New Ice Kingdom

 

Things different in New Ice Kingdom, but things also same. Things same: snow, water, ice, ice holes. Spend most of time at ice holes. Sun come during day as always, then go away at night. Things different: not as many polar bear—just me. That mean no Bud, Bud my son. Miss Bud. Not so much miss others.

Also different: not good at killing seal. Before was good at killing seal.

To kill seal, first find ice hole. Wait by ice hole, maybe for long time. When seal comes up for air, there is smell of seal’s breath. When smell seal’s breath in hole, reach down and kill seal by biting head. If flopping, bash with paw. When seal dead from head bite/bashing, drag to nice spot, eat. Or, if not hungry, bury in secret spot for later.

Was very good at this in Old Ice Kingdom. Ate lots of seal, gave seal bits to son, Bud. Also gave seal bits to other, less-good seal killers like Maury, who is mooch. Since come to New Ice Kingdom, not so good at killing seal. Hesitate. New Ice Kingdom has ice holes and seals, seals swim to ice holes for air; all normal. But when smell seal breath now, not quick. Hesitate. Seal go back down.

Last meal? Long time ago; sun come and go away one hundred times or more. So, hungry.

Today, maybe good day. Optimistic. Find ice hole, lay down. Wait at ice hole. No seal breath. Wait long time, then go away. Find new ice hole.

At new ice hole, lay down. Wait at ice hole. Wait very long time and when about to go away: seal breath. Hesitate. Seal go back down.

Hungry.

Later, Sun go away. While Sun going away, thank Sun for day. Even though not good day—no catch seal. But not Sun’s fault. Maybe tomorrow better. Dig small pit in ice, sleep.

∙

Today, meet friend. No friends in New Ice Kingdom until now. Was at ice hole waiting for seal breath. Waited long time, then smelled seal breath. Hesitated. Seal go back down. Then heard noise. Turned around, saw fox. Thought was Bud at first—same size, colour—but not Bud. Fox.

Fox looked hungry—wanted seal bits? But no seal so walk away. Would have given fox seal bits, because fox friend, but no seal. So fox go away.

Later go to different ice hole. Lay down, wait. No seal breath. Wait long time, no seal breath. See fox in distance, waiting for seal bits, but no seal. Fox go away.

Decide to spy on Old Ice Kingdom. Have to be sneaky because of Maury. Walk long time, see Old Ice Kingdom across water. Big swim from New Ice Kingdom to Old Ice Kingdom; water gap good boundary. Hide behind snow pile near shore, look at Old Ice Kingdom. See Bud. Bud with Maury. Bud Maury’s son now? No, Bud still my son. Miss Bud. Not so much miss Maury.

Hear noise, look back—fox. Fox followed. Fox good, fox friend. Maybe fox thinking about seal bits. But not killing seal now; spying on son and Maury. Good team, me and fox. Sidekicks. Will call fox “Foxy,” go on adventures, kill seal and give Foxy seal bits. Foxy and Bear.

Fall asleep on snow pile. Wake up, Bud gone. Maury gone. Foxy gone. Go back to New Ice Kingdom.

Hungry. Tired.

Sun go away. Thank Sun for day. Thank Sun for Foxy. Today good day because have new friend. Also bad day because no seal. Dig small pit in ice, sleep.

∙

Adventure for Foxy and Bear today.

After Sun comes, go to ice hole, wait. Wait long time, smell seal breath. Hesitate. Seal go back down. Hear noise, see Foxy. No seal bits, sorry. But still friends. Go to look for different ice hole, maybe better luck. Walk for long time, see thing far away. Maybe seal? Sometimes seal sit on ice, rest. This good.

Sneak up on seal behind snowdrift. Foxy following. Get close. Peer over drift at seal, ready to attack. But not seal. Not look like seal, not smell like seal. Get closer: shit. Own shit from different day. While walking away to find ice hole, see Foxy go over to shit pile. Foxy eat part of shit. Good adventure.

Then at ice hole waiting for seal breath and thinking of Bud. Miss Bud. Bud miss me? Not know.

Miss own dad. Showed how to wait by ice hole, kill seal. Remember Dad giving water rides. Would hold onto Dad’s neck/back, then Dad would swim around in water between Old Ice Kingdom and New Ice Kingdom. Didn’t go to New Ice Kingdom though because Dad made frowny face and pointed paw at New Ice Kingdom to say, There not good. Old Ice Kingdom good. But New Ice Kingdom not so bad. Except hungry. Not good at killing seal in New Ice Kingdom.

Want Bud back, but Bud maybe not want back. Because messed up. Did bad thing, now Bud not happy.

While thinking of Bud and own dad, smell seal breath. Hesitate. Seal go back down.

Sun go away. Thank Sun for day, thank Sun for Foxy. Dig small pit in ice, sleep.

∙

Today very desperate. Hungry. Almost did bad thing.

When sun came, went to ice hole. Foxy near, waiting for seal bits. Waited, smelled seal breath, hesitated. Seal go back down.

Hungry.

Went to secret spot, dug up secret thing. This not good. Should not dig up secret thing. But hungry, so did. Secret thing still there, buried deep in snow. Same: bite marks on head, but good condition. Very hungry, but want to be good dad for Bud, so put back. This very hard to do, because of hungry. Put secret thing back in secret spot. Went to ice hole.

