Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
I just knew two things.
One, I would fight and run to my last breath,
And two, it was time to move.
Immediately.
Chapter 5
Faith
I
t took me forever to fall asleep.
The sun came up and I stopped battling my eyelids.
They closed
and I sank.
Fell.
Plunged
deep
into a dream.
In this sleepy world, I stood on my lawn. Snow covered everything. However, my house wasn’t there, nor my car. Stars didn’t sparkle in the sky, they glowed in many colors—bright pinks and fluorescent blues, brilliant greens and ruby reds. They were a rainbow bridge, connected to the Earth and rising into the sky.
In front of me, my snowman stood and whispered, “That wasn’t nice.”
“You’re talking.” I backed up and looked down at myself.
I wore a beautiful, white gown. The top formed tightly around my breasts, while the bottom flared into a hoop skirt fit for a Disney princess. At first, I thought diamonds decorated the front. With a closer look, I realized that it was tiny snowflakes covering the whole garment. I shook the fabric and the snowflakes clinked against each other, sending musical dings into the air.
Somehow, I knew I didn’t look like myself, but I was myself. It was odd. I’d transformed from resentful and divorced mother of two into a she-wolf princess. Glittering. The type of woman that heroes began wars over. The sort of ice queen to fall back happily into silky, snow-flaked sheets, laughing as a winter god ravished her body.
“You’re so beautiful, Faith.” My snowman’s voice dripped with pure sex. How could that delicious tone rise from such a cold mouth?
I stopped marveling at my gown and studied him. “You’re so beautiful, too, . . .snowman.”
“Call me Remy.” He touched his mouth. “I love how you made me. You’re talented.”
I drank in his gorgeous image.
“Faith.”
“Yes,” I said.
Remy put his hands in front of his face and studied them. “You made me from ice. Why?”
“I . . .”
Remy shined his sparkling eyes at me. “Can you make wings?”
“Uh . . . yes, but maybe we should focus on why you’re here—”
“Could you make me some wings right now?” Remy asked.
“Wings?”
He raised both hands. Two large balls of snow popped out between us. They expanded and rotated.
I jumped back. “How did you do that?”
The balls floated in front of me.
The snow man grinned. “Make some wings so we can fly.”
“We can’t fly.”
“We can.”
“We can’t.”
He laughed. “And snowmen can’t talk?”
“Umm.” I looked down and didn’t see anything around me. “I need my stuff.”
My carving knife appeared in my hands.
“Where the hell did that come from?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
In that moment, Santa ran by me and suddenly I began to remember that he should’ve looked differently. I couldn’t think of what had happened to him, but I knew he should’ve been more deformed.
Didn’t I melt him?
Remy leaned in closer as if reading my thoughts. But still I couldn’t take my eyes off Santa.
Yes. I did melt him.
Somehow, Santa must’ve healed himself. He didn’t have the distorted look anymore. His arms and legs were still attached. His face too. He rushed after the mermaids as they swam away from him.
“Wait a minute.” I pointed at them. “Something is wrong with all of this—”
“Don’t worry about them,” Remy said. “Make the wings.”
Far off, Santa roared and let out a huge laugh. “I’ve finally got you two.”
“Oh, Santa!” The mermaids’ giggles shifted to moans. “Oh! Yes!”
“So pretty,” Santa groaned.
I glanced behind me, but didn’t see them. “Well, I guess Santa caught the mermaids.”
“That’s not Santa. He’s a spirit. The others are too.” Remy stepped to my side, leaned close to my face, and inhaled me. “Make my wings, please. And I’ll explain the things that I know. We don’t have much time. I want this to be special.”
“What to be special?” I sliced into the huge snowballs. They formed easily, almost as if it knew the direction I would take seconds before I decided to do it. My hands blurred in a quick motion as I carved the wings.
Shards of ice sprayed around us.
Remy whispered in my ear, “You’re amazing.”
My body prickled with excitement. He made me feel young again. Innocent and unsure of the future, but bold and ready to take it on. No fear. Not the fear that came with age. I felt safe and sure that, with him, only fun would meet me.
The snow easily shaped into wings. I lined the ice and gave it a feathered effect. “Who are you?”
Remy touched some of the snowflakes that dangled from the waist of the gown. “I live on this land.”
I glanced at him. “You’re a ghost?”
“No.” He got behind me and ran his fingers through my hair. A tremor of pleasure waved through me.
“What are you?”
“I’m a spirit.” His cool breath brushed against my neck. “I’ve watched you. Sometimes, it’s hard to see your world from mine. Sometimes, it’s hard to see anyone. Lots of hollow faces and echoing hearts. And then, on days like this, with the magic so high in the air, I can see you just fine.” He wrapped his arms around me. Although he was hard, ice against my warm flesh, I melted in his embrace. “And I can touch you like I’ve always dreamed.”