1 Tessa Tessa aimed her binoculars at the white blanket of new snow searching for a barbegazi The T-bar lift pulled her uphill along the boundary of the ski area as she scanned the mountains on the far side of the gorge Her skis wobbled over a bump and the eyepiece knocked against her cheekbone She winced but kept her eyes fixed on a crevice from where small chunks of snow were rolling down the smooth white slope Had they been loosened by a barbegazi She itched to ski beyond the prepared slopes to get closer But that was impossible A blizzard had raged over Christmas and the avalanche warning was high Today not even the craziest skiers braved the dangerous off-piste Yet Tessa’s view of the crevice became a gray blur when the lift dragged her into a cloud Annoyed she lowered the binoculars and let them dangle from their strap Everything beyond the red trousers and green jackets of her ski-club teammates on the T-bars in front vanished in the mist The clamminess chilled her
and she pushed her long brown braids back snuggled into her soft fleece and thought about the barbegazi If only she could find their caves in the snow and see them surf on avalanches When she emerged above the cloud stray snowflakes glittered glittered in the sun filling the air with magic gold dust The brightness brightness blinded her She tugged down the goggles on her helmet until they protected her eyes Empty T-bars swung back and forth where the other two eleven-year-old girls from the racing team waited While dismounting dismounting the lift Tessa tried to jam the binoculars into her pocket Looking for fairies again Maria called out They’re not fairies Tessa mumbled through the glove she had in her mouth while she closed the zipper on her bulky pocket She hoped Coach wouldn’t notice They’re Whatever Maria exchanged a glance with Lisa It’s not like anyone’s ever seen one Or will My opa has Tessa pointed with her ski pole toward the gully on the other side of the T-bar lift It rescued him down Nobody believed your grandfather Her throat tightened at Maria’s harsh interruption Everyone knows they’re extinct Tessa Lisa’s tone was friendlier than Maria’s Perhaps she was also remembering Opa’s funeral Not trusting her voice to sound steady Tessa just shook her head Oh my God Tessa Maria waved her arms wildly and 10
