The man sat by the frozen river. The ground was covered in frost, the sky was clear and the air crisp.
Covered only by a thin sheet, the cold did not seem to penetrate his skin. He did not shiver or rub heat into his limbs, he only sat in perfect stillness and solitude.
The bright orange light in the east began to rise, casting a warm embrace across the stark landscape.
The man felt his limbs warm as they were kissed by the glow of daylight. He could feel his blood begin to pulse through his legs and feet. He unwrapped the sheet and let the new warmth strike his body.
The ice on the river began to stir, water began to flow in small trickles as the thaw came, tiny cracks sounded as the icy sheen splintered slowly.
Eventually the man stood. He padded away across the soft grass, now free of it’s white, frosty cloak.
There would be a celebration in the village tonight. Another winter had passed, the sun had returned once more and for the next few months it would not set again. They were safe.
He looked forward to seeing his loved ones again after his winter alone by the river.
This is a response to the #writephoto Prompt – Frozen curated over at Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo. Click on the link to read other stories inspired by the image.
From tomorrow, Friday 30th August, for one week only, my first novel, A JUSTIFIED STATE is available now for just 99p or 99¢ on Amazon Kindle. Just follow the links below:
With only one month to go until my second novel STATE OF DENIAL is released, the first book in the trilogy is available at this special price for one week, so if you haven’t read it yet, now is the perfect time to get a copy.
Also available in Paperback from Amazon and Book Depository.
STATE OF DENIAL will be published on Kindle and in Paperback on 27th September.
IAIN KELLY 
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