Sequel: Phosgene ›
Status: ***This is fiction. All characters, including the narrator, are fictional characters. Any resemblance between any characters, mountains, or demons, and any real people, living or deceased, is entirely COINCIDENTAL (thank you, Alanis). ***
Katie and the Ice Cream
Out of the Lake
The winter sunlight shone through the icy surface of the lake. The girl gasped for air, but her lungs filled with freezing water. Slowly, she struggled towards the ice-covered surface. She could see the light on the other side. With tremendous effort, she bashed her fists against the thin ice separating her from the world. Her screams were heard by no one.
Finally, her fist broke through the wall of ice. She reached her arm out into the air. Frantically, she waved her hand above the surface. Help me, she thought to herself. Someone, pull me out of this lake, before I drown.
“This one’s awake!” a voice cried. “Pull her out!”
Two strong hands grasped her arm, pulling her through the thin ice that covered the lake. Gasping, she made her way through the surface. Her eyes locked on those of her rescuer.
His eyes were as blue as the lake itself. His face looked very familiar, although she couldn’t remember where she’d seen it. How old was he? It was impossible to tell. He had the features of a 20 year old, but something about him seemed both older and younger.
“Holy fuck,” he muttered to himself. “Its you! You’re Phosgene!” Do you remember me?”
The girl shook her head. She knew she’d seen the man before but she couldn’t recall when.
“You’ve been under that lake for 20 years,” he told her, as if speaking to a child. “I’ve been watching you all my life, waiting for you to rise up. I’ve been waiting and waiting for you. Please tell me you still have the book!”
She shook her head in confusion. “What book?”
The man rolled his eyes. “Seriously? Man, this is so disappointing. You were like my hero. You stood up to my mum all those years ago. No one stands up to my mum. You’re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. You made up a story about her. She ripped it up in front of you. Thats why she threw you in the fucking lake. She wanted to keep you in the dark, away from light and oxygen. She was scared of you. Or rather, she was scared of what you might become.”
“I’m sorry,” the girl mumbled awkwardly.
“Why are you sorry? She hates you. She says you are a cancerous black mould, a blight on the world. She says its your fault she’s dying. She wishes it was you not her. She says you deserve to die for what you did. You made phosgene at her house when you were four. Phosgene is a carcinogen. And now she has cancer.”
The girl froze. She didn’t know what to say.
“You’re like my fucking hero,” he continued. “I hate my mother. I hate them both. If you ever do find the book, or if you write another one in the next 18 months, I’ll publish it for you. I’ll even loan you the money to do it. But you’ll need to be fast. Tick tock, goes the clock. Even for the Tock-Tor. Or so they say.”
The man turned away and began walking in the opposite direction.
“Wait!” She cried out. “I don’t know where I am. How do I get home?”
“That depends entirely on where your home is.”
“I need to go East!”
He sighed. “See those mountains?”
Phosgene looked to where the man was pointing. To her right, two large mountains reached towards the heavens.
“That pointy one is called The Ice Cream. Its a dead mountain. It was named after The Princess of this country. She died fifty years ago. Its a long story, but basically she married the wrong man, and the laws of the land meant that 50% of the country now belonged to him. My grandfather, the Mad King, was furious. He made her brother kill her by cutting her heart out of her chest. The mountain next to it is called Katie. It was named after her brother, The Crown Prince, who now rules this land. To go East, you need to cross those mountains. There is an alpine pass between Katie and The Ice Cream. But if you try and cross it, you will die.”
“Why?”
“Because The Ice Cream is a dead mountain. Its haunted by the ghost of the Princess, and she’s not who she used to be. She has no heart. And Katie… Well, killing his sister kind of destroyed him too. Cross them if you want. Just don’t expect to live to tell the story. And seriously, I just pulled you out of that fucking lake. Why are you so keen to kill yourself again?”
“I just want to go home.”
“You don’t get it, do you? There is no home. All there is is light and darkness. And what is death if not eternal darkness? There’s no heaven. There is only one Hell, and we’re living in it. You of all people should understand that.”
“I would have expected Hell to be a little more fiery,” the girl replied, glancing around at the frozen landscape.
“Some say the world will end in fire. I hope they’re right. But man, ice is great. Ice will suffice to end it all. You want to make a difference? You need to get brighter and rise above all of this. You are Phosgene. You’re name means bringer of light. Please, don’t let me down. I am Lucifer. I can help you. But first, you need to open up your eyes and figure out who I really am.”
With that, the man turned and vanished into the surrounding mist.
*
Phosgene gazed up at the mountains. She knew she had to cross them somehow in order to get back to wherever she had come from. She glanced down at the lake. Through the ice, she could see the bodies of several other people floating under the surface. The hole she had made shone like a mirror. She glanced down at her reflection. How old was she?
Had it really been twenty years? She couldn’t remember. How had she survived so long, without air? The cold must have slowed her metabolism to a standstill, allowing her to be preserved under the lake for so long.
The girl reflected in the lake looked no older than fifteen. Her eyes were large and brown. Her dark curls shone golden in the morning sunlight. Her collarbone jutted out, her rib bones were visible through her chest. She placed her hands on her hips, grabbing the protruding bones. She looked so small and fragile. How could she possibly be Phosgene?
