As far as I could go

I rode in my boat to the Arctic Ocean. It was a rowboat. My hands hurt. But when I landed on a floating Arctic ice sheet and put my hands in the snow, they began to feel relief.

I pushed my boat away from the ice sheet. I watched it drift away.

I walked North. I wasn’t cold. I wore a shawl, three sweatshirts, lambswool pants, whale skin boots, and a space helmet. The space helmet kept out the cold and wind, though it fogged up often, and was the cause of multiple trippings.

After miles of trudging, I walked into the North pole itself and slightly cracked the plastic front of the helmet. The surprise benefit was the fogging ceased.

I hugged the pole. I was lonely. It brought me comfort.

I heard, “Get a room.”

I turned to discover a polar bear a few feet from me.

I un-hugged the pole. I said I was tired and only resting.

The polar bear came closer, its nose was within an inch of my face. It pulled off my space helmet and stroked my face with a rough paw. I pet the polar bear’s furry face. We touched foreheads.

I asked the polar bear if it was hungry. It said it was.

I brought out two cookies from my pocket. They were chocolate chip.