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The weather report called for snow, and a lot of it! Overnight, a foot of snow has covered Destiny City in a beautiful blanket of white, and schools and most businesses are closed! When you venture outside however, the air feels almost temperate, and picking up the snow is a lot like picking up some sun warmed sand at the beach. What might have caused this? Is it global warming playing some sort of trick, or just the imps that seem to linger in the city? The strangely warm snow day lasts for only a day though, by the next day, the air is bitterly cold again, and all of that wonderful snow is somehow gone without a trace!
It had been two months of physical therapy but finally Bryia was able to walk normally again, somewhat. Her new plastic backed fluffy undergarments meant walking normally as she had before was a distant memory, she lived the “waddle life” as she thought of it. Despite hopes from the doctors and more than one minor surgery since she arrived at her aunt’s house nothing had helped her control in that field. The doctors would constantly tell her she should be thankful for being so lucky that she could still walk, but she didn’t feel lucky or very thankful. She had worked hard to push herself to walk again, but even now she knew she would never be the same. Her body didn’t respond like it did, didn’t move like it used to.
She could walk now without crutches or a cane, but walking for too long would tire her and she would need to rest. It was common for her now to go on a walk, it would annoy her aunt she was gone for so long. However, Bryia never went that far, too long on her feet meant she needed to rest so almost half her time gone was spent sitting as much as it was walking. The bag she carried with her didn’t help matters, it wasn’t uncommon for a girl her age to carry a purse, though it wouldn’t have been her style. Instead she carried a small backpack with her at all times, it was her makeshift diaper bag. No matter where she went, that bag had to come along.
It was a snowy December evening, though it was strangely warm, so warm that it was a wonder the snow hadn’t melted. The school was out, though she had not returned yet. Her aunt and the doctors had wanted her to wait until she was better at walking before she returned, thus this last semester was spent doing school work in her “crib.” She hated her bed, but she couldn’t deny it had kept her from face planting in the middle of the night more than once. Feeling restless yet again she loaded her backpack up for another walk for some fresh air.
“You shouldn’t be going out there alone, it’s going to be dark soon.” Her aunt was still trying to protect her like she was a baby.
“Not like I have anything to worry about.” Bryia rolled her, unclipping one side of her overalls and pulling down one side relieving the plastic garment taped around her waist. “One look at this and any guy would be too creeped out to do anything but walk away.” She pulled up her overalls and zipped up her jacket as she left.
The snow was lightly falling, as she made her way down the street. The children had all gone in for dinner or to warm up and a gentle silence had fallen over the area. For some reason being out in the snow, in such silence was both repressive and cathartic in a way she never thought possible. In a way the vast empty silence was a manifestation for her own inner self. She pushed herself to walk more out of spite but now life was just an empty, meaningless series of events that happened around her and she was just going through the motions. How had it gotten that way?
Bryia knew the answer of chores, she had lost everything in that crash. That is what she had told herself at least. She would remember all the times growing up, playing with her friends and annoyed her parents would butt in on everything. Memories of gymnastics and the things she’d never do again, and the people she used to know. Selene hadn’t come to see her since she left the hospital, but was that her fault? Bryia suddenly found herself annoyed with her friend, surely Selene knew where she was right? Though how would she? Bryia never called her and she never gave her phone number to her aunt. Now her annoyance had turned to shame. She hadn’t called Selene once in the last two months. What kind of friend would do that? Perhaps today was a good day to reach out to Selene.
