He had gone off course in the area every day this week, so he knew every nuance of the terrain and treated it like a giant slalom course. The grade steepened, and there were several significant natural jumps. The trees got closer together aways down, which would eventually force him to return to the main run.
The feeling of weightlessness overcame him as he took air over the last jump. When he hit the ground, his knees took the brunt of the impact. Keeping low, his speed increased. Concentrating on the terrain, he shifted his weight, and using his strength, forced a turn just in time to avoid a tree in his path.
His adrenaline flowed, sending fire through his veins as he wove in and out of the tall pines like gates on a race course. He knew he was getting close to the end of his illegal detour and would have to slow his speed soon to safely reenter the official route. For a minute more, though, he tuned everything else out of his mind except navigating through the trees at the highest rate of speed he could control.
As the marked run came into focus off to his left, he spied another skier ahead on the main route. He wasn’t concerned. Even if the person decided to report him, he’d be long gone by the time anyone with authority could respond.
He came alongside the other skier and glanced over. Dexter was still off course. He and the other skier both wore tinted goggles, but it felt as if for an instant, their eyes locked, and the sensation sent a chill down his spine. Dexter noticed the lack of a glove on one hand. It was too cold to have bare skin exposed for long, but that wasn’t his problem.
Dexter quickly pulled his attention back to the slope. He was going too fast and not yet out of the trees, so losing focus could be deadly. Just as the thought entered his mind, a loud pop reached his ears, and searing pain raced up his legs. His boots detached from his skis and his body flew through the air like a bullet. With no time to react, he knew a collision with a tree was imminent.
He tried to raise his arms to shield his body, but it was too late.