Orion and Aurora were fudgesicles. Orion was cool, but Aurora was cold. While they appeared identical to the human eye, and their matching white wrappers covered their coating of chocolate, Orion and Aurora could not be more different. Orion enjoyed laughter, excitement, and going on adventures. Aurora enjoyed reading, thinking, and dreaming. They first met in a chocolate factory far away, up North where the swirling wind keeps all but the most determined from visiting. Aurora and Orion, along with four other fudgesicles, were made with love and care before they were sent away from their factory in a tight cardboard box. Orion was thrilled for the new experience, but Aurora grumbled at being forced into the tight wrappers. The inside of their box was also very dark, and for a time none of the half dozen fudgesicles within it could tell what was happening outside. They took the time to bond, and grew very close – even closer than they were physically to one another – until one day everything changed.

It began with the sudden shaking. The entire box trembled, then violently moved this way and that. Next came the thunderous sounds. The low frequency yet high volume pierced the walls of the box, sending shivers down the wooden spines of Orion and Aurora. Finally came the blinding light. One end of the box was fiercely ripped off, exposing a white light and an odd looking figure. They looked up in awe as the giant's hand reached down and picked up Jack. The remaining five fudgesicles watched, horrified, as the animal snatched the chocolate away from their sight. A moment later the beast returned, a crumpled white wrapper in his hand, and grabbed Robert, Jack's brother. Before they could even think about what had happened, the box was thrown away into a large cold silver container. The last thing Aurora and Orion saw before the freezer door closed was the content look on the beast's face as he wiped the chocolate from his broad smile. After that, everything went dark.

In the darkness and the cold, the last four fudgesicles grieved the loss of their dear friends and tried to plan what they could do if the giant came back for them, hoping it would not. However, the very next day the freezer was filled with light as not one but two giants greeted them. The animals seized Elsa and Ana and rapidly attacked the two sisters. Orion and Aurora wished they had eyes to close as the were forced to stare up at their friends' demise. As the beasts finished their snack, Orion inched himself closer to the edge of the box. Teetering on the side, he finally fell to the bottom of the freezer, and made his way towards the door. Aurora watched, intrigued but afraid. Orion wedged himself between the wall and the open door just in time. The giants closed the door on him, not noticing that there was a crack left open where Orion had settled. As the beasts left, the two fudgesicles sighed, grateful the plan had worked but sorrowful at the cost it took.


Orion called up to Aurora but she did not reply. He wanted her to come down so they could escape, but Aurora was too scared, and instead stared up at the ceiling of the box. She disliked Orion; he was cute, but foolhardy and a bit of an idiot. With him being her last friend and the animals sure to return soon, Aurora tried her best to ignore Orion and the fear inside her. However, Orion was a stubborn treat. He persisted, telling her that if they were going to die, he'd rather they do it on their own terms than suffer a bitter and painful death from the giants. Maybe it was the fact that he was all she had left, or maybe it was the growing sense of rebellion within her, but Aurora suddenly found herself wanting to join Orion. After all, wasn't she just as adventurous as he? Didn't she long for the open air outside the freezer, the box, the wrapper? Aurora decided to live these final moments with her dear friend, and began to inch out of her box.

Soon enough, the two fudgesicles were together again. Aurora fell on top of Orion, who caught her and beamed down at her as she gazed up at him happily. They pushed open the freezer door a few inches and then toppled to the ground below. Aurora and Orion landed side by side, and headed to explore their new surroundings. The room appeared very white, very bright, and very tall. They now could tell the giants were merely half the height of the room, and the fudgesicles shuddered to think about what a taller one might look like. They watched in wonder at the gleaming machines around them and wondered what their purposes were. At the stove, Orion stopped and balanced against the stainless steel, looking at himself in the mirror. Aurora was suddenly behind his reflection, and they laughed at their distorted, fun house mirror images. Next they made their way out of the kitchen and into a dining room, with large wooden windows and a towering table. In the corner of the room they could see warm sunlight pouring through from outside and onto the floor. Orion and Aurora realized they were feeling very hot themselves within their tight white wrappers. Gasping for breath, the two fumbled and leaned upon each other for support. They were both scared, but looked frantically around for something to open their wrappers and try to cool off. A discarded thumbtack was nearby and they raced to it. In a moment, both were free from their heavy outer layer and inhaled deeply. As they felt the cool air conditioning against them, Aurora and Orion caught sight of each other. They took it in, finally being able to see the other properly, seeing their true selves and savoring the moment. Neither spoke a word, but both began to move towards the other. The two fudgesicles embraced and then fell to the ground as the hot sunlight hit them. Basking in the warmth of the other's presence, Orion and Aurora melted, becoming one mass of chocolatey liquid. As the two faded into death, their wooden spines met, holding each other as they embraced the afterlife.

***


“Mom, Joey must've dropped his fudgesicle!”

“No way, it was Gary!”

Karen walked over to her two sons, who were pointing at each other in the dining room. There was a brown puddle on the ground behind them, along with two popsicle sticks.

“Now boys,” Karen scolded them, “There are two sticks down there, so clearly both of you have been sneaking around the freezer without mommy's permission.”

“But mom – ”

“No buts! Go to your room, both of you.” The boys were about to protest further, but Karen put her foot down, “Now!”

As the boys raced off, pushing each other, Karen entered the kitchen to find a wash cloth to clean up the melted chocolate. She shook her head as she noticed her sons had left the freezer door open as well. Karen closed it and went back to the dining room, bending down to examine the fudgesicles. The two wooden sticks were side by side, almost like they were trying to stay together even in death.

“Aw,” Karen said under her breath and with a smile, “What a sweet ending.”