Snowman

A snowman in a summer field

It seemed the only refuge from the endless heat was the breeze I made with my to and fro on the swing set. I hated summer. I was happy to be out of the school for a while before September, but the heat this year was unbearable. I like the cold bite of winter on my face and flakes of snow sticking to my gloves. In summer, even ice cream melts into a sweet soup.

We left the park and walked along the creek. I was getting bored of the beating sun.

“let’s go back to your house and play darts.” I said to Jeremy.

He scoffed. “P***y! Too hot for you?”

I looked down at the ground and said nothing.

“Look, lets just go into this clearing and mess around for a little while, and then we can go home, okay?”

I nodded. What could possibly be around another corner of the creek but more lawn and thirsting plants?

And it was there that I saw it. Three globes of white stacked neatly atop one another. The smallest one at the top made a head, with a plain baseball cap and a scarf. The gravel stuck to its face made two eyes and a smiling mouth. The familiar sight brought a kind feeling to my heart, and I smiled back.

“Ian, do you see that?” Jeremy said.

“Yeah, I do. It has to be fake.”

We approached him slowly, as not to disturb his peaceful air. When we stopped in front of him, I reached out to test his flawless form. My fingers stuck to his breast, as if he were too cold to melt in this blazing heat. I was thrilled to finally feel snow.

Jeremy looked at me. “Who made it?” He asked. “Where’d they get the snow?”

His questions were the same as mine, and for what must have been several minutes, we stood and watched for the snowman to melt away in the August sun. Finally, Jeremy broke the silence.

“Let’s smash it!” He yelled as he wandered off to find a stick.

I felt a sinking feeling in my heart. I was suddenly so angry at him. Why would he want to destroy something so perfect, so out of place in its own beauty? I looked at the snowman directly in his gravel eyes, as if he were looking in mine, pleading for me to save him.

“If you smash that snowman, I’ll kick your a*s!” I turned and faced Jeremy.

He stopped in his place. “What?”

“You heard me. I’m not gonna let you smash it!”

He looked at me with contempt. Who was I to tell him what to do?

“What if I do?” He stepped towards me.

My heart was beating fast. Usually I would let Jeremy go on with the Juvenile things he always did. But today, I held the snowman’s well-being in my hands. I wasn’t going to let Jeremy take him away from me.

He walked up to me, grabbed my shoulders and threw me out of the way. I remained on my feet, and followed as he approached the snowman, fists clenched, and a deep growl emerging from my throat.

But before I could reach him, he halted abruptly. The look on his face was that of horror. He gasped, but to no avail. As he pleaded for air, his face turned a rosy hue of red and he stumbled to the ground, collapsing finally after a long and fruitless attempt to breathe.

I looked at Jeremy’s lifeless body lying in the tall grass. The snowman towered over him, his slender wooden arms drawn wide, and a blank, humble smile across his icy face.

I smiled back.

Author's Note

Perhaps it happens all too quickly? I'm not sure, but i still felt like some of the dialogue should stand on its own without having to clarify who said what. its just not necessary, or is it? do tell