The Bridge Between Winters

While hiking through the mountains, Leah discovered a bridge of frost stretching over a deep ravine. She crossed it to find a valley where it was always winter—quiet, endless, untouched.

A man lived there, alone, claiming to be the guardian of the season. He said every hundred years, someone crossed the bridge to take his place. Leah laughed—until snow began forming patterns on her skin.

The climax: Realizing the valley needed a keeper, she stepped willingly into the snow. The bridge melted behind her, and the man finally walked away. Now, travelers sometimes see a woman of ice standing at the edge of a frozen bridge, watching them go.