Jonas closed his eyes and waited for the impact of the snow, but none came. His eyes fluttered with the tiny snowflakes on his lashes, and he looked around for Gabriel as he grew accustom to the thick white blanket of snow. The baby was wrapped in Jonas's old jacket, lying next to the sled. Jonas picked him up and held him tightly, letting the heat from his body soak into the baby's. He walked down the rest of the hill, past the woods with evergreens covered in snow, and finally came to a street corner. He saw people walking about wearing coats and hats and gloves, and children throwing packed handfuls of snow at each other.
Jonas gingerly walked over to a group of kids who seemed to be worn out from the snow fights. He wasn't sure of what to ask, and he hadn't made any plans beyond getting to Elsewhere. All of this, besides the fading memories, seemed new to him. He realized what some things were, but this place was so different from his own community, that he wasn't sure how to respond to things. As he approached a girl with a knitted hat, scarf, and mittens, he took a deep breath and called out.
"Uh, excuse me," he said, his voice cracking as he spoke.
The girl turned around to face him. She looked familiar, but Jonas couldn't place it. She had golden hair and rosy cheeks, and a warm smile. Her light eyes sparkled. He felt as if he knew her, maybe from a dream.
"Yes?" she asked gently.
He held Gabriel tighter to his chest as the child squirmed, and he looked into her eyes. "Do I, know you…from somewhere?"
The girl's smiled eased, and Jonas thought he heard a slight giggle. "Welcome Jonas," she said. "My name is Rosemary."