Shorts

Kaleidoscopens

Nick was an adventurous kid. He could recount magnificent tales of meeting exotic creatures and harsh, almost uninhabitable lands. He could spend hours telling stories of the time he stumbled across a family of snakes, hidden behind brush in a rainy forest. He could tell about the time he stared a black panther dead in the eyes. He could even tell about the time he fought off a pair of hungry wolves all by himself.

Yet how he ended the story was the same every time. He would smile—bright as the sun—and say, “Well, that's how the story goes.”

Throughout all of his eight years, he had encountered scorching lands made of broken glass and oceans that housed kelp monsters, and forests of metal trees and skyscrapers constructed out of metal beams and wooden floors. He had soared above the clouds on mechanic wings and sailed across crystalline seas. He had conversations with giants about faraway lands, but none of those stories could ever compare to the sight before him.

“Whoa,” he breathed out in awe.

“A land of ice,” his older sister Melissa commented. “Never thought you’d seen such a thing, huh, Nicky?”

Nick silently shook his head, mouth hanging in wonder. Snow covered the entire surface of the frozen earth. The earth wasn’t even earth-colored. It was pure ice and glowed a brilliant blue. It seemed to capture the soft sunlight that just barely peeked through from the overcast sky and project it in such a way that made the water begin to shine the same color.

“Look, Nicky,” his sister grinned, gesturing around to their surroundings. Thick lumps of unrecognizable pillars moved about, bumping into each other randomly. Grouped together, they tried to cling to whatever warmth that they could. “They look like exotic penguins. A new species! With vibrant feathers in colors like indigo and violet and fuchsia!”

Nick let out a giddy bout of laughter. “They survive off of hot chocolate and marshmallows!”

“What a wonderful observation you’ve made,” Melissa beamed, poking her brother’s button nose. “What should we call them, Nicky?”

Nick continued to stare out at the sea of newly discovered penguins. Their arms flailed wildly around themselves, but penguins couldn’t fly.

Silly penguins, Nick thought to himself. They tried and tried. Some of them were even jumping in place now, trying to find some air beneath their wings.

“Boat penguins!” Nick cried. “Because we’re on a boat!”

“Boat penguins?” Melissa crinkled her nose in distaste. “It’s so plain.”

“You come up with something better then,” he sniffed

Melissa mused upon the name for their discovery. Her eyes suddenly lit up with sudden brightness. It was like watching a dog learning that performing a trick rewards him with a treat.

“Kaleidoscopens.”

“Kaleidoscopens?” Nick echoed, thoroughly confused by the odd word.

“Kaleidoscopic penguins,” she explained. “You know, ‘cause kaleidoscopes are colorful like these weird penguins. Then you just mesh the words together.”

Nick thought about it—kaleidoscopes and penguins. The widest smile broke across his face, nearly splitting his face straight down the middle.

“I like it.”

The two of them grinned and watched the colorful penguins waddle around the ship’s deck, staring at the icy land.

“Do you think they want to go back to their home on the ice?” Nick asked.

Melissa giggled. “I don’t think so. Just look at how cold they look are now, even away from the ice. I think they all prefer warmer homes. And so do I.” Her smile softened, and she held out her hand to Nick. “Ready to go inside?”

He nodded, taking her hand in his. The two began walking towards the cabin of the boat.

“Will I ever get to walk the land of ice?” Nick asked.

“Maybe when you’re older,” Melissa replied. They were greeted by warmth as they walked through the doors to the cabin. Melissa instantly unraveled the scarves from their necks and helped Nick take off his jacket. They walked deeper into the cabin until they came across their parents.

“Mommy, Daddy!” Nick cried, flinging himself into their arms.

“Hello there,” his mother chuckled, holding him.

“Mel and I discovered a new species!” he continued excitedly. “Instead of the normal black and white penguins, we found colorful penguins! With feathers of blue and purple and pink! They came from the land of ice, but they escaped to our boat because the land of ice was too cold for them. I don’t know how they got to our boat though. They can’t fly at all. Their wings will flap and flap and flap, just like a normal bird, but they can’t fly. Not even when they try with all their might. Maybe it’s just another unsolved mystery of the world.”

His mother laughed and pulled him along to their room on the boat. “Is that so, Nick?”

“Well, that’s how the story goes,” he smiled.

As they walked off, the kaleidoscopens followed them through the cabin doors and shed their vivid feathers, revealing the men and women beneath them, eager to warm themselves up after gazing so long at the beautiful glacier just outside.