Once we've had our fill of excitement from the spring, the sun starts to dip, though it hasn't quite reached the horizon. Both of us step out of the water, the wine and snacks long gone.
"Kaelith, have you ever played in the snow?" I ask, eyes sparkling.
He tilts his head. "Play in the snow?"
I smile, grab his hand, and lead him toward a large, pristine patch nearby. I fall backward into the soft snow. He shakes his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "You truly are a child sometimes, you know that, Nyra."
I just grin at him. "Come here."
"I prefer to stay warm," he says, turning to leave.
I tug on his hand. He sighs but falls right next to me. Together, we lie there, staring up at the sky.
"You know, snow only comes once a year. We have to make the most of it," I say.
And so we do. I show him how to make a snow angel despite his mild protests.
"What do we do for the arms, nose, and mouth?" I ask after starting the snowman.
"What do you typically use for them?"
"Sticks… and anything you can find, really."
He eyes a nearby tree and walks toward it.
"The branches are a bit high, don't you think, Kaelith?" I ask.
He takes a few steps back, runs, and jumps effortlessly, catching a branch to hang from it. My jaw drops. How the hell did he do that?! That branch was at least three feet higher than him!
He grabs what he needs, and as we walk back toward the snow, I can't stop staring.
"How did you do that?"
He smiles. "I've always been very fit. Just comes with the territory."
I take the materials from him. "Not a single person I know could do that."
He circles to the other side, and we focus on building the snowman. When it's finally done, he looks at me expectantly.
"There's one last thing we have to do," I say, revealing what I've been hiding behind my back—a snowball.
He effortlessly dodges it and grins. "Ohhh, you're challenging me too, are you?"
He scoops up a handful and hurls it with pinpoint accuracy. I squeal with delight, and our little battle begins. He hits me almost every time, while I can't seem to land a single throw. How is he so good at this?!
We laugh until the sun begins to set.
"I've had just about enough," I say, brushing snow from my sleeves. I hear a faint rustle behind me—probably a bunny, if I had to guess. I ignore it. "Okay, Kaelith, we should probably head back."
He steps out from behind a nearby tree. I start toward him, and he walks towards me.
Then he freezes.
"Kaelith… what is it?" I turn and see it.
A bear, charges straight at me.
Ohhh God…
Adrenaline floods my veins as I bolt. I don't look down, but after only a few steps, I trip over a branch, landing face-first in the snow. Nooo… it can't end like this!
I scramble to face it, my limbs heavy and numb from exhaustion. Shivers run through me as tears sting my eyes.
"NNNNOOOOOO…" I choke out.
"NYYYYYRAAAAAA!" Kaelith's voice pierces the panic, but the bear is almost on top of me.
I squeeze my eyes shut, turning my head. There's no other option. I whisper a silent apology.
ROARRRRR.
Then—a loud thud as it hits flesh.