To be honest, the addition of a required element seems to really affect my approach to the prompt, and a few different ideas went through my mind this week, including a snowman army, bravely performing their duty. What does this combination make you think?
Winter Promise
Molly’d promised Tommy on his second birthday that every year they’d build a snowman. It wasn’t an obligation she took lightly, and each year since, the miserable weather of December somehow gave way to a crisp, picturesque day, perfect for creating their masterpiece.
Their favorite field was deserted, but the silence simply left more room to grow this year’s temporary friend. Crunchy flakes of snow rolled easily into a lumpy base. By the time the torso had been clumped together and stacked, hints of icy moisture seeped through colorful gloves.
Feet were stamped and fingers flexed to restore blood flow before rolling the head. A stack of branches picked from a neighboring fence of pines was recruited to add reaching arms, verdant buttons, and brown eyes. Tufts of needles quickly transformed into hair. They always used the same pipe for a mouth.
Shivering, Molly stepped back to survey the snowman. “Happy birthday, Tommy,” she whispered to the darkening sky.
I was reading along and thinking all these happy thoughts from when I was a kid, then I read the last sentence. I love it. I find it amazing that something so short can hold so much.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I've never built a snowman, so I'm glad that the description was able to evoke your memories. And flash stories always amaze me, too.
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