It was 4:30 in the morning when I stirred. Something was wrong, but I was not quite sure what. My foot poked out from out of my blanket and then I knew exactly what was wrong! The wood stove was out! II whipped my toes back in and began checking for frostbite. None, I was lucky. I groaned, I knew this was the start of a quest, my quest, to the stove.
I pulled my blanket around me and stood up and began walking. I was afraid to glance in the living room, but overcoming ones fears is the first task of a hero. I was right, the living room was dead, all that was left was a frozen wasteland.Two snowmen were welded to a snowbank. I dragged myself to them and brushed off one of their faces. Yep, these were indeed my brothers... and my couch.
"H-h-h-help us br-br-brother, s-s-s-so c-cold." One wheezed. The other snowman just jiggled a bit.
"Do not be afraid, your knight in shining blanket is here."
With that, I ventured on. The stakes were high, I needed to travel with more haste. Next up was the junked up corridor, a thousand obstacles that only the keenest of gymnasts could get through unscathed. I could not turn back now. This was my hour to shine! Two steps later and my blanket was tangled in knots.
"Let go!" I shouted futilely at the air compressor, tool boxes, and crates. Was I already defeated? No, this could not be! I flung off my cover and let the frost come to me as I charged bravely forward.
The cold continued to wisp over me as I staggered forward. Illusions of warm patties on the grill, and succulent hot chocolate flooded my mind. Then all at once, I was out of breath and I fell forward. An hour of sleep, maybe two. The stove could wait for another day, the floor was becoming very comfortable.
Then I heard a voice. That was impossible! There was no life out there. Just nothingness. But there it was again!
"You can do it. Keep at it. Don't give up!" I groaned. But energy was already flowing back into me, I stood back up. I could do this. And then I realized how close I was. The stove was only five feet away, and I had almost given up! I stepped forward and suddenly my foot was burning hot! No, it was freezing cold! I had stepped onto tiled floor, one of the coldest substances developed by man. This was what stood between me and the stove, but I was not going to surrender.
COLD, COLD, COLD, COLD! I hopped up to the stove and sat down on a crate. I opened it up and began placing paper in. Then cardboard. I reached for the logs, then stopped. The logs were completely green! This revelation nearly sent me to conniptions, but I kept my head. How was I ever to start a fire with wet logs? I glanced around. I needed a miracle. All at once, a beam of light shot down from the ceiling and I saw it. I saw my miracle. There it was, slab wood! I thanked the heavens as I placed some in, and then more in. I placed the wet logs on top. All I needed now was flame. I patted myself down, no matches. I looked left, then right, and then I saw them. With the last of my energy, I struck a match. It put out before I could touch the paper. The room was starting to spin, my skin was clinging to my bones, I did not have much time. I reached into the depths of my soul, I was going to have to give 110% no matter what the consequences might be. I grabbed three matches at once, striking them all and I put them up to the paper. Nothing happened. Then smoke with a tiny fire. I cracked a smile and sighed. I opened the flue and sat back, closing my eyes. Hopefully I was not too late.
The fire spread. It grew. I was riding the edge of my consciousness when I felt the warmth. The icy claws of death were pulling at me, but soon they shrieked and ran from the heat. I had won. I could not rest yet, there was much work to be done. The fire was dancing now, burning bright orange and red. What a merry flame, I looked down at it with pride and almost a giddy excitement. I felt like a magician as I watched them grow. A bubble of heat, a perfect sphere surrounded me and the stove, pushing against the endless weight of the cold. The heat was wavering, but it was expanding. I closed the flue and shut the stove door. My mission was done. My efforts will be forgotten with time, but what is important is that time goes on, that life goes on.
...
I think I have too much fun writing stories. XD, Yeah, it was -35 two nights ago. I got up and the house was completely cold. All our logs are green and very hard to burn. Since we had our over set to 300 degrees and wide open to keep some level of warmth, I had tossed two logs and some slab wood into it until they thawed and warmed up. Then I got a firebomb going and the flames been going, albeit with lots of checking, for the last 48 hours consecutively. We always have to close the flue at the end because while having it open lets airflow in, it also lets the flames get up into the chimney and subsequently, we've had a few chimney fires in the past. XD Mostly errors of my brother and I.
Hopefully you guys didn't roll your eyes too many times, this was just a fun piece to write as well as a horrible parody of any true hero's story.
I am from Australia I live on a little farm in the bush, near the coast and I am a slave to many birds, fancy chickens, dogs, cats and 3 cheeky ducks. I am an artist of some sort apparantly and I breed asiaitic parrots. I like all things fantasy and sci fi, and a bit odd and all the other things most people probably think are weird. I am a fan of the classic dr who and miss the dodgy special effects and believe cardboard spaceships should make a come back. See? Told you... this might be why people think I am weird. I have also never lost my love of lego and miss the exhibitions that they had when I was a kid.
