Canada was famous for being cold and frozen for the winter, buried in 7ft snow banks where your Timmies are the only warmth you can experience. However, it was currently summer, the burning sun beating down on the plains and frying the grass. People would try anything to stay cool, the most popular being to go to lakes that were fed by the runoffs of glaciers, which kept the lakes around 3C.
 
 
Timothy set his paddle in his boat and sighed, scoping up some of the lake water and splashing it over his head. He only had a few more days of his vacation left and while he wanted to make it to the next camp site, his regular stops in the shade of the trees and surrounding mountains were an eager relief from the heat.
 
 
“Damn, 37C? At this point, I’ll still get heat stroke even if I stripped and swam the entire way to the next campsite.” Timothy looked at the GPS in his watch, it was the reason why he was confident in taking this trip alone, and checked some of the other features it had. “Good thing this lake is glacier fed, I don’t want to have to resort to using my drinking water in order to keep me cool.”
 
 
Timothy started again, skirting along the shore of the lake in order to collect as much shade as possible. However, the sun was on the rise and the shade was leaving, forcing Timothy to cut straight across the lake. Even with his wide hat protecting his neck and head, he could feel the sun pounding, cooking his brain like a dutch oven. He made sure to chug all the water he could, but he was sweating it out faster than he could put it back in.
 
 
“Maybe I need to take a break, I won’t last much longer without something to cool me down. But what would I do to help me?” Timothy was speaking out loud, a habit of his when no one was around. The lake water wasn’t helping anymore, he had to be careful to prevent his canoe from gathering water. His purified water was gone, getting turned into sweat to prevent his body from overheating. In order to make more, he would have to find a place to boil water, which required a fire and something he was not looking forward to doing in this heat.
 
 
Gasping in the heat, Timothy was unaware of the oar slipping out of his grasp until it was already out of reach. He reached for it, feeling the canoe listing heavily to his weight and allowing a curse to escape his lips as the movement caused ripples which sent the oar further away.
 
 
While he was concentrating on the oar, he didn’t notice the unnatural blue colour travelling under him. And due to his flailing body, he was spotted by it and it was slowly approaching, circling closer and closer.
 
 
Timothy reached into his pack and pulled out his shovel, trying to use the extra reach to grab the instrument of travel. He had a moment of success, but then the ripples took it further. Frustrated, Timothy threw his shovel to the bottom of the canoe, sitting down and wiping the sweat from under his hat.
 
 
The water under his canoe bulged, Timothy clutching the edge of his boat. “What is-” He was cut off as an eruption of water washed over him, icy cold and immediately soaking his supplies. Gasping for air and seeing his breath, he looked around to see white-blue translucent walls surrounding him, one wall ridged and the other bumpy and flexing against his canoe, jostling him around.
 
 
The sky above him darkened as the entrance closed, sealing him in. The water level dipped, an audible sucking sound sounding beneath him. Timothy clutched his boat again, watching the supplies that came loose disappear down the giant's gullet, for there was no other explanation as to what was happening to him. A second gulp finished the job, pulling Timothy and his boat down the tight tunnel. The boat creaked, but held against the muscles, which allowed Timothy room to huddle down in it.
 
 
The stomach was spacious, the walls flexing and jiggling like jello. As Timothy oriented himself in the new space, he heard a voice; female and kind, although with a very clear Canadian accent. “Sorry about that, I thought you looked hot so I took it upon myself to help relieve you of it! My name is Heilda, I’m an Ice slime! Common answers for common questions: One, you are fine. Two, I can let you out whenever I want, so just say the word. Three, I am not made of ice, I just have the name because I am very cold and love to hand out in and around glaciers!”
 
 
“Enjoy the trip!”