Monday, March 12, 2018

Countdown of Love

Prompt: A story featuring a countdown
March 11, 2018
20 days since she’d last seen her boyfriend. He wasn’t missing or anything, he just lived three hours away. It was hard, but they made it work. Phone calls every night, texting throughout the day.  Every time they were able to spend time together was pure bliss.
19 more problems left on her college algebra assignment. It wasn’t hard, just monotonous. She had incentive to focus though. Her boyfriend was on his way now, and she wanted to be able to enjoy the weekend without college work as a burden.
18 was the answer to one of the questions and it was so simple that when she realized it was the answer, she felt like a fool. She hoped the rest of the problems would be so easy.  Then again, that might be a bad idea, because chances were, she would overthink them.
17 more minutes until a break. She had self imposed breaks, otherwise the algebra would fry her brain. However, she wasn’t sure she’d take the break this time. The more time she spent on her work, the less she’d have to do when she was with her boyfriend.
16 thoughts raced through her mind at once. None of them had a thing to do with algebra. Instead, she thought of her boyfriend. They had already made plans to go to the Mexican restaurant a town away for lunch. After that, they were going to the zoo.  From there, it would be an exciting, unknown adventure.
15 problems left! And the next five were so simple she could have almost done them in her sleep. Sure enough, she finished them quickly and smiled happily. So close to finished, and so close to seeing her boyfriend again.
14 new messages?! She laughed when she saw the memes her friend had sent her, then another message came through.
“Is he coming this weekend?”
“Yes! I'm finishing homework now so I don't have to worry about it when he’s here.”
“Oooh, sounds exciting!”
“As soon as he gets here, we're going to leave for lunch. We're eating at the same place we ate for our first date.”
“So romantic!”
“It was his idea. He's super romantic. I also suggested the zoo afterward and he thought that was a good idea.”
“I would hope so!  Do you really want to date a guy who doesn’t want to go to the zoo?”
“Hmm...not really.  I think I would rather spend my time and money on a guy who loves animals as much as me.”
“Do you think he’d let you buy a zoo?”
“...I doubt it.”
“Then he doesn’t love animals as much as you.”
“...oh well….  Anyway, I’ve got to finish this algebra up, ttyl.”
13 was her favorite number. One of the many things she and her boyfriend had in common. Another thing they had in common was their love of video games. Sometimes they played with each other, but often they played against each other.
Usually, if they played against each other, she would end up screeching at him to stop killing her and he would be laughing almost evilly. She tried... but some games she just couldn't figure out.
12 months are in each year. How many years could a relationship last? Her previous relationships had never made it to a year, and his last relationship only survived for a year. Other people were able to make their relationships last for decades. And that’s what they both wanted for their relationship.
11 times 11 equals 121. 6 times 6 equals 36. Add them together and take the square root? 157. Ha. There was no square root, it was prime. She glanced up at the clock. He should be here soon.
10 more minutes...approximately. She'd finished her algebra and now waited impatiently for his arrival. To keep herself from exploding with excitement, she busied herself with cleaning. It wasn't that her room was dirty per say (she had already cleaned it), but it could always be cleaner.
9 minutes later, she was running down the stairs. He was here! She hadn't thought about shoes in her haste, so rushed across the wet grass in her sock feet. Launching herself at her boyfriend she hugged him tightly around the neck.
“I missed you!”
“I missed you too.”  He returned her embrace and kissed her softly on the lips.
“Never leave again!”
He laughed. “Not until Monday, sweetie.”
She hugged him tighter. “Come in?”
8 minutes was all it took to bring his bags in. It wouldn’t have even taken that long, but she’d spent such a long time hugging him before coming in.
7 new drawings in my sketchbook. Do you want to look now or later?” he asked.
She chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. “How about after our date?” It wasn't that she didn't want to look at them, just that first she wanted to eat.
He nodded. “Okay. And I brought a new movie to watch. Well, a whole set. Here, look how long the whole set takes to watch.” He handed to to her and laughed as her eyes bulged
6 hours long???”
He only grinned. “Two hours per movie. I heard it was really good.”
“Maybe we shouldn't watch them all tonight....”
“Okay, fine,” he pouted teasingly.  “Are we going to go now?”
5 minutes! I need to pee.”
It didn't take long to arrive at the restaurant. As usual, she blew her straw paper at him as he sat stoically, waiting the blow. He sighed.
“You are such a dork.”
“But you love me.”
He raised an eyebrow and she laughed.  He grinned back and nodded.  “Yes, I do love you, you dork.”
4 dollars? Is that a good tip?” Her boyfriend asked.
“Uhh...I don't know. Maybe 7? She was a really good waitress!”
“Okay, 7 then.”
3 hours they spent at the zoo.  It was so much fun that neither really noticed the time speeding by.  They took their time looking at the animals.
Her favorites were the giraffes, his favorites were the coatis.  She was so excited when she found out she could feed the giraffes for five dollars, but got grossed out when the giraffe missed the giraffe wafer and licked her hand instead.
2 years.  They had been together for two long years.  That was a record for both of them.  And yet they still loved each other.  Not the same as they did when they first started dating.  Their love was deeper and more intense than it had been at the beginning.
Now they knew the little annoying habits the other had.  How he tapped everything with his fingernails until she took it away in annoyance.  How she told him he didn’t need to apologize, yet had severe sorry-itis herself.  Yet, despite this knowledge, they continued to love each other.
The rest of their date was wonderful.  They went to see a movie.  It was a romance and they both enjoyed it.  They teased about making out during the movie if no one else showed up, but the theater was much more crowded than they’d expected.
After the movie was Walmart.  Not extremely romantic, but enjoyable nonetheless.  They each bought a new sketchbook, and he bought a new package of markers for drawing.
Then they went home.
“Honey?”  She snuggled closer to him on the couch.
“Hmm?”
“How many true loves do you think one person can have?”
“True loves?”
She nodded.
1.  One true love.  Like fairytales.”
“Well, however many someone can have, you’re my only one.”
He hugged her tight.  “And you’re mine.”