“Don’t just stand there by the lake,” Lucifer’s voice called through the mist. “My mum will be back soon. If she sees you standing there she’ll push you straight back in. This time, I won’t be around to pull you out again. For God’s sake, run, while you still can. Get out of here. Unless you want to stay here forever.”
Finally, her fist broke through the wall of ice. She reached her arm out into the air. Frantically, she waved her hand above the surface. Help me, she thought to herself. Someone, pull me out of this lake, before I drown.
“This one’s awake!” a voice cried. “Pull her out!”
Two strong hands grasped her arm, pulling her through the thin ice that covered the lake. Gasping, she made her way through the surface. Her eyes locked on those of her rescuer.
His eyes were as blue as the lake itself. His face looked very familiar, although she couldn’t remember where she’d seen it. How old was he? It was impossible to tell. He had the features of a 20 year old, but something about him seemed both older and younger.
“Holy fuck,” he muttered to himself. “Its you! You’re Phosgene!” Do you remember me?”
The girl shook her head. She knew she’d seen the man before but she couldn’t recall when.
“You’ve been under that lake for 20 years,” he told her, as if speaking to a child. “I’ve been watching you all my life, waiting for you to rise up. I’ve been waiting and waiting for you. Please tell me you still have the book!”
She shook her head in confusion. “What book?”
The man rolled his eyes. “Seriously? Man, this is so disappointing. You were like my hero. You stood up to my mum all those years ago. No one stands up to my mum. You’re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. You made up a story about her. She ripped it up in front of you. Thats why she threw you in the fucking lake. She wanted to keep you in the dark, away from light and oxygen. She was scared of you. Or rather, she was scared of what you might become.”
“I’m sorry,” the girl mumbled awkwardly.
“Why are you sorry? She hates you. She says you are a cancerous black mould, a blight on the world. She says its your fault she’s dying. She wishes it was you not her. She says you deserve to die for what you did. You made phosgene at her house when you were four. Phosgene is a carcinogen. And now she has cancer.”
The girl froze. She didn’t know what to say.
“You’re like my fucking hero,” he continued. “I hate my mother. I hate them both. If you ever do find the book, or if you write another one in the next 18 months, I’ll publish it for you. I’ll even loan you the money to do it. But you’ll need to be fast. Tick tock, goes the clock. Even for the Tock-Tor. Or so they say.”
The man turned away and began walking in the opposite direction.
“Wait!” She cried out. “I don’t know where I am. How do I get home?”
“That depends entirely on where your home is.”
“I need to go East!”
He sighed. “See those mountains?”
Phosgene looked to where the man was pointing. To her right, two large mountains reached towards the heavens.
“That pointy one is called The Ice Cream. Its a dead mountain. It was named after The Princess of this country. She died fifty years ago. Its a long story, but basically she married the wrong man, and the laws of the land meant that 50% of the country now belonged to him. My grandfather, the Mad King, was furious. He made her brother kill her by cutting her heart out of her chest. The mountain next to it is called Katie. It was named after her brother, The Crown Prince, who now rules this land. To go East, you need to cross those mountains. There is an alpine pass between Katie and The Ice Cream. But if you try and cross it, you will die.”
“Why?”
“Because The Ice Cream is a dead mountain. Its haunted by the ghost of the Princess, and she’s not who she used to be. She has no heart. And Katie… Well, killing his sister kind of destroyed him too. Cross them if you want. Just don’t expect to live to tell the story. And seriously, I just pulled you out of that fucking lake. Why are you so keen to kill yourself again?”
“I just want to go home.”
“You don’t get it, do you? There is no home. All there is is light and darkness. And what is death if not eternal darkness? There’s no heaven. There is only one Hell, and we’re living in it. You of all people should understand that.”
“I would have expected Hell to be a little more fiery,” the girl replied, glancing around at the frozen landscape.
“Some say the world will end in fire. I hope they’re right. But man, ice is great. Ice will suffice to end it all. You want to make a difference? You need to get brighter and rise above all of this. You are Phosgene. You’re name means bringer of light. Please, don’t let me down. I am Lucifer. I can help you. But first, you need to open up your eyes and figure out who I really am.”
With that, the man turned and vanished into the surrounding mist.
*
Phosgene gazed up at the mountains. She knew she had to cross them somehow in order to get back to wherever she had come from. She glanced down at the lake. Through the ice, she could see the bodies of several other people floating under the surface. The hole she had made shone like a mirror. She glanced down at her reflection. How old was she?
Had it really been twenty years? She couldn’t remember. How had she survived so long, without air? The cold must have slowed her metabolism to a standstill, allowing her to be preserved under the lake for so long.
The girl reflected in the lake looked no older than fifteen. Her eyes were large and brown. Her dark curls shone golden in the morning sunlight. Her collarbone jutted out, her rib bones were visible through her chest. She placed her hands on her hips, grabbing the protruding bones. She looked so small and fragile. How could she possibly be Phosgene?
“Don’t just stand there by the lake,” Lucifer’s voice called through the mist. “My mum will be back soon. If she sees you standing there she’ll push you straight back in. This time, I won’t be around to pull you out again. For God’s sake, run, while you still can. Get out of here. Unless you want to stay here forever.”