Snowy Ash

My sleepful silence was suddenly interrupted with the dreaded screech of what sounded like a very aggravated little brother. I woke with a start, rubbing my eyes, and widening my mouth into a serene yawn, my mind playing with the thought of going back to bed. I sat up and my shoulders bolted upwards in surprise when I saw my brother sitting at the end of the mattress. 

“What is it?”

His eyes fill with tears, “I-I,” he sniffles and stutters, “I wanted to play on my bike, but it’s snowing! Now I can’t play!” He cries.

“There, there,” I say, rubbing my eyes in a slightly annoyed manner, “How about you go watch on the telly, and I’ll make you some breakfast.”

He wipes his tears with his less-than-average sized fingers, and his lips curl up into a grin. “Okay.”

He bolts out of the room. What a delusional little kid. June finally came, and suddenly he’s complaining about snow. The last time it snowed in Phoenix was thirty years ago, and it was barely frozen rain. I pull on my jeans that are slowly getting tighter and sigh. My non-existent parents who ran away years ago definitely won’t care enough to buy me new ones. And I spend all my coins on bread for Will. Maybe soon I’ll have to go pantless. I shudder and boot the thought away.

My room had no windows, so whether Will had actually seen the falling cotton known as snow, I couldn’t be sure. I thought about it, though.

“Snow. In June! He’s crazy. Maybe he’s got a disease or something. Makes him see things,” I smiled, “but if he did have a disease, I sure as heck can’t send him to no hospital. Not only do we not have parents, we don’t have money.”

My smile quickly faded.

I walked out of my room and towards the kitchen, and saw Will groan again. I grab a couple slices of bread, and an old jelly jar. I scrape the bottom of the jar to get the last bit out, then throw it on the bread. Will grunts again, clearly trying to get my attention. I look up and raise my brow.

“All seven years of my life, I’ve had to watch the news. Why is the news always on in the morning?” He shrieks.

“Well, people enjoy seeing the news in the morning, not just cartoons.”

“Really? Those people are crazy.”

I laugh and set the bread down. I stare over at the television while chewing on the slightly stale bread.

“Can you believe it folks?” The news anchor smiles his plastered on smile, “Snow! Right here in Pheonix, raining down on them citizens. In the middle of June! It was supposed to be the hottest day of the year, but lemme tell you, it’s far from it.”

I almost choke on the bread falling through my throat. So, Will was serious? Snow?

“All right, I know what you’re thinking. We don’t got any winter clothes. Well, guess what? This snow isn’t even cold! Just melts when it hits the ground. Some people been telling me it tastes funny, though. Why do we eat snow anyway? Is it just-”

I shut off the TV before Charlie Fritz can finish his sentence. Muffled screams start coming from outside, and I can’t tell whether they’re happy or scared. I open the living room curtain, and gasp at what I see. People yellin’, playin’, and runnin’ right through that devil’s ice. There’s almost none on the ground, but people are smiling anyway. Will pops up behind me.

“Wow! Look, Jackie! Snow!” He jumps for joy and puts his hand on the front doorknob.

“No! Don’t go outside Willy. I don’t trust this.”

“Don’t trust what? Now, you comin’ up with some superstitious junk just to scare me? Cus I-”

“Naw, Will. I swear, this ain’t right. Go to your room.” I stay sturdily.

“I don’t gotta listen to you. You’re not my mother.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, I’m the closest thing you’re ever gonna get to one. Go. Now,” I cross my brows.

“Ugh, fine,” Will snorts and trundles back towards the room we call his. 

I stare back out of the window and watch as people run around in the “snow”. But I swear, it just doesn’t seem right. How? Snow? I’ve never seen snow before, and I definitely thought my experience wouldn’t be like this. Why am I so scared anyway? I don’t know.

___________________________________________

I finish my business in the bathroom, still thinking about it. I wouldn’t dare set foot outside, but I’m naturally curious. How long will it last? What’s it feel like? They said it ain’t cold. Is is pretty? Like they say it is?

I sit back down on the couch and turn the news back on again.

“--O OUTSIDE! I REPEAT FOLKS. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HOUSES. CLOSE YOUR DOORS! THIS ISN’T SNOW. I REPEA--” Charlie Fritz almost looks like he’s about to cry.

“Ha! I knew it,” I laugh, “Willy, come look at this!”

There was a long silence.

“Will! Come on, you just afraid of bein’ wrong?” I shout towards the hallway, “Will?”

I walk into his room, the floor littered with trash and toy cars. I look everywhere, but I can’t find him. 

“William! It ain’t funny! I swear to god, Will!” I run around the entire house yelling, but he doesn’t come out.

My asthma starts shining through, and it feels like I’m gonna suffocate. Will’s all I got left, and now I can’t find him? I open the curtain a crack and almost stumble back. There he is. In a small red scarf. Playing out in the…

Snow.

“Will!” I scream. I open the front door and start to sprint towards Willy. His mouth is pointed towards the sky. His broad smile quickly fades, and he turns and stares at me.

I keep running towards him, but it seems like he’s getting further and further away. Tears start making their way down my red face, as Will suddenly starts disintegrating. I can’t even describe it. It started at his feet, slowly washing him away in small pieces of dust, until it reached his head, and Will was gone. With the wind.

I collapse and stare into the empty space that used to be occupied by my little brother. I look into my hands, where snowflakes gather. It’s not snow.

It’s ash.

It’s just dirty gray ash. The sky starts turning black.

“William?” All I remember after that was darkness, then waking up.

___________________________________________

I bolted awake in the warmth of my bed. Maybe too warm, because I was sweating like crazy. I sighed and laughed.

“Just a stupid darn dream,” I climb out of the small bed and head towards the living room.

“I bet Will’s still sleeping,” I start to open the front curtains, “and I bet there ain’t no sno-” I freeze as I stare out the window. Ash is falling, and maybe 20 feet away is Will, in a small red scarf,

his mouth open towards the sky.