THE BROKEN

Linda and Mike huddled around the ice hole they had cut out with X—
an auger and portable chain saw. They each sat on hot water bottles ;
sandwiched beneath the cushions of their collapsible chairs. Other (it
fishermen stood around their ice holes as if fires burned inside. A few
ice huts, canvas or wooden shelters resembling outhouses had been fae
placed on top of the holes. Several of these huts had portholes cut out FQ is
which were covered with plastic or plexiglass. The fishermen wore big = >
mitts and puffy down parkas. When they stood up in their huts, one eS
could barely see the colours of their parkas through the condensation % Wil
which had accumulated on the portholes. They seemed to float inside as ¥ =~
if ghosts inhabited the crude shelters. EE Fw

As Linda and Mike looked down at the still dark water they heard
a loud pop as if a car windshield had been struck by a rock on a high- =
way. Mike looked up anticipating that the windshield had cracked, 5
wondering why this would happen at 20 degrees fahrenheit. But the
noise came from the ice which had now cracked right through the hole ;
they had cut. Linda and Mike stood up and saw that the crack was HAY
separating the ice. “Run!” he shouted as they both bolted to the Blazer. Brian Morgan,
Mike started the engine as the cracks surrounded the car. In a second the car sank out of sight as fast as a fishing
weight.
The Blazer floated under the ice, its roof scraping the surface above. The instrumental panel light was still on. A
milky silver-grey light filtered down just to the level of their heads. Below, the water was black. Mike began to honk
his horn furiously. Linda did not say a word. She wanted a cigarette. She kept the palms of her hands glued on the
side window as if she was trying to keep the window from buckling under the water pressure. Mike kept repeating,
“My God...fucking A!. My God...fucking A” Linda began whimpering.

Above them they saw the light from the ice changing intensity, like fan blades creating shadows in a sunny room.
They realized that there were people walking above. They heard the muffled sounds of a chain saw and then the chop-
chop of an ice pick. Mike worried that the ice pick would puncture the roof and then they would sink for good. The car
had floated to an area where the ice was thinner. A few fishermen had incredulously followed the car from above the
ice, barely being able to distinguish its outline from the shallows below. They had risked their lives by chopping the ice
around them trying to make a hole in the ice so that the car could punch through.

o
LY 4

God’s thumb was suddenly taken off and the car shot up to
the surface like a missile. Mike saw his family waving at him.
People were shouting but the windows were closed and he could
not hear what they were saying. He saw his first girlfriend, Edna
Longle. He,was shocked to see her there, wearing a summer dress
and sandles. In front of him he saw a rope uncoiling toward the
car. As the end of the rope hit the hood, the Blazer sunk like an
anvil. Mike and Linda hugged. They were sweating even though
it was freezing inside.

Mike woke up with an erection. He was covered in sweat.
River drench. Linda’s back was to him. Her hee:d rested precari-
ously at the edge of the bed ready to slide to the floor. Mike
probed Linda and as he touched her between her legs she mur-
mured something unihtelligible and slapped his icy hand. He
probed again, more aggressively. He wetted his penis with a bit of
_ saliva and gently but with the regularity of a hydraulic lift,
pushed back and forth. ‘It’s only a matter of time,’ he thought. He
knew that she would shift bit by bit letting him slide in. Her ass
against him was cold and efiooth like the big marble sculpture he had playfully hugged at the city museum.

Linda did not mention anything about their lovemaking when she awoke in the morning. She wrapped her left
arm around his neck and lit a cigarette. Mike told her about his dream. “ I guess you don’t want to party tonight” she
said sarcastically. ‘Party’ meant driving onto the frozen lake to drink beer, playing chicken with the cars, sliding out of
control on the ice. Mike thought for a moment. “Sure, why not” he said nonchalantly. The clouds hugged the Northern
Plains that day trapping the air for a warm night .

a L I N EK
R.A.Zisman
THE BROKEN

Linda and Mike huddled around the ice hole they had cut out with
an auger and portable chain saw. They each sat on hot water bottles
sandwiched beneath the cushions of their collapsible chairs. Other
fishermen stood around their ice holes as if fires burned inside. A few
ice huts, canvas or wooden shelters resembling outhouses had been
placed on top of the holes. Several of these huts had portholes cut out
which were covered with plastic or plexiglass, The fishermen wore big
mitts and puffy down parkas. When they stood up in their huts, one
could barely see the colours of their parkas through the condensation
which had accumulated on the portholes. They seemed to float inside as
if ghosts inhabited the crude shelters.

As Linda and Mike looked down at the still dark water they heard
a loud pop as if a car windshield had been struck by a rock on a high-
way. Mike looked up anticipating that the windshield had cracked,
wondering why this would happen at 20 degrees fahrenheit. But the
noise came from the ice which had now cracked right through the hole
they had cut. Linda and Mike stood up and saw that the crack was gy i
separating the ice. “Run!” he shouted as they both bolted to the Blazer. ‘Brian Morgan,
Mike started the engine as the cracks surrounded the car. In a second the car sank out of sight as fast as a fishing
weight.
‘The Blazer floated under the ice, its roof scraping the surface above. The instrumental panel light was still on. A

milky silver-grey light filtered down just to the level of their heads. Below, the water was black. Mike began to honk

his horn furiously. Linda did not say a word. She wanted a cigarette. She kept the palms of her hands glued on the

side window as if she was trying to keep the window from buckling under the water pressure. Mike kept repeating,
“My God...fucking A!. My God...fucking A” Linda began whimpering.

Above them they saw the light from the ice changing intensity, like fan blades creating shadows in a sunny room.
They realized that there were people walking above. They heard the muffled sounds of a chain saw and then the chop-
chop of an ice pick. Mike worried that the ice pick would puncture the roof and then they would sink for good. The car
had floated to an area where the ice was thinner. A few fishermen had incredulously followed the car from above the
ice, barely being able to distinguish its outline from the shallows below. They had risked their lives by chopping the ice
around them trying to make a hole in the ice so that the car could punch through.

) God’s thumb was suddenly taken off and the car shot up to
the surface like a missile. Mike saw his family waving at him.
People were shouting but the windows were closed and he could
not hear what they were saying. He saw his first girlfriend, Edna
Longle. He,was shocked to see her there, wearing a summer dress
and sandles. In front of him he saw a rope uncoiling toward the
car. As the end of the rope hit the hood, the Blazer sunk like an
anvil. Mike and Linda hugged. They were sweating even though
it was freezing inside.

Mike woke up with an erection. He was covered:in sweat.
River drench. Linda’s back was to him. Her heed rested precari-
ously at the edge of the bed ready to slide to the floor. Mike
probed Linda and as he touched her between her legs she mur-
mured something unihtelligible and slapped his icy hand. He

probed again, more aggressively. He wetted his penis with a bit of

saliva and gently but with the regularity of a hydraulic lift,

pushed back and forth. ‘It’s only a matter of time,’ he thought. He

knew that she would shift bit by bit letting him slide in. Her ass.
against him was cold and smooth like the big marble sculpture he had playfully hugged at the city museum.

Linda did not mention anything about their lovemaking when she awoke in the morning. She wrapped her left
arm around his neck and lit a cigarette. Mike told her about his dream. “ I guess you don't want to party tonight” she
said sarcastically. ‘Party’ meant driving onto the frozen lake to drink beer, playing chicken with the cars, sliding out of
control on the ice. Mike thought for a moment, “Sure, why not” he said nonchalantly. The clouds hugged the Northern
Plains that day trapping the air for a warm night

PS L I N E
R.A Zisman