The Ice King On My Hate

by Reese Madison

  “Shit.” I turned around, “You scared me.”

  “I scare most people. Go make breakfast. I don’t care what you make.” He thumbed over to the kitchen behind me.

  I’m so happy to hear him say this I could pop, so of course I all but ran to the refrigerator. It didn’t take me long to raid the kitchen and fix scrambled eggs, sausage links I’m not sure are made of pig, but don’t care, and pancakes with cinnamon sugar apples.

  He ate three helpings of everything while a very small amount of a little bit of everything eased the pain in my shrunken stomach. For the first time in months I feel like I can breathe, and maybe relax a little. Even if it’s just for a day, it’s more than I’ve had in months.

  He waved off my offer for more pancakes, “That’s enough. Go clean the kitchen.” He handed me his plate and silverware.

  “Thank-”

  “Don’t speak unless it’s an emergency. Do as you’re told. There’s a good chance you’re stuck here for a while because of the weather. Don’t annoy me with your drivel.”

  I nodded and went back to the kitchen.

  Since there’s nothing else to do, and I can see the TV, I took my time and quietly cleaned the entire kitchen. It was pretty clean to begin with, but I went over everything anyway to get to know where I can find what I need later. I get the feeling he’ll want me to cook again.

  I wonder how long I’ll be stuck here. Winter has obviously set in so it could be the better part of a year before I can get out of here. That would suck, but it would suck a lot less than what I’ve been through the last two years living on the streets.

  The knock on the door made me jump.

  He pushed up off the couch and turned to look at me, “Keep your mouth shut.”

  “Yes Sir.” I replied somewhat sarcastically.

  He pretended not to notice and turned to open the door.

  I almost screamed when a large German Shepard snaked his way through the door. In order to maintain my self-control I sank to the floor with my back to the dishwasher.

  “Thank you Arlene.”

  “Anytime Troop. Sorry I couldn’t get him to you last night, we were busy preparing the kennels for the storm.”

  “Not a problem. You better get back before the next wave hits.”

  “Oh here, these are from Derek. He said he felt bad because you had to go to court.”

  “I’m sure he did.” Troop must have had to go because of this Derek guy.

  I heard the door shut just as the K-9 officer came into the kitchen. I know he’s an officer because I recognize the harness. He’s not wearing his badge so he’s obviously off duty.

  Troop set a large brown package on the counter and looked down at me. “What’s your problem?”

  I looked at the dog. “I just need a minute.” So I don’t launch myself at this dog and get my face bitten off.

  “Get up and put some of this rub on these filets. Wrap 'em back up and put them in the refrigerator for later. Arrow, leave it.” He ordered the dog with a point towards the living room.

  Arrow dropped down and pushed his front paws towards me.

  “I said, leave it!”

  “Don’t yell at him, he’s not deaf.” I crawled over and offered Arrow my hand to sniff.

  “Don’t tell me how to handle my dog.” He snapped back.

  “He’s not your dog, he’s your partner.” I corrected and scratched behind his ear.

  “You’re both idiots.” Troop complained then left for his coveted couch.

  After a while I ran out of things to do and headed back to my room with Arrow in tow. I can read one the many books he has on the shelves in there to kill the rest of the day, or until he wants me to cook again.

  Arrow’s body heat helps make up for being this far away from the wood stove, but it’s still cold. I don’t think the heat works in here. Oh well, it’s better than being outside asshole deep in snow.

  Before I sat down I picked up two of the oldest looking repair manuals figuring I can read all winter and emerge a master motorcycle mechanic. Okay, I might emerge wiser than before in this field, but definitely no master.

  Troop didn’t bother me the rest of the day, so I didn’t bother him. Arrow came and went a few times. The last time he left was to go get his dinner. I remember the once familiar sound of dry food shaking in a feed dish well.

  I wonder if he’d let me go in the other room and store some heat in my body from the stove for a few minutes. Probably not without getting yelled at for disturbing him.

  Sleep took me quickly enough it didn’t matter.

  “Jasmine.” His stern voice shook me awake along with his big hand on my shoulder.

  I know better than to reply so I tried to force my eyes open. I can’t see a damn thing. How long have I been asleep?

  “Shit. Why didn’t you tell me the heat was off in that room?” He complained.

  I gave up trying to focus and curled up again.

  “Great.” He’s not happy with me as usual, I just don’t have the energy to care so I kept my eyes closed and hoped sleep will take me again. It’s a peaceful quiet sleep.

  “Wake up.” He snapped just as pain shot through my elbow. I need to see your eyes.” He forced my eyelids open. “When was the last time you ate?”

  I tried to pull my head from his grip.

  “Hold still.”

  “Let me go.”

  “Why aren’t you eating?” He demanded to know.

  “I am.” My appetite has diminished a lot since I got here. Living on eggshells and being trapped in this fucking tiny mobile home have me rethinking my will to live.

  “Bullshit. Stay still so you don’t pull the IV out.”

  IV? I forced myself to open my eyes and look at the ache in my arm. “What happened?”

  “You almost froze to death. Why didn’t you turn the heat on?”

  “I thought it was broken.” I looked up to find him towering.

