First winter

The day started as usual with the sun rising over the horizon meeting the fluffy clouds, the fresh summer breeze, the morning birds singing their song. This was another day a grateful and splendid day…

Yet I feel so empty so eager for something else to happen. I walked up every morning to the hill that separates two villages to meet my best friend Robert. There we roll down like two idiots to the bottom of the hill and compete who could walk the furthest in a dizzy state. He would win most of the time. That was 3 years ago.

“What has ever happened to us” I questioned myself. I heard that he was about to get married. I wonder why I could not see him all those years with villages just a hill top away. I would often seek for him at his residence where I frequently get confronted by his father. He is not here!” he would normally bark. Soon I would visit him occasionally having the same response until I would never go again.

Coming to think about it I have not seen his mother yet. He does not look like his father at all, is he adopted? orphaned maybe? Who are his true parents then? Is his mother even alive?”I just miss him” I said with a big sign, “Morning stole is almost over I have to get to work”.

Dad and I have been working on this new project of converting our waste into usable fuel for our home. My mom thinks it is an insane Idea but I love insane ideas. “why chop for wood for the rest of your life when you can take a dump and make it gas?” he argued. “I don’t like it Mike, I don’t like the smell of crap stinking up the house” she said. “OH don’t worry Maria this here gas project will be 4 feet away from the house” ”I don’t want to have to do anything about it” said Maria “Mary please tell your father that this is a bad Idea” she added

With a big sign that I gave off. “Keep her out of this” said dad. “

Thank goodness” I told myself “Hate being between those two”.

Mom just threw up her hand. I always wonder why she just gives up so easily like this.

”Alright girly play time is over”

”Alright dad!” I said happily

That evening we finished digging the depth of the ditch and started to put in the rebars.

“That’s it for today Mary” he declared, “let’s go”. Just as I was about to enter our home I noticed a flake danced down before my eyes then another, then I looked up and saw several coming down. “What is this?” I told myself, as I rushed in to tell dad. ”Dad you would not be-” I paused as I say dad in a state of shock holding a piece of paper. ”Dad?” He look at me almost in tears, “Eat your dinner sweetie” trying to hold his trembling voice as he headed upstairs. I wonder what has happened. “Mom” I called. No answer. I looked around the living room and the back yard - nothing.

What is going on? I wondered.

Then as I went into the kitchen once more. My eyes grew wide, “I cannot believe that I have not spotted our best feast yet”. This looks so lavish and high class. “Mom must have done this, that’s it dad is up there with mom thanking all her good work”.

30 minutes passed…

“What is up with those two? Food is getting cold” being rest less I went on upstairs noticing that out side seemed a little brighter than usual. At the door of the master bedroom I hesitantly knocked… no answer trying to knock harder this time I heard a small thud. “Dad?.. Mom? The food is getting cold”. A pause came. “Go ahead sweetie” dad called out in an almost trembling voice like awhile ago, “will be there with you soon”.

“Alright! how about you mom? this is a great meal thank you very much! I love you”.

“Something doesn’t feel right” I told my self. Next thing I know I am stuffing myself with such a good meal that I almost forgot about mom and dad haven’t eaten yet.

“Almost have been an hour, what is with those two up there? Maybe I should remind them about what they are missing” ”

As I was about to go up once again, I noticed the window. “that seems different… brrr, sure is a cold night, maybe I will head out for a while”. As I opened the front door a strong breeze hit me that turned into a light gale. “BRRR… what is this?” with further inspection of out place. I see patches of white in our front yard. I went close and poked it with a stick that went in easily, I then knelt down and took a hold of this strange substance. It felt like cotton with a consistency of sand and it is wet. “What is this?” I wondered. Then i remembered about a tale that was told to me.

The story starts with a kingdom far away from our lands where a king made a pack with the winter elves. A tribute of fire shall be given to their mines every year - failure to do so will lead to the invasion of lands far beyond the kingdom Causing the end of the of all life and making them sole rulers of the world.

“Those stories have been told through countless generations far to many to know exactly what have happened. I find it as a good story to tell the kids of our village to give a helping hand. Then their is is this scholarly teacher of our school that says it has been 200 years since the pack was made and soon it would be broken. Look at this now… Looks like he was right should have listened to him more I guess… Oh well time to get inside, sure is cold outside”.

