Arlo's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

Arlo studied the map tacked to the community board, his finger hovering over the cabin marked farthest from the lodge. The isolated spot would give him privacy to spiral without an audience. But his hands shook as he traced the distance back to civilization, calculating how many minutes it would take help to arrive if something went wrong. He claimed the cabin anyway. Inside, he found the flare mounted by the door, its metallic surface catching the weak arctic light. The bright warning system was supposed to be reassuring. Instead, Arlo stared at it and felt his throat tighten. The flare meant someone had already considered the possibility of disaster out here. He touched the cold metal, then pulled his hand back. His choice was made. He'd prove he could handle the distance, or he'd burn a bright magenta streak across the sky admitting he couldn't.