Creative Friday

You know it's not going to be a good day when it starts out with a migraine. However, it seems to be under control for the moment, so I figured I'd better get some stuff done while it lasts.

I'd fully intended to start participating in the Fiction Friday started by the Write Anything site, but the migraine decided otherwise. Maybe next Friday.

Instead I have another oldie for you. At one time I'd thought about writing children's stories, but they all ended up with more of a Hans Christian Andersen feel to them instead of the more accepted Disney feel, so I finally threw in the towel. This is one of those stories.

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the Snow Child

Once upon a time there was a garden that was so beautiful that even in winter it was a wondrous sight to behold. When the snow fell it covered the trees and bushes in a soft blanket of white so pristine it looked carved from marble, and when the ice covered it, it was a garden of crystal.

Near the garden was a house, in which lived two children, brother and sister, named Ethan and Paige. The house and garden being far from any town or village, they had only each other to play with. However, since it had always been this way, they were quite content with things the way they were.

One day, after a fresh fall of snow, Ethan and Paige decided to go outside to play in the garden. They played tag and threw snowballs, even played hide and seek among the heavily laden fir trees. But it was not long before they ran out of things to do.

"I know," said Paige. "Why don't we make a snow child?"

"All right," Ethan agreed.

"It will be much more fun with the three of us," Paige said.

Together they began to fashion a child out of snow, and because it was Paige's idea, they decided it should be a girl too. She had an oval face, with long hair and large eyes and a little mouth like a bow. Paige and Ethan were quite talented, it looked just like a real girl.

"Now we need to bring her to life," Paige said.

"How are we supposed to do that?"

“Well," Paige said slowly, "in the fairy tales, a prince's kiss is usually magic. Maybe you should try giving her a kiss."

So Ethan went up to the snow child and kissed her, right on the lips. The children were not at all surprised to see her lips turn red and color suffuse her face. A sudden gust of wind blew from the north and the doll came to life. She moved, she smiled, and to the great delight of the children she began to play with them.

A while later, the children's father happened by. Though sunny, the day was cold. He decided it was time for the children to go into the house.

"But father," said Paige. "We don't want to leave our friend just yet."

The father looked startled. The child Paige pointed to seemed to blend right into the garden with her pale, pale skin and pristine white clothes.

"Well, by all means, your friend is most welcome too," he said, smiling.

The snow child shook her head no.

"Nonsense, my dear,"said the father, taking her by the hand. "It's very cold out, your hand is chilled. Come in and get warmed by the fire and then I can take you home."

"But father -" Ethan tried to protest.

"Now, Ethan," the father replied in a voice that brooked no argument.

Paige and Ethan looked at each other, Paige biting her bottom lip. The snow child said nothing, only sighed sadly. They went into the house meekly. Paige and Ethan were sent to their rooms to change into dry clothes, and the father took the snow child to the parlor where a fire was burning merrily.

"There you go," he said cheerfully. "You just stand close to the fire to warm up, and Ethan and Paige with be with you in a few minutes."

The snow child stared up at him sadly. Uncomfortable with those big eyes looking at him so silently, the father left the room.

The snow child went over to the window and stared longingly at the magical, white garden. Great, silent tears that rolled gently down her cheeks as she began to melt, until all that was left of her was a trace of white snow on the wet carpet.