Our Little Cherry Blossoms

ten. candle

ＤＥＣＥＭＢＥＲ (( ＶＡＬＥＲＩＥ ))

People called her existence, the very essence of her being, a serendipity to their lives. Her friends, her family; the multitude of accolades they deserted upon her body was enough to garnish an entire nation. Whether those comments were counterfeited portraits or obligated courtesy, they were childhood snacks that she no longer appreciated. Someone who has been told the same thing over and over again will eventually turn away. Yet no one understood.

The first cup of snow tipped over, a curious crystal dissolving on Valerie's sun-kissed eyelashes as the clouds began to mourn for their thawed daughter. Frosted children of intricate designs were conceived all at once, venturing towards the earth, unable to control their ending as the ground stretched out to meet the fallen flakes. Valerie pranced around the frozen tears in a jovial bout, squealing with jubilation as one of them died on her tongue. Her golden curls were leaden with melted icy entities as she crunched through the layer of pearly white essence underneath her designer boots, reaching a hand out to grasp Case's. His hair was caged inside a heatless beanie, masses of gentle crystals perching peacefully atop the soft, woolly hat. Case's dark lanterns gazed vacantly at a piece of trampled ice that was vanishing into an unpleasant stain against her warmed glove. Steadily, he raised his head to leer tediously at her misty grey eyes and asked her a peculiar question.

"Why do you let the snowflakes melt in your hair?"

Valerie's gaping grin reflected uncannily into Case's pupils, and he let go of her dampened mitten. She giggled.

"I like how they disappear, it's like my hair is the flame and I'm burning them."