  He shook his head and moved my hair off my face, “You’re not very bright are you?”

  “I’m going to be sick.” I feel nauseous all of a sudden.

  “You haven’t eaten in a day and half, there’s nothing to throw up. Lie down, watch the IV.

  I slid down hoping I die already. I mean seriously, how much am I supposed to endure here?

  When I woke again up my fingers and toes hurt like hell. “Ouch.” I complained trying to move.

  “You’ll be fine. Maybe next time you’ll tell me when the heater is broken.”

  “I’d rather die than talk to you.” I complained working my way up so I can eventually go back to my room.

  “Most people would. Where are you going?”

  “I have to pee, then I’ll get out of your hair.” I checked to make sure the IV was gone, it is. Good.

  “You’ll come back to this couch. The heater needs to be replaced and that’s not going to happen until I can get parts up here.”

  I didn’t reply, just got up and went to the bathroom where I looked in the mirror I started crying. Two years ago I was proud of that reflection, now I wonder if I’ll ever see her again.

  I sat on the floor because everything hurts and the crying is making me weak. I can’t stop crying. My stomach hurts from being empty for so long. The dry heaving is getting old fast.

  The door opened to my left. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  I wiped at my face determined to pull my shit together. I need to get out of here. This place is poison. Freezing to death shouldn’t take long. If I can just get out of this house for a little while, that’s all it will take.

  He bent down and scooped me up. “Winter has set in hard this year. I asked around to see if anyone would take you in up here, but as I figured they won’t. That means you’re stuck here with me.” He set me back on the couch a
nd pulled the blankets down over my legs. “You need to eat, don’t move.”

  He brought me a plate of what looks like dark meat chicken and roasted potatoes and carrots. “Clear that plate and set it aside, don’t get up again without permission.”

  “How can I get permission if I’m not supposed to talk to you?”

  “Eat.” He ordered and sat down at the other end of the couch.

  I picked at the food on the plate for about the next hour.

  His phone rang making me jump. “Agnes.” He obviously knows who it is. “Slow down.” He ordered and took his phone form his ear to put it on Speaker. “Where did they find the quad?”

  “Randy and Chuck went out this morning looking for rabbits and found it three miles northwest of you by the river. They think its tourists.”

  “Fancy rig?” He asked climbing his big ass into a giant snowsuit.

  “Yeah. There are two sets of tracks going in opposite directions. There’s also a set of bear tracks, you better go in with several rifles.”

  “Where’s Derek?”

  “Digging out his rig.”

  “Have Derek call me when he gets to the site, I’ll check in after I set a perimeter. How long before we can get air support?”

  “At least twenty-four hours. This storm is about to dump hard any second, it’s lodged up against the mountain and ready to burst.”

  “Fuck.” He cussed picking up his phone. “Temps?”

  “Thirty under boss, you better haul ass or we’re going to have to bust out the body bags.”

  “Stand by.” He hung up and pointed at me, “Stay on the couch, if I find you back in that room I will turn your skinny ass over my knee. If someone comes to the door let him or her in and see that they’re warmed up and tended to medically. Can you handle that?”

  “Yes, but you don’t worry they might be dangerous?”

  He opened a drawer in the table by the front door. “This is a loaded .38. Can you handle a gun?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then do so if need be. There’s a good chance whoever is lost will knock on the first door they come across for help. If they make it this far they’ll be half frozen to death. Get them warm and call Agnes on the radio in my office.” He was out the door before I could ask any questions.

  Thankfully nobody came to the door.

  Unfortunately he came back.

  The man is a giant walking menace. He shed his snowsuit and boots tossing snow everywhere. Arrow shook off the snow he dragged in making an even bigger mess.

  All this would have been funny if he hadn’t said, “Clean this shit up. Make yourself useful.”

  His words caught in my throat. Why is he so mean? Ugh. Who cares? I’m not out in that snow. I got up and carefully set about cleaning up after him and his partner.

  Someone knocked on his front door making him cuss. “Fuck.”

  I decided to go hide down the hall and pretend to be picky over which towel would be good to clean up the rest of the puddles in the living room.

  “What do you want Dee?” His tone is even more annoyed with her than with me. Maybe he hates everybody. I’ll have to try not to take it personally.

  A woman’s voice replied angrily, “Are you going to make me stand out here?”

  After a moment and the door closing he asked again, “Why are you here?”

  “The question is, why are you here? I thought you’d be over by now.”

  “I told you it was done and over, no more Denise. I’m not what you’re looking for, and your gossip isn’t going to change that.”

  “What gossip??” She asked defensively. Is this his girlfriend?? What idiot would put up with this asshole??

  “The gossip you spread behind my back about us being a couple. We’re not and never will be. You need to go home before the next phase of this storm sets in.”

  “What are you going to do? Go eight months with no sex?”

  “What I do is none of your concern. Go home.”

  I decided to go back to the living room and toss towels on the floor where they’re arguing simply to irritate him. He’s being mean to her, and he’s been mean to me since dragging me down off that mountain. He deserves to answer for how he’s treating her is nothing else.

  “Who the fuck is that??” She asked suddenly angry.

