Two scoops, please!

“Oh, gosh”, the pudgy tourist hummed indecisively, eyeing the colourful display of ice creams and sorbets that stretched along the main floor of the Blue Heron Creamery.

“They all look so good, I don’t know which one I should get!” She scanned the trays stacked along the domed freezer as if there was something she missed in the creamy peaks of Strawberry Crumble, Honey Cake, Cherry Amaretto, Haskap Pie, or Midnight Espresso that called out一“Hey you should pick me!”

Theodore Matheson, with his scoop at the ready, briefly looked over at Val, who was working the counter with him. She returned his glance with a pitying smile and called up the next customer. The line, which consisted of Summerside locals and tourists, snaked all the way to the entrance of the two-storey colonial home turned parlour.

A handmade sign was taped just above the open sign.

“KEEP COOL AIR IN. PLEASE CLOSE DOOR BEHIND YOU.”

Punctuating the short instructions was a wobbly, melting smiley face.

Serving ice cream at his family’s parlour was not how Theo wanted to spend his summer back from grad school, but his father wasn’t well enough to run the store on his own anymore; not after his back injury. And, to be fair, it wasn’t just the parental guilt that kept him here. It was the raging heat wave that had taken over most of Prince Edward Island and the city of Summerside that sealed his fate for the summer. Theo remembered the noticeable change when he passed over the Confederation Bridge from the mainland. The Island’s iconic red soil glowed under the sun like hot iron and waves crashing on the shore sizzled as they retreated back. Even the evenings, when the sun would let up its head-on assault, were oppressive; as though all wind had been baked away and replaced by the Atlantic spray.

“What’s your most popular flavour一like what’s the special flavour I can’t get anywhere else?” The woman chimed again.

Theo’s attention had temporarily been lost to the bustle of customers entering, being served, and moving about to look at the merchandise that bordered the parlour floor; all of it kept in rhythm by the classic rock playing on the store’s speakers.

He instinctively responded with the spiel that he’d been trained on since he started helping out at the family-owned business.“For sure, that’ll have to be the haskap pie,” he pointed to a sign, clearly made for the elongated indigo berry and the number of other products their shop sold that touted its unique flavour and superfruit potential.

Theo continued, “Not only is it local to the Island, it’s like the blueberry’s long lost, more exciting cousin!”

Thankfully, this was enough to convince the woman一and relieve her from the burden of choice一to take two scoops of haskap berry, without any more deliberation, except for a slight hang-up on whether she wanted whipped cream alone or with a maraschino cherry to top off the cone.

Theo turned to greet the next customer.

A lanky man shuffled up, towering over the counter. He looked… peculiar. Dressed like a child in their Sunday best, with a crisp checkered shirt tucked into waist-high tan shorts. His straw-toned hair was brushed back and gelled to keep it out of his bizarrely wrinkle-free face. The more Theo observed the man’s face the more each detail clashed with one another. A sharp bone structure and faint stubble alongside rosy cheeks, large eyes, and a pouting lip.

The man smiled, and placed his order without any prompting.

“Two heaping scoops of Lunar Crystals please, and thank you!” He tipped forward on his toes and giggled. “And that’ll be on a waffle cone with whipped cream and cherry on top too.” He grinned.

“Uh一I’m sorry, sir, which one was that?” Theo stuttered, still trying to take in the man’s sudden appearance. He wasn’t in the line when he looked over before. He’d surely have noticed him.

“Lunar Crystals! It’s my most favourite!”

“I don’t think… I don’t think we have that, sir. Are you maybe thinking of Moonmist?”

“No! No-no-no, no!” The man’s expression changed rapidly from a childlike joy to rage. “It has to be Lunar Crystals! Nothing else works. Nothing else can help me! I n-need to have it. It’s so hot now… I need to.” His voice trailed off into a whimper at his last few words.

Theo is surprised that even in the buzz of service not a single person in the parlour has noticed the grown man’s tantrum, let alone his bizarre stature. Even Val moved around serving cones like she was alone behind the counter.

Theo looked back at the list of ice creams on the board to confirm that he hadn’t missed any of the flavours.

“Mmm一no, I’m really sorry, sir. That flavour doesn’t exi一”.

Without another word the man abruptly stormed off through the crowd of customers, who continued about their business; only shifting out of the way reflexively一a shadow in the corner of their eye一when he passed through.

Theo continued to watch the man stomp out the door and disappear from his sight.

“Excuse me. I asked for a double scoop of Banana Foster on a cone and a scoop of Midnight Espresso in a cup.” A young woman tapped on the counter impatiently.

“I’m so sorry, I’ll get that for you two immediately”, Theo apologized, returning his attention to the store.

He did his best to focus on his work for the rest of the day, but he could not shake his mind of the bizarre man and his request.

***

The heat was worse the next morning. Even at 10 AM, the sun’s rays seemed to strangle him, dragging him down to the concrete sidewalk. The two blocks from his parents’ place to the Blue Heron left Theo’s shirt and hair drenched.

