Winter’s Eve

The harsh wind whipped around them, the ice stinging their face. They trekked through the knee-deep snow, struggling with each step desperately trying to keep their balance. Alyssa and Michael had been gone for years. They had left to leave the hectic and crazy world behind to explore the world on their own. Before they had left, James and Alyssa had attended college together. They had lived in Scotland and met each other shortly before they had decided to run away. The two quickly became friends and had a deep emotional connection. They both agreed that all the problems in the world could be ended by simply talking, and that violence was useless and never truly ended conflict.

“Michael, where are we heading?”

“Dunno, somewhere.”

"Whatever.”

Alyssa was sometimes frustrated by Michael’s sometimes aloof nature. She often found herself thinking back to her childhood when she was oblivious to the problems of the outside world and everything seemed so easy. She had wanted to be a nurse… that didn’t work out. She had barely graduated high school and attended a community college in the North of Scotland.

Michael never knew what he wanted to do; he went mindlessly through life, unconscious to his surroundings. He selected the college that was farthest from the dismal town he grew up in. Michael enjoyed the rain. Something about the pitter-patter of the rain soothed him, the low rumble of the thunder calmed him and brought a sense of peace to him.

After hours of hiking through the frigid air, they spotted a cabin in the distance.

“Michael, look!”

Alyssa sprinted to the wooden cabin. Michael chased after her. The cabin was small and old; no one had gone their in years.

“Reckon we could stay here for a night, do you?”

“Yes,” Michael flatly responded.

“Can you go out and hunt something to eat and when you get back I’ll cook it up?”

“Yes.”

Michael took off with nothing but a small hunting knife and a fishing hook attached to a short piece of fishing line. He stumbled through the snow to the forest. The snow-covered forest was breathtaking; icicles cascaded off of trees and the untouched snow brought a serene, natural feeling to the area. Michael took a moment to appreciate it; he had the ability to really appreciate the beauty in things. He found himself thanking God for the little things of beauty all the time, a small creek, cascading hills, or a patch of flowers. Michael entered the forest. Immediately his senses heightened and he was a different person. He was a strong provider, he could hear even the slightest sound. Michael crept through the forest looking for a small pond to fish at or any animals to eat. After a half hour, he climbed up a tree and waited; soon his chance came. A young deer came by and he jumped from his hiding spot. The deer took off; it was fast, but not as fast as Michael. The young deer’s legs kept stumbling, so he was able to catch up with it easily. He tackled the deer and just as he was about to plunge the knife into the young deer’s neck; he stopped. He looked into it’s eyes and saw something he’d never seen before: pure fear. He was completely unable to kill the deer. The deer had deep brown eyes, golden brown fur with pure white spots. The deer appeared so pure and innocent. Michael faceted a makeshift leash and collar as he decided to keep him as a pet. He followed his footsteps through the snow back to the cabin. He almost made it out when he heard it: A massive roar erupted from behind them. Michael turned around and saw a huge beast hurdling towards them. He grabbed the deer and sprinted. He had been careful to not knock down the large icicles hanging over them, but now he was more concerned about the snow leopard rapidly gaining on them. The rumbling had started to cause the icicles to fall. An icicle narrowly missed Michael and the deer. He was running faster than he ever had before. Michael hit an ice patch, he stumbled, and crashed into the ground. The leopard pounced; Michael closed his eyes and accepted death. Then, a sudden whimper echoed through the forest, bouncing off of the ice and trees. The leopard hit the ground with a hard thud and Michael realized what had happened. An icicle had fallen from above and plunged straight through the beast’s chest. Michael checked to make sure his new friend was okay, grabbed the leopard, and dragged him back to the cabin, the deer never leaving his side.

“What? How did you kill this, Michael?”

“I didn’t. An icicle dropped and did.”

“Wow. Who’s this little fella?” Alyssa inquired, pointing to the deer.

“I don’t know. I couldn’t kill him. I think I’ll name him, John.”

“John. That’s not a fitting name for a deer.”

"I suppose, but I like it”

“Okay, your deer, not mine. Now cut this up and and I’ll get to cooking dinner.”

“Okay, thanks.”

And from that point on Alyssa, Michael, and John lived in that cabin. They built onto it to create room for their children, and room for John the deer. Alyssa and Michael didn’t know it when they got there, but they would spend the rest of their lives there, and they were in love. They lived the rest of their lives in that cabin, and had a very fulfilling, loving, long life.