Song in the Snow

Burying himself in the snow while holding nothing but a violin. Not stuck or paralyzed, but no desire to move. A few fingers are starting to lose their viability.

Nowhere to go, and no one to hear his cry.

Doesn't even bother to sit up.

Broken.

The bus crash was horrific. He couldn't even bring himself to go back inside the only shelter nearby because of the stench from the rotting flesh.

Left to suffer and wonder why he was the one who got to live. Trying to submerge himself in the snow to lower his chances of making it out.

Survivor's guilt fully kicks in…

He gives up.

An instant death would've been much more merciful than this for him. It was devastating that the music teacher and the rest of his orchestra friends perished, but at least they didn't feel it.

They were relatively good people, so he's sure they're at peace now.

As he thought about the accident and the death of his twin brother that happened long ago, he wailed, "God, please end me already before I do it myself!"

Then, a very missed, familiar face began to subtly appear. What looked like his own reflection was hovering over top of his body. Air playing the violin.

Yet, there is sound.

The ghost speaks with ease, "Play with me.”

He cannot believe his eyes.

With frozen, dying hands, he sits up, and they play one last time as he gradually joins his twin in the afterlife.