I'll be Back on Christmas Day! (Frosty the Snowman)

Christmas Eve afternoon...

Karen stood out in the snow as the sun began its slow sink from the sky. Her eyes were glued towards the clouds and the frosty woods beyond the town. The people passing by would just dismiss her as a nine-year-old who was daydreaming. Imagining, perhaps, possibly about rainbows, puppies and sunny days. 

No. Not Karen. 

She always was the oddest kid in school, at least in her own mind she was. Where many girls would dream of hot summer days, Karen had always preferred chilly snow days. (Even before she met her best friend, last Christmas.) 

Frosty. Frosty the Snowman. 

She'd never forget the wonderful adventure she had with Frosty! Let alone the fact that he was willing to risk his own life to save her from 'hy-po-ther-mia'. Even after a whole year, it's taken her a long while to properly pronounce the word. 

Karen's body twitched in the cold as she reminisced of the last time that she saw her living snowman.

Thanks to Santa Claus himself, not only did Karen get a ride home, but Frosty was more than welcome to stay up at the North Pole! Karen could vividly remember Frosty and her sharing a great big good-bye hug in the sleigh. 

She missed Frosty's hugs. 

Yes, they were chilly. But Karen felt like Frosty was the closest friend she's ever had! He cared for her, and she in turn, cared for him to the best of her abilities!

In a way, his hugs may have been freezing cold on the outside, but on the inside, it made her feel warm and safe. 

The two of them had become close on their adventure up North, at least she hoped that they had. 

Karen shrugged as she hugged herself, making up for the year without snowman hugs. She stared down at the pure, white snow blanketing the town; and it fueled her smile, like kindling starting up a fire. It had snowed quite a bit last night, and it showed no sign of melting anytime soon.

 Then, Karen looked back up into the sky.  The sun was held back by a small curtain of thick, light grey clouds that just barely gave the sky a polka-dotted pattern.

It was already cold, and by the looks of the sky, it was gonna be even colder, just the way Frosty liked it. 

Karen's smile widened ever more.

That's why she was out there, with her blue boots deep into the snow. 

She was waiting for him. Waiting for Frosty!

You see, before leaving for the North Pole, Frosty had made Karen a promise. 

~~~~~

"I'll be back on Christmas Day!" she could hear Frosty whisper in her ears. 

"Promise?" she mouthed as she remembered stepping out of the sleigh.

"Promise!" she heard him confirm in her memories. 

~~~~~~~~~

Karen smiled fondly as she looked back up at the sky. 

He had promised that he'd come back to her! She had been waiting very patiently for the day to come. And now, the day was finally here!

All the kids who had helped to build Frosty still vividly remembered Frosty and believed in him. As such, every last one of them was abuzz to see him again, but no one was more buzzing on the inside than Karen.