That night I slept on the living room sofa hoping for mom and dad to come down for a bite at least… That never happened.

chop… chop… Chop… CHOP!

*grasps*

Chop. chop. chop…

“It’s morning already?“ I told myself, shivering from the cold, “goodness the sun is out yet it is still freezing, maybe even colder than last night“

I got outside and saw that our yard has been covered with that white stuff. “What is all of this? wait it think it is called snow… Yeah last night I held it”. Fueled by my curiosity once more I hunched down to grab some. “yep same as last night cottony like sand that is wet“

In the distance I here dad chopping fire wood. Has he not noticed the whites stuff around?

It was no use telling him he just looked at me and continued chopping when asked about mom he answered, “She left“. Being an innocent young girl I thought he meant something else. “Alright dad off to the market place then, Thanks, I love you”.

The marketplace is not in a good mood either, everyone quarreled. Not knowing what was going on they all came to a conclusion to ask the school teacher for answers. Next thing you know we have an entire mob in front of the Scholar’s home demanding for answers. “As said before and over and over again” he declared, “I have warned you all of this coming calamity, I should have left 3 days ago before this has happened. The winter elves have demanded their tribute from the pack and the kingdom has failed to do so“. Everyone was in a state of shock no murmuring was heard. “Now” he continued, “gather what ever you need and we shall leave by tomorrow morning”. Once again everyone was in a state of inaction, “What are you waiting for!?” he shouted. “go on go!” with that everyone scramble and hurried home. Everyone was in panic, children crying, shouting, tossing, sorting… Everything was chaos.

I went home thinking that mom has rushed home as well, there I saw Dad, chopping wood as before without a care for the world around him. “Dad have you heard?”. Nothing. “Dad the scholar has spoken, he says that we must prepare for tomorrow, that we have to leave by then“. He just continued chopping. I rushed to him and grab hold of his shoulder as he swung down his ax. “Dad! Did you hear me?“. He pushed me away… “Do you not understand?” he spoke with tears starting to run down his cheeks, “your mother left us“.

“No“ I said in disbelief, “no she hasn’t“.

“Yes she did! It was only a matter of time.” and he just continued chopping.

“No she hasn’t!” , as I rushed into the house, “MOM! MOM!”. I ran all over the house with no avail and sat down the living room couch in disbelief. Footsteps came from the front door, It was dad, “I told you sweetie… She is… gone and left a note”.

“Can I read it?”

“No use I’ve burnt it“

“What was written?“

…

“Nothing important“

“It is important dad…“

“Like I said, she left, nothing important“

...

“Did she say why she left?“

“I…I think she said something about… Snow and winter, that she was tired of arguing with me about everything”

My eyes lit up when he mentioned about snow and winter. “That is it she never left us, she was preparing for winter, thanks dad I love you so much“

“But…“

I jumped and kissed him on the cheek as I rushed once again to the market place. “I know she is around here some where“ I told myself, “she would never leave us just like that”. I ran like a stallion in the marketplace, just at an ally area I was pulled in.

““It is your fault!” a thundering voice was released, “You brought about this plague!”

I looked up and… it was Robert’s dad .

“Wha-”

“You did this!” he continued, “you made that filthy little rodent feel love and acceptance and now they want to come here!“

“What are you taking about?”

“As if you don’t know, You little rat, you should die like him!”

As he raised his hand a metal clang sounded. Follow by Robert’s dad falling over me. A mysterious figure in a hood took the unconscious man off of me.

“Sweetie?”

“Mom?“

“Oh I am so glad to see you“ said the stanger.

“Mary!” hearing dad’s voice, “are you alright? I saw you get jerked in here”

“Marie?”

…

“I though you left us for sure”

“I am sorry sweet heart, I found no other way to persuade you“.

“That robe… I… have not seen you wear that ever since we have met…”

“Still as pretty as always huh?“ Marie added.

“Yeah” he added, “You loo-“

“There is no time we have to go“, mom grabing me and dad.

“But mom we don’t have supplies”

“Don’t worry dear” she assured, “we will be in good hands“.

We found ourselves outside of the villages and into a forest there we came across a man… no a boy that seems to be my age…

My heart leaped in joy and sorrow at the same time

“It’s been a while” the boy said.

“Robert?!”