Hot & Cold

10-year-old Lydia likes to read. 
She reads a variety of books. 
She likes to read books about different cultures; she likes to read books about great people; she likes to read books about outstanding females. 

Lydia likes to read with her favorite beverage at hand. 
In summer days, she loves to read under the shade of trees with her icy-ice lemon tea. 
The icy-ice lemon tea cools and calms her, so she can focus on her reading. 
In winter days, she loves to read on a sofa with a furry blanket and a cup of extremely hot chocolate. 
The furry blanket and the extremely hot chocolate warm her, so she can focus on her reading. 

One summer day, Lydia feels anxious because she can't focus on her reading. 
No matter how many glasses of icy-ice lemon tea she drinks, she is not cool and calm. 

It takes a summer for her to finish a paragraph. 
She thinks to herself: "I'll read more in winter."

When winter comes, she has her blanket and extremely hot chocolate ready. 
She climbs up the sofa and opens a book. 
No matter how tightly she tugs herself in the blanket, and no matter how many cups of extremely hot chocolate she has, she does not feel warm. 

NOT AT ALL!

Lydia starts to worry.
She worries that she can't read many multicutural books as usual; she worries that she can't read many biographies of great people as usual; she worries that she can't read many life stories of outstanding females as usual. 
She worries that she can only read one paragraph a year from now on. 

Lydia stands in front of her bookshelves and glimpses all her books with sad eyes as if she was saying goodbye to them.

Somehow, her eyes fix at the section where she keeps her favorite books. She feels that she is facing the biggest challenge in her life as many great people had in theirs. She feels that she needs to face up to the challenges.

She decides to save the summer heat for winter and winter cold for summer. 

Immediately, Lydia takes out an ice chest that her dad uses for fishing trips from the storage. She open the lid of the ice chest and put it outdoor in snowy winter days. At the end of winter, she puts the ice chest back in the storage and waits for the coming of summer. 

Summer finally arrives. Lydia is happy and exciting as opening the ice chest. She closes her eyes and is ready to enjoy the icy-ice cold air. Nothing. She feels nothing. No icy-ice cold air. 

(*I am trying to write a story for my picture book. This is the half of the story. I haven't come up with a story title, so I call it "Hot & Cold" temporarily.)

Dialogue Within

(Gulping Sound.)

What are you doing?

Swallow my pain. 

 What? Pain???

Yes. Pain. Big chunks of pain. 

 Is it edible?

I don't know. 
I am trying to swallow it. 

Is it sweet?

Of course not! (Gulp.)

Is it juicy?

Drier than a desert! (Gulp.)

Is it meaty?

You wish! (Gulp.)

Is it sour?

More or less. 

It could give you heartburn, 

but for now, I don't feel it. 

(Gulp.) 

What on earth does it taste like?

It is bitter. 

It isn't like the bitter taste 

from bittersweet chocolate, 

nor is it similar to the bitter taste 

of bitter melons. 

Then, what kind of bitter is it?

Indescribable.  

Can you add some honey 

while swallowing it?

Honey won't help!

Can you have brownie to go with it?

Well, that's possible. 

You should have told me earlier.

How about coffee?

That's even better!

Why didn't you say that earlier? (Gulp.)

(Burp. Burp. Burp.)

Are you okay? 

You swallow too much at a time.

They come in big chunks!

Oh...Oh...Oh...
I think I have indigestion! 

You should use a mixer 

and add some vanilla flavor

to make it taste better. 

I don't like vanilla. 

Well, how about mint?

Mint is good for digestion!

Yeah, that's a good idea. 

I am going to make myself 

a cup of mint tea. 

Make it two, please!