New Tricks

When the door first opened, I could barely believe my eyes. I think the others could tell that I was shocked, it wasn’t like I’d tried to hide it. I’d simply never seen anything like this before. The world was all different, covered in a layer of thick white. The air blew into our home through the open door and sent a chill down my spine. Each of my breaths left me in a puff of pale mist. I didn’t understand what I was seeing but one thing was clear.

It was beautiful.

The ground was higher than normal but levelled out flat. It looked so even, untouched. The grass that used to spike out of the ground was no more, completely covered by this new substance. It continued to fall from the sky too, like rain but slower. The little fluffy specks in the sky floated around in the wind falling not just downwards, but also up and to the sides and all around. It was like it was dancing above us. The sky was a deep thick grey, the kind that completely blocked out the sun, like the entire sky was just one big cloud. It looked so miserable when compared to the sparkling surface.

Was it safe to go out in this? I had been so distracted by how pretty it was, but what if it was dangerous? Would it be wet? Rain was wet, and this looked a bit like rain. At the same time, it looked far more solid than rain, could something solid still be wet? The others around me seemed joyous about this, all grins and giggles of excitement. Did they know about this phenomenon? I glanced around, concerned. Was this something to be excited about? Or is this something awful? I began to voice my concern, but it was quickly disregarded as one of the youngest of our group stepped forward in front of me and out into the unknown.

I watched entranced as she walked out, the ground crunching beneath each one of her careful steps. She left imprints as she walked, stripy footprints matching the soles of her boots. She grinned and held out her arms, letting the floaty flakes fall on her. Her breath also billowed from her like steam. I looked around at the others, trying to gauge their reactions. They remained happy, so it couldn’t be dangerous. They didn’t seem worried at all.

The eldest of our group gripped my shoulders firmly to comfort me.

“It’s snow!” he exclaimed, gripping tighter before releasing me. Snow, huh? I’m not sure if I’ve heard that word before or not, but that must be what they call this white stuff. The cold air tickles against me as another gust rolls through, irritating my nose and causing me to sneeze. For a moment I envied the hats and scarves and gloves the others were adorned in.

“I thought you’d be more excited,” the other woman of our group addressed me. “Isn’t it supposed to be like this all the time where you’re from?” I don’t understand her words. I’m sure I’ve never seen this in my life. And what did she mean ‘where you’re from’, I’ve lived with these people for years now. This is where I’m from!

She stayed with me while the man also left to go outside, his face lit up and completely child-like. He dug his gloved hand into the ‘snow’ and pulled up a handful of the stuff. I watched on, confused. It wasn’t like grass at all, it was much more like dirt if it could be moved like that. He scrunched it up between his hands into a sphere and, with a mischievous look, threw it at the girl. My eyes remained locked on the ball as it flew, landing dead on its target with a thud. She squealed, though not in pain, but maybe in shock as she staggered back a step.

In response she did the same, plunging her hand into the ground, patting the ‘snow’ into a ball and throwing it back. It seemed to start some kind of fight, but they both looked happy as they did this. It looked fun, I had to admit. I watched each ball as they were made and tossed. When they hit someone, they would crumble into pieces, further confusing my sense of what this ‘snow’ was. Was it really solid if it could fall apart like that? Sometimes the ball would miss its target too, and land straight back into the ground. I couldn’t really tell what happened to the ball when that happened though. Was it still a ball, just underneath the rest of the ‘snow’? Or did it fall apart and become like it was before?

I could barely hold myself back anymore, I so desperately wanted to try going out and see what all the fuss was about, but I still had some concerns. I wasn’t wearing the boots and gloves like the rest of them, so would I be okay going out in this? My desires must have been evident by the laughter I heard from the woman with me. I looked over at her as if seeking permission. My toes were starting to feel numb just from thinking about stepping out into all that.

“Go on,” she urged, “it’s okay.” I wanted to ask more, I wanted to say so many things, but what was the point? Those two were already out there so it couldn’t be too dangerous, right? It’s not like my feet would melt off the second I went out, I hope! If I don’t like it, then I could just come back inside surely. I shook myself, preparing myself to do this, heart racing. After a few hard exhales, I decided. I was going to do this.

I jumped out all at once, plunging my feet into the ‘snow’. It was softer than I thought as it engulfed my feet instantly. It was cold too, much colder than I expected. With a yelp I leapt up, scrambling to the surface, standing atop the white floor without sinking my feet down. The freeze sank into the pads of my feet and I thought about going back inside, but before I could turn tail, I felt a cold impact. I must have been struck by one of those balls! I turned, yelling, earning more laughs as the girl ran towards me. She embraced me muttering apologies as she brushed the remnants of the ball from my fur and scratched at my ears.

Despite my initial concerns, maybe this really would be a fun day!