Betty was getting her boots and coat on. Lloyd was looking around for anything he could wear and found some things hanging beside the kitchen door just as Alfred and Etta were walking in. Betty came in after them ready to go out in the bitter cold to look for her brother and sister.

"You two aren't going." Said Alfred in his most stern voice.

"Papa, I have to go, I have to!" Betty put on her most determined look and stood defiantly in the way of the old, wooden door.

"Me too Mr. Pearson, you need help. I'll dig us out if I have to."

"No, kids, not this time." And with that Alfred walked past Betty out in to the vast white expanse of the South Dakota prairie.

Betty and Lloyd stood looking at each other for a minute and both knew exactly what the other was thinking. They sat at the kitchen table still fully dressed in their winter clothes just waiting. Etta moved to the parlor to be with her other children and sit in silence, not wanting to know what she would soon learn. They heard the old Farmall tractor start up. Kerchug, kerchug the old engine puffed until it knew it had to get moving and so it did. It had big metal wheels on the back with spikes all around so it had traction. The front wheels were also of metal but smaller. Alfred knew he could make it, he knew he had to.

Betty and Lloyd quietly left the warmth of the old kitchen and headed to the barn where Scout was tied. They put a blanket on him first and then the old saddle that hung in one of the stalls, long forgotten, the leather stiff with cold and old age. Lloyd's fingers were stiff with the cold too and he had trouble synching up the straps. Scout didn't like a saddle and thought he should have the last word but to no avail.

The kids found strips of old cloth used for binding and wrapped them around Scout's legs to help keep him warm. They again used the blinders that had lain for so long in a corner, a reminder of another storm, another time, the black blizzard.

The snow was high in places but had blown almost to the bare frozen ground in others so when they left the barn they tried to stay out of the huge drifts that dotted the bright landscape. It was almost blinding and they dare not look directly at the snow for long.

It took an hour for Alfred to get a short distance to the crossroad where James was waiting with his tractor.

James was a good friend and Alfred was very glad for his help. Alfred knew he could find his way but what he couldn't stand was what might be at the end of the road.

James jumped down off his tractor.

"We'll find 'em Alfred and I think they'll be just fine. Christian has a good head." But he didn't sound very convincing even to himself. He knew the consequences of being caught out in a storm.

They followed the road by way of the telephone poles which came directly from town. The tractors chugged along bogging down every now and then in which case the men would pull each other out by a strap James had. It was slow going and Alfred was very anxious.

Johnny had alerted several of the men in town including the old Doctor. He didn't practice much anymore, only emergencies so the town folk went to the bigger city for their healthcare. They pulled out the old red firetruck and after several tries, got it started. They drove in the direction the kids had gone the day before hoping for the best, knowing in their hearts the worst.

Betty and Lloyd had a fairly straight shot in to town, not having to stick to a road. When they got about a quarter of a mile from the house Betty noticed a glint off something that was covered in snow. As the kids got closer they realized it was part of a bumper of a vehicle. Betty drew in her breath. Lloyd yelled in to the distance.

"HELLO! ANYBODY THERE? HELLO, WILLOW, CHRISTIAN ARE YOU THERE?"

It was so quiet, the sunlight bounced off the ice-bound truck. The sky was a clear blue and exquisitely beautiful. A bird flying high overhead on his way to warmer places called out too but there was not a breath of life anywhere to be seen. And Betty knew.

Standing totally still, they could hear the sound of the tractors in the distance and then the noise of the firetruck coming from the opposite direction. They dismounted Scout and walked towards the truck half buried in a drift.

"Betty honey you need to wait here, I'll check first."

And for the first time Betty listened to Lloyd. She stood still and watch as he moved to the truck, cleared off the snow and moved around to the open door. There was nothing in there.

"Betty they aren't in the truck."

With those words she ran to where Lloyd was standing and looked in. On the floor board she saw the coffee and things Willow had bought at the store in town, she saw the old blanket laying on the seat and there on the floor were Willow's new shoes. Willow's shoes.

