The Snow
By: Hannah Carter
The snow crushed under her feet—her brethren, her loved ones. Condolences, she thought, as her feet
crunch
crunch
crunched
more snow.
Her breath puffed, making crystalline wisps that sparkled with every huff. Could she summon a snow storm, or even a snow shower, if she breathed hard enough? Could she become Jack Frost and herald a winter squall, leaving wonderful wisps of white wherever she walked?
I would like to try, she whispered.
Her breath puffed, making crystalline wisps that sparkled with every huff. Could she summon a snow storm, or even a snow shower, if she breathed hard enough? Could she become Jack Frost and herald a winter squall, leaving wonderful wisps of white wherever she walked?
I would like to try, she whispered.
Her body shivered at the shallow temperatures. This was a new sensation to her—shivering and shuddering. She rubbed her bare arms and shook the snowflakes out of her hair and stamped her feet.
Crunch, crunch, the snow shrieked beneath her steps. Sorry, my friends…
Tears stung at her eyes, trickling down her pale cheeks. Their tracks turned into ice, chilly to the touch. She took a tremulous breath as she traced them—tears. Were they thrilling? Terrifying? Terrible or terrific….so many vast emotions were communicated by tears. She had been so happy, but now...
The light faded, a few last flickers bathing the world in a final farewell for the evening. Soon, night would fall, disguising the fields and trees and all the beauty that she had found. Would they exist in the morning? When night relented to the fresh day—would they still be there?
The light faded, a few last flickers bathing the world in a final farewell for the evening. Soon, night would fall, disguising the fields and trees and all the beauty that she had found. Would they exist in the morning? When night relented to the fresh day—would they still be there?
So many of her friends would not. They would silently slip away while the world slumbered, while the stars winked and blinked at the world below. Would she still even be here? Or would she slink away in the solemn stillness, never to be seen again?
She wasn’t used to this heaviness. She wasn’t used to anything but the
twirling
swirling
whirling
dizziness of flight.
swirling
whirling
dizziness of flight.
This anchoring of her feet, this anxiousness of her thoughts...all this was an anomaly. An aberration, as she was never meant to feel this. Never meant to be autonomous. Why has she asked for this? What had bewitched her acquire a new body, a new being, all for what?
Laughter swept over the hills then, echoing from the log cabin located over the hill. Oh, yes… Her eyes lit up. Smoke billowed from the chimney, beckoning her, reawakening her longings once more. She had been so cold, so cold, but now she could remember. The log cabin. I need to go there! The lights glowed from inside, illuminating a path to the place she craved.
Laughter swept over the hills then, echoing from the log cabin located over the hill. Oh, yes… Her eyes lit up. Smoke billowed from the chimney, beckoning her, reawakening her longings once more. She had been so cold, so cold, but now she could remember. The log cabin. I need to go there! The lights glowed from inside, illuminating a path to the place she craved.
She tumbled through the trees, tearing a path. She shoved past twigs and branches laden with snow, and though she was firmly on the terra, her soul once again felt like didn’t touch the ground.
Was this why she had come?
Home?
Friends?
Holidays?
Family?
She barreled up to the door. Her breath made more of the white tendrils still—how beautiful. The wood beneath her feet froze underneath her, trickling from her toes, down the tops of the stairs…
She knocked.
Time froze.
Puff. Puff.
Home?
Friends?
Holidays?
Family?
She barreled up to the door. Her breath made more of the white tendrils still—how beautiful. The wood beneath her feet froze underneath her, trickling from her toes, down the tops of the stairs…
She knocked.
Time froze.
Puff. Puff.
Besides her breath, there was silence.
The door opened.
Family.
The small snowflake girl sniffed. More tears...how strange. Her soul had soared across the skies, sailed with the storms...and still, it seemed she had not been satisfied until this second.
She was a snow-child, meant to melt, destined to die, expected to be ecstatic and exquisite as she evaporated. But something called her, compelled her to seek humanity, to surrender her snowy existence for this something more, however temporary it would be.
Family.
The small snowflake girl sniffed. More tears...how strange. Her soul had soared across the skies, sailed with the storms...and still, it seemed she had not been satisfied until this second.
She was a snow-child, meant to melt, destined to die, expected to be ecstatic and exquisite as she evaporated. But something called her, compelled her to seek humanity, to surrender her snowy existence for this something more, however temporary it would be.
She did not know how long until she simply ceased to be. She did not care to contemplate if these humans would melt before herself. She had only sought one thing, and in this one rapturous moment, she found it.
“I’m home.”
Written by Hannah Carter
Dec. 5th, 2018
Written by Hannah Carter
Dec. 5th, 2018
