Antarctica Disappearing

Tal Horovitz

Period 1

WLH Tompkins

4/21/14

Antarctica Disappearing

Robert stands silently on the endless ice stratum, watching his warm breath turn into snow right before his eyes. He wears a white thick fur parka with bushy white pants that would make a sound with every tiny movement he makes. He scratches his grey beard. Daniel turns to Robert, “Where do we even start,” he says stagnantly. Robert shushes him immediately, “Quiet, I’m thinking.” Daniel sits impatiently trying to warm his face with his breath, but not succeeding. Like Robert, he wears a white parka and thick warm pants. He looks back, at the ocean behind them; their ship sailing farther and farther away from them. “We’ll start by checking what’s behind that a huge mountain of ice” — “Okay, but don’t we need to measure the temperature and take pictures?” Daniel asks. “We’ll have time for that later, but first we need to secure our position with the rest back in Australia. We wouldn’t want them to get worried,” Robert said. Once they reach the top of the glacier, Robert stops in his tracks and Daniel almost runs into him. He looks down and immediately fear takes over his face. “Look,” he says while shaking. Daniel looks down and instantly backs away from the edge of the cliff. “Where do we go?!” he says. “I have the same question. It sure as hell decides whether we live or die.” Robert replies, “Damn those fools! They sent us on a dead mission!” Daniel shouts angrily. He kicks the ice and accidentally kicks one of their bags, which slides slowly and then falls into the water. “You stupid moron! That was our food and radar! Now we surely will die here! Maybe I push you in too?” Robert shouts enraged. They sit silently muttering swear words to themselves under their breath. Robert takes his map out quickly, but it starts to rip from the strong winds, so he takes a few looks and quickly puts it away. His map is free from words except for some writing, which is underlined, and reads, “9/28/90.” Daniel breaks the silence and says, “We are going to die.” Robert says, “Not exactly. If we believe in life, life will believe in us, but if we give up on life, it too will give up on us.” “When is the ship scheduled to pick us up?” Daniel says. “I checked that too. 9/28/90. I wrote it on my map,” Robert says. “Well that’s only a day from now!” Daniel says happily. “Wait. What about the ice? Will it hold for that long?” asks Daniel. “It should, but depends on the weather. Lets pray for the cold,” Robert says. “Should we go down to the base?” Daniel asks. “Yes, it will be safer there.” Robert takes the front and starts walking down carefully finding the safest most secure area of the glacier to walk on and Daniel follows, carrying the one bag that is left. They sit at the bottom of the glacier and Daniel immediately says, “And now what?” Robert responds by saying, “We will need to find some food.” “How about we use string from our bag and shape some metal from the bag into hook. We can make a fishing rod!” said Daniel. “Yes, but what will we use as bait?” asks Robert. “I’ve got a couple crumbs in my pocket from some food I ate back at home. Hopefully that will work.” says Daniel. Robert puts together the fishing rod and the two men fish. “I’m starving and can’t feel myself, Robert and I’m scared… Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again.” Daniel says in a sore tone. “Who you talking about? Your wife?” Robert says. “No, we aren’t married yet. And what if we never do?” Daniel says this barely letting the words leave his mouth. “Listen I miss my wife and son just as much as you miss your girl. Lets just pray that we will survive this freezing nightmare,” says Robert. As they fish, Robert wraps his hands around his body and lowers his head, compressing himself. Daniel simply sits and shivers. “This is hopeless. We are dead men. No fish to feed us, just the cold to kill us.” Daniel says, his face turning watery. “No, we will survive, trust me. You trust me don’t you?” says Robert, but his voice begs for help. There is some silence, but then Daniel answers, “Yes, I do.” Daniel feels a tug on the fishing rod and his dead face all of a sudden becomes a living happiness. He forgets about the cold and about his incoming doom, and instead feels happiness. “This is it!!” Daniel yells out in joy with the little energy he has left in his fading body. “Pull!” Robert answers with delight. When he pulls, a fish is caught on the hook and Robert yanks the fish off of the hook. He cuts the fish into two, “Here is your half.” Daniel inhales the fish and says, “Yum, this is the best meal I have ever had.” Robert laughs and says, “Well, yeah it better be.” The two men laugh together, but stop suddenly after looking around themselves. “Well all the ice is basically gone,” Daniel says without worry as he stares off into the sea. Robert squints for a second and then is relieved and says, “Well that sure was close.”