©2018 Katie Holm

Thursday, March 1, 2018

My Journey with a Twelve Pound Dragon

Prompt: A story about a journey
February 18, 2018

No journey is easy when you have something sitting on your shoulder.  It’s even harder when the thing sitting on your shoulder is a 12 pound dragon, whose breath reeks like raw meat and burns your skin.
Of course, I wouldn’t be going on this journey were it not for the obnoxious 12 pound dragon sitting on my shoulder.  He was separated from his flock in the great tornado we had a few months back.  He promises that he knows exactly where they will be, but his wing is injured and he can’t fly.
Azruel...my nuisance.
I like to hum when I go for walks, and think nothing of it as we walk down the path.
“Why are you humming?” the dragon asks me.
I sigh.  “Because I like humming.”
“Well stop it, it’s annoying, and I’m trying to sleep.”
“The sun is up!” I protest.
“So what?  I am tired.  I need my sleep.”
“So can I just lay down and go to sleep?”
“No!  You are being ridiculous, we have to keep going.” Azruel screeches in my ear.
I’m sure this is what I get to put up with for the rest of the trip.
Our journey is long, but not too dangerous. However, on the way, we encounter terrible trolls.  They are big and hairy, with long, rotten, pointy teeth.  The biggest of them all has the squeakiest voice, and demands I hand over my chicken.
“My chicken?” I ask.
“Yes!  Give us your chicken, so we can have dinner!”
“We aren’t above eating human….” one of the others growls, examining his sharp claws.
“N-no, you don’t need to eat me!” I’m embarrassed at my stutter.  It only comes out when I’m nervous.  “I just don’t have a chicken!”
“What’s that on your shoulder then?” the first troll squeaks at me.
I turn my head to see the dragon sleeping soundly.  Not a shock.  He’s always either sleeping or running his mouth.
“This, is a dragon.”
The trolls laugh as if that is the funniest thing they’ve ever heard before in their lives.
“That ain’t a dragon,” says the second troll.  “Dragons are big and scary.  Dragons eat trolls.  You have chicken.”
I sigh.  My sigh is so loud that it wakes up the ‘chicken’.
“What’s all the racket?” grumbles Azruel.
“These trolls want to eat my chicken.”  I grin at him.  “If my chicken keeps being so obnoxious, I might let them.”
Azruel blinks sleepily and looks around.  “Chicken?”
“Yeah.  A blue, scaly chicken, with hot stinky breath.”
Azruel continues to look around.  “Chicken?”  He looks up at me quizzically.  “What chicken?”
The trolls’ eyes have grown large.
“Your chicken talks!”  The first troll pokes Azruel with a finger.
Startled by being poked, Azruel jumps and begins to fall.  Naturally he digs into my shoulder with his claws to keep from falling.  And naturally, I cry out and grab at him.  I have been told multiple times that I must not touch or grab at Azruel without his permission.  By Azruel of course.
He lets out a screech of anger and nips at me.
“Azruel!”  There is a blossom of blood on my finger where he nipped me.  And he is sitting on my shoulder, once more, glaring haughtily at the trolls.
“I am not a chicken.”
The third troll finally finds the courage to sniff at Azreul.  “No...isn’t chicken.”
“I told you!”  Azruel glowers so fiercely that the streams of smoke that almost always come from his nostrils double in size.
“Can we still eat it?” asked the first troll.
“No, you most certainly may not eat me!  Good riddance, you vile creatures.  Begone!”  He lets out a small flame, and the trolls back away, confused.
“Please, just leave.  I’ll find you each a chicken sometime...just go for now,” I plead.  And honestly?  I plan to find them chickens.  Trolls are easier to deal with than this stupid dragon.
After much persuading, they finally leave.
“Now we can continue in peace,” Azruel grumbles.
“Well, you can,” I mutter.
The next few miles aren’t too horrible.  At least until Azruel gets hungry.  Then he becomes a whining little baby.
“Are we going to stop and eat soon?”
“No, Azruel, we need to keep going.”
“But I’m hungry!” he whined.
“So am I, but I also want to get you home.”  I mostly wanted to get him somewhere so he could bother people other than me.
“If we don’t stop to eat, I will die, and then it won’t matter if you get me home or not.  Is that really what you want for me?”
I closed my eyes to keep them from rolling.  “Fine, we’ll stop to eat, but you can’t sit on my shoulder while you eat.”
“You expect me to sit on the ground?  The hard, dusty ground?”
“It’s either sit on the ground or don’t stop to eat.”
He pouts, but climbs down from my shoulder.  “Well, give me some food!”
I sigh and reach into my pack to get him some dried beef.  He grumbles that it isn’t raw, but gobbles it down.
“Are you ready to go now?” I ask.
He nods, and climbs back onto my shoulder.  Within seconds he is fast asleep.  I don’t mind.  It keeps him quiet.
When the sun starts going down, I start thinking about stopping for the night.  I’ve been doing all the walking.  Azruel said that if we followed this path we would find his flock soon, but I’ve yet to see any other dragons like him.  I did see a flock of giant dragons fly overhead a few hours ago.  The sky went dark, and I found myself gasping at the majestic view.
I’m so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I don’t notice Azruel has woke up.  Then, I feel hot liquid falling down the back of my shirt.  I let out a cry, and whip my head around, prepared to give Azruel a stern talking to.
But the expression on his face startles me.  His proud, snobbish expression is gone.  His horns are drooping, and his eyes are downcast.  Even the corners of his mouth are turned down.
“Azruel?”
He looks up and I see glistening jewels of tears sparkling in his eyes.
“Why are you crying?”  I had intended to be harsh with the dragon I assumed was drooling on me in his sleep...but now I just couldn’t bring myself to be cruel with the crying creature.
He looks down again, but does not answer.
“Azruel?” I made my voice as soft as I could.
He buries his face in the back of my neck, and I feel more of his burning tears run down the back of my shirt.
“No, stop, that hurts!”
He lifts his head, then jumps onto the ground and walks alongside me in silence.  Both of his wings droop.
I sit down in the middle of the road.  Confused, he stops and looks back at me.  “I’m not moving until you tell me what’s wrong.”
He comes back and climbs into my lap, curling into a ball and looking up mournfully.  “I miss my flock.”
My shoulders slump.  “I’m sure you do.  That’s why I’m taking you to them.”
He nods.  “I want to be with them now.  I feel lost and grumpy without them.”
I nod in understanding.  “Should we rest for now, so we have strength to finish our journey tomorrow?”
He nods.  “There used to be an inn up ahead...maybe it’s still there?”
I gather the dragon up in my arms, and we continue down the road.  Sure enough, there’s an inn.
“So we stay there for the night?” I ask.
He nods.
I pay for our room, and while I’m not sure about Azruel, as soon as my head hits the pillow, I fall asleep.
I am woken by loud screeching and sit straight up.  Azruel is clawing and scratching at someone’s face.  They’re screaming bloody murder, and I can’t say that I blame them, I would be too.
“Azruel!”
He turns to me, and that’s all it takes for the man to swipe him to the floor.  And that’s when I realize that there is a man in our room.
He picks something up from the ground—an axe.
“I want your money, and I want it now,” he growls.
“B-but I don’t have any m-money!” I hold up my empty hands.
“You sure about that?  They don’t let people stay here if they have no money.”  He comes closer to me, and I fear what he will do to me if I don’t give him what little money I have.
“W-wait, just l-let me get my b-bag!”  I glance wide-eyed at Azruel, who looks more furious than frightened.
The man laughs and steps back as I stumble trying to get to my bag.  I’m too small to fight back, and too scared to do anything but shake.  As I grab my bag, I turn to Azruel.
He’s smiling!  That ridiculous dragon is smiling!  He launches himself from the floor and leaps onto the man’s back, growling and hissing.  I watch, amazed, as the tiny dragon claws and bites a man who is over ten times his size.  This time, I don’t shout.
I clench my fist, and throw a punch, then jump back, afraid he’ll turn around and hit me back.  But no, he is too distracted by the tiny blue dragon chewing on his face.  So I grab his axe.
Now what do I do?!  I stare at the axe I hold.  These things are usually used for cutting wood.  Would they cut through human flesh just as well?  While I ponder what to do with the axe, the door is flung open.
It seems like everything and everyone freezes.
“What is going on in here?!”  It is the innkeeper.  “Cut the racket or I’ll cut you from my inn!”
“Sir,”—I stand straighter, and bow my head respectfully—“this man has barged into our room, threatening us with this axe.  Azruel is defending us and our meager possessions.  If you would simply remove this man from our room we will go back to sleeping like before.  I am so sorry for the disturbance.”
The innkeeper raises an eyebrow, then glowers at the man.  “Come on, out of here.  I’ll be sending you to the jail….”
Azruel jumped from the man’s back and blew a tiny blast of fire at him as he went.  The intruder left willingly.  Apparently being bitten and scratched by a cat sized dragon isn’t enjoyable….
I lay back down on the bed, but it’s hard to sleep now.  My eyes are closed when I feel a weight on the bed.
“No!” I scream, before looking down to see Azruel, his eyes wide.
“Can I sleep here with you?”
Exhausted, I nod.  He crawls close to me, nestling against my chest.  I find that I don’t mind his hot stinky breath on my neck, and soon, we are fast asleep.
The morning comes quietly, and we nearly miss the breakfast that the innkeeper’s wife serves us.  It’s delicious!  Almost more than I can eat!  Bacon, eggs, gravy, biscuits, she even made toast.  My mouth will water forever when I think of this meal.
After breakfast, we leave on our journey once more.  Azruel doesn’t seem quite so grouchy as he did yesterday...he almost seems pleasant.  Of course, he still doesn’t want to walk, but today I find myself not minding.
It doesn’t take long before Azruel starts screeching in my ear.  “It’s home, it’s home!”
I follow his gaze and see a large, red rock formation.  There are no dragons, big or little, but if he says it’s his home, it must be his home.
“Just keep walking, human….  It’s home!”
So, I just keep walking.  The closer I get, the more I realize exactly how large and how far away these rocks are.  Then, I realize that there are, in fact, several dragons playing on the rocks.
Most of them are about Azruel’s size.  They are blue, green, brown, even one that glitters like gold.  Some are smaller than him, and I assume they must be babies.  When I ask, he says yes, and tells me that baby dragons are called hatchlings.
I set him down, and he is surrounded by his brethren.  They nuzzle each other and coo softly.  A few dragons whimper when they see his injured wing.  He smiles widely, nosing a few of the dragons over and over.  I wonder if there’s something special about those dragons.
My journey is complete, my errand is over.  I turn to go.
“Wait, before you go I wanted to give you something!” Azruel stops me.
So I wait.  As I wait, the dragons crowd around me, cooing about ‘the human.’  Hatchlings scale me the way a kitten would, then perch on my shoulders or crawl up to my head, giggling like little children.  They are so adorable and funny that I find myself laughing as I stroke their scaly heads.
One hatchling is still learning how to control his fire.  I learn this because he sneezes, and for a second, my clothes are on fire.  However, the fire was put out just as quickly because it’s smothered by all the dragons clamoring around me.
Then Azruel is back, dragging a heavy bag behind him.  Well, it’s heavy to him.  To me it’s just a bursting money purse.  He drags it to me, then looks up, his eyes shining.  I never dreamed I’d see that cranky dragon smiling so happily.
“For my friend.”  He noses the bag to me.  “My friend who brought me home.”
I’m not crying.  I don’t cry.  Why would I be crying?  So ridiculous to think that I would tear up at this.  I reach down, but I don’t grab the money bag.  Instead I hug that little dragon tight.
He squeaks.
“Oh, I’m sorry!”  I release him, and he scrambles away, but not very far before looking back up at me with a giant smile.
“Thank you for bringing me home.”  And then he’s gone, lost in the throng of dragons.
Taking his gift with me, I turn and leave.  Maybe I’ll come back and visit him someday.  Azruel...my friend.
©2018 Katie Holm