  “Just some stupid bitch that got caught up here. I’m taking her back to Fairbanks as soon as I can.” He opened the door for her. “Out.”

  She slapped him hard across the face. “You are such an asshole!!”

  I laughed, “No shit.”

  She turned on me, “You fucking him?”

  “No way.” I looked up, “I’ve been here long enough to know that you’re better off without him. Run. Run hard, run fast. He ain’t worth it.” I assured her then sneered at him before laying down another towel.

  “I hope you two will be very happy together.” She’s too angry to take me seriously and stormed out.

  He closed the door behind her and grabbed me by the jaw to drive angry hazel eyes into mine, “You watch your fucking tongue.”

  “You watch it.” I stuck it out at him.

  He let go and spun me around harshly. Before I could blink he yanked my jeans down and smacked me so hard on my ass I yelped.

  “Ow!!”

  He shoved me to the couch where I fell awkwardly. “Clean this shit up and fix dinner.”

  “Why are you so fucking mean?!” I asked wondering if I can get out of here while he’s in the shower.

  “You don’t know mean.” He informed me before slamming the bathroom door behind him.

  I may not have known mean, but I do now.

  It’s been two weeks now since I’ve been here and I’m ready to kill one of us. It really doesn’t matter which one, but one of us needs to go.

  I figured since this is his place, and quite frankly I can’t survive up here alone, so I decided it should be me. I hate everything about my existence right now. The couch is killing my back, and the floor is too cold for even Arrow to sleep on. He sleeps on his own bed between the front door and the television.

  Troop hates it when I talk to him or to myself, so I don’t. Arrow is my only reason to live anymore, and this asshole Trooper Colson won’t let us hang out if he’s around. I’ve been spending more time in the kitchen lately because I need something to do.

  When he’s outside doing whatever he does I sneak onto his laptop and look up recipes. Today’s experiment is goat’s milk ice cream. Yeah, sounds nasty, but it’s not too bad, just rich. I added some blueberries from his freezer to kind of balance it out.

  I can see a decent sized barn a few yards off the back patio where he disappears twice a day for a while. When he comes back I get handed eggs, goat’s milk, and frozen meats. The meats I know come from a freezer on the back porch, along with various fruits, mostly blueberries.

  In order to keep the peace until I can escape, I try to be nice. I took him a bowl half expecting to be waved off for bothering him as usual.

  Instead he grabbed my wrist and pulled me so I have no choice but to sit straddling his lap. “What’s this?”

  I used a shaky hand to put a bite on the end of the spoon. “My attempt at ice cream.”

  He took the bite so fast it made me flinch. He nodded and glanced down at the bowl, “Not bad. Next time you go online pull up the bookmarks I added.”

  I guess I should have deleted my browser history. Oh well. “Okay.” I fed him another bite having lost my appetite now. He scares me.

  I wish I could say it’s the long intimidating beard that matches his long reddish-brown ponytail, but that’s not it. He might look like Sasquatch, but he’s much worse. He’s a living breathing walking asshole.

  He pushed the spoon towards me this time. “Eat.”

  I shook my head
and moved it back to his mouth.

  He moved it back, “Do as you’re told.”

  I took the bite but couldn’t enjoy it this time. I just want to feed him and get as far away as possible before he spanks me, which he hasn’t done since the day Denise dropped by, but still. The spanking only stung for a little while, but it was rude, and humiliating. I hate everything about this guy.

  He made me take another bite after feeding him the next one.

  My stomach is churning too much for a third so I shook my head again, “Please. I don’t want to get sick on you.”

  “You don’t eat enough. Why?” He took the bite finally giving me a break for a change.

  “I’m not hungry because there’s no reason to be hungry. I’m bored.” I replied carefully.

  “I can change that.” He offered, but I’m not so sure I like his tone.

  “No thanks, I just want to survive long enough to get the hell out of here when spring comes.”

  He swallowed the bite I’d fed him while explaining, “Who says you’re leaving?”

  I froze, “I do. You don’t like me. You don’t want me here. You fucking hate me. Why would I stay five seconds longer than I have to?” The look that crossed his eyes told me I’m going to regret that rant later.

  “You don’t speak for me, until you do, don’t make assumptions about what I want or what I like.” He took the now empty bowl and set it on the table to his left.

  “Fine. I don’t feel like you like me or want me around. I’d leave now if I could.” Great, now I feel like crying again. I covered my face with my palms, “Can I go now?”

  “Where are you going to go with no money Jasmine?”

  “I don’t really care.” I let my hands drop and dared a look into his eyes. “I’m so beyond done I’d take a bear mauling just to get this over with. It’s not just you, so don’t get comfortable on your high horse. My life has been nothing but shit for the last two years. I’m just… done.” I started to climb off.

  He planted his hands on my hips stopping me. “You don’t get up until I tell you to get up. What happened to you? Why are you in this position?”

  I shook my head looking anywhere but at him, “Doesn’t matter.” “I didn’t ask if it mattered, I told you to tell me how you ended up like this. Do as you’re told or pay the price.” His threat is not having the desired effect because my Give A Fuck got up and left a long time ago.