Short Stories

Snowfall

Note: The following story May be sensitive for some readers.

"You never know how much you love something until it's gone." That was one of my mom's favorite sayings. But I never understood how true it was until the first bits of snow touched down on the roads of the sleepy little town I call home.
. . .
Snow is one of my favorite things. I love the chilling air on my face, and how amazing everything looks when the sun reflects off the ice just right. It was always a wonderful experience.
It was on one of these snowy days that I heard a faint meowing near the back of my house. Immediately, I stilled, listening.
"Mew."
I heard it again! Peering behind a shrub against the side of my house, I spotted a tiny white kitten curled up in a small ball of fluff. When I bent down to get a better look, I noticed that its eyes were barely open, which meant that it was most likely very young.
Quickly, I ran inside, calling for my mother.
"What is it, Esmerelda?" She asked, stepping out of her room.
"There's a kitten outside! Come look! Come look!" I called eagerly, already rushing back outside without waiting for a response.
A few moments later, my mom followed me outside, her chestnut colored hair flowing behind her, similar to mine. Stopping next to me, her eyes followed my outstretched finger until her eyes landed on the small creature. I watched as they softened, but she still pulled me away from the kitten.
"Can we keep it? Please?" I begged, drawing out the last word. I put my hands together and stuck out my bottom lip, as though I were a little kid.
She was silent for a few moments before answering. "Okay, how about this? If the kitten is still here in an hour or so, we'll keep it, alright?"
My eyes lit up for a split second before my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "But why do we have to wait?" I inquired, curiously.
"Because the kitten's mom might be looking for it, so we have to give her enough time to come back."
"Oh. Okay!" I said, satisfied with her response. After all, it wouldn't be fair if the kitten's mom didn't have a chance to come back.
I pushed my thoughts away and ran to my room before launching myself onto my bed. Grabbing a book off my nightstand, I began to read. But, I must've fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing I know, my mom is opening my door.
"Esmerelda. Look who it is," She said softly.
I slowly lifted my head to get a better look at whatever my mom was referring to. When I saw what it was, I gasped and shot out of bed, rushing over. It was the kitten from earlier!
"I've already cleaned her up a bit, but I thought you would like to help me choose a name for her." She explained, sitting down on the edge of my bed.
Quickly, the gears in my head started to turn as I brainstormed for names.
"Cookie? Snowflake? Mrs. Fluffykins? Ooh! I like that name! How about we choose that one?"
My mother laughed at my odd suggestions. "How about we call her Snowball? After all, she kind of did look like one earlier, all curled up like she was."
I stared at the kitten for a few moments, picturing her with that name. Finally, I clasped my hands together in excitement. "I like that name. Now can I hold her?"
My mom nodded and handed the tiny animal over to me. As my mother left the room, I set Snowball on my bed and curled up next to her.
"Hello, Snowball. Do you like your new home?" I whispered, stroking the kitten's fluffy fur.
"Mew."
. . .

In the following months, Snowball grew bigger and bigger. Soon, she wasn't as tiny as she had been when we first found her, and she was becoming even more adventurous, wanting to go outside a lot. Of course, we let her, and we always laughed when she would stalk, slink, or prance through the grass.
Sometimes she would leave and explore the neighborhood by herself, but she would always come back home afterward, so we never worried much. But, one day after she came back from exploring, I noticed she was acting strange. She often looked uncomfortable and kept making strange noises.
I let my mother know about this, and she made an appointment with the Veterinarian. Now, I was watching as Snowball paced the top of the examining table, almost like she was waiting for the Vet as well. When they finally did come in, I mostly tuned them out.
I watched as they poked and prodded Snowball, and performed some check-up stuff. For the most part, I just looked around the room and didn't realize I was being spoken to until my mother's voice brought me back down to Earth.
"Esmeralda, could you please wait outside for a moment? The doctor wants to speak to me in private," She said.
I nodded and exited the room, almost happy that I didn't have to be in there anymore. I didn't like the Vet too much, but I didn't know why.
I spent about a good 15-30 minutes out in the hallway, watching a small tv that was playing random cartoons. When I was finally allowed back in the room, my eyes instinctively trailed to my mother's face. Her face held a look of concern, but she quickly pasted on a smile, as though she were reassuring me.
The Veterinarian cleared their throat before speaking, "So, it seems like Snowball is developing the early stages of a virus. It shouldn't be anything too serious, so just give her one of these everyday," He held up a small container of things that looked like vitamins.
"Is Snowball going to be okay?" I ask as a feeling of dread overcame me.
The Vet responds without missing a beat. "Yes."
I smile.
. . .
A few days later, I was playing with Snowball when she suddenly broke into a coughing fit. I quickly scooped her up into my arms and cradled her close to my chest. Stroking her fur, I stayed like this until she settled down.
Afterward, I looked her in the eyes and whispered, "You get better, okay Snowball?"
She meowed in reply, as she could understand me.
Weeks passed and suddenly Snowball's appetite had decreased and her adventurous attitude had all but disappeared. She tried to still explore, but she became tired easily, and my mother and I began worrying, wondering what was going to happen to Snowball.
Before I know it, we are being told that our previous Vet made a mistake and that they didn't realize that the disease Snowball had was lethal. They continued to explain that she had a rare disease that also had symptoms of other viruses and diseases, and was often diagnosed wrong. But then they told us that it was incurable, and my heart sank.
"Cherish these last moments with her." They advised.
I held her in my arms the entire visit.
. . .
The following week, Snowball was too weak to eat, and anything she did manage to scarf down, came back up later. She let out pitiful cries as her entire body was wracked with pain.
One day, it became too much to bear. Walking into my mom's room, I said solemnly, tears beginning to gather. "Mom, I think we should put Snowball down."
I choked on my words halfway through, but I forced myself to continue. "It's just, she's in so much pain. I don't want her to have to go through it anymore."
Suddenly I was in my mom's arms, sobbing. "Oh, Esmerelda. It's okay. It's okay," She repeated over and over.
. . .
A couple of months have passed since we put Snowball down. I had spent the rest of her time with her, up until the last moments. My mom and I decided to bury her in the backyard, near the bush where we had first found her. Even though we had her for less than a year, she still had a big impact on us when she passed away. I will never forget her fluffy white fur, bright green eyes, or her adventurous attitude.
Today, it's snowing. Just like the day when we found her. I know I'll always remember her when the snow falls.

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1,410 words

This was basically a short-ish story I had to make in ELA this year.