Freeze

“There weren't always dragons in the valley.”

“Will you please stop?” You sighed, with tension in your chest and shoulders. You looked at the clock on the stove, moved your hands from your face and placed them ready to push back from the table.

“I have to go to work.”

“Nah, you still got like 30 minutes till you need to leave. Sit baby, eat your breakfast.” I insisted.

“Honey, please, can we not? I’d… “

“Oh, you. Hehe, drago-… “

“Mell, stop.” You seemed so strained. So, stressed. You shut your eyes. We sat in silence for a moment before you broke the air with another sigh and your hands patting the tabletop.

“Ah, well, at least eat some of it.” I spoke up. “Don't waste the time that I spent making, yeah?”

“It's cereal and toast. It's soggy, the toast is soggy. You left it on the side of the bowl.”

“Maybe it wouldn't have fallen in if you were here a bit earlier. It's not my faul-... “

“You're doin-, fine, okay.” You exclaimed and stood quickly, picking up the half soggy toast and shaking it in front of my face. Flopping and dripping into my near empty bowl. Then you took a bite and smiled with the milk-soaked toast dripping through your teeth.

“Guh-bhuyy.” Your words mushed. I just nodded and looked down at my bowl as you grabbed your bag and walked to the door. Then you left. You just left. Shut the door with nothing else to say. Not like we had anything worth saying. Maybe it was better you just left.

I stood and looked over the table a moment, picked up your bowl and walked to the kitchen. I leaned over the sink and dumped what was left in your bowl out the window. Maybe a bird that hadn't migrated or a critter might want it. The morning air was cool. I could feel its iciness fading; ready for a warmth and a spring glow to shine through. I took my apron off, balled it up and dropped it on the counter.

Can't help but wonder if you'll be alright. It's so far to drive. It's so far. I look down the hall to the front door and see the stand with the key bowl with your lunch box sitting right beside it.

“He forgot his lunch.”

-

I grabbed my keys from my coat pocket and fingered through each of them till I reached the one for the car. Really wish she would have made me something this morning a bit heavier. It's gonna be a long day. Long drive.

I keyed the door and opened it pulling myself in quickly from the chilly morning air. With the crank of the engine the sun peaked through the trees right into my eyes. I squinted and flipped the shade down.

Looking back to the front door I just feel I'm missing something. Forgetting something, but I don't want to go back in. I really don't want to. Must not be that important. I pushed my foot down on the gas and the engine revved.

“Put it in gear, don’t be a bob.” How tired am I?

Once the engine settled enough, I shifted and pulled off, skidding into the icy street. Snow didn't look too bad on the road today. Looked like the snowplows already came through and salted again. It was going to get cold, even colder before spring would finally reach us over the mountains.

There was a little flurry last night. The silence, from snow falling, kept me awake. A silence, dead in the air.

It's scary to think there’s dragons again, and the winter is a scary time. So dark. You could freeze outside. I've gotten lost on the road too many times for it to be good for me. I look at the clock on the radio.

6:32 am

I should get there with plenty of time, enough to maybe grab a drive through or something. Fill my belly with anything other than a bit of soggy toast. Hmm, what's around here?

Pulled out of our neighborhood onto the snowy streets and immediately caught a patch of ice. My tail swung ever so lightly from behind me then caught pavement, jerking me back in line.

“Heh, missed a spot fellas. Oh perfect, a King's Rings.”

I saw the building standing alone in a lot. A pretty popular local chain for breakfast. Coffee and biscuits kind of place. Not the best coffee, but. You made great coffee. Oh, I forgot my lunch.

--

I zipped up my only coat. Well maybe the only one that'll keep me extra warm. I grabbed my book and stomped my boots one last time before opening the door. A strong breeze slapped my face, knocking me on my back.

Flapping, the air was flapping. The door was sucked a little before being burst wide open from another gust of wind. I could hear them. The wings.

“Oh Heather grace blessed, please no.”

I crawled myself through the doorway to look down the street. The giant shadow sweeping across the road with another rush of wind. I righted myself as quick as I could, with my gloves slipping in the metal door frame. I slammed the door. I had to find you.

