-Okay, this is a short story I got inspired to write by the snow
storm we just got! 11 inches of snow in one night! I was very happy and
took advantage of my day off from school to write this. Enjoy!-
Winter Visions
"Yes!" Colin cried, jumping off the couch and throwing his arms into the air. "School's closed!"
"'Bout time," Morgan said glancing at the TV. "I'm surprised they didn't call it sooner. I mean, would they really be open after a blizzard like this?"
Plopping back down on the couch, Colin asked his older sister, "How much snow do you think we'll get?"
"Dunno. I think the weather people said seven to ten inches."
"That's all?"
Morgan laughed. "Don't sound so disappointed! We live in Ohio, Colin, nothing drastic ever happens 'round here. Besides," she said, looking out the window, "that's a lot. Plus, we could get more. It's snowing pretty heavily right now and it's supposed to last through the night. I'm just happy we get school off tomorrow."
The brother nodded solemnly, then brightened up again as he grabbed his sister's hand and started to pull. "C'mon!" he said excitedly. "Let's go out and play!"
"I'm glad to see you're so eager to go out," Colin's mom said, walking into the living room. "But before you play I want you to shovel out the driveway."
"What? Why?"
"Because I don't want the snow piling up on us in case we have to go out," said Colin's mom, opening the closet and taking out various winter wear. "Besides, the more we do now, the less we'll have to do later."
"But I wanted to build a snow fort!"
"Well, you can build one after the driveway's done. You could pile the driveway snow in one place and then just dig out the center—and there you have it: one snow fort. It won't take long, the snow is new and not too heavy. I'll even make you hot chocolate when you come back in."
"Can Morgan help?" Colin asked, allowing his mother to put a heavy coat on him.
"No way!" Morgan interjected. "I still have tons of work to do on my project!"
"Well, that's your fault for procrastinating," her mother said, pulling a hat over Colin's bright red hair. "But Colin, you can start without her. Once she's done with her homework she'll come out and help. Now get on your boots, mittens, and a scarf while I get the shovel out of the garage."
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Five minutes later Colin was out in the snow, squinting against the wind and snow, slowly lifting great piles of snow and throwing them on top of the pile he was making. He paused as a large gust of wind blew a bunch of crystal flakes into his eyes. Once the gust died down he continued the labor, getting nowhere fast.
Ten minutes later the young boy was scowling beneath his scarf, starting to feel quite resentful of the chore. It was hard work to pile all that snow, and the pile was getting too big for him to handle. After eight minutes more his back was aching while his face and fingers were becoming numb. Deciding to take a break, he sat in the snow and hoped his sister would come out soon and help. With some difficulty Colin pulled down his scarf to get a clear breath of air. The bitter cold wind filled his lungs and gave him a little jolt.
Man, he thought, sniffing. I wish Morgan would come out. I really want this snow fort, but I can't do it myself. Hm, I bet if Toa Kopaka were here he'd have a fort built in no time. Colin smiled at the thought of his hero. Out of all the Toa Nuva, Kopaka was his favorite; even Morgan had admitted the Ice Toa was cool. What I need is a little help from Kopaka. An idea beginning to form in his head, Colin stood up and held the shovel strait out it front of him vertically. Putting on his coldest expression he swept the shovel across him, just like Kopaka had done in the Bionicle movie, willing away the blizzard.
Colin broke out into a grin as the wind died down a little more. "Not bad," he said, inspecting the shovel. "Not perfect, but it'll do for an ice blade. Oh! But Toa Kopaka needs a shield!" He ran to the garage, opened the door, and began to rummage around, finally emerging with a small, round sled. "Perfect!" Positioning both sled and shovel correctly he headed back out into the snow, feeling much more prepared.
He got as far down the driveway as previously shoveled before "spotting" something. Squinting through his imaginary Akaku he saw three or four Bohrok blocking the drive―Kohrak by the looks of them. Once more putting on his cold expression, Colin readied his Ice Shovel and shield. He couldn't allow those things to reach his fort. With a hint of a smile playing at his lips, he rushed forward, taking the Bohrok by surprise.
