the Solitude Of Prime Numbers (2010) (30 page)

When she opened her eyes the sky was still there, with its monotonous and brilliant blue. Not a cloud passed across it.

Mattia was far away. Fabio was far away. The current of the river made a faint, somnolent swish.

She remembered lying in the crevasse, buried by snow. She thought of that perfect silence. Also now, like then, no one knew where she was. This time too, no one would come. But she no longer expected them to.

She smiled at the clear sky. With a little effort, she could get up by herself.