Craydon, though a poor town, was as close as a family. Everyone knew each other, and everyone helped each other when in need, which was quite often. The town was full of dirty, narrow streets and houses with connected brown brick houses. The place was full of life, though. Small wooden stalls selling fruits, clothes and other miscellaneous items filled any large spaces. Warm smiles and boisterous laughter was all that happened during the day. There were barely any cars, so many people walked in old, worn clothes to the nearest café or wherever their work was. Some people looked tired but still managed to smile as the children ran around, playing endlessly and making the most fantastical scenarios as they did so.
Erin was the leader of these children. A fair, sixteen-year-old child that always managed to cheer people up without fail. His dark eyes looked caring yet his curly brown hair was always a mess. Mostly he wore a dark green vest over a white shirt and very dark brown trousers. He barely had any clothes as he was the oldest of four children.
Erin was an organised, hopeful person. All he wanted was to see everyone smiling every day, which naturally made him want to become a doctor. Even with the odds being so small, he was determined and studied very hard, learning what he could from the older children and staying in the library whenever he wasn't leading the group of kids into another adventure.
There were times where he wasn't as happy. His closest friend, Ivy, was terribly sick and couldn't even move, let alone join them as they ran about. Every time he visited, he became unusually quiet as tears rolled down his face. Ivy had become so frail, her blue eyes looked almost lifeless. Her long, black hair had begun to fall out in big chunks. Her pale skin looked stretched over her bones and every time she spoke it sounded like the quietest of whispers. He would get sad whenever he thought of her, as thoughts of her passing away remained, nagging him constantly.
Percy's family had just moved into the huge mansion on the hill that looked over the town. They were rich, there was no doubt about it. Percy walked about in a suit, his head held high as if he was the mayor. But, the people loved him because of the stories he told. Even though he was younger than Erin, he had already travelled around the world and seen the most wonderful of sights. He sat, on a log with the children gathered around and belted out tales of the greenest forests, of the most scorching deserts and the ferociously beautiful seas. But, having never seen it before, the children would practically beg him to tell them about the snow. Their eyes would be so wide, as they all whispered about the pretty, white, intricate snowflakes that would fall from the sky. All of them seemed to want to be there, running around and making snowmen and snow angels. Even Erin listened intently whenever Percy talked ever so fondly of it. Erin would watch as Percy's blue eyes darted over the group of kids to make sure each of them paid attention. Every day after that Erin would visit Ivy and talk about what Percy had, of the snowflakes so complex yet tiny and of the snowball fights. Even in her weakened state, Ivy seemed to crack a small smile.
Erin waked up one morning, excited for another day of running about and joking. He walked into the cramped kitchen, living and dining area and smiled at his mother, but she didn't smile back. There were bags under her blue eyes, she looked so sad. Instantly Erin had a bad feeling in his stomach. He looked directly into her mother's eyes and watched as tears started to well up and roll down her face, leaving tear marks as her face was covered in a small layer of dust. She looked towards where Ivy's house was and then looked back to him. Erin felt his heart stop, his head suddenly halted in thought and his eyes widened. He was frozen to the spot as his vision started blurring. He began to run, and run he did. Down the street, through the alleyways. Past all his friends who watched him with confusion, but then realised where he was going and started following. About ten children running down the street, all sobbing as they neared the small cottage that belonged to Ivy. They could hear sobbing from inside, occasional outbursts of cries. They slowly walked inside to Ivy's mother cradling her child in her arms. Ivy had no colour, she had her eyes half-closed and looked stiff.
She looked at her friends and quietly whispered, "I wish I could've seen the snow."
Barely audible but loud enough to make everyone burst into tears. Everyone began to group hug and quickly retreated, watching Ivy take her last breaths.
The next week for everyone, especially Erin, was drab. The colour and chattiness of the town was now monotone. He felt stupid, why hadn't he spent more time with her? Instead, he chose to listen to Percy's stupid stories. It was Percy's fault that Ivy didn't die happily. She died with regret, with longing, and that is the worst way to die.
Percy didn't seem to get the message that Ivy had died. So he continued to tell stories. When he saw people weren't interested, he would bring up snow, which used to get people excited. But that just made everyone even quieter, if that was possible. It was getting to Erin. Every time Percy opened his mouth he could feel it getting harder to breathe, his mind started to crowd as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. His face would morph into a scowl.
But the real test was at Percy's birthday party after a month of mourning. Erin went in his finest clothes, a black blazer and tie with an ivory shirt and dark brown pants that were borrowed from his father. He brought his other three siblings too. His sisters, who looked exactly like him with long, dark brown curls rolling down their heads were in beautiful blue, poofy dresses. His brother was dressed rather smartly in a similar fashion to Erin.
They walked up the mountain, or rather hill. The party could be heard from far away. Children screaming happily as they ran around, oblivious to the problems of the world. Cake, confectionary, and all the candy you could ever dream of placed in lavish bowls or plates that had intricate designs on them. Erin took note of a plate with snowflakes etched into it that had a lovely light blue hue. It had a couple of small pieces of rich, fluffy cake on it.
Erin wasn't in the mood for a party. He was still mourning over Ivy. His poor, dear friend Ivy. Lost too soon to sickness. Only fifteen. How was he supposed to party when he knew his friend was buried in the dirt he walked on? How was he supposed to smile and laugh and dance as though his friend was never here? He watched as his siblings joined the cheer. Percy was seemingly the new ringleader, he led the children around. He was telling stories again, bringing a little more happiness to the occasion. Then he started talking of the snow again. Erin's blood began to heat up, rushing to his head. He gritted his teeth, grinding them as he felt something making it harder to breathe. Something had been bottled up, and it was ready to explode.
Without thinking, Erin went to the long, white table of food and found the emptiest plate. The snowflake plate. With every step towards Percy, he only got faster. Clenching the plate, he was sure he would break it. He went up to Percy and slapped the plate right into his face, shattering it instantly. Watched the smile dissipate into tears and blood. Screams echoing in his ears as he was jerked away by a shocked parent. Looks of accusation tearing into his sides as he was promptly taken home.
Grounded. Unsurprising, but still Erin felt as though it was uncalled for. Percy was telling a story that only made everyone feel bad. And because of the fact that Percy cannot read people, he went on telling everyone as though he were a bird and it was the crack of dawn. He deserved it, was practically asking for it.
Still, he wished that his own siblings didn't look at him as though he wasn't a murderer. A good for nothing thug, lower than the devil himself. Grimaced as their faces went from cheery to terrified whenever he saw them. Then one day, as he was sweeping the floors, he saw his brother ripping up pieces of paper, and got an idea.
That, ladies and gentlemen, was how the little town named Craydon became happy again. All because of Erin's beautiful snow globes.