Val had gotten to work early that day to receive a fresh batch of ice cream. A few of the flavours had been swapped out and new to the roster today were Bubblegum Blast, Lavender Citrus Sunrise, and… Lunar Crystals. A chill ran up Theo’s spine, like he’d just stepped into the freezer while damp with sweat.

“Hey, Val?”

“Wha?”

“How did一when did we get the new flavour in? The one called Lunar Crystals.”

“I dunno. Your dad dropped it off this morning.” Val shrugged while replacing the signs for yesterday’s ice creams.

“My dad opened the shop?” Theo wondered, opening sliding door on the windowed display.

He bent down to examine the mysterious ice cream, which looked just just as weird as its name. It was creamy and icey, like fine glass shards sprinkled throughout satin; translucent fragments glimmered in rainbow flashes. It was light and dense, refreshing and full bodied at the same time. You could almost see deep blue in the depths of the ice cream, like a glacier.

Theo was tempted to try it. After all, he’d need to know how it tasted in order to describe it to the heat-exhausted customers that would come to the store looking for some relief from the elements.

He attempted to graze along one of the frozen peaks with a spoon, but it was met with resistance, managing only to pull a thin strip away with moderate force. It felt like scraping away the ice that collected on the sides of freezers; too tough and brittle to serve in scoops. Theo assessed the creamy flakes, which had no discernible scent, and brought the spoon up to his mouth. The moment Lunar Crystals hit his tongue it vaporized like a volatile solution, leaving behind a thin film that clung to the surface of his tongue.

“Augh, god!” Theo sputtered, unable to clear his mouth of Lunar Crystal’s grasp.

“That一” Theo paused to slosh water around his mouth and spit. “That is not edible. We can’t put that out there.” He went to lift the tray out of its slot in the freezer.

“Wait, your dad said it needed to go out and… he was pretty insistent.” Val stopped at the front door to flip the open sign over and unlock it. A small crowd had already formed under the awning’s shade. “He came in with just one tray of it, said he’d just thought of the flavour last night and that it had to be tested out.”

Theo didn’t argue. Taking a tray out now in front of the customers wasn’t a good idea. Plus, what would he replace it with? People were expecting a selection of fourteen different ice creams each day.

Theo went back to the counter, the awful taste still lingering in the back of his mouth, and welcomed the first customers, a father and son.

“Eleven AM would normally be too early for ice cream but一” The father fanned his tank top. “We really need something to help us get through this heat.”

The man looked back to his son, who’d wandered off to the far end of the display and was staring intently at the new frozen treat. The icy glow from the frozen dessert illuminated the boy’s eyes. One small finger lifted to meet the glass, pressing up against it as though it was desperately trying to push through and swipe a taste.

“Is that what you want, buddy?” The man cooed.

“Um, that particular one may be a more mature flavour.” Theo would normally hesitate before offering his personal opinions on any of the flavours. It was none of his business if someone wanted to add chocolate drizzle and peanuts onto their Bubblegum Blast cone, but this ice cream would be unappealing even for the most seasoned of palates. And he’d do anything to avoid a toddler melt down, and ensure that the kid got a flavour he wouldn’t spit out and toss to the ground. Not only would it be a mess that he’d have to clean, but then he’d feel obligated to settle the awkwardness by giving out make-up scoops.

Heeding Theo’s advice, the father attempted to convince his son. “Alright little man, it looks like that flavour may have to wait for a big Oscar, when he’s all grown up."

The boy’s face contorted, cheeks reddened, and hands balled up into fists. The child began to wail, prompting the slowly growing crowd of customers to turn and stare.

The father flinched at the sudden outburst and he scrambled to appease his son. “Okay, shh shh-shh shh. That’s okay kiddo. Look! It’s fine. It’s okay. We can get the one you want to try.” Finally turning to Theo to help put a quick end to the drama. “One scoop of that on a wafer cone, please.”

Theo reluctantly headed toward the tray expecting the scoop to strike a hard surface, but to his surprise, it glided through, rolling up a perfect sphere. He looked at it in awe for a few seconds before placing it on the cone and handing it to the father.

The child immediately reached for it, stretching to grab the cone with both of his hands, contentment spread across his tear stained face. Before the father could usher him over to the cash register, the child began to gorge himself with mouthfuls of the ice cream, powering through a brain freeze. Customers, witness to the child’s voracious eating, fawned over the seemingly adorable little kid who just couldn’t get enough of his ice cream. But Theo could only watch in horror, knowing what he’d just tasted.

By the time his father had paid and herded him over to the front door, the ice cream was all gone. The quiet child that sauntered into the parlor just moments ago, was now jumping up and down, with newfound energy emanating from his small body. Theo couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked as though the child was almost glowing.