"Ha!" he yelled, hitting the first on the head with the scoop of the shovel while blocking an attack from the second. "Ya!" He swung the shovel around, making direct contact with the second Bohrok. Thrusting his shovel forward, he ensured that the first two were taken care of and turned to face the third.
Uh oh, he thought. He had misjudged. This wasn't an ordinary Bohrok―it was a Kohrak-Kal. But Colin didn't let his fear show: Toa Kopaka never lost his cool, no matter what the danger. Slowly, he started towards the Bohrok-Kal, even as it started towards him. Colin started to run with some difficulty through the snow, matching the Kohrak-Kal's speed. Making some quick calculations, he jumped forward, just like Kopaka would have done, and landed in front of his foe, only to land on a patch of slippery ice, hidden beneath the snow drifts. After a moment of frantic arm waving, trying desperately to keep his balance, Colin fell face forward into the soft snow.
The young boy lay there for a moment, as a gust of wind blew away his fantasy. He sighed, disappointed in himself. Kopaka would never fall face first in the snow. Laughter sounded from above, ensuring Colin's embarrassment. He pushed his face out of the snow and opened his mouth to tell Morgan to stop laughing at him when he realized that the laugh he was hearing was way too deep for his sister's. Slowly, Colin lifted his eyes and saw two white feet on top of the snow. Eyes and mouth growing wider by the second, Colin tilted his head back to find the white Toa Nuva of Ice looking down upon him, a smile on his Kanohi Akaku.
The Toa shifted his Ice Blade to his other hand and held down his free one to Colin. "Next time," he said, lifting the stunned boy, "try spreading your feet wider apart. It helps with balance."
"I . . . uh . . . Y-yes, Toa Ko-Kopaka," Colin stuttered.
Kopaka nodded his approval, then turned and began to walk away. Colin stared after, until a particularly strong gust of wind caused him to close his eyes against the flying snow. When he opened them again, his hero was gone, but not without trace.
"Hey!" Morgan said, running up from behind. "I'm here to . . . help?" She to stared at the driveway, perfectly clear of any unwanted snow. "Wow, how did you get it done so fast?"
"I . . . didn't . . ." Colin said, still staring at the spot where the Toa of Ice had disappeared.
"Then, who did?"
"Kopaka," the young boy said dreamily. Then, seeming to snap out of his trance he turned to his sister, excitement written all over his face. "Morgan! Toa Kopaka was here! He was SO COOL! He was, like, really tall and he had his shield and Ice Blade and everything!"
Morgan stared at her younger brother a moment before laughing. "Toa Kopaka, huh? Well, I've heard stranger from you. Next time you see him, thank him for the blizzard for me, 'kay? He's really saving my life on this project of mine. Now, c'mon. Mom's already got some hot chocolate going and after that we can work on that fort of yours."
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"Are you sure that was wise?"
Kopaka turned his attention from the two siblings to Tahu and gave a slight shrug. "There was no harm done."
"True, except for the fact that I can't feel my feet or my hands anymore," the Fire Toa said.
"I didn't ask for you to come."
"You never do. Besides, you couldn't clear the driveway and build a fort by yourself."
"So the fort is done then?
"Yes, as if doing the driveway wasn't enough . . . I built it in the image of Ta-Koro, just to tell you."
Kopaka gave Tahu a curious look.
"It's a . . . memorial of sorts."
The Ice Toa nodded his understanding.
"Anyway," Tahu continued, "the sister has the right idea. Let's go home and get something hot to drink before I freeze."
Kopaka smiled and silently nodded his agreement.
"Good. Let's go." So both set of siblings, Bionicle and human alike, set for home, leaving a Ta-Koro snow fort behind.
-So, what do you think? Please review and tell me.-