The Thaw

What was supposed to be the seventh short in Vocals 2021 SFS but was never published. Here it is for you now. Because if not now, probably never.

The great oceans of the world were lost to the void and receded deep into the ground. Leaving behind only barren desert. Now this commodity that we take for granted is highly sought after. It is life itself. For someone who has never seen rivers of flowing water, ponds, frozen lakes, or seas it can be an otherworldly experience.

The Long Thaw, Part I.

001

As fearful as she was, there was beauty in what she was seeing. Having never seen something so magical before. She walked confidently onto it when her feet suddenly slipped out from under her. Her eyes widened as she fell onto her back and knocked her head on the hard surface. The fall literally took her breath away. The stars quickly vanished, and she gasped for a breath of air.

“Are you okay?” A voice asked with an outstretched hand.

She looked up at him and laughed. Even with the piercing pain she felt seeing it was worth it.

“Ow.” She said as tears of pain and joy trickled out of the corners of her eyes.

“I told you to be careful.” She shuddered as a coldness unlike anything she had ever felt sucked the heat from her body. She didn’t have thick clothing on. The wasteland was always hot. She smiled and took his hand.

He helped her up and steadied her.

“What is it?” She asked curiously.

“Ice, duh.” He said sarcastically.

“So you told me. But why?”

“Well. You know how hard it is to find water? I mean aside from worm water or water. Now freeze that highly sought-after water and make ice with it.” He replied still clenching her arm tightly. “The uppers use it for drinks mostly. But I hear they make ice sculptures and stuff also.”

“That seems like a waste of water.”

“Well they can afford it. Besides what else would they do with it? Give it to us?”

She shrugged.

“Sure. They can’t be all bad.”

“Guess you don’t really know the uppers do you?”

The room they were in was quite massive. Its ceiling at least twenty meters above them. It was quite cold, and she could see her breath as she exhaled. She shivered. The temperature being well below anything she had ever experienced. Well below the stifling temperatures of the world above.

“Wont someone notice that were in here?”

“Nah. It’s completely automated.” He said, pointing towards a large crane suspended from the ceiling. It was more of an arm than anything. Of which there were ten moving about the room. One of the giant arms lowered down and stopped about a meter off of the ices surface. There was a sudden pulse of light and a crackling sound. A moment later the crane lifted beck up carrying with it a large piece of ice. The ice looked to be about a meter thick and at least four meters in diameter. “It’ll bring it to processing where the ice will be cut up and be delivered to the uppers by drone.” He commented. She watched as the crane swiftly moved off towards an opening in the furthest wall. Th arm swiftly moved through it and disappeared. The opening closing behind it.

She rubbed both of her arms trying to warm up. “I’m sorry. I guess I should have told you it was going to be so cold in here.” He said. She smiled and shrugged.

“It’s okay. It is cold though. Can we go now?” She could see the immediate disappointment on his face. But she was freezing.

“Sure. Lets go.” They started to walk back to the entrance when there was another crackling sound nearby. They both looked over to see one of the arms close by. It cut into the ice and quickly lifted the large piece up and moved off. She watched as it moved off and took another step. “Laurel!” He yelled all too late. She slipped and hit the icy cold water.

002

She shuddered as the cold water overcame her senses. She didn’t know how to swim. She started to panic. She tried to bring herself back to the surface, meeting only a cold icy ceiling. She had fallen under the ice. She looked around but couldn’t see where she came from. She didn’t know which way to go. She struggled and pressed her hands against the icy ceiling above her trying to find a way out. Above her distorted by the thick ice she could see a shadow. Trying to guide her, or break through the thick ice. She wasn’t’ sure exactly.

A noise. A sound unfamiliar to her. A constant tone that grew louder. The pressure of the water against her eardrums she was unifiliar with. A tone that was overbearing.

She wanted to scream, to cry. She wanted to get out o the water and be warm again. Air bubbles escaped from her mouth and formed together, creating a larger one against the underside of the ice. She had so much left to do. This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t be the end.

Her lungs starting to burn. She wanted to take a breath. She needed air. She made a fist and punched the ice above her. Her mouth opened and water rushed into her lungs. She tried to scream. To shout. To do anything. But it was all in vein.

Her body started to convulse as it tried to get rid of the water that filled her lungs, only to be filled with more water. She looked up and reached towards the ceiling. Towards the light. Trying to grab something, anything. She saw the shadow and the light above her start to become faint as she slipped deeper and deeper. Falling into an endless void. Everything she knew. Everything she loved suddenly slipped away from her. The sound she heard, and the light above started to fade.

Everything started to become silent as she sank further and further into a seemingly endless void.