Of Frost & Cinder (Old Version)

Preface

Preface

Once when I was on stage, I'd gotten so nervous after flubbing my lines that I ran out of the auditorium into the snowy parking lot. I ran forever it seemed, but when your legs are that short and that brittle, twenty feet can equate to a mile.

Dad chased me down the slick sidewalks and yanked me into his wide arms by my tail. I was crying because it was cold and because I'd messed the whole play up. He wiped away my tears and asked, "Why'd you run away, sweet pea?"

I was sniffling through a puffy red nose and my painted fur was streaked with tears. "I couldn't remember what I was supposed to say."

This made him smile as he crouched down to the street to be at my level. "Aw, Shell, I guess no one told you the secret, did they?"

My eyes went wide. I loved secrets, especially when they came from my dad. I shook my head vigorously and waited for him to spill it out.

"Well, most actors like to keep this quiet, but they forget lines too. The real ones that you see on stage, like that Nutcracker play we go to every year, they forget. But they don't run away. Instead, they make up stuff in their heads and then say it. Sometimes it's something funny and sometimes it's serious, but they never let a stage go quiet. Do you know what they call this?"

"Lying?"

Dad laughs, "Improvising. They call it improvising."

"Can you take me back, Dad? I want to try it."

He fixes the ears of my costume and sweeps me up into his strong hold. "You know, Shell, wolves are tough. They're the heart of the forest. Have you ever seen a wolf run away because it was scared?"

I shook my head again.

"Right. They stand their ground. They fight for what they believe in, or else you're called a coward." Dad smirks, "Did I raise a coward or did I raise a wolf?"

"No!" My little voice piped with excitement, "I'm a wolf!"

"Well, let's go huff and puff that piggy's house down!" He was laughing as he took me up the staircase to the school. I was so excited and so riled that I couldn't wait to go back on stage.

On the top step, Dad stopped, "You're a wolf? Well, show me!"

So, in his arms, I lifted my little neck up to the moon and I howled. I howled not once, not twice, but three times into the winter winds. And as we headed back through the wooden doors, I swear that I heard something return those howls.