The Diary of a Girl

Prompt: A story set in London
February 4, 2018

January 14
I cannot believe I am in London!  I have never been anywhere outside of America before in my life.  Just look at everything!  It’s so big, so beautiful!  I barely scraped together the money for a plane ticket, but I’m so glad I did...for a lot of reasons.
I wonder what I should do while I’m here?  I don’t have a tour guide or anything.
WHAT IF I CAN’T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE?!  Wait, they still speak English.  BUT WHAT IF I CAN’T UNDERSTAND THE ACCENT?!
-Rani
January 15
London is beautiful.  My hotel room is gorgeous.  Well, actually, it’s kind of subpar, but it’s in London, and that makes it beautiful.
Tomorrow I plan to see Big Ben!  Oh, and there is this fabulous curry restaurant just down the street.  It all tasted so delicious!  They also have some American restaurants here...but if I don’t like them in America, I doubt they’ll taste good in London, even though it is London.
I’ve barely even thought about Daniel.  Lousy, two-timing Daniel.  Maybe I should get a job here and forget all about America and its lousy men.  But I guess I do still have a family in America, and I really do adore my family….
-Rani
January 16
Daniel called me last night.  So much for forgetting about him.  Even an ocean can’t keep him away from me.  I’m so…depressed.  I thought I was over being sad and depressed over him.
According to the internet, he’s a narcissist.
Why do I even try?  I can’t lie to myself, and this journal is essentially myself.  Daniel can just...go away.  Great, now I’m blurring the ink because I’m crying.  I can’t do anything right.  I’d never kill myself, but sometimes I just don’t want to wake up in the morning.
-Rani
January 17
Well, I woke up after all.  I feel a lot better now.  I actually feel optimistic!  Time to go get more curry!  I love that curry!  Before I leave London, I’ll have to try some more restaurants.
-Rani
January 17 (later)
I finally blocked Daniel on Facebook.  There was no point letting him stay in my line of sight.  I wish I could figure out how to block his number on my phone.  Someone was saying that this type of phone doesn’t have the option to block.  I hope they were wrong.
Oh, and someone at the curry restaurant was flirting with me!  They said I was cute, and that my big blue eyes made them want to paint oceans and rivers with the paint in my eyes.  I just giggled like a fool!  But they still asked my number.
Can they still contact me with an American number?  Probably not, that’s probably why they asked about Facebook after I gave them my number.  I bet I looked like a dweeb.
-Rani
January 18 (1 in the morning)
I just woke up.  I had a horrible nightmare.  Daniel was back.  He slapped my face and told me I was a...I don’t want to write the word.  He hit me over and over and when he left I was bleeding and covered in bruises.
I don’t like it.  He never did hit me, just said things to me….  I guess the words still hurt….
I wish people would believe me when I tell them that Daniel isn’t a good guy.  He’s just such a good actor...I thought he was nice.
I’m really tired, but I’m scared to go back to sleep.  What if I have more nightmares?  Maybe if I just rest my head for a moment, I’ll feel less tired, and I can just stay up.

January 18
Well, I guess I fell back asleep.  No more bad dreams.  No Daniel.
I went to the curry restaurant for lunch, hoping to see that cute guy from yesterday, but he wasn’t there.  However, the cashier guy remembers me!  He winked at me and asked if I’d be having the same thing I had the past two days.  I was too shocked to do anything but nod.  Even at my favorite restaurant in America they don’t ever seem to remember me, let alone my order!
Sometimes when I remember that I’m in London that little kid song, “London Bridge is Falling Down,” pops into my head.  I wonder who the fair lady is, and why she’s mine.
-Rani
January 19
I’m probably just paranoid, but I swear I saw Daniel just a few blocks away when I left the curry restaurant.  Maybe I need to find a new hotel and a new restaurant.
I’m probably just being silly.  Daniel isn’t here.  Daniel can’t be here.  Does he even know I’m here?  Oh, I feel so sick to my stomach.  Daniel wouldn’t follow me all the way to London, would he?
He might….  He said that if I left him, he would make sure I regretted it.  Why should I regret leaving his sorry butt?  He was the one in the wrong, not me.
-Rani
January 20
It was Daniel.  It had to be.  The guy walked like him, and looked like him.  What’s that weird saying about ducks and walking?
I only saw him from a distance, but I don’t ever want to see him again.  I’m going to pack my things and go to a different hotel.
-Rani
January 21
I’m at a different hotel now.  It’s actually nicer than the one I stayed at first.  I will miss my curry place though.  Oh well.  There are other restaurants near here.
I have discovered a deep love for fish and chips that I never knew existed.  Who needs men?  I shall marry fish and chips.
Oh, and that guy who was flirting with me at the curry restaurant?  He added me on Facebook!  We’ve been talking a lot.  His name is Alexander and he’s really funny.  We’re planning to meet up tomorrow night for dinner.  What will I wear?!
-Rani
January 22
Our date (is it a date) thing is in three hours!  I’m so excited!  He’s picking me up from my hotel and we’re going to a restaurant of his choice.  He said he’s paying and that he expects me to eat as much as I want!  Oh help I’m dating a rich guy.  Wait, I’m not dating him.  This is one date!
I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR.
Maybe jeans?  No, it sounds fancy.  HELP!
I guess I’ll just wear clothes.
-Rani
January 22 (later)
The date was wonderful!  I wound up wearing jeans and a cute shirt.  I can’t believe I stressed so much over my outfit.  I never used to stress about clothes.  Well...not until I dated Daniel.  He was always saying that he wanted me to look beautiful.
No, I’m not talking about Daniel!  I’m talking about my awesome date!  Alexander was so much fun.  The restaurant wasn’t super fancy, and I was able to get some great food.  I wound up getting a sampler dish, so I could have a little bit of everything.  I’m not even sure of everything I ate, but it was soooo good!
I also video called my parents today, and my dad got a haircut.  He also shaved his beard.  He looks so much better with a beard.  They even got my cat on the camera and I was reminded why I can’t just stay in London.
I cannot leave my cat behind in America.  I have to make at least one trip back to America to get him.  I’m actually starting to really miss him.  He’s worth risking Daniel.
Well, I’ve been up so late, and I’m exhausted, so I’ll say more about my date tomorrow.
-Rani
January 23
Today is my last day in London.  I told Alexander, and he’s sad, but he hopes to come visit me in the States soon.  I’m so excited!  I can’t wait to take him to my favorite restaurant and make him meet my cat.
I had so much fun on our date last night.  I hope he can come to the states soon so that we can go on another date.
The only bad part about our date was that as I was getting out of the taxi and going up to the hotel, I thought I saw Daniel again.
Just thinking about him leaves a sick, cold pit in my stomach.  I can’t believe he...did everything he did.   I don’t have to write the words, I know what it was.  I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
Maybe I shouldn’t even go on dates.  Maybe he was right with what he said.  My phone is buzzing again.  It’s Daniel.  I feel sick.

I answered.  That was a mistake.
He told me that...that I was...no, I don’t want those words recorded in my precious pages.  He said that I’m cheating on him...that I hurt him deeply.
Let me write a rough transcript of our conversation...what I remember anyway.
Me: Hello?
Him: Hey there, you bleep.
Me: I’m not!
Him: Then why are you cheating on me, you bleep?
Me: I’m not!  We aren’t together anymore, I ended it, remember?
Him: No, I don’t.  I decide when we break up.  You don’t.
Me: You were cheating on me, Daniel.  What did you want me to do?
Him: I was NOT cheating on you!  Why the bleep would you say that?!
Me: Yes you were!
Him: I’m polygamous, so maybe you think I was cheating on you, but I wasn’t.
Me: I’ve read about polygamy and polyamory.  That's not how that works.
Him: Who the bleep do you think you’re talking to?  If I’m bleeping polygamous, shouldn’t I know how it bleeping works?
Me: L-look, Daniel, I need to go.  Bye.
And then I hung up.  I still feel sick.  I’m scared of him.  Why am I scared of him?  He’s never hit me or anything.  So why should I be scared?
-Rani
January 24
Everything is packed, and I’m on my way to the airport now.  I had a nightmare about Daniel.  No more.  I can’t handle Daniel anything.
Alexander came to tell me goodbye before I left.  He wanted to give me a hug goodbye, but when he got close, I started to freak out.  I felt so bad, but he said it was okay.  I think I hurt his feelings though.
-Rani
January 24 (later)
I’m on the plane.  So is Daniel.  I saw him.  I don’t know if he saw me.  I feel like I’m going to vomit.  I asked a stewardess to bring me a bag, just in case.  She looked sorry for me.  I think she thought it was just airsickness though.
Why is he here?  How did he get here?