Throughout the rest of the day, it was only children that asked for Lunar Crystals. They all demanded it with the same determination, and scarfed it down once it reached their hands.

Even though Theo serves scoopfulls of it, Lunar Crystals doesn’t seem to run out.

As they neared closing for the day, the strange man from the day before entered the store.

Val doesn’t notice him as she put away the used utensils and wiped down the countertop.

“Two scoops of Lunar Crystals on a waffle cone with whipped cream and a cherry, please!” the man asked with a confident grin.

Theo watched as the man delicately retrieved the cone to admire it before taking slow bites. He stood there eating for what felt like an eon, until it was done. As unsettling as this was, Theo couldn’t help but watch, and he notices a flicker of life in his previously dull, saucer-like eyes, as he pays and leaves the store.

***

The heat deaths were just as bad as the worst winter blizzards. Winterstorms were obvious and apparent, what with the mountains of snow and howling winds. But a heatwave pressed down from above with invisible hands, slowly draining bodies of their vigor and water.

And yet, it was another unseen threat, now-unleashed on Summerside, that worried Theo.

A series of children in the area had all fallen into a sudden and deep fatigue, like they’d been in the sun for hours.

He recognized one of the families on the news.

A father shook, with tears welling in his eyes, as sat at his son’s bedside. His son was laid out in the bed behind him, unmoving and pallid. They had come into the Blue Heron Creamery on the day that the peculiar ice cream had been introduced.

Lunar Crystals continued to be served at the Blue Heron Creamery. Like clockwork, Theo’s father would bring in a fresh tray every morning and pop it into its permanent spot. He never rotated it out like the other flavours.

Adults seemed to ignore it for the most part, as if it wasn’t even there. Some would stop to look for a moment, considering it, before quickly moving on, forgetting about it entirely. Theo would try to talk to his father to inquire about it, but he would get confused halfway through the conversation, never quite knowing what Theo was trying tyo ask him.

It would only ever be the children that would become enamoured with it the moment they set foot into the Blue Heron Creamery. Their sudden bolts of energy would appear the moment they finish their scoop, only for it to disappear shorly after.

Theo had tried to take Lunar Crystals out of the rotation but the tray would return to the display no matter what he tried. Val would seem to forget Theo’s reasons for keeping it back in the freezer room and bring it back out in the middle of service.

Failing to sequester the insidious frozen treat, Theo would try to empty it out into the garbage, but the ice cream would resist. He couldn’t cut through it with a knife, or try to melt it away with a lighter. It would sit there stubbornly clinging to the tray until it would appear again in the freezer display.

And just as the ice cream would reappear, so too would the bizarre man. Coming in the middle of service each day. Appearing in line, making the same order.

***

Theo stood at the counter of the Blue Heron Creamery. It was quiet. The power was out because of the strain of the heat on the small city’s grid, which couldn’t keep up with ACs chugging away in every household.

Most of the ice cream had already started to melt away, settling into pools with floating pieces of fruit, cookies, fudge, or candy. But Theo’s father still insisted that they open the store. In his words,

“There’s still other merchandise to sell. The last time I checked, jams, candies, and t-shirts don’t melt.”

And neither did Lunar Crystals, which maintained its icy peaks.

Theo looked out the shop’s windows, fanning his face with one of their haskap berry brochures.

The streets were deserted. No sign of people, of the thousands of tourists that would pass through Summerside during their vacation or the locals that would try to enjoy as much of their summer as possible before a long winter. Even the birds seemed to be missing.

Just then, the door to the parlor creaked open.

A small boy stepped in. He looked familiar. Theo couldn’t quite place him until he observed his features.

Straw blonde hair with large eyes. Dressed in a checkered shirt and tan shorts, this time several sizes smaller.

The store dimmed. Theo looked out the window to see clouds covering the sky. The city was finally shielded from the sun.

The boy spoke up, “Could I have two scoops of Lunar Crystals?”

Theo started at the kid. This had to be the man. Or his son?

“Sir?”

“Y一yes. Lunar Crystals…”, Theo trailed off as he meandered over to the only unmelted tray.

He handed the cone over to the boy who, after a couple mouthfuls, turned back and exclaimed, “Hm, I think maybe tomorrow I’ll try some of the Bubblegum Blast with marshmallows!”, before skipping out the door.

***

A heavy rain broke though the bubble of heat Summerside had been trapped in.

No more trays of Lunar Crystals appeared at the shop. Neither Val nor his father had any memory of it ever being created and offered in the parlour.

Theo couldn’t track down any news about the children that fell into the deep fatigue during the heatwave, and no connections were made to the ice cream that Theo had handed over to each one of them. With each passing day, the whole ordeal began to slip from his mind.

To Theo’s relief, the rest of the summer was uneventful. He continued to serve countless scoops of their usual flavours一Haskap Pie, Peanut Butter and Banana Jamma, Creamsicle Dreams and Sour Cherry一but nothing more.