Winter

What does one really see in winter?

Winter

 

The first thing you see is white. A wide, smooth, glistening blanket of white. Then you touch it, and gather it in your hands. The white settled into your palms before melting and dripping back down to the ground. The flakes dissolve and all that is left is the chill on your skin, the cold to commemorate their short life.

 

You step forward and your feet sink into the ground. You close your eyes and flakes fall on your lashes. All around you, cold winter winds lick and kiss at your skin, and you can feel it pass through, come around, and then return again. You raise your hands to catch the flakes and, as they fall, they melt. They may even slip through your fingers and land on the ground.

 

The trees are dead, the branches sticking out and around like fingers reaching for nothing. Points as sharp as knives are coated with the white, and glittering frost drips and forms needles underneath the expanse. The tree isn’t tall, but it isn’t small. It seems to grow larger as the flakes fall on it. From where you stand, it seems small, as though you can hold it in your hand.

 

You blink and realize that your home is gone. You stand now in the middle of a vast expanse of glistening white. Even the tree is gone. Everything is gone. The skies are grey and the winds seem more brutal than before. Suddenly, you blink again and a wall stands before. You reach forward to touch it, but the wall is ice.

 

You question how and why. Winter seems so dangerous yet beautiful. It manifests your fears and fantasies. From the beauty of the snow to the danger of the sharp icicles, you realize that your fears are slowly becoming reality.

 

The beauty is fading.

 

Is that blood on the snow, how did it get there? You wish it gone, so it goes.  

 

Ah, but what else can you possible fear. A man standing in the distance as the wall collapses, perhaps? He waits for you, and you are tempted to go, but then you see the shard in his hand, so you turn to run. No, but your feet are deep in snow. He’s coming closer and closer, but you seem to be running slower and slower.

 

The man is gone. A single red rose sits in the middle of the ocean of snow. You kneel down to pick it up, but it wilts at your touch, and the petals melt. Blood again on the snow, but then you blink and they become rubies.

 

You stand once more, and winter becomes beautiful again.

 

You turn to face the other side, and just beyond the wall of ice, you witness a rare sunrise. Spring stands beyond the expanse of your fear, but winter draws you farther into its clutches.

Spring is fading, Winter grows.

 

So there you stand, between winter and spring. Rare are such moments.

 

You close your eyes. When you open them again, it is dark.

 

Winter is just beginning. 

Author's Note

I took a break from NaNoWriMo to jot this down before it left my mind. Let me know what you think! :)
Reviews=motivation!

-Mila

Reviews

[C. Rose]

Yeesh. I hope this doesn't slip into my dreams. I was lulled into the false security of the beauty of winter and then there's a psychedelic sequence implying murder.
Very well penned.

Congratulations. You have bested me in "Short Short Stories, None longer than about 400 words". How cool would it be if it became common courtesy to review those who placed higher than you in a contest? If you have time, check out Escape!, Something New, Taste, and Rehab.

[Mila]

Thanks for stopping by and reading! I haven't been on here as much as I would like (winter intercession is kicking my a*s...) but when I do get time, I'll definitely give that a look, for sure!

I'm sorry if this story does give you a bad dream, though. I just really, really, really don't like winter... :P

[Riley Justine]

The dark twist wasn't expected at all, but definitely appreciated. Well done!

[Mila]

Thank you!

[MomzillaNC]

I love the dream quality of this short story. The entire piece if very poetic.

NOTES: "Ah, but what else can you [possibly] fear."

[Mila]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed! :)

[MomzillaNC]

You're welcome.

[Jennie Baron]

I was caught up in the beautiful description/imagery of this story and the skillful way you blur the lines of illusion and reality. Outstanding!

[Mila]

Thank you, Jennie! I'm trying to test a few short stories on here to put in my compilation that I'm going to publish on lulu, so I'm glad a this one checked out! :)

[Jennie Baron]

You're very welcome and it's my pleasure to read. I'd like to see the finished compilation.

[Mila]

I'll post a link to it when I have it ready for purchase in my blog. I want to have at least 50 short stories in there before I have it up, but I may settle for less than that.

[NoelHC]

I couldn't help but think of Game of Thrones the whole time I read this, because of the winter theme. Nicely described, and well written.
Minor edits:
Blood again one the snow (Blood again on the snow)

You stand once more, and winter becomes beautiful once more.
I would prefer to not read "once more" once more : )
Maybe
You stand once more, and winter becomes beautiful again.
But that is just me, your mileage may vary.

[Mila]

Agree with you on all the edits! Haha I was hyper typing like I do... Thanks for pointing them out! :):)