Ice storm

The concrete was slippery. The night rain had frozen to the sidewalks. A thin invisible coating that made people walk slow and duck-like, waddling across their driveways to free their vehicles from similar icy shells. Tree branches looked like they were made of glass. The air so sharp that it scratched its way to your lungs. The stoplights had stopped working, wires too cold to carry a signal. The birds were gone. The digital display on the clock by the bedside table had gone dark. The cold radiated from the walls. Somewhere in the back of Stacy’s mind, the feeling had began to form; slowly push its way to front of her thoughts. The recognition of the blanket pulled high and tight around her. The feeling of goosebumps sprouting all over her skin. The silent void of appliance motors no longer running. Soon she will wake. Stare at her breath that hangs frozen in the air. Her brain will scramble to put the pieces together. She will reach for her husband. Push on his cold arm. “Roy” she will say, “Roy, wake up” . “No, yeah, was I snoring? I’ll sleep on the couch”. “Roy!”What?!? Fuck its cold in here!”