He just saw me.  He walked past me on the way to the bathroom.  He touched my shoulder and squeezed it.  If I didn’t know him better, I would think his smile was genuine.  But it didn’t reach his eyes.
I’m scared.  I’m so scared.  I can’t even text someone to calm me down.
Why am I scared?  What can he do to me on the plane?
But I’ll have to get off.
-Rani.
January 24 (much later)
He sat next to me.  No one was sitting in the seat next to me.  He put his hand on my leg while he talked to me.  It made me feel so sick and dirty.
The stewardess just smiled at us.  She probably thought we were a couple.  I felt like vomiting the entire time.  I should have.  I should have thrown up everything I’ve ever eaten, right on him.
I want to stay on this plane forever, because I know if I get off, I’m free game.  He said he’d...no, I can’t write it, because if I write it, I know it will come true.
-Rani
January 25
We touch down in Kansas City today.  Just a few minutes.  I am terrified.  I can barely write.  My handwriting is so shaky.  How will I ever read this in the future?  That is assuming he doesn’t--no, he won’t!  He can’t!
I’d better put my things away and get ready for landing.
-Rani
January 31
I wish the beeping would stop.  He...tried to kill me.  I’m in the hospital.  Mom is sleeping.  Dad is at work.  Daniel is gone.  I’m sure Alexander thinks I’m ignoring him.  I didn’t have the energy to write anything until today.
I hurt all over.  I can’t really talk.  I tried and I sound...awful.  I look worse.  Maybe I deserved this.  Maybe I didn’t know the full story.
Daniel didn’t have an easy life.  This is all he knows of how to show love.  Maybe I just needed to love him more.  I just couldn’t hold us both together.  I’m too worn out to write more.
-Rani
February 3
I’m finally out of the hospital.  I’m still on bedrest though.  Daniel hasn’t been found yet.  I’m afraid he’ll come to my house and get me.  I’ve spent most of my time watching movies and drinking tea.  Maybe London made me like tea more.
I messaged Alexander and told him sort of what happened.  He isn’t angry with me.  He actually seems to be worried about me.
-Rani
February 5
It’s my friend Xaveira’s birthday today.  She had a big birthday party, but I couldn’t go.  Mom isn’t about to let me go anywhere.  I try to tell her that I’m twenty-one years old, I need to get out.  It’d be good for me, I think.
My parents went out on their date night...it’s not even night yet.  They’ve had date night for forever.  I’m all alone.  It scares me.  Daniel knows where I live.  It wouldn’t have killed my parents just to stay home from one date night with me, since I couldn’t go to the party.
I don’t actually know how to shoot a gun, but I have my dad’s rifle sitting next to me.  If Daniel shows up, I could maybe fend him off.  I could at least hit him with the gun.  I hope I have enough strength to knock him out if it comes to that.
Maybe I should have grabbed an axe too.
-Rani
February 5 (later)
Oh my goodness!  Crazy stuff happened!  I’ll explain more later.
-Rani
February 7
Okay, here’s the crazy stuff that happened.
While my parents were on their date night, Daniel showed up.  He was calling me names and telling me that I was a cheater, and at first I was really scared.  Then it was like something just snapped and I started beating him with my dad’s gun.
It’s kind of funny when I think about it, because I’m really little and he’s like a giant compared to me.  Also, my dad has to get repairs on his gun now, because hitting someone with the barrel of a gun has the tendency to throw off the accuracy….
When I realized he was unconscious, I stopped hitting him.  Part of me wanted to keep beating him though.  Then, I called the police and they came and hauled his sorry butt off to jail.
When I told Alexander, he said, “lol, crazy American girl!”  He’s planning to come to America to visit me, and meet my family.  That’s exciting.  Maybe I should go to London more often!
-Rani
©2018 Katie Holm

