FROSTBITE by David Warren

dinner for these folks.”
     
    “Alright, if we must” he frowned. “We are going to have to find some flashlights even though it's pitch black back there.”
     
    “There was a couple in the cabinet by the employee bathroom,” Elaine responded. “I guess we’ll use up anything that will go bad sooner than later, like the lunchmeat and cheese.”
     
    “This outage is going to cost Mrs. Lovell a small fortune,” Ted said.
     
    “Really Ted,” Elaine sighed. “She won’t care as long as we are alright.”
     
    “Maybe you’re right,” he conceded.
     
    “Of course I am,” Elaine tried to manage a smile. “Stephanie, could you move so I can get out and make us some dinner?”
     
    “Sure,” Stephanie replied and slid out of the booth.
     
    “Thanks,” Elaine said as she and Ted headed toward the kitchen. “We’ll be back shortly.”
     
    I turned and looked at the Connor boys, who were now standing by the counter, transfixed on the windows. Brad, who seemed to be always thinking, said, “That’s really not how high the snow is Kevin. The wind is just making huge drifts along the outside of the diner.”
     
    “I want to go home,” was the response.
     
    “So do I,” Brad confessed. “The sheriff will be along soon, you’ll see.”
     
    That comment got me thinking. Was the sheriff snowbound at the police station? Did he make it home? Surely the search party had been called off the moment the storm turned ugly. Alex’s cruiser was only a six cylinder car with not much giddy-up. In this town, there wasn’t a need for anything faster. With that being said, with the amount of snow we get, the county really ought to invest in a four wheel drive vehicle. But, that was our gracious mayor, not caring about the little folks.
     
    A short time later Elaine came back from the kitchen, holding a dozen candles in little holders. She sporadically set them up along the counter and then one at each booth, lighting them as she went. “This should help,” she said, glancing out at the darkening sky. She disappeared into the back again and then came back through the swinging doors carrying a large tray filled with sandwiches. “Here you go everyone.”
     
    Ted followed suit, carrying a tray filled with bowls of soup. “It’s still lukewarm anyway,” he said as he passed out the bowls.
     
    “Thank you very much,” I said, taking a seat at the third booth in. Kevin and Brad joined me. “You boys hungry?”
     
    They both nodded and silently dug into their meal. Yes, they certainly were hungry. Even in circumstances as extraordinary as this, the body will still tell you what it needs. I tried to make small talk with the boys as we ate our dinner. “You boys like baseball?”
     
    “Yeah,” Kevin answered. “I’m not very good at it though.”
     
    “You will be,” I encouraged. “It just takes practice.” I took a sip of the chicken noodle soup that had been brought to me. It was slightly cool, but very tasty nonetheless. “Practice makes perfect.”
     
    “I wish it was spring now,” Kevin paused, sandwich half-raised to his mouth. “Then we wouldn’t have these things here and we could go home right now.”
     
    “I know,” was all that I could think of to say in return. “I know.”
     
    “Do you think the sheriff is looking for us?” Brad asked. Then he added, “Honestly?”
     
    So I was honest with him. “I don’t know. Assuming your mom’s phone is working and assuming the sheriff’s car can finagle the streets, then…maybe.”
     
    Kevin looked crestfallen but Brad simply nodded. “Kinda what I figured.”
     
    “We’ll be okay in here,” I quickly added.
     
    “I’m not so sure,” Brad countered.
     
    “Why?” I asked.
     
    “The temperature in here is quickly dropping,” he replied.
     
    “Really?” I asked and as I did so, I suddenly realized that I could see my breath as I spoke. “So it is.”
     
    “I think those things were staying clear because they