The Freezer

Written for Muse on Monday where David  
asks us to write a story about a character
inside a confined area. Here’s my take.

Emil had thirty seconds before his fingers stopped working.

The walk-in freezer door had no inside handle …. health code violation #1 at Sal’s Steakhouse, where health codes were more like suggestions. He’d come in for the lobster tails, and Brad had accidentally kicked the door shut. Probably an accident. Probably.

Twenty seconds.

Emil’s breath came out in desperate clouds. He pounded the steel, screaming, but the walls were too thick for any sounds to escape. His knuckles split, blood freezing before it could drip.

Emil was excited when he got promoted to sous chef last week but he’ll never forget the angry look on Brad’s face, the fake smile that never reached his eyes.

Ten seconds.

His wedding ring burned cold against his skin. Natalia was three months pregnant with their first baby. He hadn’t told anyone at work yet.

He grabbed a frozen rack of ribs and swung it against the door. Again. Again. The metal shrieked.

Five seconds.

Then the door flew open and Brad stood there, phone in hand, face pale.

“Dude, I didn’t know you were…..”

Emil dropped the frozen ribs and slammed Brad against the wall. Ice crystals glistened in the air like daggers.

“Tonight”, Emil growled, “you’re telling Sal you quit. Understand, scum bag?”

Brad mutely nodded, eyes wide.

Emil walked past him toward the kitchen, still shaking from the cold.

NAR©2026

This is “Like a Knife in the Back” by Twisted Sister

Muse on Monday – February 9, 2026

All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.