Chapter 1

“That day was like a warm dream in the middle of winter - Goodbye Winter”

"Ano? Ano-san..? Sumimasen," the questioning became more urgent, more desperate. "Ano, sumimasen..!"

He slowly opened his eyes.

Blinking at the worried face peering from above him.

"Daijobu ka?"

An angel, he smiled stupidly.

"English," his voice came out as a croak. His throat suddenly felt dry and the sound came out hoarsely. "Speak English?"

"Engerish? Hait, yes. You ok, mister?" The angel asked again.

Ok?

He was disoriented and cold. But was he ok?

"Yes, yes, ok," he nodded slowly.

To prove himself, he tried to prop himself up.

From the cold snow floor.

Snow?

He looked around him with groggy eyes.

Seeing horizons of white landscape tapered with dark skies, illuminated only by a huge spotlight on a corner of the endless acres of smooth snowy mountain terrain.

Where am I? Why am I here? Who am I?

And he collapsed to the floor again.

***

Momo panicked.

The man was turning blue.

He had only a bathrobe around him, thin and useless for the outdoors.

And a pair of old torn boots.

It was close to minus 5 degrees that night.

She stumbled upon him by chance.

On her rounds of toboggan collection.

Normally, she would not even visit that lonely part of the hillside.

But, chance would have it that she did.

And found this lanky blond man sprawled on the white floor.

I have to bring him indoors. Elst he won’t survive this cold, she thought.

Trying to get help would be too far and too late for the man.

So, with all the strength she could muster, Momo dragged and rolled the man onto one of the toboggans she had with her, ignoring the long muscular leg exposed by the precarious bathrobe.

Once she got the man halfway onto the snow slide, she took her outer winter jacket and drape it over the sprawling man.

Shivering slightly as she did.

And for lack of better options, she pushed the man and slide down the hill before following suit on another slide.

Down towards the awaiting ski centre below.