A Winter's Tale | a short story for HiveBloPoMo Day 5

April 5th of HiveBloPoMo and the prompt is - find a Freewriter's prompt & do a 5 minute FreeWrite

Absolutely, no problem! Yeah, no, I don't think that's going to happen. I mean I can write for five minutes or less but a coherent story, fiction? Unlikely, very unlikely. But I am just going to use artistic license and select not a 5-minute prompt but the communities challenge A picture is worth a thousand words.

This here is the current picture and below it you'll find my musings.

source - Pixabay for the Freewriters's community promptA picture is worth a thousand words

Have I really made it back home? Through the gusts of dense snow blowing over the open fields, a young woman wrapped in a well-tailored yet somewhat old-fashioned cloak was hardly able to make out the snow-covered road ahead. Thankfully, the tall oak trees were still guarding the alley leading up to the mansion as they did when Sarah lived here over 100 years ago.

Being able to only see a few feet ahead of her, Sarah looked up at the towering treetops to get her bearings. I remember this so well from all those years ago when Arden and I used to play catch around here. Arden.... She couldn't help but smile wearily at the thought and took a few more small steps before a gust ripped her out of her reverie and back to reality. Cold, I'm so cold. Another gust sent the hood that had covered her head flying in the wind freeing shocks of long red hair. As she tried to secure the hood with her freezing, stiff fingers, the wind pulled the slender woman away from the mansion. Brrr - wrong direction, so cold, I will not meet Arden's fate, I need to keep moving.

With the wind in her face framed by frozen hair, Sarah's movements got slower until she was barely able to move. She turned to shield her face from the wind and breathed into her cupped hands just for a moment - just - I must breathe and, and - Hunched over she tried to pull her cold hair back under the hood before she faced the wind again and continued to stumble forward. I can make it, I will make it - Arden - so cold, so tired.

One more step and another step there, there it is I can see it now! The gate and behind it the mansion with the chimneys reaching into the sky. One foot in front of the other, left foot, right foot, Sarah leaned into the wind barely making any ground it's so strong. Strong like on that dreadful day more than a human's lifetime ago. I must not fall! Is this what had happened to my dear Arden all those years ago? Sarah stopped, her thoughts drifted to her brother's face, handsome and so very young, she panted trying to catch her breath I'll pause - for just one minute, - just one... NO! I must keep going! But why? Arden is no longer there, no one that I knew once is there anymore, so why....

Sarah's thoughts trailed off with the wind that howled around the creaking trees. Why was I so determined to get home? Did anyone care? My parents certainly didn't, after all, they split up and left the mansion and me alone after Arden disappeared. Yet before they left we made a promise to return one day. Today. The centenary of Arden's death. And I do care!

"I am going to keep my promise and if it kills me!"

The howling wind ripped the words from Sarah's mouth and they vanished into the storm, unheard but by her. She scrambled to her feet, tightened her cloak, hood and grabbed the small pack, and stood tall with renewed determination. I will not fail you, Arden, I will be home soon. Sarah started to continue towards the mansion now clearly visible when through the storm she heard a loud cracking or buzzing sound or was it flapping? What was that? Was it...? I can't make it out through this wind? Confused Sarah stopped and glanced up from under her hood, into the falling snow. What she saw...

THE END or TO BE CONTINUED

Hahaha - at least for now and sorry for the cliffhanger. Let me know what you think. It was definitely not a 5-minute free write but it was a prompt by the Freewriters's community and if you'd like to you still have a couple of days to participate.

And to give this post even a bit more of a winter feeling, despite the sunny divider - sorry!, and fit in with my usually photo heavy posts, I rummaged through my snowy photos in Lightroom and selected these photos I thought would fit this scene more or less. Like the one above, the view up into the falling snow or my at one time reddish/pink hair in a snowstorm 🙂. Well, see for yourself.