Sylva's Narrative
Contact!
Man I couldn't believe it, maybe I even imagined or dreamed it, but I swear my phone really did ring and Topaz really did speak to me. Okay, sure, we got cut off and I've not been able to re-establish contact with her phone since, but it gave me a whole lot of hope all the same! It at least means they're still looking for us, after all...and if she got through, well, surely they're not far away now?
Man, I hope they're not. It's cold in here. The power has all but given out on us now, the lights keep flickering and we've cut down to candles in most rooms. Equally, the heating is off...and won't go back on, so we're huddled in the warmest clothes we can find munching whatever we can eat cold and conserving as much energy as possible. It's not a whole lot of fun.
Oddly enough, since we talked last night, Sirena and I have been getting along okay. It's the weirdest thing in the world, because I've always thought of her as some psycho bitch girl who just wants to upset everyone, but I guess that stuff Copper drummed into me way back when Jewel began is true and everyone has feelings. Well, Nancy does, anyhow...and if Nancy - who, let's face it, is queen of the freaks and a hermit to boot - can, I s'pose Sirena can.
Maybe I'm soft in the head or something, but when she was crying over that baby of hers I actually felt kinda sorry for her. Like she was being human, or something. I dunno. Hard to figure it out. Either way, I spent the night in the spare bed in her room, after pinching the quilts from all of the beds in all the rooms just so we'd keep warm overnight. Funny too, how I didn't mind Sirena not doing her bit. Praps it's because she's hurt. She did cook last night, I'll give her that...but man, her leg is screwed up. I guess she had to be brave or something coming down the mountain on it like she did...or downright dumb in the head. Guess that works too.
She was still asleep when I got the call from Topaz and the ring of the phone didn't wake her, but I couldn't just let her doze when such a big deal thing had happened, could I? I mean, we could be rescued within the hour, and I know I wouldn't wanna appear outside the chalet looking like I was just dragged out of bed. What if the press are about? Face the cameras with no makeup? I think not...
 

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"Sirena? Wake up, will you, I have something to tell you!"
Sirena's eyes fluttered open and she gazed up in sleepy annoyance at the younger girl who had insisted on disturbing her. Sylva's expression was animated with excitement and she groaned, turning over.
"Whatever it is, it's too early." She muttered.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, listen!" Sylva was not going to be put off so easily. "I had a phone call! Topaz rang me!"
"You did?" Now Sirena was alert. "Did you tell her where we were? What the situation was?"
"I didn't have a chance to...we were cut off real quick." Sylva frowned. "But..."
"Then what's the use of the call?"
"Well, she knows we're alive at least, and it means they're still looking, of course." Sylva shrugged. "You're in a bad mood this morning, considering my news. What gives?"
"I'm tired and cold and hungry and I want to go home." Sirena pulled herself into a sitting position. "Aren't you? What time is it, anyhow?"
"Nineish." Sylva checked her watch. "Power's about to flicker out on us completely I think, by the way. I don't think there's enough to do coffee."
Sirena cursed.
"Great." She muttered. "So what do we have?"
"The usual stuff, bread, cheese, fruit, I think there's some peanut butter and cereal." Sylva counted the items off one by one on her fingers. "Milk, if it ain't off, and orange juice."
"Goodie." Sirena managed a wry smile. "Guess I'll go fix myself a gourmet breakfast, then."
She went to get out of bed, but Sylva stopped her.
"Your trouble is you're too damn independant and you give everyone attitude all the way." She said bluntly. "Your knee is a mess because you won't let people help you out...you know how irritating a trait that is? You're staying there. I'll get you breakfast."
"Syl, no offence, but I don't need food poisoning on top of my bad leg." Sirena said dryly. Sylva put her hands on her hips.
"Hey, I'm not that bad!" She protested. "I got a C- in Home Ec you know! And I did help you out last night with cooking, didn't I?"
"Mm, but I could keep tabs on what you put where." Sirena responded. Sylva rolled her eyes.
"Oh for heaven's sake, I'm not a total flake you know." She snapped. "Just because I'm scared of spiders and I like to fix my hair and I carry my phone around with me doesn't mean I'm not capable of pouring a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange. Right? I might be two years younger than you, but I'm not a baby. I'm twenty one in April, in case it had escaped your notice, and I'm not the airhead you seem to think I am. So stop being so stubborn and let me help!"
"Well..."
"Look, didn't I help your leg last night?" Sylva pressed her advantage home. Sirena shrugged.
"Guess I can't argue with that." She acknowledged. "It feels more comfortable, whatever you did to it must've worked. Okay. Get me breakfast, if it means that much to you. I'll be good."
"Finally!" Sylva rolled her eyes, heading into the kitchen. In truth, though, she was glad of something to do, for the time in the chalet was tedious and uncomfortable, particularly since the cold had really set in. Perceptive enough to realise that being packed in snow with no heating for too long could not be good, Sylva was glad to keep herself active, and with Sirena's injury, she had found the perfect excuse.
