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Alaska

Sometimes it takes a challenge to appreciate its beauty,

By Grace YuergensPublished 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 10 min read
4
Alaska
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Alaska gazed out of her window. It was so cold that ice had crystallized artfully on the glass. She wondered how the ice could create something so beautiful. Ice was all around her now that her family had moved here from Texas. The “White Christmas” she had heard about countless times was now a reality. She was used to the sun coating her face even in the dead of winter. Now, the cold winter seemed to paint everything so still. The once rippling pond was painted over with a coat of ice. She noticed that people moved slower in the winter, like even though their bodies couldn’t bear to be in the cold, they had no other choice but to move laxly. There was no remnant of the leaves that once covered the trees. The only time the world wasn’t still was when there was a snow storm. The wind whistled so vehemently, she thought it was trying to call out to her.

It was fitting that her family had moved to Alaska. After all, her parents named her after the place. Throughout her childhood, they would sing its praises. They longed for the bottomless winters, the snowy mountains, and even the frozen pond. They promised that she would love it here, that she would find beauty in the stillness. Instead, she felt lost and numb. How could she love a place that was so quiet, so unmoving? At least in Texas there were more things to see, and she had her tiny group of friends. Why would her parents take her to a place where there was nothing to look at? After all, observation was all she had.

“Alaska? Your dad made a fire downstairs. Would you like to join us?” Alaska turned her wheelchair away from her spot near the window so she could look at her mother. Her mother was dressed in jeans, a wooly sweater, and a beanie. She was the epitome of an Abercrombie and Fitch ad.

“No, I’m fine,” Alaska responded. She wanted to people watch. It was the warmest it had been in four weeks which meant that people had finally started to venture out onto the frozen pond.

“Ok, sweetie. Please holler if you need anything.” Concern was etched all over her mother’s face. Her mom thought that moving would be a good change of pace for the family. She wanted her daughter Alaska to experience the place Alaska. Now she was wondering if it was all a mistake. Alaska turned herself back to the window

The good thing about her new room was that it had a dazzling view of the pond. Her house was on a hill, making the view elevated and even better. Even though many houses surrounded the pond, it was open to the public. The only bedroom with this grand view was the master bedroom. Alaska’s parents decided to let her have this room so she could look outside. Ever since her accident, Alaska had relied on her eyes. She would occupy herself for hours on end with people watching. She seemed to notice every minute detail about something. Of course her parents and therapist worried about her. A once active little girl now enjoyed being inside and keeping to herself. Her parents tried to find ways to incorporate her into her old activities, and her teachers were very accommodating. Alaska insisted that it was fine. She didn’t have to go back to her old life. She could watch people instead. Watch them do the things that she used to do. She was content. But it was harder to be content in Alaska where things were so different.

She gazed at the pond, clutching a hot chocolate in her hands. Not only was today special because it was warmer, it was also a Saturday, meaning people had free time to visit the pond. It was noon which would be the warmest part of the day, and families started to arrive. Teenage boys set up goalie nets on one side of the pond as others with hockey sticks started to warm up. She also noticed a little girl looking out onto the ice with trepidation. Her dad bent down beside her to give her a pep talk. She nodded furiously as he explained that she was ok, that he would be there to pick her up if she fell. She tentatively took her first glide. Then another. Then another. Her dad let go of her hand and cheered when he saw her progress. Alaska smiled. Her cheeks felt weird, almost as if they were out of shape. She hadn’t been able to smile a lot since everything had been so dead recently. She silently thanked the weather for being good today.

Alaska watched intently for the next few hours. The hockey game had started and ended. She was a little disappointed that the team she was rooting for had lost, but was happy to see them all hugging each other after. As 5pm approached, almost everyone had left, minus a few stragglers who didn’t do much besides stand there and talk. She came to the realization that this day had passed and that the world would be silent again. Sighing, she decided that she should at least talk for a little while with her parents.

She rolled into the hallway and saw the original stone fireplace blazen with a strong fire. Her mom was laughing at something her dad had said, her eyes crinkling at the corners. Seeing her parents happy lit something warm inside Alaska. She was at least glad that this place was good to them.

“Alaska, come here!” her dad announced. She came over and he helped her onto the plaid couch.

‘What’ve you been doing?” her mom questioned. All of them were aware of what she had spent the day doing, but her parents still liked to ask.

“Just staring into the abyss.” Her parents nodded at this. “It was nice today. There were lots of people out.”

“That’s great!” her mom replied leaving room for an awkward silence. Alaska stared into the orange glow of the fire. As her mind drifted off, she remembered something.