Dreamer

Prompt: A story of three siblings
January 28, 2018

This is a story of three siblings.  Violet the inventor, Klaus the bookworm, and Sunny the Biter.  These siblings once faced a terrible tragedy.  Their house was burned down in a terrible fire, in which their parents perished.  Perished is a word here which means--oh, you already know what perished means?  Wait.  You mean to tell me that this story has already been written?  You know it?
Well, this really puts me in a bind.  I had this whole story planned out.  There was a long in depth plot, with reptiles, windows...maybe a few elevators, or even hospitals.  The villain would have been one of the most wicked to ever live.
Let’s try this again.  Picture a grassy meadow, filled with bright flowers and soft grasses.  Hidden within tufts of grass, imagine a rabbit.  Very good.  Now, below the ground, in a little burrow, live the children of that rabbit.
No, you’re right, this doesn’t make sense.  Why would I be telling a story about three rabbit siblings?  If only you could hear the long sigh I’ve let out.  Let’s try this one more time.  I have cleared my throat.  I have loosened my fingers.  I am ready to begin again.
Once, in a land far from your own--no interrupting, of course I don’t know where you live, it’s just an expression--there lived three identical sisters.  Their hair was the color of onyx and fell far below their shoulders.  Emerald eyes shone brightly from their pearly faces.  And upon their ruby lips was always a hint of a smile.
What’s that?  Why does it sound like they’re made entirely from precious stones?  Please, can I tell the story?  Thank you.  The eldest sister was named Faith, the second was named Hope, and the third was named Charity.
The sisters loved each other deeply.  In fact, the sisters loved no one more than each other.  If Faith was sorrowful, so were Hope and Charity.  If Hope was bursting with joy, so were Faith and Charity.  If Charity wanted a kitten?  Well, unfortunately, they were only allowed one kitten apiece, but Faith and Hope would beg their parents for a new kitten for Charity.
What are you asking?  What’s the point of a story about sisters?  Good riddance, would you just listen!!!
One night, Faith awoke from a nightmare.  Her heart beat wildly, and sweat dripped her face like rain.  Tears fell onto her sisters as she shook them awake, frightened by the monsters she did not remember.
“What is it, dear sister?” asked Hope, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
“A night terror seized my soul and tried to devour it,” Faith answered.  “I do not remember anything else about it, but I know it wanted me dead.”
“Oh no!  Would you like me to sing you to sleep?” Charity asked softly, stroking her sister’s hair.
“No, sister, I just want to sit with you both for awhile.”
“Are you sure?”
“Singing can’t make night terrors leave, Charity.”
Now, while it is true that the sisters loved each other dearly, Charity was the youngest.  Being the youngest, she was considered the “baby” of the family.  As the youngest sister, she was spoiled almost endlessly, by parents, grandparents, and her two older sisters.  Unfortunately, as she was the youngest, she was also not often taken seriously.
Now, what’s that?  I thought you were just going to listen.  Yes, this is a story about three siblings.  The sisters.  There are three of them.  And they are sisters, which makes them siblings.  Please, learn basic genealogy!
What makes you think that the story is mostly about Charity, huh?  Because I’ve said more about her than Faith or Hope?  Has the story even really started yet?  No, it hasn’t.  And why is that?  BECAUSE YOU KEEP INTERRUPTING WITH QUESTIONS!  Are you completely finished now?  Thank you.
As the night wore on, the sisters eventually fell asleep, all curled together in Faith’s bed.
The next day, all seemed well.  Faith shared with Hope what her dream had been about, but didn’t dare speak a word to Charity.  Charity was her youngest sister, and mustn't be frightened by such things.  It was almost as if she had forgotten all about it.
Charity, however, had not forgotten about the dream.  She remembered how scared and fragile her eldest sister had seemed.  All through the day, Charity wondered what it was that had terrorized her sister so.
Then, finally, night came.  The girls crawled under their own covers, in their own beds, and fell fast asleep.
A scream shattered their peaceful slumber.  Faith and Charity bolted up in the beds, to find hope sitting up against her pillows, clutching her ears, still screaming.
What?  You think it was a night terror?  You already knew this would happen?  Aren’t you a little genius….
Faith and Charity ran to their sister.
“Oh, Hope!”  Faith cradled Hope close to her, rocking her gently.
“It was like yours!” cried Hope, sobbing against her sister’s breast.
Charity rubbed her back, wishing she knew a better way to soothe her sister.
“The exact same?”  Faith’s eyes had grown as big as saucers.
Hope nodded, shuddering.
Charity’s hand slowly stopped making circles on her sister’s back.  “What?  You...you told her your dream, but you wouldn’t tell me?”
“I wanted to save you the terror,” Faith explained.
“I’m not a child any longer, Faith.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Will you tell me now then?” she asked hopefully.
Faith and Hope exchanged wary glances.
“It was a lion,” Hope offered.
“He devours our family, hen chases us into a flaming forest,” Faith continued.
“We try to get away.”
“But he will not leave us alone.”
“We try to escape the flames.”
“But they wrap themselves around us.”
“We long to throw ourselves into the river to quench our flames.”
“But the river boils hotter than the flames themselves.”
Charity felt a pang in her chest as she saw the anguish written on her sister’s faces.  Why would they hide this from her?  How could she comfort them, if she did not know?  Sighing softly, she wrapped her arms around her sisters, and they spent the rest of that night in Hope’s bed, sleeping peacefully.
Huh, what now?  Oh, Charity is going to have the lion dream the next night?  Man, I just can’t get anything past you, can I?
The day after Hope’s night terror was much the same as the day before.  Uneventful.
That night, however, things were a bit different.  Charity lay curled up in bed, falling asleep nearly as soon as her eyes were closed.  Her dreams were sweet and peaceful.  Then, from the depths of her dream, strode a tall slender woman, clothed in a long green gown.
“Hello,” Charity greeted her, for she was not a rude girl, not even in dreams.
The woman smiled serenely, and sat down on a soft patch of grass.  “Hello.”
“Who are you?”
“I am of no consequence.  However, I know you, Charity.”
Charity should have been alarmed.  She should have sent the woman away.  But it was just a dream.  What can harm a person in a dream?
“Your sisters,” the green gowned woman went on, “they forget that you aren’t a little child, don’t they?”
“Well...yes.”
“They hide things from you.”
“Like the night terror?”
The woman nodded serenely, her eyes wide and sorrowful.  “I’m sure it hurts you.”
“Yes, it does.”
“They aren’t trying to protect you.  They’re trying to keep you blinded.”
“But...they’re my sisters...they love me.”
“Yes, yes, of course they do.  They just don’t love you enough to understand.”  The woman wiped a single tear from her eye.  “But don’t worry, Charity...I’ll always understand.  I’ll always be here for you–in your dreams.”
Charity awoke with a start.  What an odd dream.  What?  You thought she would have the lion dream next, since Faith and Hope had already had it?  Shows what you know.
The entire next day, Charity’s mind was crowded by thoughts of her dream.  To her, some dreams held weight and deep meaning.  And as night drew near, the youngest sister wondered if she would dream of the beautiful woman in the green gown once more.
Faith, Hope and Charity talked together about their days, as they always did before bed, but Charity’s mind was nagged by thoughts of the woman in the green gown.
“Well, I suppose we’d best go to bed now,” Charity suggested.
“But, Charity, we never go to bed so early,” Hope protested.
Charity faked a yawn.  “Yes, but I’m so tired.”
“Well, okay, if you need to go to bed, we won’t keep you up.”  Faith hugged her sister, and watched as she crawled into bed.
She was soon fast asleep, though there was no woman in a green gown.  Instead, she dreamed of long rides in carriages, handsome young men, and peaceful gardens.  It was until night was nearly over, and dawn had nearly broken that the woman in the green gown appeared once more.
“Why, Charity, have you been thinking of me?”
Charity laughed.  “You’re hard to forget.  But what was your name again?”
“Oh, you!” Laughed the woman in return, but she ignored Charity’s question.  “How was your day?”
“My day went well.  My sisters and I hosted a tea party for a few of our friends.”  Her eyes twinkled as she shared the details of her day with the woman in the green gown.  “Then, like always, we talked together about our day before bed.  I wanted to see if you would be there to see me again, so I went to bed a bit early.”
“And they didn’t even try to stop you, did they?”
“Well...no, I guess not.”
“They didn’t even care that you wanted to go to bed before them...did they?”
Charity thought about it for a moment.  Had they really not cared?
“They probably don’t even care about you, do they?”
“Wait, that’s not true,” the girl protested, although a bit weakly.
“That may be,” the woman in the green gown amended.  “But they don’t understand.”
There was a pang in Charity’s chest.  “They don’t?”
The woman in the green gown shook her head sadly, and reached out to embrace Charity.  “No, you poor girl.  How could they?  You’re sweet and innocent...and what are they?”
“Th-they’re my sisters.”  Charity pulled back, and as she did, she awoke.
Her sisters were already awake and bustling around, getting ready for the day.
“Well, good morning, sleepy head!” Faith greeted her youngest sister.
“Why did you wake me up?” Charity asked, hurt blooming within her.
“We wanted to let you rest.”  Hope smiled sweetly.
“You looked so peaceful,” Faith explained.
“Oh.”  So, Charity got up and went about her day.
But, just like the day before, all she could think about was the woman in the green gown.
Hmm?  You’ve been so quiet I thought maybe you’d given up asking questions.  Of course I’m not going to answer them, you can just sit back and enjoy the story, without all of these silly questions.
Oh, you think I’m silly?  I assure, you, I am far from silly!  Now just shush and listen!
The next several weeks were filled with dreams of the woman in the green gown.  She was so kind, and sweet, and beautiful, and seemed to understand Charity when no one else did.
The more the woman in the green gown visited Charity, the more Charity wanted to spend time with her.  And the more time Charity spent in her dreams with the woman in the green gown, the less loved she felt by her sisters.
One night, she sat on her bed, drawing a picture of the woman in the green gown.  She wished she could remember the woman’s features better.  Her sisters sat together by the fireplace, talking and giggling.  Bitterness rattled in Charity’s heart, like a cough you can’t be rid of, and she glared down at her artwork.
“Charity?  Do you want to join us?” Faith asked.
“No, I’m okay,” Charity answered.  She turned her sketchbook one way, then the other, perfecting the slight upturn of the woman’s lips, the way her hair fell delicately on the sides of her face, the twinkle in her eyes.
Hope sat down on the edge of Charity’s bed.  “What are you drawing?”
“Oh, just a picture.”
“Can I see?”
Charity glowered at her sister.  “If I wanted you to see, I would have shown you.”
“Oh.”  The hurt was clear in her sister’s voice.
“Charity, why don’t you ever talk to us anymore?”  Faith asked, resting her hand on Hope’s shoulder.
“Because you never listen.”
This didn’t sound quite right to Faith, and her face took on an odd expression.  Charity noticed.
“And now look at that!  See how you’re looking at me?  Why do you look at me like that?!”  She threw her sketchbook and pencils on the ground, one pencil landing so hard it broke in two.
“Charity, you need to calm down,” Faith held her hands out toward her sister.
“No!  I don’t need to calm down!  You need to stop treating me like a baby!”
“I’m sorry if you’ve felt like we treat you that way,” Hope said softly.  “We never mean to.”
“Well you do!  You tell each other about the lion dream, but you don’t tell me.  You won’t let me sing you to sleep after you have a nightmare.  You don’t even care when I go to bed early!”
“Charity, that isn’t true and you know it!”  This was from Faith.
“Yes it is!  You think I’m a stupid, dumb child!  You think I don’t see how you look at me.”
“We’re worried about you is all.”  Hope rested a hand on Charity’s shoulder, but Charity shoved it away.
“Worried about me?  No you aren’t!  You’re just worried that I’m growing more aware of how you two treat me!”
“Charity, stop!”
“No, you stop!”  And with that, Charity ran from the room.

