It’s snowing!
Well, not really. But if you read all of the entries in our wintery writing exhibition, hopefully you can imagine the cool kiss of a snowflake on your cheek or even feel a nip in the air.
My entry is an excerpt from my novel, Watcher: Book I of The Chosen. This is Sunny’s first encounter with snow since becoming a vampire. She’s on the mountainside behind her home near Pikes Peak, Colorado.
Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~
The snowflakes are huge, drifting down like miniature parachutes. Everything is silent and very still, except for the falling snow. It’s already starting to accumulate and any bare patches are rapidly donning their white carpet. The trees look like they are reaching out, trying to catch their share.
I reach out and catch my own little white puffs. When I examine them closer, I’m amazed to see the individual crystals forming delicate snow lace. I look up to the sky and open my mouth and can feel each one as it lands on my tongue. To my surprise, they don’t melt. I collect them and form a tiny snowball in my mouth, then with a laugh, spit it into my hand and throw it into the air to join its brethren.
Hiking past the trees to the rocky top of the mountain, I turn around to look at Pikes Peak. But the falling snow forms a curtain, wrapping me in gossamer white, and I can see nothing beyond it. The mountain is silent, yet I can still hear the soft patter of the flakes as they land.
I walk back down into the forest, which is thickly covered now, and wander among the pines and firs. They are starting to look like Christmas trees, proudly wearing their flocking in anticipation of that special day. The logs and rocks are disappearing under their snow blankets as the forest floor transforms into a big, fluffy white bed.
The scene is surreal, and I agree with Nicolas. It’s like watching the creation of a painting, only it is being unpainted, with the forest colors slowly becoming the white of the canvas.
I wander for the rest of the afternoon, and eventually make my way to a small meadow in which I’ve hunted. It’s empty now, and looks like a giant down pillow. I can’t resist, and I throw myself backward, sinking into its cold, soft embrace. I try to make a snow angel, but the snow is too deep and keeps caving in on me. I jump up, laughing wildly, and run across the white powder, sinking to my knees with each step.
My affection for the mountain deepens. It seems like somehow it brought this storm for me. I feel cleansed, strong, and more like my old self than I have in awhile. As thoughts of Nicolas begin to resurface, I shove them down, determined not to dwell on him. A rabbit saves me, bolting from its shelter, and I give it merry chase. We zigzag through the snow in the eternal race of prey and predator, and I thrill to the hunt. But I finally stop and let him go, reluctant to see the pure white snow sullied by the red stain of his death.
~~~~~~~~~
Hope you enjoyed tasting a little bit of winter with Sunny. 🙂
Be sure to visit each of the blogs listed here to read their snow stories. Leave a comment to let the author know you stopped by, and if you liked their scene or story, please tell them why!
Oh, and one more thing – each of the blogfest participants will be entered into a random drawing for a free copy of Watcher. The winner will be notified on February 3.
I’m buttoning my coat and slipping on my snowshoes to head down the blogfest trail, and maybe even help build a snowman or two. Hope to see you out there!
Loved the vivid atmosphere you created. Even in the cold, I felt a warmth and exhiliarating freedom. A moment of pure joy; even better because it felt like a stolen, unexpected feeling.
The vivid imagery and sensations drew me in.
Very well done roh.
Thanks so much for hosting this blogfest. I’m sure I will enjoy Watcher.
……..dhole
Thanks for hosting and sharing this, Roh. There’s a few things I particularly loved in this, the first notably being the opening paragraph. It was just superb writing. There were word choices however that jumped out at me in the scene, such as calling snow by “brethren.” No biggy.
I’d love to have you stop by my blog on February 13 for a blogfest. Swing by.
J.W.
Hi, J.W.!
Hmm…maybe ‘frosty fellows’ instead of ‘brethren’? I’ll have to think on it…
Anyhow, glad you enjoyed the scene. Thanks for stopping by. After I finish brushing off the snow from falling down the hill on Aldholt, I’m signing up for your February Hook, Line, and Sinker Blogfest!
I love how in reality she doesn’t kill the rabbit, but you still manage to create the image in our minds of what it would look like if she had. Sly! Thanks for the blogfest, Roh, and for taking us into a somewhat cheery moment in Watcher! It’s a nice surprise to know it has moments like this, however brief they might be!
Hey, Rob!
Well, as you know, blood is never far from a vampire’s thoughts. And you’re right – this is one of the few cheery moments for Sunny in Watcher, and one of my favorite scenes.
Thanks for participating in the *Snowfest* Blogfest, and for bringing an icy cold vampire of your own!
Very descriptive excerpt. Snow not melting in her mouth would be jarring. Well done.
Thank you, Don!
And thank you for taking part in the *Snowfest* Blogfest. I’m now going to be watching out for those nice surburban couples putting away money for their kid’s college funds.
Wow! So I had to think about why the snow didn’t melt in her mouth but when I remembered, ‘Oh yeah, she’s a blood sucker, stupid.’ I was delighted. How cool! Also the imagery of a painting being unpainted is fantastic enough I’ll have to try hard not to steal it. 😉 BTW, It snowed today in Utah!
Hey, Mitch!
Glad you appreciated a little bit of vampire snow play! As for the ‘unpainting’, in the scene prior to this one, Sunny and Nicolas are sitting on a rock overlooking a frozen lake and Nicolas is comparing the scenery (including Sunny) to works of art.
Thanks for dropping by, and uh, as Frank Zappa once sang, “Don’t eat the yellow snow!”
You did a good job of lulling us with the newness of the event of snow and then in the last couple of lines you zing us the the reality.
I agree with the “tidy up” comment, but that aside, a great excerpt!
Thank you, Wendy!
And yes, for Sunny, the blood is a reality she can never get far from.
Thanks for dropping by. And uh, thanks for the cold chill you gave me with your story.
There’s some really nice imagery there. There’s a couple of small bits to tidy up (the repetition of reaching out to catch, the slightly convoluted phrasing of a painting being painted, only it’s being unpainted) but it’s nice.
Thanks, Stu. It was a fun scene to write.
And thanks for visiting.
BTW, I love your ‘snowman’.
Cool excerpt, Roh! Thanks for the blogfest and I can’t wait to read Watcher.
Thanks for stopping by, Stephanie!
I’m so glad you were able to find time to participate. Love your entry!