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Young Athlete's Victory Evaporates--And So Does She!
Aurora Bay, Pleasant Kingdoms - The annual Aurora Bay Winter Games are a-flurry with controversy after the dramatic disappearance of Miss Fareza Flake, 17, just as she was poised to win the winter decathlon title. Ms. Flake had cruised to victory earlier this week in the skiing and skating competitions, and remained in first place until the final event: Jumping Over A Raging Hot Yuletide Bonfire. When Miss Flake attempted to leap the flames, she was instantly vaporized in a cloud of steam.
"I suspect dark magic," says Bonnie Cheers, a fan of Miss Flake. "Somebody was jealous of her talent and they zapped her into thin air. We all saw it happen... I'm just devastated right now."
But other rumors have started to swirl--rumors that call into question Miss Flake's incredible athletic abilities. "She wasn't really human, was she?" says Nott Champs, who was in second place. "Her trainers shaped her out of enchanted snow a few years ago and she came to life. Why do you think she had such natural talent in all these winter events. She was literally in her element!"
The snow-woman theory does have scientific traction. As Royal Meteorologist, Amanda Weathervane explains, "When you deposit snow, a cold substance, into fire, a hot substance, it is very likely that you will observe steam."
The accusations have certainly left Miss Flake's supporters steaming. "It's totally bogus," says Bonnie Cheers. "I'm sorry, I don't usually use strong language, but it's completely bogus. Just because she was a cold, hard competitor with ice in her veins doesn't mean she was actually made out of snow."
Officials are still debating the results of the final, fire-jumping event. Several argue that Miss Flake did technically jump over the fire, even if she did it in gaseous form. Others say she cannot be awarded full points because she did not stick the landing, or indeed, land at all. For the foreseeable future, the question of who won these Winter Games will remain up in the air.
Based on "Snowflake" from Andrew Lang's Pink Fairy Book (1897), and other tales of The Snow Child.
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