That night, Charity ran to the woman in the green gown, falling into her arms.  “They don’t love me!  They don’t care!”
“Oh, child.”  The woman stroked Charity’s ebony hair.  “I know they don’t.  They never did, did they?”
Charity shook her head, tears spilling down her face in torrents.
“It makes you sad, doesn’t it?”
She nodded.
“Does it make you angry as well, child?”
There was a pause, but Charity nodded her head, still sobbing.
“Do you want revenge?”
Charity’s emerald eyes met the eyes of the woman in the green gown.  Did she want revenge?
“Do you want revenge?” the question came again.
“I-”
“You do or you don’t child.  You know that revenge is the only way your hurt and pain will be satisfied, don’t you?”
“It is?”
“Yes, indeed.  Listen to me, child, for I am older and wiser than you.  I know these things.”
Charity pressed her hand against her chest.  “Then yes, I want revenge.”
The woman in the green gown smiled.  “Then revenge you shall have, my child.  Come, stand.  Be the strong woman I know you are.”
Charity stood, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.
“Shoulders back.”  The woman in the green gown pushed back Charity’s shoulders.  “Chest out.  Chin up.  Look as brave and as strong as you can.”
Charity followed all of these instructions, and she felt as strong and as beautiful as she had always viewed her older sisters.  “Now what?” she asked, turning her head regally.
“Now, listen carefully to the words I tell you.”  Leaning close, she hissed quiet words in the girl’s ear.  “Do you remember them?”
Charity nodded.
“Good.  Now, when you wake up, go to your sisters, wake them, and say those words to them.”
“What do they mean?”
“Don’t concern yourself with what they mean, just say them.  Your revenge will be had.”
Charity awoke with a start, drenched in sweat, mumbling words.  “Soro cara, soror prope….”  She jumped from her bed and ran to her sisters.  “Faith, Hope!”
They sat up, rubbing their eyes.
“Charity?” Hope asked.
“Are you having trouble sleeping?” Faith yawned.
“No.  Cara soror, soror prope est. Oculi smaragdo labia lapis sardius et capilli schoham, margarita a cute. Statuam fieri et ipsum!”
The words were Latin.  And they meant nothing good.  Dear reader, you’ve been awfully silent.  Are you still there?  Good.
Her sisters froze in place, and began to change.  Their skin became hard and shining luminescent.  Their hair hardened into shiny black chunks.  Their lips froze, parted, and the dim light shone off of them.  Then, finally, their eyes took on an unnatural shine.
They fell onto the ground with a clatter, now small enough to be picked up and kept in a pocket.  Their skin was made of real pearls.  Their hair was made of real onyx.  Their lips were made of real rubies.  Their eyes were made of real emeralds.
Charity picked them up, her lips parted in surprise.  She suddenly understood the words she had spoken.
Sister dear, sister near. Eyes of emerald, lips of ruby, hair of onyx, skin of pearl.  Become a statue of thyself
“No….” she breathed softly, holding her older sisters in her hands.  “Faith?  Hope?”  They didn’t answer her.
Every dream she’d been having the past few weeks flooded her mind.  The smiles of the woman in the green gown.  Her laugh.  Her gentle touches and affirming words.
It was as if all of the air was sucked from Charity’s lungs.  “It was all a lie,” she said softly.  “How could I have been so blind?”
Carrying her sisters to bed, she curled up, and cried herself to sleep.
“Hello.”  It was the woman in the green gown.
“Get away from me!” Charity screeched.
“Is that anyway to talk to the woman who aided you in your revenge?”
“There was nothing to avenge!  There never was...and now all I have of my sisters, who never stopped loving me, are statues that fit in the palm of my hand.”
“But how did they treat you?  Why did they tell each other their nightmare, but not you?  Why didn’t they–”
“Tell me how to get my sisters back,” Charity snarled.  “Tell me, or I’ll destroy you!”
“Destroy me?”  The woman laughed.  “How can you destroy me?  I know more words and incantations than you could ever imagine.  With simple words, I taught you an incantation to destroy your sisters.  With just as simple words, I could end you.”
“You can’t end me.  Not in my own mind.  I refuse.  Tell me how to bring back my sisters, or I will end you.  And I believe it’s time for you to tell me your name.”
A tiny glimmer of fear shone in the woman’s eyes.  “My name is Cozbi.”
It was a dream, and Charity didn’t need to ask what the name meant.  She already knew.  Liar.
“Why should I tell you how to bring back your sisters?  You clearly didn’t love them much, or you would never have wanted revenge to begin with.”
“Because now I’ve learned my lesson.  And you’d best learn yours.”
The woman’s eyes sparkled fearfully.  “Confess your sorrow to them, confess your regret.  Whisper your love, and cover them in their blankets.  When the moon rises tomorrow night, your sisters will be whole once more.”
“And if they aren’t?”
“Th-then you may destroy me,” Cozbi promised.
When Charity awoke, she did as she had been told.  She told her parents that Faith and Hope were not feeling well, and took all of her sister’s meals to their room. She promised the little statues that she would never again treat them so unkindly.  She told them of her deep love.  And she waited for the moon to rise.
When the moon rose, she was overjoyed to see the blankets on her sister’s beds rise and her sisters sit up, wide-eyed and terrified.
“You’re alive!”  Charity threw arms around first Hope, then Faith.  “I love you!  I am so sorry I’ve been such a horrid beast.”
They both embraced her, forgiving her.
“Our nightmares...we lied.  We dreamed that you...that you turned us into statues.  We were too afraid to tell you.  We didn’t want to frighten you into thinking you would do such a horrible thing.”  Faith confessed.
“I’ll never hide something like that from you again, Charity!” Hope swore.
And that night, they went to sleep, each expecting to have a night filled with sweet, happy dreams.
Hmm?  No, this isn’t the end, just a bit more.
Charity fell asleep, and the woman in the green gown came to her once more.
“Why are you here?” Charity asked coldly.
“I would like to teach you,” Cozbi explained.
“Teach me?  Teach me what?”
“Magic.  Incantations.  You are so talented, and I believe with training, you could become a powerful witch.”
“No.”
“No?  Why, Charity, I am shocked.”
“Why would I want to be a powerful witch?” Charity asked.
“You would have power.  You could crumble mountains with a single word.  There is a food you want?  All you must do is speak simple words.  You have been wronged?  Revenge is in your palm.  Your loved ones have been harmed?  You can avenge them with little effort.”
“But why?  I have sisters who love me, and who I love.  I have a warm bed to sleep in at night.  I have more than enough to eat from my mother and father.  I can close my eyes at night, knowing nothing I have done has left another permanently harmed.  Love is the greatest power I desire.”
“You are a curious child,” the woman mused.
“I wish I’d seen all this before.”
“I’m sure you do.  And what shall I do?”
“Go from my dreams.  Find a new mind to occupy.  Or better yet, learn of love yourself, and visit the broken hearts, healing them instead.”
Cozbi rested her hand on Charity’s.  “And then what shall I call myself?”  Her eyes were deep and sad.  “I cannot go by the name Cozbi, if I no longer lie.”
Charity didn’t have to think.  It was a dream, and when in dreams people often know so much more than they do when they’re awake.  “Amara.  It means love.”
Cozbi closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  When she opened them, her eyes were soft and gentle.  “I had thought to teach you of power.  But you’ve taught me instead.  I visited your sisters long ago.  I tried to tell them of the power I could teach them.  They sent me away, angrily.  But you, you shared with me true power.  Not incantations.  Not magic or vengeance.  Love.”
“Goodbye, Amara.”
“Goodbye, Charity.”
And when Charity awoke the next morning all was well.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” I Corinthians 13:13 KJV
©2018 Katie Holm

The Snow Queen

Prompt: A retelling of a fairytale
January 21, 2018
Once, long ago, in a far off land, there lived a little girl, who was very lonely.  She lived with her mother, grandmother, and aunt, and although they were gentle, kind and loving, they weren’t much fun to the child, whose name was Gerda.
The land where Gerda lived was covered by ice and snow.  You see, while many children have never seen a deep snow, Gerda had never seen green grass.  To see a warm spring was the girl’s greatest wish.
One day, Gerda had been sent to the store, for bread and milk, and had been given a little change so that she could buy herself a little treat or trinket.  So, bundling herself into her heavy cloak and pulling her shoes on over her thick woollen socks, Gerda left.
When she arrived to the store, she asked the storekeeper to get her the bread and milk, then began looking around a bit for a trinket she could take home.  Her eyes lit upon a mirror, scarcely bigger than the palm of her hand, that could open and shut like a locket.
“Sir?” she asked the shopkeeper, “How much for the little mirror?”
He looked where she pointed, then laughed.  “For you, Gerda, its free.”  He brought it from its case, still chuckling.  “The person who gave it to me said that this mirror has eyes in the Snow Queen’s palace.”
“The Snow Queen?”  Gerda had never heard of such a person.
“Of course!  Has your old grandmother never told you why it’s always so cold?”
The girl shook her head, taking the mirror from him, and relishing the feel of the cool metal against her palm.
“The Snow Queen, angry with a princess of our kingdom for marrying and stealing away her only son, cursed our land to forever be as cold as her palace.”
“She sounds frightening.”  Gerda shivered, despite the fire roaring in the store.
“Aye,” the shopkeeper agreed.  “There are rumors that she steals little boys as soon as they are born, to regain her long lost son.  She is immortal, you know.”
Gerda had not known, but nodded politely.  “What does she do when she realizes that they will never replace her son?”
The shopkeeper shook his head, and there was a gleam in his eyes that lingers in the eyes of all storytellers when they’re about to share an eeriest bit of the story.  “No one knows.  Some say she eats them.  Others say that she keeps them as her slaves.  I’ve even heard tell that she raises them until they grow of age, then marries them and attempts once more, to have her own child.  No one knows, save the stolen boys.”
Gerda shuddered, unsure what to say.
“Well, have a good evening, Miss Gerda!”
“Yes, good evening, sir.”
When Gerda got home, she went to her grandmother.  “While I was at the store, the shopkeeper told me that the reason we never see green grass or spring, is because of a woman called the Snow Queen.”
“Pah!” spat her grandmother with a laugh.  “Old wives tales!  Surely you don’t believe that load of crock.”
“Well–” but Grandmother just shook her head, so Gerda felt she should say no more.

