Chapter one

One night a top hat blew in the window. Rags realized too late that Frosty was back. It was too late to mute the television, lock the doors and windows, and pretend he wasn't home. Instead Rags opened the door and turned off the heat. Rusty turned on his heel and went out for the night. Frosty blew in with luggage and Rags knew trouble had come to stay.

Rags tried having Frosty be a the gnat he couldn't swat. It never worked. Frosty was more of the mosquito that bit him all night while he grasped the air and smacked himself. Rags hardly opened his mouth to say " Come in" when Frosty started his attack.

" Best train in North America if you like it cold like I do. I caught the train from Snowy, rode in the ice cream car. Trains trump all other forms of public transportation, which you wouldn't know since you never leave this one horse town. You really should get out more. " Rags thought of his life with Rusty and didn't bite.

Rags said, " What a surprise to see you Frosty. Do you plan to stay long? " Rags hoped Frosty would say no but he knew that wasn't likely. Frosty replied, "As long as it takes, " knowing he stayed well beyond his welcome. Rags fretted knowing he would be stuck with Rusty's absence and Frosty's rudeness until the spring or the nugget's discovery, whatever came first.

The nugget was a gold storybook that had the origins of the winter myths. Santa, Rudolf, and Frosty all sprang from its pages but only Frosty remained obsessed with posessing it. He traveled the continent from New years to St. Patrick's Day in search of his grail. Rags took him in every few years much to Rusty's dismay.

Frosty had received an email from an anonomous source twisting his lopsided view of the world into a trail to the nugget. He planned to follow the emailed instructions starting with the ringmaster, Rags' boss. Frosty left his ice cream wrappers on the floor and blew out the door. Rags followed him happy to have a chance to see Rusty.