“Hey, where’s Olly been all day?” Olly was Alaska’s dog. He was another attempt by Alaska’s parents to give her a normal life after the accident. Although Alaska was at first annoyed by the gesture, she couldn’t help falling in love with Olly and his adorable cuteness. He had grown into a fond companion and someone that Alaska could talk too. Both her parents looked at each other as concern took over.

“Now that I’m thinking about it, I haven’t really seen him since early this morning. I assumed he was in your room,” said her mom. Her dad murmured something in agreement. Hearing this quickly turned something on in Alaska’s body. Perspiration coated her forehead as her pulse started to thrum rapidly. Her mind went haywire, quickly jumping to conclusions about where Olly could be and what could have happened to him. Soon, salty tears were coating her cheeks and lips.

“I’m sure he’s somewhere in the house. Let’s look,” her dad assured. Alaska felt silly for worrying so soon when they hadn’t even looked through the house yet. Her parents raced to comb through the house, calling out Olly’s name and squeaking his favorite toy. Of course, they had grown to love Olly too, but they also knew how helpful he was for Alaska, which only made them more desperate during their search. Unable to curb her anxiety, Alaska pulled herself clumsily into her wheelchair. Their house wasn’t that big, so she knew that not finding him yet wasn’t a good sign. She stopped in front of the window right by the front door and stared out.

“Oh, Olly,” she whimpered. What if he was out there? Without thinking, she made her way to the front door. She took her coat from the low hook and bundled up in her mom’s hat and scarf. Her hands trembled as she unlocked the door and opened it, gulping down her fear.

“Alaska, sweetie, what are you doing?” It was her mother.

“I need to find Olly.”

“Why don’t you let your dad look for him.”

“No, mom. I need… just please let me help?”

“Alaska I-”

“Mom, I need to do this. Not just for Olly. For me.” Her mother sighed before agreeing.

“All right.” Her dad came downstairs and bundled up. Night was slowly approaching, the sky turning darker by the minute. Once they were both donning the proper attire, he led her down the built-in ramp and into the car. They decided that they would drive around first, and then possibly inform some of their neighbors. Her dad opened all of the windows despite the cold so they could yell for Olly as they drove at a slow pace. Her checks were now tinged pink, and she could see her breath as she yelled helplessly for Olly. They made a few loops around their neighborhood with no luck. Alaska’s voice had now taken on a pleading tone. She lost her frantic energy and was now feeling hopeless. It seemed to be getting chillier by the second, and it became harder to yell against the chattering of her teeth. Not to mention, the sun had completely set, leaving the sky dark and dull.

“I’m sorry, Alaska,” said her dad earnestly. He stopped by a few of their neighbors to tell them to keep a look out for Olly. The heat in the car was on full blast, but even that couldn't thaw the fear and sadness that had frozen Alaska’s heart. When they arrived back home, Alaska's dad helped her out. They didn’t say anything as Alaska eyes continued to shed tears. Just as they were about to head inside, a singular bark was let out. Alaska and her dad froze in place, fearing that maybe it was their imaginations lying to them. But there was another bark, a bark that Alaska would recognize anywhere.

“It’s coming from behind the house!” yelled Alaska. Her dad scooped her up since her wheelchair wouldn’t be able to make it through the snow. She took out her phone and turned the flashlight feature on. Olly barked a few more times as they followed the sound through the back yard. That’s when Alaska saw him. He was laying in the middle of the frozen pond. He was barely visible in the dark, his tiny body just a dot against the ice.

“Olly!” Her dad ran to the edge of the pond, still holding Alaska tightly. When Olly saw them approach, he let out a boisterous bark and ran over to them. Her dad bent down. Alaska wiggled her way out of her dad’s grasp and sat down on the ice. Olly jumped into her lap, nuzzling his face into Alaska's neck. Soon Alaska was crying happy tears as she squeezed Olly tightly.

“You’re in big trouble!” she said jokingly as her dad sat beside her. The lights from the surrounding houses cast the pond in a light glow. This was when Alaska noticed it. She noticed the minuscule snowflakes that seemed to be as tiny as a grain of sand. They blew elegantly in the wind, the stars were their spotlights. She noticed the blade markings across the ice and the bare tree branches slightly blowing in the wind. Lastly, she noticed the calm stillness that enveloped her. Had she been missing this the whole time? She was so focused on hating the stillness of winter, that she hadn’t been able to fully appreciate its beauty. Another tear fell down her cheek. Alaska was so beautiful: the sky, the snow, the ice. She laid back on the ice. Her leggings and jacket were wet, but she didn’t care. She wanted to appreciate the stillness. It was about time she noticed how amazing it could truly be.

Short Story
4

About the Creator

Grace Yuergens

I have loved writing ever since I was a little girl. I'm so happy to have found this platform to share my love of writing with others. I hope you enjoy my work!

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