314 A Winter's Tale: Let It Snow Let It Snow

There it was, the cozy, small, red-roofed cottage nestled so peacefully in the fallen snow.

The atmosphere was as thick as gelatin, and the stillness of the scene suggested all was well — that all residing within the cottage were happy and content. That they were fine just staying put in their little winter paradise.

I imagined who might live there. I didn't know them and they didn't know me. But they would.

I was a stranger. A bad stranger. I would never meet them. Just spying on them and contemplating the tranquility of the scene was enough for me.

For now.

Did I mean to do them any harm?

That was for me to decide. I knew I was the one in control. Their future was really all in my hands. I could turn their whole world upside down on a whim. And I had a mercurial temperament. And I was just plain mean.

How dare they enjoy their serenity! How dare they think all they needed was each other? That their love would protect them from, first, the elements; and then, from the likes of me? Like most happy people, they didn't even know I existed. That gave me the element of surprise.

I pulled back and took it in from a different perspective. I wanted another vantage. It remained the same. They were clueless in their peril. Did they think they were safe and sound? Hadn't they been blindsided by inclement weather before?

They were oblivious.

I checked the weather. Things around their cabin looked serene and undisturbed.

Same calmness; same peace and tranquility. But I was changing. My indignation grew; my resentment twisted into a monster. Soon they'd know the wrath of someone who would jeopardize their perfect little world.

Didn't they know they were trapped? By me? With nowhere to go?

And I schemed. No one would ever even know how I had changed their world — shaken it up. Where there was peace and calm, I would wreak chaos. A storm of inclement weather. Yes, their forecast was dire.

I grasped that little snow globe and shook it violently. It wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last.

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Today through Wednesday, November 13, Day 318 of the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge are repurposed micros from a previous challenge (none won--oh well..). I'm doing this because I'll be in London Nov 8-18 and must prepare ahead. From Nov 14-19, I suppose I'll offer more repurposed card-shuffling, but remain true to a different story every day for the year IN THIS CHALLENGE. Tally-ho!

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:

For Saturday, November 9, Day 314 of the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge.

366 WORDS (without A/N)

52 DAYS TO GO! THIS UNSEASONABLE WINTER WEATHERS ON, 366 FLAKES A DAY.

There are currently three cold Vocal writers in this 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge:

• L.C. (Chilly) Schäfer

• Rachel (Nilly) Deeming

• Gerard (Silly Willy) DiLeo