Melody Jacob

Infinite Storm is a movie about a woman named Pam Bales. She woke up and packed her full hiking gear. Afterward, she went to see a friend whose dog she loved dearly. Knowing she was going hiking, her friend reminded her of the absence of phone network coverage in the mountains. In jest, she said, "You want to be my chaperone?"

Pam believed that mountains always listen without talking back, and she sought solace in their presence. As she drove towards the mountain, she listened to country music, finding comfort in its lyrics. When the song mentioned "Love will find you," she echoed the sentiment, affirming, "Love will find me, fam."

When she got to the entrance, she met a man and a woman. They had a brief conversation, and she asked them if there was anyone on the mountain. They said, "No, just us." The couple left, and then she began her journey from a flowing water path. It was early morning, and there was morning dew and fog.

She walked through a snowy path filled with trees and leaves. She spoke to herself as she walked.

She got to a point and removed her jacket, tied it around her waist, and kept going.

She took steps into a loose stone area and nearly fell but got her grip. She sat for some time. The time was 8:55 a.m. She kept going. As she continued her journey, it became tougher and tougher as she approached areas filled with more snow.

From time to time, she stood and took in the beautiful view. It was windy but she kept going.

She decided to take another break. She wore her shoe chains and poured some hot beverage, but as she looked to the other side, the mountain was so covered in fog that she could hardly see anything.

She wore her jacket again and sat down to feel the breeze. There was a sign that said "Stop: White Mountain National Forest."

Continuing on, oblivious to the sign ahead, she pressed forward. Thick snowflakes fell around her, obscuring her vision. Amidst the heavy snowfall, she caught the faint sound of a scream, though its origin remained uncertain. Whistles and other noises echoed through the snowy landscape, but undeterred, she continued her journey.

At 10:53 a.m., there was a scream. "Fuck." As she walked, she saw footsteps, and she said, "You've got to be kidding me. A woman was shouting "hello," and a whistle-blowing sound. She followed the footsteps and kept going.

She then fell into a hole. The snow opened, and she fell inside. She was in pain, and her face was already turning red. She tried to climb up, but it was proving so difficult. She tried her best and pulled herself up to the top of the hole, and she almost made it out when she fell back inside the hole. This time she went deeper and was covered in more snow, struggling to breathe as more snow poured into the hole.

At this point, she had scratched her fingers, had bruises, and was already weak. She wasn’t exactly a young woman. She lay inside the hole and watched the snow covering up when she saw two shadows and started remembering her daughters, and then started to try again. As she did, she said, "Come on, Pam." She encouraged herself and finally came out.

She crawled out and let out a loud scream. She tried to drink from her water bottle, but it was frozen. She picked up a fallen wooden stick and placed it over the hole so another person wouldn’t fall inside.

She started shouting, "Hello, hello," trying to look for the people whistling, but everywhere was covered in snow, the wind was blowing, and it was harsh weather.

She walked and then met a man sitting still. He was halfway gone and so cold and frozen, but he was still alive. She asked him for his name, but there was no response. She told him she would call him John. She took off his socks and put another pair on him. She took off his shorts and put her clothes on him. She told him she would get him out of there.

She started taking him down the mountain. Around 1:38 pm, they were still walking, but the guy didn’t have much strength to carry on. He fell at some point, but she helped him up. His steps were so shaky, and he fell again.

He wanted to give up. She spoke to him and said, "I am not leaving you," and around 1:09 pm, they were still walking.

She asked him if he had been drinking, on drugs, or on mushrooms, but he tried to run because he didn’t know what was going on.

By 2:57 pm, they were still walking, and John ran to the edge and said, "Jump," but before he did, she said, "No, don’t do it," she screamed, "I told you I can’t."

She looked over, and he was still alive, and she tried to help him.

By 3:30 pm, he started eating the snow, and she tried to stop him and told him not to eat the snow. She asked him if he had anyone waiting for him, and he said his cat. They started moving again, but this time his leg hurt due to the fall.

On February 29th, I received an email notifying me that my package had arrived from a company called Evri, formerly known as Hermes. Upon returning home, I discovered that the parcel was missing from where it was supposed to be. I checked with my neighbors, but they weren't available. Immediately, I contacted the company to file a complaint. However, despite their automated response promising a callback, I never received one. Repeated attempts to reach them were met with their unresponsive answering machine. It seems impossible to contact them, and they don't attempt to reach out either.

The next day, after returning from work, I asked my neighbors about the parcel, but they said they hadn't seen any delivery, as they hadn't been around.

Checking Instagram, I found numerous complaints from people who had caught Evri drivers/delivery staff on camera stealing their parcels.

Here's how the scheme works: the drivers take a picture of the parcel, send you an email claiming it's been delivered to your doorstep, and then simply walk away with it.

My parcel has been stolen by Evri four times, and I'm frustrated by the lack of communication. I suspect this isn't just a problem among delivery personnel but extends to the company's management benefiting from these thefts.