Memories

Opening the door, I take a deep breath to prepare. Whoosh. Icy air enters my lungs. Pain swells inside my chest before being expelled back the way it came. The snow, crunching under my feet, reflects the sun and blinds my eyes. Bright white causing squinting while walking. Looking down, foot prints and the scuffs before them litter the ground, but only on the pavement. The rest of the ground, where grass once was, is untouched. The flatness of the scene bringing memories of days spent entirely in the snow. Breaking off icicles from clean places to lick, and see if tongues would stay attached. The softness of the snow, like falling back into a pillow. The rush of adrenaline, while flying down a back road hill, knowing to stop before reaching the street at the bottom. Friends laughing, can't stop smiling even though snot reaches its fingers into open mouths. Numb fingers warmed with hot cocoa topped with the sugary goodness of marshmallows. The dripping of snow shoes and pants onto the tiles of the kitchen, toes warming at the fire. Cheeks rosy red, eyes bright; endearing memories. Looking up, walking to class. The people around, filled with their own thoughts and memories, walk by, looking at the white, crunching ground. Looking as the trees with their branches weighed down with the snow, students brought down by the weight of their packs and thoughts. Dragging their feet, desiring only to feel the freedom of summer - the weightless packs, the weightless branches - where they can dance in the warmth. Breath, smoking the air. Molecules freezing after exiting the warmth of my body. My eyelashes fill up with white, previously black from mascara, blinking to keep out the wind. Tears running down my face; the cold forces itself into my body.