That night, nestled under her covers, Gerda gazed upon her new treasure, wondering if it could possibly be true that this mirror could see into the Snow Queen’s palace.  Upon this thought, she fell asleep.
As she slept, she dreamed herself far away, in a palace made of ice as smooth as glass.  She ran her fingers along the walls, but felt no chill.  Then, she heard a sound as if someone was crying.
She followed the mournful cries, until, at last, she turned and found a boy her age, kneeling in front of a frozen lake, sobbing.
“Why are you crying?” Gerda’s voice echoed through the ice walls.
The boy looked up, startled.  “Who are you?” he asked, though oddly, his voice did not echo.
Gerda started to answer, then stopped.  She was unsure what had stopped her, but she knew she must not tell him her real name, because of who might be listening.  “My name is but a sound, blown in the wind.”
There was a smile lit in his eyes, but his mouth never changed.  “My name is Kay.  C-can you truly hear and see me?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Can you save me?  I won’t be free until I can spell the word ‘eternity.’  Can you help me spell it?”
“Oh, of course.  E-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y.” Gerda had always been praised for her spelling skills.
He shook his head.  “No, no, I know the letters.  I have to make the ice form the word.  Can you come over here and help me?”
Gerda took a few steps toward the boy, but found that no matter how many steps she took, she could get no closer to him.  “No, I can’t.  Where are we?”
He looked at her as though she had gone mad.  “We are in her palace.”
“Her?  The Snow Queen?”
His panicked eyes answered her question.
“How did you get here?”
“I...I don’t know, it’s all I can remember.”
She supposed he wouldn’t know how she got there either.  “Is there a way to leave other than by spelling eternity?”
She never got an answer.  The boy named Kay froze, and Gerda awoke, kicking her covers off.  A glance out the window told her it was still night.  Looking down at the small mirror, she wondered if that had something to do with her odd dream.
She rested her head on her pillow once more, and fell back asleep.  This time, she had a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