The singer, for her part, curled herself back up under the covers, closing her eyes again. Cold it might be, but it was warm enough to make her drowsy, and by the time Sylva returned with food she found she had to shake her companion awake once more.
"Man, you could sleep for America!" She exclaimed, setting the tray down on the bed. "What're you doing, hibernating?"
"I'm bored. What else is there to do?" Sirena defended herself, taking a sip of the orange juice. "And this is probably the only warm place. If I were you, I'd curl back up under your covers. You don't wanna get sick...won't be much use to either of us if you do."
"Guess not." Sylva acknowledged. "I can't sleep, though. Too excited by the call. I want to be ready, too, if there's another one."
"That makes sense." Sirena agreed. "Hey, you eaten already?"
"Mm." Sylva nodded. "I figured that I might as well get up and look good, in case we do get rescued, and I was hungry anyhow."
Sirena laughed.
"You know, you mightn't be an airhead, but you're still vain as hell, Sylva Martescu." She bantered. Sylva poked out her tongue.
"I take pride in myself, that's all." She retorted. "Can't be the femme fatale of rock if I let myself go, can I?"
"The femme fatale of rock? Is that what you are?" Sirena looked amused. "I thought you were just a hopeless flirt."
"Could say the same about you." Sylva raised an eyebrow. Sirena shrugged.
"I get easily bored." She responded flippantly. "Bad habit, men. I'm trying to give it up."
Sylva laughed.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah." Sirena nodded. "No time for them, really, and let's face it, I don't do the goopy love thing. Even Nancy's fallen for that one, but I seem to be immune to it."
"Think it threw us all when Nancy got together with Dean properly." Sylva admitted. "I didn't think she had it in her. Do you realise they've been going together a year now, almost?"
"Yeah, I know. Sick, ain't it?" Sirena grinned. "Ah well. If it makes her happy. Me...I'm happy with Mike being the main man in my life."
"So why all the flirting with Darren then?" Sylva demanded.
"To annoy you. Why else?" Sirena shrugged. "I was bored, you were irritating me. Just a game, Syl."
"And you call me a hopeless flirt." Sylva rolled her eyes. "If you wanna know the truth, Darren was just sport for me anyhow. There's a guy in LA I kinda have my eye on."
"Oh? One guy? Singular?" Sirena looked startled.
"Mm...he's kinda a challenge, though." Sylva nodded, cuddling down beneath her bedcovers and turning to face her companion. "He has a three year old daughter and he's 'not into dating'."
"Man, don't you have any pride?" Sirena demanded. "Speaking as a single parent, people like you, and no offence meant here, but people like you are the last thing that guy needs in his life! He needs stability, not to mention the damn kid. You might as well give that one up for lost, Syl. It'd never work."
"So you'd never date a guy? Ever again? Because of Mike?" Sylva demanded. Sirena shrugged.
"Ain't planning on it." She replied shortly.
"What about Luca Ranieri? I heard he's hot for you."
"Luca Ranieri can do as he pleases. He works for Rory Llewelyn and that alone counts him out of my attention." Sirena said bitterly. "He can content himself with his music and Diablo and that psychopathic sister of his, and leave me out of things. I don't have the time."
"He is hot though."
"Mm, a lot of guys are 'hot'." Sirena nodded. "Then they up and leave you in the lurch one way or another, and you wind up feeling like someone's cheap toy, or worse, you wind up raising their goddamn kid!"
"Did you ever love Blade?" Sylva asked softly. Sirena snorted.
"Nothing there to love. Egocentric fool who wasn't as good in bed as he'd like people to think. Smoked too much, opened his damn mouth too much...no way."
"So why sleep with him, then?"
"Well, it was good publicity, he was there, I thought why not? Couldn't hurt." Sirena shrugged. "People do, you know. You telling me you never slept with a guy for the hell of it? You, the femme fatale of rock?"
"I'm not a cheap slut." Sylva said quietly. "Mom always taught Annie and me never to sleep with a guy we weren't really in love with, and to be careful how and when I did it."
"Well, bully for you." Sirena smirked. "I didn't have a Mom to teach me that kind of stuff growing up, so forgive me if I'm a cheap slut in your eyes."
"I didn't say that." Sylva rolled her eyes. Sirena laughed.
"Hey, don't worry." She said, shrugging. "I can be, if I want to be. I can be a lot of things. Names don't worry me...never really have."
"Hey, did you just hear something?" Sylva sat upright, glancing around her as if trying to ascertain where the noise was coming from. Sirena frowned, shaking her head.
"Nope...nothing."
"Then listen! There, it's there again! A scraping noise!"
"Mm..." Sirena froze, listening. Then, slowly, she nodded.
"Maybe I do." She admitted. "Hey, do you think someone came to get us out?"
"Oh!" Sylva's eyes became big with hope. "Oh, do you think so?"
"Well, you're the one who got the phone call, don't you think it's possible?"
"Guess so." Sylva was out of bed in an instant, hurrying into the front room. Within a moment or two she was back, breathless with excitement.
"There's some light at the window, and the snow is being pulled away!" She exclaimed. "Sirena, we're saved!"