Snowflakes fell from the pale sky, coming to rest upon the white ground. Not a blade of grass or patch of dirt was to be found as far as the eye could see. I took a step and a snowflake settled on my cheek. It was soon replaced with the soft tickle of a droplet rolling down the skin of my face. I took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air and my lungs burned as I held it in, cherishing it. This was it. At March 24th and with a weekend forecast of sun, sun, and more sun with lows of 60, any townie could have told you that this was the last snow of the season.

A flicker of movement in the distance caught my eye. She skipped across the plane, kicking snow playfully in every direction, passing some trees and circling others with her palm outstretched to the frozen bark. She frolicked on like this, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the world, engaged wholly in a song that I had never heard:

Oh, how light and airy,
And how the winds does carry
It down and around and to the ground,
And, thus, the ground it buries.

All at once, wet and dry,
Falling freely from the sky.
Finally resting, always the best thing
Ever to capture my eye.

She began to hum the tune instead of singing, still trouncing about upon the white ground. She looked to be about my age, but I had never seen her before. I continued to watch her in her dance, unable to bring myself to move. She stopped, suddenly, a look of utter horror springing across her face. She looked down at her pale green overcoat now painted with snow, then glanced about maliciously. I glanced at my hands, surprised at the sight of the white residue melting into my gloves. I ducked behind the nearest tree, hoping that she had not caught a glimpse of me before I hid.

The slight crunch of each step grew louder until it peaked just on the other side of my tree. Crap. I sprung into a full sprint bearing to cross the field, and I only managed half a dozen paces before I felt the brisk thump on my back and the chill upon my neck as the fluff melted on my skin. I slowed, then stopped and turned. Mistake.

White. My eyes involuntarily shut and I clawed at my face as I lurched backwards, toppling on to my back. My face seared with the cold. Scraping off what I could with my cumbersome gloves, I immediately clambered to my feet and, without thinking, charged. She was as surprised as I at my action and before I realized that it was a bad idea she, A Deer, and I, Headlights, had collided in a quick burst of snow, hats, gloves and tangled limbs. Before even a moment could pass we were on the ground flailing, each person struggling to break free of the other, failing miserably. I gave up trying and closed my eyes. I let my arms fall into the powdery earth, my left hand quickly becoming wet and cold without its sheath. Several long moments I laid there letting the snow dampen my hair and chill my scalp before I realized that she was no longer moving either.

I slowly lifted my eyelids to find a pair of hazel eyes inches from mine. The wind blew softly and her dishwater hair tickled my cheeks. She shivered slightly and I pulled her body close to mine. Our lips met once for a brief eternity as snowflakes cast themselves to the ground about us.

I looked into her pale eyes once more and despite the cold I couldn’t help but feel warm inside.

My face burned and she giggled violently, then she jumped to her feet and scampered away. When I finished dusting off my face and sat up, she was gone.