Betty looked at Lloyd and she could say nothing, neither could Lloyd. About that time the tractors came in to view and from the other way the sound of the firetruck was getting closer. Scout was pawing the ground looking for some kind of vegetation under the frozen piles.

"HELLO", Alfred hollered over the din of the Farmal. At first he thought that Betty and Lloyd were Willow and Christian. It was not until he got closer he saw who was standing by the truck.

"What are you two doing here?" he said as he jumped off the tractor.

"Sorry Dad we had to help. Dad, Willow's shoes are in the truck, just her shoes."

Reality hit Betty and she started to cry. Alfred and James made their way to the vehicle just as the firetruck got there.

As the men gathered around some started digging in drifts that had piled up across the prairie. It didn't take long. Willow was a few feet from the truck. Her hair stuck to her face as she lay on her side curled up in a fetal position. There was no life in her, she was gone. As Betty, Lloyd, Alfred and the rest gathered around, Dr. Hoyt bent down to find anything that might bring comfort to the family. She looked like a glass doll, a porcelain doll beautiful in her death.

Christian was discovered just a few feet away face down arms outstretched. He must have been trying to reach the truck. Neither of them had been prepared to be out in this disaster, this demon of a storm, this lying, evil tempest that just a few days ago had promised a warm and gentle day. Lying Bitch!

Alfred knelt down by his little girl as if to say "I'm here honey and you are safe as God has wrapped his big, warm arms around you."

He then walked over to where Christian lay as if sleeping. Again he knelt down and took his son's cold stiff hand.

"I'm here Christian, too late but I'm here. You are my firstborn, my son who I put my hopes on. "Rest for now young man. I will miss you."

Alfred stopped short of telling them how much he loved them nor did he shed a tear because that just wasn't done on the prairie. If you were a man, you buried your babies and moved on, working hard to support the other children that did survive. That was Alfred's lot in life, his whole existence.

The other men gave him space and stood quietly by while he said his farewells. Betty came over to Willow and tried to brush the hair away. It was frozen in ringlets around her face.

"Oh Willow, my dear sweet sister I love you so much. I will miss you forever. Mom says it's promised to us so I will be anxiously waiting for you and Christian and our baby brother Frederick."

Betty bent down and kissed her sister's hair. She then moved over to where her father was kneeling by Christian.

"I love you too big brother." And she cried silently holding her father's hand. Johnny and some of the others came over and helped Betty and Alfred back on the tractor. Betty took Willow's shoes and placed them inside her coat. She would never again let those shoes go or be left out in the cold. Lloyd followed on Scout and James along with Dr. Hoyt followed them home on James' tractor. Johnny and the other men were left to remove the children and take them back to town. The truck would stay until it could be retrieved by someone, usually neighbors that would want to help all they could.

After all, this was the South Dakota prairie and folks stuck together.

As soon as they walked in the door, Etta knew. She leaned against the big oak table for support while her other children watched helplessly.

"We found them dear." Was all Alfred could say and Etta just nodded her head. The rest of the day was a blur for everyone and Betty just sat by the fire warming Willow's shoes.

That night was the worst night of all for the Pearson family. After James and Dr. Hoyt left they all just sat in silence. The other children went on in to bed but Betty, Etta and Alfred could not sleep. Each of them in their silence contemplated what they did wrong, how they could have, should have saved the children.

Etta thought she should not have wanted that coffee, Alfred thought he should have made them stay to help with chores and Betty, well Betty knew that if she had not gone fishing her father would have gone looking for the kids and been able to save them. None of it was true of course but guilt is always with the survivors. It's like a long, lost relative that comes to visit and just hangs around not doing anything constructive. It's just there.

In the early morning hours of the next day Alfred stood up and started getting his coat and hat on.

"Where are you going Father?" Betty asked.

"I need to tend to the animals honey."

"I can do it Daddy, I'll take care of them."

"NO, stay with mama, I will be back shortly." And with that he stepped out the back heading for the barn.