Wait at ice hole, no seal breath. Foxy watch then go away.

Sun go away. Thank Sun for day, thank Sun for Foxy, thank Sun for Dad who taught to be good and not eat secret thing. Dig small pit, sleep.

∙

Today not good day. Hungry. Do not leave pit. Should probably go to ice hole with Foxy, but tired. Sun looking down like, Why still in pit? Why not go to ice hole and try again? But still not get up.

In pit, thinking of Old Ice Kingdom. Miss Old Ice Kingdom. Miss Bud. Remember being cub, Bud’s age, playing ice hole game. So much fun when cub. Would go with friend, find two ice holes near each other. Would dive into first ice hole, swim in water under ice until come out of second ice hole. Scary because what if couldn’t find other ice hole. But always did because smart. Learned ice hole game from Dad. Dad was good dad. Later, taught ice hole game to Bud, so good dad as well. Except ice hole game how bad thing happened. So maybe not good dad now.

Thinking about bad thing, feel bad for Maury. Although feel bad for self because miss Bud. At least Bud still here. Maury’s son not here. Because of bad thing.

Remember was waiting by ice hole in Old Ice Kingdom. This was before, when good at killing seal. Bud nearby, playing ice hole game with Maury’s son. Bud and Maury’s son best friends.

Was waiting, then heard noise in ice hole. Smelled breath.

Did not hesitate.

Reached down with paw, grabbed seal, bit head.

Not seal.

First thought was Bud, very scary, but not Bud. Thank Sun. But, was Maury’s son. Not good. Bud run over, see best friend with blood on head. See Dad with blood on mouth. Bud cry. This very bad. Bud run off—scared of own dad? Not chase after. When Maury find out, maybe Maury try and kill one who bites son’s head. So take Maury’s son in mouth, run away. Swim across to New Ice Kingdom, bury Maury’s son in secret spot. Not good dad like own dad.

Sun go away. Thank Sun for day, even though whole day in pit. Hungry. Bad thoughts.

∙

Today good? Today bad? Not know.

Today good because when Sun comes, leave pit, make decision. Go over options: Since not good at killing seal in New Ice Kingdom, will die if stay in New Ice Kingdom. Because hungry. And since killed Maury’s son with head bite, will die if go to Old Ice Kingdom. Because maybe Maury want revenge. So stay in New Ice Kingdom and go to Old Ice Kingdom are same thing. Will die.

But, come up with plan: If go to Old Ice Kingdom, can bring secret thing. Dig up Maury’s son from secret spot, bring to Old Ice Kingdom, then Maury and Bud see: he dying because hungry, but he not eat Maury’s son. Even though hungry, even though dying. Still not eat. So he good, he accident, he sorry.

Today bad because when go to secret spot, secret thing dug up. See Foxy eating secret thing close to secret spot. Angry. Chase Foxy. Foxy fast but Foxy stop to throw up and then catch Foxy. Snap neck. Snap neck of only friend.

No Foxy and Bear. Just Bear. Today bad.

Today good again because of new plan: even though hungry, not eat Foxy. Good decision. Foxy not Maury’s son, but can still bring Foxy to Bud and Maury. Bring Foxy and show how did not eat thing that ate Maury’s son. Even though hungry, even though dying. Plus killed thing that ate Maury’s son. So he good. Can come back to Old Ice Kingdom, be with Bud. Miss Bud.

Hope after Maury and Bud see dead Foxy they let eat Foxy. Because hungry. But maybe should not eat friend, even though mad at friend for ruin first plan.

Walk long time, see Old Ice Kingdom on other side of water. Tired because hungry but jump in water anyway. Make halfway across and drop Foxy. Foxy sink. Dive down because need Foxy for plan but can’t find. Also can’t find top of water. Plan go bad. Feel like Sun go away, even though Sun still there. Tired. Thank Sun for day, even though day not finished. Where is Foxy. Close eyes, even though not in pit. In water. Not good.

∙

Wake up. Having water ride on Dad’s back! Best feeling. Favourite thing in world is water ride on Dad’s back. Then remember: Dad gone. So, not Dad. Someone else.

Sniff neck fur: Maury. Having water ride on Maury’s back. Confused.

Remember swimming to Old Ice Kingdom. Remember dropping Foxy. Was drowning. Means Maury saw drowning, rescue. So Maury not want to kill? Because if want to kill, why rescue? So Maury forgive. This very good.

Holding on to Maury’s neck/back, see Old Ice Kingdom shore. See Bud on shore. Maury swimming towards Bud. Bud not scared because not running away. This very good. Maybe get to live in Old Ice Kingdom again where good at killing seal. Where get to be with Bud. Will take Bud for water rides, which is fun for Bud—has good dad like own dad.

As ride to shore, thank Sun, but then remember Foxy. Foxy have son? Not know. Feel bad about Foxy. Best friend now in boundary water.

Go back for Foxy later? Will go back for Foxy later. Will bury Foxy in secret spot, not dig up. Good plan. Thank Sun for plan. Thank Sun for Bud. Bud getting closer. Almost there.