Short Stories :P

{81} Snowflake | Dec 26, 2022

TW: Suggestions of suicide and mentions of death

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"Look at that-- you see how the snow falls onto the warm palm of the leaves, and then it slowly melts away-- you see that? That's how I feel every time I'm in her hold, how she feels whenever she's in mine. But you see, here's the thing-- the snow will slowly melt into water, the ice of it dying; like how her fire slowly burnt out, while she died with it. And because of that, she's not here anymore."

Koral's voice faltered away as she tried to hide the tears in her eyes. The ground was covered with a thin white blanket of snow, the green spring grass slightly peaking through.

You could see the melted flakes drip off of the growing leaves, each piece of snow melting and dying as it landed on the ground-- forgotten.

"That's what love does to you. It makes you weak, and it makes you defenceless. You let your guard down to anyone, let anyone into their hold, they'll slowly kill you-- well, unless, you kill yourself first."

Koral wouldn't be saying this if Nora was still alive. She's always blamed herself for the faults around her-- and she thought that she hasn't built Nora enough for this cruel cruel world.

Nora has always looked up to her-- with the loss of her mom, she didn't really have a mother figure in her life, and she would grasp onto any female attention she could get. Koral's was the only worthy one.

Koral believed that if she had toughened her up a bit more, taught her that she couldn't trust just anyone, little Nora would still be here.

Well, little Nora isn't actually that small-- only a year younger; but their mother-daughter bond is stronger than steel.

"I don't see it that way." Jaime objected, going to sit on the cold ground next to the dark haired girl.

"The snow went through a long journey to get to that leaf. It rested there for a while, got to spend some time with it; and when that piece of snowflake finally melted and fell, it had already experienced the warmth of that leaf and got to die feeling that."

Jaime turned his head to look at Koral, deep into her sad hazel eyes.

"It's my fault. It's all my fault. If I hadn't opened everything about me-- made her feel like everyone deserved of her love-- she would be here. I should've warned her of the dangers of the world-- they all didn't deserve it! Her love! She gave them her heart, and they tortured it then threw it away! Oh, she died in agony; she didn't get to die feeling my hug one last time. I didn't get to say goodbye one last time."

The tears that stung her eyes fell, mixing with the melted snow that scattered the ground. There was silence, but Koral broke it once again.

"It's so beautiful, the snow; how it falls and lands."

Jaime was confused, and his face showed it. He was also worried. What has gotten into her? What did Nora's death trigger for Koral to have gotten crazy?

"I hope Death welcomed her with his arms wide open, like I welcomed her into my hold. I hope He treats her well and doesn't toss her heart and neglect her care. I hope He lets her stay at peace, with herself and her mind. I hope He teaches her what I couldn't, and shows her what I can't. And I hope He gives her another chance, in a different time, different place; different arms, different care, different hold. And I hope she gets to do it right this time, and die in the warmth of a leaf. And instead of her fire burning out, it spreads before peacefully being stopped as she rests again-- but this time, smiling."

Koral's eyes fluttered close, imagining what Nora was seeing. Her ears focused on just the whistling wind, imagining the silence Nora was hearing. Her nose breathed in the cold air, her tongue tasted the snowflakes; her skin rested against the tree, her mind completely blank with only the thought of her and only her.

"I failed her as a friend, a sister, a mother, a guider; she tried to find her own path and that led her to only a deep valley with no way to escape-- and now all she can do is try again; but this time, without me."

743 words

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**Dead Poets society spoiler alert**

Quite literally, I just finished watching 'Death Poets Society' for the second time, and after watching it I couldn't help thinking of that scene after Neil's death, where the guys were together outside; then poof, I thought of this.