While she hadn't yet been promoted to general, Dani knew that was her ultimate goal. She had tons of respect for her friend. The draconian rules had chased Dani from her own prospective military career years before. She had fulfilled her enlistment and moved on.

The women loaded equipment and luggage into the cargo area, then piled into the cab. Carrie turned on the stereo, and the group serenaded each other for the three-hour drive.

"Hey, Dani," began Molly during a commercial break. She waited until Dani acknowledged before continuing. "feeling froggy this weekend?"

"I don't know," answered Dani, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "What do you have in mind?"

"Mary Jane."

"Wait, what?" Dani's eyes widened, and she stammered, "er, I don't know. I've heard about Mary Jane." She'd found her favorite run and loved it so much she couldn't get past it, and it wasn't Mary Jane. Taking the lift to the top and skiing down a series of Blue and Green trails that merged created one long experience. It was her favorite way to end the day.

Early in the season, Dani and Jody spent a lot of time skiing the easier runs together. Jody spent a half-day on the mountain and the afternoon waiting for her partner to wear herself out. That was usually after the lifts closed for the day. As her skills improved, she moved to the longer, more challenging runs, leaving Jody enjoying an adult beverage at the lodge.

This day was no different. Carrie and Molly followed Dani up to the top and passed her as they traveled down the slope.

"Follow me," yelled Molly as she passed.

Digging her poles into the snow and pushing off with her legs, Dani raced after Molly, who veered off onto a spur she'd never noticed before. Then, she saw the sign: Mary Jane. Two thoughts collided in her mind: In for a penny, in for a pound, and I'm an idiot.

Concentrating on the snow and the trail, she heard Carrie beside her. Molly led the way down the mountain, staying well away from the mogul field that made up half the run. Dani put every skill she'd learned over the season to work as the wind raced past her ears. Leaning into her turns, she felt how the surface had changed in just one week. In some spots, the snow dragged on her skis. In others, she felt her edges slice through a layer of ice.

Molly pulled to the side ahead of Dani, who followed, turning her hips and knees to swish to a stop. Her uphill ski caught a layer of shaved ice buried beneath a pile of slush and stopped. Momentum carried her around, and she heard a ~pop~. Landing in awkward splits, Carrie rushed over.

"Oh, my god! Are you okay?"

That's when the pain hit. Dani gasped.

"I think that's a no," said Molly. "I'll get ski patrol, don't move her!"

"Release the binding, I can feel it tearing more."

Carrie clicked the lever, and Dani felt the pressure ease as the ski patrol, and a stretcher arrived to carry her off the mountain.