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The Freeze by Virgie Townsend
Still, sometimes when he's tucking his children in under their heavy blankets at night, he tells them he found it: That in a sudden burst, it shone out from the black sky and one day, it will dip down and scoop them up into the heavens. Then they'll race on asteroids and play hide-and-go-seek in Mars's canyons. Candela will decorate her hair with ice crystals stolen from Saturn's rings and Gabe will lasso comets like a cowboy at a rodeo. Of course, the truth is less interesting for children. The universe expands at an accelerating pace, so the stars will be even farther away for Gabe and Candela's children than they are for him. The Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies may someday collide and merge as the universe grows. The planets could be thrown into space as their orbits are torn. These events remain millions of years in the future, but Michael sees their precursors now. Parts of Earth have already grown too cold to be inhabitable, and the remaining areas are now crowded with immigrants who fled their freezing homelands. On his way home, he tries to squeeze past hundreds of other commuters, jostled by pushing limbs and foreign languages. He knows this city used to be considered hot and humid. Now the crowd's breath rises like a specter into the cold air, and his children share a bed to stay warm at night. The End is coming, but The End has always been coming. Michael arrives at his apartment and trudges up the stairs. The children greet him at the door, eager for hugs, stories and a reprieve from their homework. He asks them about school and how many of their assignments are done. When Gabe boasts that he's almost completed his math homework, Candela announces that she's finished both math and English, one-upping him. To avoid bickering, Michael distracts them with the promise of a new bedtime tale. Tonight he'll tell them a story about days so hot that insects' backsides would catch fire and glow in the evening—days so hot that people would buy ice cream on the streets to stay cool and put machines in their homes that spewed cold air. Gabe and Candela will listen closely, their awed eyes peeking out beneath their blankets. Read the interview. Virgie Townsend is a fiction devotee living in Virginia (insert name joke here). Her work has been featured in Pif Magazine, Every Day Fiction, and Flash Fiction Chronicles. Visit her online at www.virgietownsend.com. Elena Rall has been an emerging artist since high school, earning awards in numerous state competitions including the New York State Fair Fine Arts and Scholastic Arts competitions. Since an early age she studied with local artists including nationally acclaimed artist Nicora Gangi. All content in SmokeLong Quarterly copyright 2003-2012 by its authors. Issue Thirty-Four (December 19, 2011): Batman #12 by Barr Bielinski «» The Normal Thing by Mickey Laurence Cohen «» Gray Dogs by Chauna Craig «» Xenoliths by Joseph Gross «» The Fifth Way of Wearing Vermillion by Kathleen Hellen «» Out of Many by Anne Hensley «» Bus Driver by Alex Higley «» Zong by Emily-Jo Hopson «» The Worst Shark Attack Ever by Trevor Houser «» A Disagreement between Gentleman Hunters by Geoff Kronik «» Squall by Susan Rukeyser «» Master of the Art of Longrange Tenpins by Fortunato Salazar «» One Truth by Curtis Smith «» Running by R.S. Thomas «» The Freeze by Virgie Townsend «» Broken Bow by Lex Williford «» Interviews: Barr Bielinski «» Mickey Laurence Cohen «» Chauna Craig «» Joseph Gross «» Kathleen Hellen «» Anne Hensley «» Alex Higley «» Emily-Jo Hopson «» Trevor Houser «» Geoff Kronik «» Susan Rukeyser «» Curtis Smith «» R.S. Thomas «» Virgie Townsend «» Lex Williford «» Cover Art "Warhol's Appropriated Soup" by Marty Ison «» Letter From the Editor |
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