Prompt 8 (Marshmallow Snow):
Fresh-fallen snow coats Destiny City. It’s pristine and crisp, and it crunches as you walk through it. It may be a few inches deep, but it doesn’t seem to go above your calves when walking. At first, it’s easy enough to walk through, but gradually you realize that it’s getting harder to move. Every step you take feels like the snow is pulling you back in, and if you get a good look you might realize that sticky white fluff is clinging to you. The more you walk, the more it pulls, until you’re almost completely stuck. Something about the snow smells oddly sweet, and the tacky, marshmallow-like snow seems like it’s suddenly become a prison. The more you try to break free, the stickier it gets, and you’d better hope you don’t fall down. The more you struggle the harder it is to escape, but if you manage to stay still for a few minutes, the marshmallow will freeze and crystallize. When you move again, the snow will turn into a powdery dust and you can break free easily. The only good thing about this is that you won’t starve if you get trapped–the snow tastes just like marshmallows.
Kore was out here trying to do her dark mirror senshi. She was told she hadn't shown herself enough, but what did they expect? She had so many end of year competitions that it made it hard for her. Her time wasn't really her own when it came to Kendo or kickboxing. Somehow as luck would have it, though today's match was canceled. Which in turn left her time to roam around in this cold weather.
Her outfit was definitely not made for the cold, but she didn't have a choice. This was her outfit after all. So she tried to quickly walk as she felt the snow on her shoes as she walked through it. She shivered as the wind blew. She had to keep going, no matter what. She was determined to make it through the patrol. She looked down at her legs and realized white fluff was sticking to her legs. It reminded her of tiny marshmallows. She hadn't really thought anything of it and decided to trudge forward anyways. It was probably just the cold getting to her.
She seemed to be able to walk easily for a few minutes. Until she noticed it was getting harder to walk. Not only that but as she walked the snow seemed to grow higher and higher. At this point it was already at her calves. She decided to keep going, but the snow soon reached her knees and then her waist. She stopped and decided to turn back, but suddenly the sky darkened and a strong wind began to pick up. She had no choice but to continue her journey. As the snow grew deeper and the character struggled to move forward, Zuri's heart raced with fear and frustration. Thoughts of being trapped in the snowy prison consumed her mind, making her question if she would ever escape. Panic washed over her, but she knew she had to stay calm and find a way to break free from the icy grip of the snow.
She looked around and saw no one, but she did smell something sweet. The snow smelled oddly sweet and tacky. The marshmallow-like snow seemed like it had suddenly become a prison for her. Once it reached her waist she felt like she was in a prison. "Oh come on," she said a loud a little irritated that was her first patrol in forever and now she was trapped in marshmallow snow of all things. Her first thought was to fight. She pushed and moved as much as she could to try and free herself from the snow. Zuri exerted all her strength to break free from the clutches of the marshmallow snow, pushing and wriggling with every ounce of determination. However, the more she struggled, the deeper she sank into the sticky, sweet trap, making her efforts futile and her situation increasingly dire. So she quickly learned that the more she moved the more she got trapped. The irony of Zuri being trapped in something that initially smelled sweet was not lost on her. What seemed like a harmless and pleasant aroma now served as a constant reminder of her predicament, as the sticky marshmallow snow continued to entangle her and hinder her escape.
So she took a deep breath and just stopped. She stopped breathing, stopped moving, stopped everything. Most people might find this difficult but this was a way for her to find peace within herself. She did this sometimes before a Kendo match to find her center. In the midst of the dire situation, Zuri's decision to find peace within herself became a source of strength and resilience. By stilling her body and mind, she tapped into a deep reservoir of inner calm and clarity, allowing her to approach the challenge with a renewed sense of focus and determination.
As she still she noticed the weirdest thing happening. The marshmallow snow started to crystallize and freeze. As the marshmallow snow crystallized and froze around her, Zuri realized that sometimes, surrendering to the situation and finding inner peace can lead to unexpected solutions. In this moment of stillness, she understood that by letting go of resistance and embracing the frozen embrace of the snow, she might discover a way to break free from its icy grip.
With that thought in mind she began to move a little to see what would happen. To her surprise when she moved again, the snow around her started to turn to powdery dust. The transformation of the marshmallow snow from crystallized to powdery dust revealed an opportunity for Zuri to escape. As she continued to move, the powdery dust created a path through which she could navigate, gradually freeing herself from the grip of the snow. As she was finally free she ran with all the energy she could until she was as far away from the snowy path as she could get. She had never felt so free as she did landing her feet on that snow free sidewalk. It felt like every bone in her body had become alive again. Every step she took on the snow-free sidewalk brought a surge of exhilaration, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Zuri's heart pounded with a newfound sense of liberation, and she reveled in the joy of regaining control over her own movements. With that freedom came the freedom to choose, and so she chose to end this patrol here and now. She had enough of patrolling for one day, and if anyone wanted to know why she had left. Well she had a story for their ears about the prison of marshmallow snow. With that thought in her mind she quickly headed for home. She wanted to feel free to just sit down and watch a televised kickboxing match. Made that could help bring her whole body the peace of mind she truly needed after that experience nightmare. For now she did not want anything more to do with snow - at least today.
Word count: 1,003
