Snowman
A wish of the first snow
The boy sculpted a man from the New Snow. A snowman. His lonely tears fell against the frost, a smear of blood from his bruises, the salt of his sweat, and warm breath that summoned life from the barren landscape, as frantic flakes swirled down around them. He wrapped his scarf around the stoic standing figure, tenderly as though this simple visage were his elder brother, and ardently wished for the company of a true friend. A floating spirit, who'd long been lost within a cracked lake's frigid waters, whose essence had become one with the winter season, he encountered this vessel crafted by the boy and found it to be a fine resemblance of his former self, a suitable resting place for his soul. Boy, spirit, and winter's magic coincided in that moment. The snowman shed a tear in tune with the lonely boy's sadness, and a small pearl of ice dropped onto the boy's head. His cold hands, like those of a corpse returned to waking, unfolded and hugged the boy with a comfort the child had never before known. "I am with you now" the young man whispered to the little magician. "I will protect you, and take you away from this place, to wherever you want to go." The boy looked up, amazed that his desperate dream had come true. He remembered then, the stories told of shaping a wish from the first snowfall. And now he believed in his heart that anything could be possible.
About the Creator
Ellen Stedfeld
Perpetually immersed in drawing, illustration, and creative experiments, at live events and @EllesaurArts.com
Community arts in NYC/Queens -- LIC Arts Open festival May 15-19th 2024
Love participating in challenges to motivate new work!
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
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More stories from Ellen Stedfeld and writers in Fiction and other communities.
Jail-Break Rapunzel
His sword was the first thing I noticed when he arrived. People might assume I mean that euphemistically, considering the kind of relationship we're rumored to have had, and how he was - at that moment - covertly climbing through my bedroom window. Can't say I didn't sneak a look at both. But when you've been living in a cushily padded room your whole life, with hair so long that everyone else uses it as their mode of transportation, or at least if you're me, you've been searching for escape from every angle. Day in and day out, to no avail. That witch who calls herself my mother is awwwfully careful about not leaving sharp objects unattended. So then all of a sudden, unless that scabbard's just for decoration (and it very well could be, considered how fancily dressed the dunce is) this pointy stick at his waist just might be my ticket out of here.
By Ellen Stedfeld8 months ago in Fiction
Comments (17)
Congratulations on your wonderful win! Well done!
This was a lovely line to read “who'd long been lost within a cracked lake's frigid waters”, and shows us a lot. I liked the joyful reunion, and the idea of magic in snow. Nicely done Ellen😊
Beautiful. Congrats!
Very powerfully written! Well done! Congratulations!
What a great micro! Congrats!
Very well done. You poured a lot into a small word count.
Thanks for the encouragements everyone, thrilled to have placed in the challenge! I've also been reflecting on the creative process, hope to follow up with further thoughts & discussion. Fortuitously, I will be in an art show tonight (March 2nd) on the theme of "Winter Blues" if anyone based in NYC wants to get in a wintry mood, talk about our writing, or have your portrait done as a snow-person... https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4AQBGluFtT/?igsh=OHZvMXl6YzZodnIw
Wow. So powerful. Congratulations on Second Place; well-deserved, definitely.
Deep and insightful story. Sad and yet hopeful. Congrats.
Impactful from start to finish, every word an ingredient in a spell. I am touched and inspired to write -- compliments I hope you take as fully as they are intended. Brilliant work!
Congratulations!!! Beautiful story.
Super heart-warming story, which left me warm and strangely optimistic.
This story holds such magic and tenderness, the sweetness of a fairytale in such lovely packaging. "He remembered then, the stories told of shaping a wish from the first snowfall" - beautiful and an example of how your language in this is special and speaks like a cozy classical tale. Congratulations on your achievement!
Beautiful story with the right amount of whimsy. Congratulations!
Congratulations on a well-deserved win! Loved your story! 🥇
Congratulations Ellen on your win in the Snow Micro challenge!!!
This is a truly touching tale of hope and desperation. I could feel the love between the two. Well done and Congratulations