Henry set his alarm to wake him every couple of hours, determined to check on the ice throughout the night. Each time he stepped outside with a flashlight in hand, the shadowy figure inside the block seemed as still and enigmatic as before.
He found himself whispering to it, as though the creature could hear him. “Hang in there.” By mid-morning, Sophie returned, her truck rumbling up the snowy driveway. This time, she wasn’t alone.