“The vibrant red rose sits motionless in the icy mist flowing from the liquid nitrogen. A crackling crust of frost forms rapidly on the delicate petals as the extreme cold permeates its cells. The once supple petals become rigid and brittle, frosted spikes suspended in time. As the nitrogen boils off, fractures split through the frozen petals with an audible crack. Suddenly, the rose explodes, sending shards of crimson scattering outward in slow, graceful arcs. The frozen petals drift dreamily through the air, their chaotic motion disguised by the languid speed. As they drift down, they begin to deteriorate, shedding brilliant red flakes that swirl like embers in a fire. The decimated remains of the rose fall to the table, collapsing into a pile of broken, glistening fragments. The fleeting beauty of the rose, captured in that graceful, violent burst as it succumbed to the grasping cold.”

Seed: 22965176911280x2304Public