The entire next day, Gerda was filled with thoughts of the boy she had met in her dream.  Finally, she went to her aunt, who was busily crocheting an afghan for a little baby, born to their neighbor just a few days ago.
“Auntie?”
“Yes, dear one?”
“I’m going to go for a very long walk.”
“In this cold?  Silly girl, you know no one goes for walks in this weather!”
Gerda lowered her eyes, and whispered softly, “I need to rescue a boy from the Snow Queen.”
Her aunt looked up, her eyes wary.  “The Snow Queen isn’t real, Gerda.  The Snow Queen is just an old wives’ tale, and you, Gerda, are not an old wife.”
Gerda crossed her arms.  “I think she is real.  And there is a boy in her ice palace who needs my help.”
Auntie took a deep breath.  “I can’t stop you, can I?  I see it in your eyes.”
Gerda tightened her jaw, and shook her head.  “I have to go rescue him.”
“But you don’t even know the way,” Auntie argued.
“I’ll find it.  Just tell Mama and Grandmother not to worry about me.”
“But, Gerda, how could we not worry about you?”
The little girl shrugged, and began pulling on her heavy coat.
“Gerda, wait.”  Auntie set her crochet aside.  “If you must go...I need to give you something to keep you safe.”
Gerda put on her shoes and waited patiently.  Finally, her aunt found what she’d been looking for.  She fastened the heart shaped locket around little Gerda’s neck.
“I was given this locket long ago,” she told her niece quietly.  “I was told it would keep me safe, and it has.  Now, I give it to you, so you will stay safe.  It has enchanted rose petals inside it.  My grandmother grew them years ago.”  Her brow furrowed with worry.  “Are you sure I can’t convince you not to leave?”
“I have to go, Auntie.”
Sadly, her aunt nodded, but seemed to understand.
And so, Gerda left with her aunt’s locket and set out on her own to find the Snow Queen’s palace.  She walked carefully across the frozen river, for something deep inside her said that the Snow Queen lived on the other side.
Then, there was a mighty crrrrack!  The ice broke out from under Gerda’s tiny feet, and she plunged into the frigid waves that flowed freely under the ice.  The child screamed as she sank.
She felt her head knocking against the ice above, but couldn’t find the place where she had fallen in.  The water rushed into her nostrils, and it was all poor little Gerda could do to keep from breathing it in.  Clutching at the locket from her aunt, she felt certain she would die.
Discouragement washed over the child.  She had already failed.  She had barely begun her quest, but had failed.  Her poor mother.  Her poor auntie and grandmother.  Then, a thought began to prick at her.
It was a foolish thought.  Silly, even.  But the more it pricked at her, and the more desperate she grew, the better an idea it seemed.  She reached down and tore at her shoelaces, until she could kick her shoes off into the water, hoping the river would understand.  Her shoes were a peace offering, a plea to the river to free her from the ice.
The offering seemed to work, because Gerda found herself hauled roughly from the frozen lake, and enfolded in a warm cloak.
“Oh you poor child!”  An old woman rubbed Gerda’s back as she coughed and gasped for breath.
Now, Gerda didn’t know this, but the old lady who pulled her from the river was an old, lonely witch.  She longed for someone to keep her company throughout the eternal winter.  Who better to keep an old woman company than an innocent young girl?
And thus, Gerda went to be with the witch.
This witch took wondrous care of Gerda, showing her all throughout her greenhouse, and teaching her about every manner of flower, save the roses, which she hid deep in their pots.
You see, when the witch had seen Gerda’s locket, with the rose petals in it to protect her, she had taken it away, and hid anything that could remind the child of her former life.  Then, she brushed the tangles from Gerda’s hair, and with them her memories.
When it’s said that she hid all roses, that isn’t quite true.  She’d forgotten to hide one rose–the one on her hat.
For awhile, Gerda was content to play in the greenhouse and warm herself by the fire with the old witch, but soon, she grew restless.  One day, as she looked up into the witch’s face, she saw the roses, and remembered her quest.
In the dead of the night, she gathered her belongings, including her auntie’s locket, and left.
Along the pathway, Gerda saw a tall, glistening palace, just a few miles away.  Her heart sung.  It was certain to be the Snow Queen’s palace!  So, the child hiked up her skirts, and ran toward the palace.
To her dismay, the shining palace was not made of ice.  It was made from shiny stones, coated in ice and snow from the years of eternal winter.  But, with no place to go, and no idea what would happen next, she walked up to it.
Her eyes widened as she grew closer and took in a beautiful carriage drawn by two giant white horses.  It was surrounded by a great throng of people.
“What’s going on?” she asked a young man who stood alone, watching with a somber expression.
He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow in surprise.  “How could you not know?  The princess was just married.  She and the prince are leaving for their honeymoon today.”  Then he turned away.
Gerda didn’t know exactly what propelled her to walk up to the carriage.  There were gasps and shouts as she grew nearer, but no one was brave enough to run and pull her back.
“Well hello, little girl.”  Soft chuckles rang in Gerda’s ears, and she looked up into the face of a young, golden haired woman who could only be the princess.
“Hello, Your Highness.” Gerda curtsied.  “You’re going on your honeymoon?”
The princess laughed.  “Yes, I am.  And what are you doing?”
“I’m going to the Snow Queen’s palace, to find a boy named Kay.”
“I see.”  The princess seemed amused.
“Maybe if I rescue Kay, the Snow Queen will end the forever winter.”
Her words struck the heart of the princess with longing.  She herself had never seen green grass, and had often wondered what it would be like.
Taking Gerda aside, she gave her money to purchase new boots and a new coat.  “If you can save us from this winter, do it.”  Then, the princess took her own gloves off, and gave them to little Gerda.
Gerda was off again, heading to the north.
The child grew weary, so found a warm cave in the midst of the ice and snow, and curled up to sleep.  She clutched her little mirror in her hand as she slept, and once more, dreamed of the Snow Queen’s palace.
“Kay, I’m back!” she called out.
The boy named Kay didn’t look up.
“Kay?”
Kay ran his bare hands along the ice, trying to spell out the word eternity, but failing at every point.  The word ‘failure’ formed itself.  Then, ‘pain.’  Word after word formed from the ice.  Rejected.  Death.  Mockery.  But never the word ‘eternity.’
Gerda tried to run to him, but stopped short when she heard harsh, tapping footsteps coming along the corridor.  Ducking behind a frosty curtain, she watched as a tall, beautiful woman strode toward Kay.
“Hello, Kay,” she said coolly, running a hand over the boy’s hair, leaving a dusting of frost.
He didn’t look up, or even acknowledge her presence.
“Sweet, Kay.”  She crouched beside him.  “Why must you sit by my lake day after day trying to spell eternity?  All I want is a son.  Come, live in the prince’s rooms, sit with me for dinner.  Be my son.”
Kay’s lower lip trembled, and a tear slid down his cheek, but he did not answer.
“Kay, please, it’s all I ask of you.  I don’t ask for much, do I?  Your family, they couldn’t possibly love you as much as I do.”
Gerda felt a tickle in her nose.  The tickle grew until it was a roar, and then, it exploded.
“What was that?”  The Snow Queen spun around, and Gerda jerked awake.
The mirror lay shattered on the floor of the cave, and Gerda’s heart beat wildly.  It was still dark, but Gerda felt pressed to leave.  She ran from the cave, toward the north, until her breath came hard and short, and she collapsed in the snow.
Tears fell and froze in the snow.  She had to rescue Kay.  Why did she feel such a burden to rescue a boy that she had never met other than in a dream?  She curled up in the snow, ready to die alone.
She barely noticed when strong arms lifted her from the snow and carried her to a wagon.  She was wrapped in warm blankets, and laid beside a girl about her own age.
“Oh good, Papa, a pet!”  The girl clapped happily.  “I will name her Snowdrop, and shall keep her as my own.”
“Yes, dear, I’m sure you will,” her father agreed with a chuckle.
“I love her even more than my reindeer.  More than my wildcat.”  The girl stroked Gerda’s hair and hummed softly.
Too tired to protest, Gerda curled against the girl, and fell asleep.
When she awoke, the sun shone brightly in her eyes.  Her boots and gloves were missing!  However, upon further investigation, she found that the little girl from the night before was wearing them.
“Wh-why are you wearing my boots and gloves?” little Gerda asked.
“Because,” the other girl began, “I am your mistress and you are my pet.  I can take whatever I want of yours.”  The girl turned to a cage on the ground beside her, and pulled from it a small wild cat.  “This is also my pet.  You can pet him if you like.”
Gerda stretched her hand out, but the cat growled viciously, and she jerked her hand away.  “I’m sorry, but I can’t stay with you.”
The girl laughed.  “You have to!  You’re my pet!”
“But how can you keep a person as a pet?” Gerda asked.
“It’s simple,” the little girl answered, “I said you’re my pet so you’re my pet.”
“But I need to go to the Snow Queen’s palace and rescue a boy named Kay,” Gerda protested.
“Why do I care about Kay?”
“Because, if I can rescue Kay, maybe we could bring the forever winter to an end.”  She took a deep breath.  “If I can find and rescue Kay, I will come back and be your pet.”
The little girl pondered this, chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip.  “Very well.  You can go find Kay.  I will keep your gloves and boots, but you can have my boots instead.  They’re not nearly as fine, but are twice as warm.  And I’ll even let you ride my reindeer for the rest of the distance.”
And so, Gerda put on the little girl’s boots, and mounted the reindeer.
The little girl stroked the reindeer softly, and whispered something in its ear, then slapped its rump.  Gerda clung to the reindeer as it ran faster and further than Gerda had ever gone.
When it came to a stop, Gerda looked up and found herself in front of the hugest palace she had ever seen.  And indeed, it was made of pure ice, glistening in the sunlight.
But now, as she dismounted and stood beside the reindeer, her arm wrapped around its neck, she wondered what she should do now.  She couldn’t just walk up and walk in…could she?  And yet, knocking seemed like a foolish idea as well.
“Just go in,” a soft voice whispered.
Gerda looked around, but saw no one but the reindeer.
“Just go.”  It was the reindeer.
“But won’t she–“
“It’s worth a try.”
And so Gerda kissed the reindeer on the nose, and walked up to the palace.  There was no door, per say, just a large opening where a door would have gone.  She walked in.  Bracing herself for a rush of guards, Gerda closed her eyes tight and waited a moment.  To her surprise and relief, there were no guards.
Following the halls and corridors, Gerda set off in search of Kay.  It didn’t take long.  There he was, sitting by a pool filled with pieces of ice.  As she had seen in her dreams, he tried to spell the word eternity, but the words would not form.
“Kay?”
As in her last dream, he did not look up, or even show any indication that he had heard her.
“Kay, it’s me, Gerda.”  She grew close to him, and rested a hand on his shoulder.  He was as cold as ice.
He moved pieces of ice around, trying to spell his freedom word.  Gerda began to cry.  She had come all this distance, left her family, just to try to rescue this strange boy, and he couldn’t be bothered to so much as look at her.
So great were Gerda’s sobs, that they called the Snow Queen from her throne room into the room with the ice pool.  The giant woman rushed in, with a screech.
“Away from him!  Away from him, you wicked little girl!”
Gerda crossed her arms stubbornly.  “I won’t!  I came so far to rescue him, and I won’t leave!  I won’t!”
“He is my son now.  He does not need rescued.  Look at him, so cheerfully playing with the ice.’
“He isn’t happy!  You can’t steal little baby boys and call them your son, just because you’ve lost yours!”
The Snow Queen’s face became very pinched.  “How else am I to have a son?  Who would marry the Snow Queen?  Who would give her a child?”
“Don’t you see,” Gerda began earnestly, “you can’t replace your lost son, only love and remember him.  Don’t make others feel your same pain!”
The Snow Queen paused.  “No one has ever spoken to me in such a manner.  No one has ever come to my palace, save the sons I’ve brought home to live with me.”
Gerda kept her hand on Kay’s icy shoulder.  “Well I have.  Let him come home with me.”  It was not a request.
The Snow Queen fell to her knees, sobbing pitifully.  “I cannot have him as my son, and I cannot free him to you.  The laws of the pool are unchangeable.  He must spell the word eternity, or he will be turned to ice.  I will not have my son, and you will not have your friend.”
“Has this always been what you’ve done with the little boys you’ve stolen?”
The Snow Queen sobbed.  “They are given the choice between choosing me as mother, or spelling the word eternity to free themselves.  They always choose to spell eternity…and they always fail.  All I want is my son.”
“But Kay is not your son,” Gerda said gently.
The Snow Queen nodded, and sat on the floor of her ice palace, crying softly.
Gerda took a deep breath, then went to the Snow Queen, wrapping an arm around her thin shoulders.
The Snow Queen looked up, surprised.  “Child?”
“You cannot have your son back.  None of these boys will replace him, not even in your heart.  I don’t believe your heart is cold and hard at all, I believe it is sad.”
With that, the Snow Queen hugged the little girl tightly, then vanished, leaving nothing but snow behind.
Surprised, Gerda turned back to Kay, and tugged at his arm.  “We can go now, Kay.”  The boy didn’t move.  “Kay?”
The piece of ice seemed to be laughing and dancing with joy, and they danced themselves to form a word.  The freedom word.  Eternity.
Kay looked up at his rescuer, and the ice palace began to collapse.  Together, they ran from the palace, to the reindeer, who stood waiting patiently.
“I see you’ve retrieved your friend,” the reindeer said, looking Kay up and down.  “Well, come on then, I’m sure you’ll both fit.”
The reindeer took Gerda and Kay past the little girl, who waved them on past, smiling happily.  Then, they sped past the prince and princess, who were still on their honeymoon.  They sped by the old witch and her greenhouse, and then, they were home.
Gerda took Kay into the house, cheering happily.  “The Snow Queen is dead, and I’ve rescued Kay!”
“Kay?”  Her auntie dropped her crochet, and ran to the children.  “My Kay!  My baby!”  She folded Kay into her embrace, and he relaxed against her, as if he were an infant.
“Oh, Gerda, you frightened me so badly!” Her mother ran to her, embracing her.  Then, turning to her sister, tears glistening in her eyes.  “My child has left, and returned with your lost son.”
Gerda’s grandmother sat in her rocking chair, a twinkle in her eyes.  “I don’t suppose anyone has seen my mirror, have they?”
“Grandmother?”  Gerda asked.
Grandmother smiled serenely and said nothing.
Gerda turned back to her mother and aunt, and the boy she had brought home.  “If you are Auntie’s son, that means you and I are cousins!”
Kay smiled brightly and embraced his new friend and cousin.  “I’ve always longed for a friend and a family, and now I have both.  I’ve returned home, to a place I never thought truly existed.”
Then, the family went outside, and found that they had no need of coats or shoes.  The grass grew green, and little flowers were already beginning to bloom.
Gerda slipped her hand into her pocket where she had shoved the shattered mirror.  There were no sharp edges.  In fact, it seemed that the entire mirror was whole once more.  Gerda turned to her grandmother.
“Grandmother, is this the mirror you were talking about?”
“Oh, Gerda, you found it!  I was afraid I had misplaced it.”  Then she winked, and Gerda knew the truth.
“No, Grandmother, I think you put it right where it needed to be.”
“Perhaps you’re right, little one….  Perhaps you’re right.”
©2018 Katie Holm