combustion engine

a short story about being stranded in cold weather, the warmth of intimacy, and clothing choices

Not an atom dared to fidget, scared into stasis by the starry sky that had allowed the last of the day’s heat to dissipate from nothing to less than nothing in the standard manner of cloudless Upstate New York nights of February.

“It’s cold as fuck,” Frank announced as they stepped outside. Ash gave him a skeptical scan as he locked the door.

“Well, yeah,…