Miracles In December

(Chapter 1) Five Days Till Christmas

It's the time of the year when Christmas lights occupy the streets and paper snowflakes are attached to the doors of houses. People wrapped in scarves and knitted sweaters fill the sidewalks with hot chocolate bringing warmth to their hands and body.

Couples roam around, hand in hand, kissing under mistletoes hugging one another tightly, never letting go. Families sigh happily at the sight of such beauty around them, and think to themselves how lovely the world is, and how blessed they are to have each other. Snow falls lithely from the sky and covers the world, masking everything in a pure white color. December is the time of bliss, hopes, dreams, and miracles.

Despite all, not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to have such a time. Some people are destined to live in sorrow, in fear, in darkness. Snow is just a facade that makes everything seem pure for the time being. It melts, and the true colors of the world will be visible once again. Even with snow, some people are always trapped in the true colors of the world. It doesn't matter what time of the year it is, what season it is, what holiday it is; some of us will never be at bliss.

I don't know why I have to be born as one of those people- those who are devoid of happiness. I ask myself the same question every day, but I'm afraid I'll never get an answer. Why me?

My parents died when I was six years old. Although I was young, I could recite all that happened that day by memory. Every little detail that turned my world upside down is wrenched in my brain and heart eternally.

We lived in the well known, populated, New York City, where Christmas is a huge and significant holiday. Christmas moods and spirits danced in the air and all was well. My parents wanted to take me to see the gigantic five-story tall Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, a popular place for friends and families during the holidays.

We went around midnight to see the beautiful lights shine along with the stars in the night sky. The night seemed perfect, but I guess I was being delusional. There is no such thing as perfect; perfection is an imagination.

There was a warning of a blizzard, but many people ignored the warning thinking it was a false alarm because even at midnight, there was no snow. Little did we know, it started snowing madly one hour after we arrived there. My parents wanted to leave, but I was an immature and stubborn kid who refused to obey.

We stayed there, even when everyone else started to leave. The snow came pouring down, but my parents didn't complain. Till this day, I still don't understand why they didn't force me to leave. They were so stupid. Why did they risk their lives for me to see a damn Christmas tree?

The snow gradually came pouring down stronger and stronger, until Rockefeller Center was closing. As we were about to leave, we took a look at the Christmas tree one last time, admiring it's natural beauty. The next thing we knew, it came crashing down upon us.

It happened way to fast for me to comprehend as a kid. I remember myself screaming and feeling a hard shove that led me to the ground. I remember hearing a thunderous sound- the crash of the tree onto the ground, the ground where my parents were standing. Actually, by then, they were no longer standing but lying, not breathing.

I remember the snow covering the fallen tree, covering my parents who were no longer to be seen. I didn't even get to hear their last words, see their faces, touch them one last time. All I had was snow and the Christmas tree.

Others see snow as snow; I see snow as rain. Others see Christmas trees as Christmas trees; I see my dead parents.

I feel like I am fated to live bearing the mark of my dead parents. It's absolutely so ironic how my birth name is Snow. They thought it was the most pure and most beautiful thing on Earth; they saw me as the most pure and beautiful thing on Earth, and I hate myself so much because I'm not. I should be named Rain, reminding myself of the despair in my life.

"Watch out!" A voice shouts, breaking through my train of thoughts.

Something hard and cold comes in contact with my face, and you know Newton's law of motion- anything will remain in motion unless acted upon an opposing force. The thing that stops me from taking a peaceful stroll around the streets of New York City is no other than a snowball.

After ten years of living in an orphanage in Maine, I am back in New York City for the holidays. This is my first day, and I am greeted by a snowball.

Air is knocked out of my face and my mind goes blank for about thirty seconds before it functions again. My face feels numb and I could feel something dripping from my nostrils. I don't even notice a person standing in front of me, waving his hands in my face, until he starts talking.

"You seem fine. It's just a nosebleed. Here, take this as an apology," he says, casually handing me a twenty dollar bill.

I just stand there, shocked by his words. He places the bill in my hand, and walks away, leaving me frozen. That's supposed to be a lame pun, by the way.

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A/N: It's a short chapter because it's kind of like the 'preface'. Drop a comment, I'd love to see what you guys think! Thanks for reading and happy holidays! :)