The Snowstorm

I leaned my head against the taxi window; watching snowflakes drift onto the glass. It was only a day after Christmas, but the festivity of the bright holiday still remained. Sparkling lights hung on every traffic light and there were wreaths on every door. As the car sped past houses, the storm began to worsen and the snow fell faster. It wasn’t unusual for New York to become almost freezing in the winter, but somehow, the weather outside felt surprisingly intense. The driver slowed down, and I realized that we had arrived. I quickly hopped out, thanking him. I was eager to get inside and away from the cold. I fumbled with my keys and finally unlocked the door. As I stepped inside, the warmth engulfed me. I slipped off my jacket and shoes and leapt onto my couch, sliding beneath the fuzzy blanket. I laid my head back, closing my eyes after a long day of work. Suddenly, I felt a slobbery lick on my hand. I opened my eyes and realized I had to walk my dog, Teddy. 

I rubbed his head and reluctantly got up. His tail wagged with excitement. I put my jacket on again, and clipped his leash to the collar. I yanked open the door and slowly walked down the steps. Teddy rushed forwards, lurching me towards the street. We walked for 15 minutes, stopping at every corner so he could sniff the ground. As my drowsiness disappeared, I noticed other dog walkers hurriedly walking back into their homes. My phone buzzed. I had 20 missed messages! My mother had left 14 texts saying, “are you inside!? there's a snowstorm!” 

I frantically pulled up my other notifications, and was in shock when I realized there was a snowstorm warning. I registered that I needed to get inside, fast. I started speed-walking back home, since I was 15 minutes away. My heart was racing and a million thoughts were going through my head. I couldn’t call an Uber because they would all be out of operation for the day due to the storm. I dash through the streets, darting between people. Teddy sprinted besides me, believing it was a game. The snow flurries around, swirling through the air. My hair flies around, whipping into my eyes. I desperately wiped away the cold flakes, but the snow kept on coming. The storm worsened, and soon I was the only one left on the street. I wanted to scream. I would die alone and afraid, buried by a white blanket next to my dog. People would find me a few days later, frozen with a scared look on my face. My family and friends would be overcome by grief and despair, mourning me. I would die in a foolish manner, killed by the harsh cold because I hadn't made it home in time. No. Snap out of it. I scolded myself. I was hit by a strong gust of wind, propelling me forward about a foot. I started running again. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. My feet pounded against the pavement, slipping across the slick ice.

I checked the street sign as I dashed across the street. I was only a few blocks away. As the temperature dropped even more, I shivered. My puffer jacket was thin but heavy, therefore making it the worst possible jacket to have during a snowstorm. Soon, I stopped thinking and time seemed to slow down as I sped past everything. Snow flying into my eyes, Teddy barking, nothing seemed to matter anymore. I leapt onto my street, spotting my bright green door in the midst of the white and gray blur. Exhausted and freezing from the cold, my eyes began to close. No, just a little farther. A voice started to echo inside of me, urging me to move forwards. I hopelessly tried to keep my eyes open as I bounded up the stairs leading to my house. I wildly searched for my keys in the dozens of pockets my jacket had. I groped around, and at last found them. Dizzy, I attempted to jam the key into the hole, missing it a few times. Teddy growled as snow thrashed onto the ground. I turned the key, and just as I felt I was about to faint, I fell through the open door. I slammed it closed, my heart pounding.

As I collected my thoughts, I heard a small whimper. I had only then realized that Teddy had no coat or clothing, just his fur which was built for summertime. A wave of guilt washed over me. With great effort, I heaved Teddy to the bathtub, and turned on the faucet. The warm water gushed out. The somehow calming sound soothed me, and the heat enveloped my rosy, wind-stricken face. I gently washed all the ice off of his golden fur. He barked quietly, a sound of pleasure and joy. I dried Teddy off with a soft towel before changing into pajamas myself. I had always enjoyed Christmas and the holiday season the most, and almost always had a hot chocolate in my hand. I walked over to my kitchen. I poured milk and chocolate powder into a pot, and heated it up. The rhythmic whirring of the old stove gave me a sense of nostalgia and home. I grabbed a huge can of whipped cream from my fridge and squirted out almost half the can onto my mug. I added marshmallows and some chocolate sprinkles. My inner child was screaming, “Give it to me!!!” I took a big sip, the whipped cream forming into a thin line above my upper lip. I trudged into my bedroom, where Teddy was already waiting for me atop the large, plushy bed. I kicked off my slippers and flopped onto my bed. 

I set down my mug onto my bedside table and grabbed the TV remote. I clicked the power button, and the default news show came on. As I was about to change it to my favorite Netflix show, the news reporter said that there would be a continuing weather of 30 degrees for the rest of the weekend. Before I could try to change the channel again, he quickly added that the storm today had been extremely severe and could have been devastating. I let out a sigh of relief. I changed the channel to Netflix and put on a show. After a long day at work and a sprint through the snow, I was ready to go to bed. I snuggled under the covers and let my eyes close, falling fast asleep.