HUMAN

Chapter 47 - Somewhere Else

Vincent felt a soft prickle on his face. It was a strange feeling. But it wasn't unpleasant this time.

New. . .

He opened his eyes to see the dark blue sky, where it gracefully fell from above. The slightest breeze would sting his face with a cold. Like opening a freezer and sticking your head inside it. The cold surrounded him everywhere. He'd watch as the wind influenced its direction.

Some landed on him. Some around him. And he felt it too. Down to his back, ears, legs, feet, fingers, and nose.

Snow.

He'd never felt snow before. He never knew it could be this soft to the touch, like a fluffy cotton candy that had a sense of weight to it. He couldn't exactly describe it. Vincent didn't want to move for a moment. An involuntary, faint smile appeared on his face. He wanted to savor this.

The silence was new to him. The dark silhouettes in the distance - pine trees gently swayed against the slow wind, but it was all ever quiet in this place.

Yet so surreal at the same time.

Now that he thought about, he always imagined himself in these sorts of situations where he could just walk and get lost in the white fields. No one looking for him. No one to run from. Nothing to run from. It happened every once in a while after a long day of work when he lies down on his bed.

A desire to endlessly walk to his heart's content in a place like this.

It was such a dreamlike concept to him despite its natural occurrences throughout specific parts of the globe. The idea of these water vapors freezing when the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius or thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit and forming into ice crystals that eventually sticks together, becoming heavy enough to fall to the Earth genuinely baffled him.

Vincent wondered why it hadn't happened at his place, back at the bunker. Could the climate in his area have really changed from the war that it refused to snow? He doesn't know. He'd wished it could only happen at least once every time he'd wait outside the bunker.

He'll stare up at the sky particularly on a cold winter night, just waiting for one snowflake to just drop in front of him.

He remembered having this conversation with Valentine, who had experienced snow multiple times during her travels and reacts to it pretty unremarkably.

He remember telling her that it used to be an old childhood dream of his. Valentine couldn't help but laugh, even including Vannie and Gina who was eavesdropping on the conversation. It's so normal to them.

If he were to be asked what his dream would be. . .his true dream; is to touch snow.

Not save mankind.

Not peace and prosperity for all.

Nothing significant. It's just what he wanted since he was little despite his current ambitions taking priority over that.

"Touch snow. . .I've. . .finally felt it. After so long. . ." Vincent told himself, still lying down as he grasps a handful and squeezes them on his palms.

Valentine offered to take Vincent skiing one day after hearing what he said. "Is that it?" Valentine asked him. She cracked a laugh before continuing. "Then one day we'll take you skiing! How about that? Not only you'll touch snow, but you'll also ski on it!" She shot him a toothy grin.

Such a trivial, small dream. But a dream nonetheless. . .Vincent felt hope from that moment. That was when he decided he'll carry out what he needed to do, before continuing on with his dream.