The Meeting in the Snow

The world was hushed as a gentle, almost silent but evident, hum echoed through the snow topped trees creating a chaste white landscape. A delicate pure rug of snow carpeted the roads as fluffy shavings continued to fall from the black sky – although it was night the earth was glowing, the snow reflecting a light that only snow can. A single flake settled on the tip of her nose, disappearing almost instantly. She shone, standing alone, her hair adorned in white glitter; flakes intertwined within her two plaits. The soft quilt of snow lay unadulterated, she didn’t want to move in fear of marking the carefully placed rug – a stain impossible to remove unless the snow continued to fall, so she stood still; frozen on the spot.

Her peaceful thoughts were disturbed as a grumbling engine crept down the country lane, the tires painting a zig-zag pattern on the left hand side of the road. The cold on her cheeks was bitter, leaving two neat red blotches on her pristine face. She pulled her woollen hat further over her ears as a glacial wind whipped through the trees, bringing with it a cluster of flakes that settled on the ground besides her - filling the steps she had taken to get there. She lifted her arm out and checked her watch as a laden crunching noise filled her covered ears, she turned around carefully, trying not to disturb the settling snow, and faced the sound.

‘Thank you,’ her voice was lost in the, almost silent but evident, hum as a note was exchanged. The encounter was quick; out of one pocket and into the other pair of numb hands. A sorry smile was shared between the two as he looked deep within her eyes before melting away between the trees.

The fleecy layer of snow that had fallen across the land continued to silence the many sounds that the night created. Everyone and everything seemed to be sleeping, apart from the girl and the words that were written on that page – the swirling formation that had the ability to change everything. The black ink stained the paper and the words were there eternally; not even a roaring fire could destroy them. The words would disappear off the paper becoming illegible but would remain perpetually in her mind. Now she had received the letter, he was gone and that was it. Although the words stung like the harsh wind that tousled with her hair, she felt a release. He had let her go.

She lifted her head towards the sky and breathed in the cold night air, walking ba

ck towards the road and her house. The falling flakes followed her home and refilled the steps that she had walked. Their meeting unknown to the world.