Title:Son of Winter
By: Brohas Ludwig
Chapter one: Birth place
His birth took place among the drifting waves of timber, in home land Siberia aka mother Russia. The birth was an unusual one blanketed in snow. A little one born in the bitter frigid harshness, made it almost impossible to survive. The tundra loved the boy, and kissed his forehead with fine sliver hair. The small boy's locks were almost like frost in addition his face appeared permanently pale. It was said that from the cold he survived, like it was the very thing that kept him alive. He managed to survive countless winters by the graces. Voices of the past echo in his mind till this day. They still call unto him.
"What shall we name the boy?" Said his father staring down at his son.
"I will name him Ivan," Said mother Russia with a tiny new born babe wrapped in her arms.
Mother did all she could for us until the winters came. Then the seasons changed and so did a mysterious illness. Mother passed on, but she smiled upon the family always. The cold called her far too soon, we were young, but not a day goes by when we do not carry her in our hearts. I think of her fondly and we ask of the family to do the same. One day her son wrote her a letter to her everyday, within separate a request of the family doctor. When the others could write no more, he solely wrote in hopes to keep his mother's memory alive.
We all grew up in the same house. Father worked for a new boss and was often away.
My eldest sister Ukraine, stayed behind and helped with myself and our youngest sister Belarus. Bella and Uni are often looking after me, but I have grown a bit stronger. I'm now taller than my dear sister's. I am their big brother after all mother.
What of my two sisters? Believe it or not mother, growing up small didn't always have it's advantages. While I do adore my two sisters. They did have a tendency to be a little controlling. Like the faint memory of when we were young.
Ukraine did the best she could to keep peace among the three of us. While father gave direction, Bella and I had minds of our own. At times it could be fun to play with along with my sisters and other times not so much.
In our wooden cabin, we would stay hidden away until the storm passed. While deep winter was on it's way we would wonder out into the fresh snow and play. Sometimes we would use the snow to make snow beards. Bella would often make snow angles, and sometimes we would even make snowmen. Often I would be lucky and father would catch my sisters before they picked on me. Then there are other times that I am not so lucky and I become how does one put it? The butt one of a practical joke... Da?
My big sister didn't joke much, but likes to laugh. She has a gentle and big heart. My little sister is kind of a fire ball, or a playful girl, if not somewhat of a troll. Like the time, I was buried knee deep in snow. Those girls do not play fair.
Like the time we planned on making snowmen. Bella and big sister, told me to play outside in the snow. While making snowmen, Bella accidentally rolled me up in a ball of snow that was suppose to be a base.
"Lil Russia, you are so cute your like a little snowman!" Bella the little sister inched closer and closer on her unsuspecting brother. Her eyes darted onto Russia.
"Ahh!" A scream could be heard from outside into the home of mother Russia's cabin.
"Row, row, row!" Bella skipped in the snow rolling and singing as she played with her brother. She rolled a smaller ball in the hands of a purple glove that matched her parka.
"Bella don't be a brat!" Ukraine stepped out of the house holding a soup ladle and scolded her little sister. That is before she seen her little brother wriggling around and stuck in a huge snow ball.
"Get me out of here!" Screamed a large snowball with rubber boots sticking out of it.
Ukraine stared at the unusual sight until she started giggling uncontrollably.
"Bella, I can't see and it's dark in here!" The small silver haired boy struggled making a threat.
"Ah, now little brother there isn't anything to be afraid of, it's just snow." Ukraine despite the cold walked outside wearing only a snow suite over her overalls. She dusted off snow bit by bit loosening the snowball enough to free the boy.
"Just you two wait, I'll become bigger than you someday, I'll be strong... so that someday... one of you will be calling me big brother!" The small boy wiped away tears, and grit his teeth.
Quiet broke over the almost deserted snow capped landscape. Then sure enough, both my sisters looked at each other then back at me laughing.
Ukraine giggled. "Sure you will." She cooed patting the small boy on the shoulder.
Bella Busted out a shrill so loud she fell back in the snow. She stood up and snorted. "That will be the day boy, yeah...Right he hasn't grown an inch in almost three years!"
Luckily for me, my tan parka could be seen through the snow. I'm sure not, but Bella being the tricky girl that she is might have left me in there...
"Someday, I will be the one laughing at you...You'll see."
Since I was very young, I had a fear of the dark, somehow believing it would catch me.
A crazy theory, but somehow I thought it would consume me. Darkness fades at the light of the moon, but I feared something worse at the expense of it spreading. I feared not behind closed eyes, yet before them I too would disappear, until there was nothing left to seek.
Silly right? I too believe that everyone has had a fear of the dark or at least something like it.
Needless to say till this day no-one would catch me being bullied ever again. I would make it my life's work to become stronger...
Next Chapter : So I welcome you to darkness, welcome to my madness
