2 A M

My hand stings as I take hold of the cold handle, slowly swinging the door open and taking a step inside. Before me lay an icy tundra, more mystical than anything I had ever seen. It was snowing; there were tall trees made out of ice accessorized with icicles galore; frosty flowers swayed at my feet; strange icy animals roamed the terrain here and there; completely frozen rivers cut through the chilled earth. My breath billows out in front of me, and I'm shivering.

This is definitely not how I wanted to spend my morning.

In the distance, I spot a small figure surrounded by a thick mass of fog.

3 A M

As soon as I turn around, a sparkling wall of ice greets me, just inches from my nose. I take a step back to crane my neck, trying to look up, up, up, at the very top. But there is no end.

Where did the door go? That question hardly mattered. All I knew was that I wanted to get out of here, and fast, before I bumped into the scary silhouette behind me. Or worse-- before IT bumped into ME.

Being the brave man that I am, I walk straight into the wall of ice. It breaks without much force. One moment there's white snow beneath my feet, and the next moment there's pitch black nothingness.

I'd made a grave mistake.

4 A M

I start walking towards the figure, unsure of what I'm getting myself into. But it just feels... Right. So I trudge on through the snow.

Once I'm close enough to it, I bend down to ball up a bit of snow in my palm, then proceed to lob it at the person. Upon impact it whips around, staring at me with glowing eyes. It has no facial features, nor clothes, yet it is shaped like a small boy and made of solid ice.

But really, what here wasn't made of ice?

Cracks form in the depths of its eyes, and the fog thickens, but it doesn't make an attempt to come towards me. Does it want something?

5 A M

Ah, what the heck. If I'm supposed to free it from this nightmare, then I've gotta take matters into my own hands. With a running start, I shove the figure onto the ground, watching as it shatters into millions of pieces. I shield my eyes from the flying ice, almost relieved that this is already over, when I hear the wind begin to howl. A storm begins to brew in the cloudy sky, turning the world dark in an instant. The fog, with a mind of its own, rushes towards me and engulfs my body.

6 A M

I take the boy's hand in mine, and I'm shocked by the cold. The freezing sensation shoots up my arm, then stabs me in the heart like some kind of cruel ice pick. This is real pain, and it hurts. I want it gone. He wants it gone.

I let go of the ice figure, looking around frantically. What can I do? What should I do?

And then I see the solution to my problem: up on a small hill sits the sun, trapped in a frozen globe. My heart is telling me I need to free it to save this little boy, and I listen. I beckon the ice to follow, but it just stands there, unmoving. Is it stuck? Immobile? That was a problem.

...Or, maybe not! I bite my cheeks and brace myself, then take hold of its hand and start running towards the hill. I feel like I'm slowly turning into ice, but we're almost there, and thankfully the sculpture slides spectacularly across the snow.

After a grueling climb, we're at the top of the hill, looking up at the poor, trapped sun. How am I supposed to break this globe in order to set the sun free?

7 A M

I wind up my fist and slam it onto the globe, and... Nothing. It doesn't even budge. If anything, my hand hurts and my pride is broken. This isn't going to work.

8 A M

The ice boy stares coolly back at me. I notice the crack in his eye spread to his hand, and end at his sharp index finger. Is he giving me a sign? Will that be good enough to break the thick glass? As much as I dislike the thought of snapping a finger off, I know it's just a sculpture, and this is my only option. I murmur an apology, hold my breath, and break off a finger-- or, rather, an icicle. Black matter oozes from the wound, and the fog begins to thicken. No! Did I do something wrong?!

Whatever was happening, I knew I needed to move fast. Without a second thought, I quickly penetrated the globe with my new weapon, taking a step back as hundreds of fractures branched off the hole I had made. Suddenly, there's a loud smashing noise, and I'm blinded by a bright light.

9 A M

The light begins to die down, and I blink rapidly as my eyes adjust. I can't believe it! The sun was really, truly back! It had risen into the sky, completely melting the frozen wasteland. I see green grass, colorful flowers, flowing water, and normal animals. The fog has dispersed, the sky is blue, and the snow is gone. Hallelujah!

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice something else. Or, rather, someone else. I turn to look beside me, and I see a little boy. The little boy, that had been frozen solid just seconds ago. I can hardly believe my eyes, as I look him up and down, confirming that there isn't a glimmer of ice left.

But what I do see, as I lay eyes on his hand, is the lack of an index finger. Even though I stole it, even though he's missing it, he's smiling. He's so bright, I almost mistook him for the sun. How long has he been trapped here, unable to move, in this gloomy, snowy world?

The boy suddenly reaches out and hugs me, and there is no coldness left in his touch. He whispers his most sincere thanks in my ear.

"Thank you."