Encounter

by Susan Gravely

Ed reached for the mic without taking his eyes off the mountain top. Forget it, he thought, no one’s going to hear me anyway.

The plane barely cleared the peak. Just as Ed sighed with relief, a powerful downdraft overcame the airplane’s desire to remain airborne.

Skids touched snow and ice, and the craft became a toboggan with a propeller. Racing downward, Ed prayed for lift, but the air was too thin.

The yeti saw the plane just before it hit him. Ed saw the yeti at the same moment.

“Are you kidding me?” were Ed’s last words.

“Nu-ak grawl hurmf!” were the yeti’s.