“Phone, phone, phone. I gotta find him, I- I gotta call him.” I searched my pockets frantically not remembering which one it was through all the padding.

I knew had to get moving, down the hall at a full sprint and through the back door, leaping off the back porch and into our snowy yard.

“Where’s the phoooooone?” I didn't think it had snowed this much last night. It must have all blown off the roof.

“Agggg! Where, where, where? Found it!”

I immediately dialed you, still trudging and pushing through the fresh white powder to the barn. Our little barn. I could hear Shelby crying, neighing wildly. At least she hadn't been grabbed yet. I swung open the barn door and saw her warm breath huff out her nose into the chilled, still air.

--

“Go ahead and order when you're ready.”

“Okay, I'd like a Witch’s Brew and…”

“What size?”

“Oh umm, cauldron?”

“Okay.”

“Add a shot of bat milk.”

“Okay, anything else”

“Do you have low fat?”

“Yes, we do.”

“Cool, I’ll do that then. Uh, two Ogre biscuits fully loaded and a… “

“You want the mayonnaise on it?”

“Yes please.” I gotta slow down on the fats honestly. “Actually no, leave off the mayo, please.”

“Alright, anything else? “

“Uhhhh, I’ll do a hash.”

“Browned or bricked?”

“Bricked? What's bricked?”

“It's just extra crispy”

“Alright, I'll try it.”

“Alright, and will that be all for you today?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“Okay aaaaaand your order is 23.276, see you at the window.”

This line is barely even moving, it took me nearly 15 minutes just to get to here. I'm going to end up being late anyway. The snows starting again? Let me see if I can find the weather.

As I turned the radio on, I heard a car alarm go off. Sounded like it was at least a block away. I could see a group of people running down the street, then some turned towards us sitting in line. The music faded and a voice bellowed.

“Good morning, folks and dwellers. It’s another beautiful day in the valley and it looks like it's gonna be yet another snowy one!”

They're getting closer. That woman looks like she's crying. She just ran up to the first car in the line and banged on the window. Does she even know them? Did she just get in a stranger’s car? Oh my Heather, they just sped off.

“We're gonna see scattered flurries all day and into the evening with it picking up again through the night.” The host continued.

Oh Heather, there's more. There’re so many people running. They’re screaming. They're all screaming. Why are they screaming?

“Wind’s gonna pick up again today from the south and move some new clouds into the area.”

I could see the sky above us went dark for a moment and, one by one, everyone in the drive through line let their windows down and peaked their heads out.

“So, once you’ve got that drive cleared again, it’s time to salt your drive and tend your hides cause it’s gonna be another cold one tonight.”

-

Shelby leapt out of the barn with me holding tight. I'm holding on a tight as I can. Baby, we're on our way.

“Please pick up.” I held the phone to my ear while the reigns tugged at Shelby’s gallops. We ended the drive and slid in the street. Skidding on the patchy pavement. Her hooves attempting to scratch for traction. I can see your car in the drive through line.

-

“Pleeeeeeeeease, please! Open the door!” I don't even know who this is, but if they keep banging their hands on my window its likely to shatter, and I can’t really afford a new one.

“Alright, okay, okay!” I unlocked the doors. Should I really be letting this stranger in my car? Should I even be worrying about that?

“What's going on out there?” I look at my phone. Gosh, 18 missed calls. There was a click. This absolute stranger just locked my doors.

“Drive, please! As fast as you can, get us outta here!”

“I’m stuck in line. I-I can't even back out.” I spin my head around. There's so much screaming outside.

“Please, tell me. What's going on, please?” I caught a glimpse of a horse out of the corner of my eye. “Tell me- “. Is that Mell? What’s Shelby doing out?”

“Lester! Get out of the car!” I could see it in your eyes. The terror, welling.

Two massive sets of talons landed right on top of you. The car shook and Shelby wailed. The screams. There was so much screaming. You were both crushed under its massive claws, but I couldn’t see you. I didn’t see you. Just red, splattering on the powdery white lot. It then turned to look back at us, all cooped up and trapped in line, with a piercing glare beneath its jet-black wings and letting a warm breath huff out its obsidian scaled nose.