Innocent white snow layered the children's playground. Winter's touch spread blankets of snow to nurture the Earth's seedlings, waiting to thaw and allow the flowers and trees to bloom. Animals waited with baited breath as the noise of footsteps crackled on the fallen snow. A lone blackbird sat curiously on the thin frost, the desire to see what had captured Winter's attention keeping to rooted to the spot. The silence of the chilly winter morning was betrayed by the shrieks of laughter and murmurs of awe. Suddenly, the blackbird flew in a wide arc before settling by its nest mates, a satisfied gleam in its eyes.
The children had arrived.
A barrage of snowballs flew through the air, accompanied by muffled groans and cries as each compacted ball of snow found their target. Little girls and boys, their eyes sparkling with fun and their cheeks an adorable rosy red, hid in the deep snow banks from chasing older siblings and friends. The children's diamond covered jungle gym becoming a sanctuary from flying snow and numb fingers.
Children, well into their teens but still considered young by Winter, lounged under several large trees at the edge of the newly made winter wonderland. Puffs of breath from the teens allowed the dancing snowflakes around them to be seen; their light bodies floating and twirling before the warm breath made them shimmer and melt. One teen hung from the tree's large branches. The wind encouraging him by pushing him upwards. The child's dark hair ruffled messily as the seasonal hat came away, the mischievous wind pulling it further into the tree's embrace.
Slowly, the children of winter started forming around the land. Snowball wars and angels were forgotten as all pitched in to make them. Small black eyes and buttons adorned the children, while sticks and stones were scavenged. Finally, the last step came for the children of winter, as hats, scarfs and gloves were loaned to the newly made children. Families laughed and played with the new arrivals.
The snowmen had been born.
The dimming light of the day captured the frost and snow, making each flake shine like diamonds. Thin frost covered the lonely and untouched corner of the winter wonderland. No billowing wind came to the corner, nor a chilling gale. For the most precious child of all sat there. One who came every year without touching Winter's snow; the oldest child of them all. For too long The Child had denied the wind its play and the snowflakes gentle dances. Choosing instead to look out over it with eyes full of wisdom. Oh, how Winter wished it could help The Child, the one whose girl had stopped visiting with them years ago. But The Child was so fragile to Winter, soft tremors ran up its arms and gray hair, a once so lively black, did nothing to protect it from the chill. Winter loved The Child, even if it couldn't allow it to come anymore: every year hurting the child more. So slowly, with loving breezes, Winter pushed The Child back. Guiding it to the gate and helping the one it loved so much shuffle down the road, one painful footstep at a time.
"Where's Grandpa going?" A young boy no older than five looked imploringly up at his mother, "Doesn't he want to play in the snow?" His mother shook her head and smoothed down the child's snowy locks. "It's not that Jack, he just misses Grandma. You know how much Grandma loved the snow." The boy, Jack, frowned. "Do you think Grandpa's lonely?" The woman's hands pause in their motions and she gave the boy a small, sad smile. "Don't worry about that Jack, why don't you go play with Sam and Emily, hm? I know how much you like snowball fights." Jack nodded absently, looking curiously at the fading figure of his Grandpa as his mother's hand gently guided him back to the other playing children; the memory of his conversation all but leaving his mind as cries of hide and seek and snowball fights pulled him in for hours of fun.
The families gathered their things as the light grew dim. The glittering snow and dancing snowflakes, as graceful as any ballerina, couldn't hold the children's attention as promises of hot chocolate and sweets swept through the land. So slowly, little by little, the children left, whispering goodbyes to the snowmen and wind. And the crackling of footsteps on snow, with yawns and wishes of warmth slowly receded until silence enclosed the land once more.
Innocent snow, stomped and rolled through, layered the children's playground. The moonlight shone down, giving a dazzling show of lights and swirls as the late-night frost crept across the ground, a sight that would certainly enrapture any who strayed from their comforting warmth to see it. Patterns of swirls and ferns covered the trees and jungle gym, the delicate frost fixing the snow and casting a protective coat around the snowmen's blue tinged shoulders.
Until, finally, all was still, as the dancing snowflakes settled and winter children stilled. The chilling wind slowed and faded into a calming breeze. The winter wonderland slipped into sleep, waiting for the new dawn to rise upon the horizon, and once again bring back its special children.